One of the biggest issues that companies can face when it comes to their business is the cash flow and financial aspect. It may sound like this is a fundamental part of it, but unless you as the business owner have an accounting background, you are more likely to focus on aspects of the business that you feel you can make the most difference. Perhaps the sales side of things or marketing. However, it is no excuse not to have a grip on the finances, so I wanted to share with you some of the ways you could do it.
Make realistic projections
One of the first things that every business owner must do, or any accounts executives within your business model, is to ensure that the make realistic projections and forecasts for your business. These are the reports that you will go to when it comes to making big decisions with your business. You may need to think about how your business is going to do, what financial impact certain events later on in the year could have on your business model and whether you believe that sales consistency will remain the same, rise or fall. Being realistic means that you have a better chance of steering your business in the right direction.
Be aware of payment windows on invoices
When dealing trade to trade, you may find that invoices you receive will have a thirty day payment window. This is something that you should take advantage of as you should be keeping the money in your account for as long as possible. But don’t forget that you may be giving the same courtesy to others, and so you need to be mindful that although something has been invoiced, it may not be paid for until that very last day. In some cases you may need to chase for these payments to be made.
Be clever when it comes to dealing with other countries
Part and parcel of business growth could mean that you start to deal globally and with countries that deal in a different currency than your own. So extra attention to detail is needed. This is when you may need to consider a foreign exchange company to help ensure you get the best conversion rates when it comes to dealing with incoming and outgoing payments.
Make investments into your business when needed
Finally, it is always worth remembering that you will need to ensure that you make the right level of investment into your business when needed. It could be that you will need to obtain further investment through business loans or investors. Or it could be that you make the decision to reinvest profits back into the business. Whatever you decide to do, always look at the potential pros and cons for all options to ensure that you make an informed decision for the best route to take with your business and growth.
I hope that these tips help you to keep a handle on your business finances.