A small business financial plan summarizes your company’s financial situation, including income statements, balance sheets, and data on cash flows. Small business financial planning may direct a company toward long-term development. Financial planning may help with goal-setting for businesses, tracking indicators, and demonstrating the viability of concepts. Every small company has to have a financial strategy. It enables you to evaluate your company’s financial requirements, identify potential areas, and forecast your long-term growth. For potential investors, having a solid financial strategy is a plus.
Cash Flow Statement
A cash flow statement is an essential part of any business plan. Unlike traditional accounting reports, it will show your business’s incoming and outgoing cash flow. You should make one monthly cash flow statement and record all expected cash flow. This way, you can pinpoint any months that could pinch your cash flow. This document will also help you create an expense forecast, estimating future business spending and recurring monthly expenses.
Cash flow statements should be broken down into operating, investing, and financing. Operating activities measure the business’s cash flow and include its day-to-day operations. Operating activities include payroll, payments to suppliers, and income taxes payable. You can also use a free cash flow statement template to make your cash flow statement. Knowing your cash flow will help you make smart decisions and make more informed business decisions regardless of the type of business you own.
Risk Management Plan
When you own a small business, risk management is vital. It includes assessing risks and devising strategies to manage them. For example, in the case of a restaurant, a risk-averse owner may take the following steps:
Establish a culture: Identify the types of people and behaviors that contribute to the riskiest situations and identify ways to improve them. A risk management plan can help you build a culture by integrating risk reporting with other aspects of the business. As you develop a risk management plan, ensure to include your managers in the process. By involving them in the process, you can gain their support and ensure a safe culture within your company.
Make a risk register: Develop a risk management plan once you’ve identified the types of risks your business faces. The plan should outline your strategy for dealing with these risks. Once your business has established the risk register, the plan should include specific actions if any of these situations arise. As long as the business continues to function, this plan will remain a vital asset. If your company is not adequately prepared for risk, it could become obsolete and fail to grow.
Balance Sheet
The first step in developing a balance sheet in a small business is to know exactly what you want to include in it. The balance sheet is usually divided into three sections: assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity. When you create your balance sheet, you will need to figure out the value of your inventory. Your total assets should equal your total liabilities and vice versa. To determine your assets, you can use a balance sheet spreadsheet template, which you can download from the small business administration website. Once these three sections are in place, you can analyze your business’s financial health.
You should create a balance sheet that includes the following information: the total assets of the business, total liabilities, and total owners’ equity. This information can be broken down further. For example, the business’s assets should be listed in the asset account, while the liabilities should be reported in the liability account. Similarly, the equity account should be represented by the owners’ contributions. The date of the balance sheet is also an important factor. Many firms issue quarterly reports to the public.
