TL;DR
Organizing your business finances comes down to four steps: open a separate business bank account before your first customer payment, build a realistic budget from your business plan, review your finances at least twice a month, including work delivered but not yet paid for, and bring in a financial advisor when decisions get complicated.
Entrepreneurship can be challenging. Growth strategist Rajalingam Rathinam points out that you need to balance multiple factors just to get your ventures off the ground, including resources, competition, and risk. Yet of all the obstacles you're likely to encounter when starting your own business, financing is especially vital. Obtaining a steady cash flow, knowing how to budget it, and forecasting future costs to ensure long-term viability are all crucial for success.
Managing business finances can be challenging because you need to fund so many aspects of your business, whether for paying wages, conducting marketing campaigns, or obtaining tools and supplies needed in your day-to-day operations—and when you're just starting out, cash will be scarce. That's where organization comes in. Our post finds that even in your personal life, putting everything in its place lets you know exactly what you have on hand. That doesn't just help you save money—it guides you to discover opportunities that can further improve your finances.
But how can you do that in your own business? Read on for some handy organizing tips.
Open a business bank account
You don't want to end up paying for business expenses out of your own pocket. That's why Business News Daily emphasizes that opening a business bank account is crucial before you receive your first payments from customers. This step can do more than just make your venture look more legitimate. By separating personal and business expenses, you can more easily track and organize costs, obtain financing like lines of credit, and even know which expenses you can write off when you file your taxes. More importantly, it'll tell you exactly how much you can spend when making a budget.
Make a budget
Every good entrepreneurial venture starts with a strategy. Investopedia explains that business plans help you finalize your business idea and how to realize it, provide structure for seamless long-term operations, and ultimately help you reduce risk. Through its financial component, it can also help you create a budget. Use it to make sure you allocate funds in a way that's realistic enough for you to stick to but flexible enough to account for unforeseen circumstances.
You can achieve that by ensuring it considers both your business's current and future income. From here, take note of your fixed and variable costs and set aside a reasonable amount for emergencies.
Regularly review your finances
Constantly checking on your funds as your business grows lets you determine where to cut costs and even forecast your future expenses. That means you can reorganize and allocate funds to areas that will develop your business further. Aside from tracking your monthly costs, you need to look over payments you're currently receiving and those you're about to receive—in other words, both accounts receivable (AR) and what Softrax defines as unbilled AR.
The latter is especially important, as it occurs when you've already delivered a product or service but have yet to be paid for it. Without accounting for it, you will likely gain an inaccurate picture of your current revenue versus your expenses. Be sure to thoroughly audit your finances at least twice a month so you can organize them more efficiently.
Consult a professional
Though the above are great starting points that can help you demystify the process of organizing your business finances, they're not the only steps you can take. For example, you can use business credit cards to improve your credit score and access financing and insurance. You also need to file your taxes in line with industry-specific obligations. Doing these things can be confusing, and it's okay if you find them so—because you can always ask a professional to help you navigate these processes.
Though you can always tap a business consultant, Bankrate notes that financial advisors will provide more tailored and relevant expertise. With one of these professionals at the helm, you can easily organize your finances to avoid debt traps, conduct tax-saving strategies, and even invest in insurance. In the process, they'll help you bolster your business's long-term growth.
Keep reading
- Zen and the Art of Bookkeeping – Simple Ways for WAHM’s to Master this Dreaded TaskSimple bookkeeping habits for home-based business owners.
- Steve Job’s 10 Year MistakeWhy working harder won’t fix a stuck business.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need a separate business bank account?
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Separating business and personal money keeps you from paying business expenses out of your own pocket. It makes costs easier to track, helps you qualify for financing such as lines of credit, shows which expenses you can write off at tax time and tells you exactly how much you can spend when you budget.
How do I make a budget for a small business?
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Use the financial part of your business plan as a starting point. Account for both current and future income, list your fixed and variable costs, and set aside a reasonable amount for emergencies. The budget should be realistic enough to stick to but flexible enough for unforeseen circumstances.
How often should I review my business finances?
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The article recommends auditing your finances thoroughly at least twice a month. Regular reviews show you where to cut costs, help you forecast future expenses and let you move money toward the areas that will develop your business further.
What is unbilled accounts receivable?
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It is money for products or services you have already delivered but have yet to be paid for. Track it alongside your regular accounts receivable. Without it, you will get an inaccurate picture of your current revenue compared with your expenses.
Should I hire a financial advisor for my small business?
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If business credit, industry-specific tax obligations or financing feel confusing, it is fine to ask for help. A business consultant can assist, but the article notes that a financial advisor offers more tailored expertise to help you avoid debt traps, plan tax-saving strategies and support long-term growth.
