Most small businesses don’t have any idea what funds are coming in and going out of their company at any given time. It’s no surprise, either. It can be a lot of work to set up a cash flow system on your own (especially one that doesn’t take hours of maintenance).
Although set up is usually a big barrier, cash flow is vital for making good business decisions. Having a complete snapshot of where you are in a moment in time in your business (and why) can help you make sound business decisions based on fact, rather than guesswork.
Since this is one of the biggest problems I see businesses facing right now, I’ve created easy cash flow management systems for small businesses and solopreneurs. These are quick, easy setups with low maintenance. They give you enough detail to know what’s going in and coming out, and to help you completely optimize those flows to get more bang for your buck!
Not sure if you need a cash flow advisor to help you establish a system?
First, head to the Free Cash Flow Quiz to see where you stand right now and get your Cash Flow Scorecard.
Then, check out the top 7 benefits and decide for yourself if it’s right for you.
7 Ways to Optimize Operations & Expenses with a Cash Flow Planner
1. Real-Time Cash Flow with Automation
Last month, we shared an incredible system for automating your entire bookkeeping system. This three-program integration is simple to set up, but best of all, it helps you manage your cash flow completely hands-off.
The benefits for time-savings are intense, but there’s another added benefit to automating your payables and receivables; instant cash flow tracking. At one glance, you can see all your accounts and payments in transit – both incoming and outgoing. Instead of chasing payments and invoices around to 4 or 5 sources, you can look at it all in a single glance.
2. Understand Your Main Revenue Streams so You Can Pivot
Do you know where your money is coming from? Which exact percentage of services and products are contributing to your bottom line?
I’ve sat down with clients who think they know where the bulk of their revenue comes in and how they’re converting these clients, but after spending about an hour, we realize they’ve mistakenly attributed more revenue to these streams than they should have. This is an important realization because it allows a business to pivot so they can capture more of the major sales they need to immediately boost their bottom lines.
3. Know Your Targets; Know if You’ve Hit Them
Do you have goals? How much thought have you put into them? Do you know what you need to be bringing in and keeping in the company on a yearly basis? A monthly basis? A weekly basis?
Without these kinds of breakdowns and analyses, it’s possible you’re missing the mark and you’re not even aware of it. If you have more money streaming out than coming in one month, you need to know that so you can adjust your targets for next month to stay on track. This is why ongoing cash flow tracking is so important. Business changes from day to day, and you need a cash flow planner that can actually keep up!
4. Plan for the Worst, Prepare for the Best
It’s your job to set the goals and dream big, and it’s my job to poke holes in the plan (or create a plan from scratch, if there isn’t one). Business is unpredictable on a good day, so even if you’re on track to meet goals, you have to be prepared for mishaps. My goal as a cash flow advisor and strategist is to create a plan that works even if business doesn’t go exactly according to plan.
5. Track Performance with KPIs
KPI stands for Key Performance Indicators. They sound daunting if you haven’t heard of them before, but really, they’re just individual targets we set to know if your business is on track. They often act as effective connections between strategy and results, serving as a check to make sure a strategy is working at its best.
For cash flow planning, we can look at Cash Flow Conversion Schedules to see how much time is spent between receiving and spending money. If that KPI is a negative number, we can strategize ways to increase it, and then track that for the following months and years to ensure the strategy is actually working.
6. Get More from Your Regular Expenses
Everyone wants to get more for what they spend. Value is everything!
If you’ve never assessed your expenses, suppliers, subscriptions, and accounts, it’s time to take a deep dive to see where your money is getting returns and where it’s draining away.
Just like assessing your revenue streams, managing your expenses can give you a sudden and ongoing boost in your cash flow. Cutting out the bad expenses is a surefire way to get more out of your business overall.
7. Set Up an Affordable, Easy Cash Flow Planning System Customized for You
If you want a cash flow system that gives you the confidence you need to make great decisions for your business, call, text, or message Schwan & Associates CPA today.
Plus, if you haven’t done it yet, don’t forget to head to the Free Cash Flow Quiz to find out how you can instantly improve your cash flow planning and tracking. Better cash flow management is just a few clicks away!
If you want a cash flow system that gives you the confidence you need to make great decisions for your business, call, text, or message Schwan & Associates CPA today.
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