Developing a financial strategy is critical for any small business to ensure its long-term success. A financial strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines the financial status of your business, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow information . It can help guide a small business toward sustainable growth, aid in business goal setting and metrics tracking, as well as provide proof of profitable ideas .
To develop a financial strategy for your small business, you can follow these steps:
1. Create a strategic business plan that includes your business strategy and goals, and define their priorities .
2. Gather financial information about your business. Organize bank statements, credit card statements, receipts, and other financial documents .
3. Create an income statement that includes information on profit and loss, as well as operating expenses for a given time period .
4. Create a balance sheet that determines the difference between your liabilities and assets to determine your equity .
5. Create a cash flow statement that shows the inflow and outflow of cash in your business .
In addition to these steps, there are several other important considerations for small businesses when developing their financial strategies. These include evaluating historical spend, building your P&L, setting and then sticking to a budget, and proactively tracking your spend .