Running a successful small business requires more than just having a great idea.  Many entrepreneurs don’t internalize the importance of having a good understanding of their business’ financials until something goes wrong; however, it is essential for long-term success. Having a clear view of the current and future financial position of your business can help you to make informed decisions and develop a sound financial strategy.

Know Your Cash Flow

Cash flow is an important factor in understanding the current state of your business’ finances. It involves tracking money coming into and going out of the business, including income from sales, services, or investment, operating expenses such as payroll and rent, and capital expenditures like investments and loan payments. Knowing your monthly and quarterly cash flow cycle will help you stay ahead of potential financial issues and ensure adequate funding for operations.

Focus on your Financial Forecast

Financial forecasting is also important for small businesses as you plan for the future. The first piece to developing a sound financial forecast is to understand your product and sales strategy.  Creating a financial forecast involves projecting revenue, expenses, cash flow, and other key metrics over a certain period of time. This allows business owners to anticipate any changes in their finances and adjust their business strategy accordingly.

Set your Financial Goals

Finally, effective financial management is critical for small businesses. This involves setting financial goals and developing strategies to reach them, budgeting, managing financial risk, monitoring the business’ performance, and making adjustments as needed. Good financial management can help you achieve long-term success by ensuring that your finances are well-managed and that you are able to make informed decisions.

Understanding the importance of cash flow, financial forecasting, and financial management is essential for start-ups looking to achieve long-term success.  Take the time to understand how these areas work and make sure you have all the resources needed to maintain good financial health.  With proper knowledge and planning, your company can be better equipped for long-term success. 

Remember, it is not essential to have a business degree or become a CPA to be successful in managing your business. But you should acquire enough knowledge to communicate intelligently with your accountants and finance teams in order to get your business off the ground and running. 

Gaining this knowledge does not happen overnight, and the more you can learn about the financial components of your business, the more likely your business will continue to see scalable success. 

If you are struggling to find answers to your questions, Cheryl Heller, our Strategic Finance Expert, can help organize, manage, and analyze your financial information to help you maintain more focus on your business. 

Contact the Hatch & Co Consulting team to begin your journey to financial literacy in your business.