6 Key Factors to Ensure Your Business Has Financial Control

It’s easy to become complacent and overlook key warning signs if you’re not watching business metrics meant to draw attention to the performance indicators of your organisation. Here are six (6) key points we go through with every one of our clients:

1) “Do it right the first time so you don’t have to do it again”. Tempted to take a shortcut with your financial controls? This can and will come back to bite you in the near future, such as at tax time or when you are looking for business financing options.

• Remember: your business is your livelihood, and its revenue is your bread and butter. Data should be input as soon as possible and as correctly as possible; trying to memorise facts and figures about the performance of your business is completely ineffective and risky.
• Being cautious from the outset will save you the hassle and frustration later on – which brings us to our next point…

2)  Do you mix personal and business expenses and/or assets? Accurate financial control and effective budgeting are practically impossible if it is unclear where the money originated from or if it was spent for personal or business purposes.

3) Do you re-invest earnings into your business? Why/why not? You will need to invest in your business, no matter how big or small, to see it expand. It is up to you to ensure that such contributions and made to help your business thrive.

• Improve efficiency by going digital, enhance production by modernising your workspace, and manufacture better quality products by purchasing higher-quality supplies.
• Whatever steps you take, make sure they are worthwhile. Always think about what you need and invest wisely.

4) Do you know if your invoices are being sent out as quickly and accurately as possible? When was the last time you performed an invoice audit to ensure invoice accuracy?

• It’s important to frequently evaluate stock levels and reconcile debtors, GST, and fixed assets.

5) Are all product and service lines contributing their full value to the bottom line? Your existing reports may not provide complete visibility into your margins.

6) When was the last time you set business goals? How do you know you’re moving in the right direction?

• Always be aware of where you stand – and how you intend to achieve your business goals.
• Updating broad financial performance targets every year, monitoring performance versus budget, comparing inflows and expenditure of cash, and creating profit and loss reports are all activities that will keep you aware and on target.

In Summary

One of the most crucial roles of small business owners is financial control and financial management. As a director or sole proprietor, you must assess the possible effects of your financial controls and their impacts on income, profitability cash flow, and the company’s financial health. If you do not have the time or experience to properly manage your business finances and set up proper financial controls to ensure the financial health of your business, a virtual CFO may be the perfect solution for you.

 

Speak with Philip Khao from Solve Accounting on 0412651779 or at philip@solveaccounting.com.au to find out more about Virtual CFO services.

Philip Khao is a Chartered Accountant (CA), Virtual CFO professional and Director at Solve Accounting with many years of accounting and business services experience at global accounting firms and multinational corporations.