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September 27, 2016How your business can do more for charity
September 27, 2016If you discover that your present way of keeping financial records is not giving you the financial control that you need to run your Paisley business effectively, it is necessary to revive your finance practices. This can give you better management, insight and greater survival rates. It is generally not difficult, especially when you give greater diligence to your money, and when you have the right software to simplify the financial processes you need.
Rearranging financial control
Putting your finances in order requires several things. The first and most important is constant and thorough recordkeeping. It is essential that you keep track of all expenditures and sales. You must know what money is coming in and how much money is going out at all times.
Once you have a system in place to record your transactions and expenditures, it is necessary to analyse the data. From it, you should be able to understand those times of the month when income is lower, as well as knowing when all your bills are due.
The importance of sound financial management
Having good data on your business income and outflow enables you to plan accordingly. You will be able to anticipate slower sales, and then know that you need to spend less during that time. Marketing should decrease at the same time, but increase when you know people are more apt to be in a buying mood.
Without good control of your finances, you are apt to wake up one day and find yourself in serious debt – and with no money to pay the bills. Ignoring it is definitely not going to help. You need money to pay the employees, buy more materials, pay yourself, pay the rent and utilities, and more.
How to revive your business finances
Getting your business back on track financially can be accomplished by following a few simple steps. The sooner you take these steps, the less time it will take to revive your finances. Waiting only lets the problem grow, which means that it will take longer to resolve. To get started, you will need to do the following things.
Choose the right software
There are many software accounting packages out there. Instead of buying one that you really do not need, or that costs too much, determine your needs for it, find one that will meet those needs, and then make your purchase.
Take time to learn the features and benefits
Being able to create charts and trends automatically from the software is essential to keeping your business finances under control. This can give you a quick glance at trends and see problem seasons. Once you have purchased the software, remember that it is only good if you know how to use it. Learn how to use all the features that will help you.
Get caught up on entering data
Once you know how to use it, enter in all your accounting data, and assign someone (or do it yourself) to maintain the records daily, or weekly. If you would rather not get involved in the finances, choosing someone else can enable you to have more time to devote to those aspects of the business that only you can do – focus on your strengths. As an owner, however, you do want to oversee your finances and get regular reports. Keeping your business finances under control depends on this, and it needs to be a priority.
Develop an invoicing system
Creating invoices is a very good way to increase your monthly income. Not only will you be able to tell how much money is owed to your business at a glance, but you will also know how much you can expect to come in. Adding interest and penalties on balances or late payments will provide an incentive for your customers to pay their bills on time, creating a better cash flow for you.
You can reduce the costs of sending out your invoices if you do it through email. It will save time, the cost of labour, printing and stamps, and it can also be processed automatically every month. To use an invoicing system that has everything covered, you can find a range of invoice templates online.
Find money for savings
Reviving your finances should include having a way to prepare for contingencies. You can expect to have problems sooner or later that will force your business to close, or prevent customers from buying. It could be a natural disaster or an economic one – or even a seasonal one. Having some extra money in the bank is part of having good control of your company’s finances. It will be there during the slow times, providing you with money to get by and keep your business going.
Getting the right software and invoicing system can enable you to revive your finances and become a more stable business. Take action quickly with the right tools and it will also help take some pressure off of you.
