Why Is Budgeting Important To a Business?

When it comes to owning a business, there is so much to consider. As a business owner, it can be difficult to know where your priorities should lie. One priority you should never ignore is the importance of budgeting. Here, we will look at what a budget is, why it matters, and how you can tailor your budget for your unique business plan. We will also see how Secantor can help you with your budget.

 
 

What Is Budgeting In Business?

You prepare a business plan with all of your ideas for the future, and you then prepare a budget which translates your ideas into values. A budget is, simply put, financial plan showing income, expenditure and profit over a given time. A budget can be created by forecasting future sales income and subtracting the estimated expected costs required for the level of sales. It is a good way of making decent financial forecasts and should be seen as an essential part of any business, from an SME to a larger enterprise.

Why Do You Need a Budget?

So, why is a budget so vital for your business? You can use your small business budget to plan and control your finances and ensure that you do not over-stretch yourself. If you have created a realistic budget, you will feel more able to make financial decisions that are good for your business, and let you plan for the future. While the initial budgets you make when starting out with your business are important, you must ensure that you do not see budgeting as a one-off or something separate from your other business activity. It is one of the central parts of your business plan, empowering you to make strong and confident decisions, and whilst you may create a new budget annually, you may need to revise it during the year.

What Goes Into a Budget?

Your business budget will be different depending on what your business needs and how large it is - this means that your budget will need to be able to adapt to accommodate a changing business. You should keep a close eye on your budget, comparing it to the actual performance of your business so that you can see how it measures up. If you are continually finding yourself in a very different situation when it comes to performance versus plan, it may be time to look at both your budget and how your business is running.

Understanding Your Budget

It is important to understand your budget and what it means for your business. The experts at Secantor can help you to create a budget. We have a team of expert Finance Directors, Non-Executive Directors and Operations Directors that are available on a flexible part-time basis to help you fulfil the potential in your business. Over the years we've helped hundreds of business owners & directors. Get in touch today to find out how we could help you.

Image Source: Unsplash