Factoring Companies - Small Business Budgeting Part 2. - When?
In the first installment of our series on budgeting we discussed why, at a minimum you should produce an annual budget. In this installment we will be discussing at what time of year you should put together your budget.
When deciding when to put together a budget keep a few things in mind.
- The further out you try and project the activity of your business the less likely it is to be accurate. It is pretty logical that you will be more accurate in projecting next month when compared to the results you will have in projecting twelve months from now.
- Think about how the volume of your revenue goes up and down during the year and think about how much time you will need to plan for the annual peak of your business.
I think it will be helpful to use our company as an example of when we produce our annual budget and why we complete it at that point in time.
As a factoring company we work on our budget at this time of year. Our business is somewhat seasonal, following macroeconomic forces with a peak in the early fourth quarter. We only finance firms that sell to other companies and our clients finishing shipping or completing work for the holiday season near the end of October and the beginning of November. We see a natural dip in business during December and the first part of January as our clients wrap up their operations for the year. This makes December a perfect time to look back at our business for the year, and think about our business for the coming year. You should consider these same issues for your firm and think about when will be a good time for you to start this process. An example of a firm with different timing would be a hotel in a city that thrives during the ski season. Because their busy season isn't over until April they should probably not start working on their budget until May or June.
In summary you should pick the time of year after your busiest season to complete your budget. This will probably be close to the time that you are also beginning to prepare your year end financial statements.
As you prepare your budget for the year remember that Factoring Companies like Fast A\R Funding can help with your working capital needs. whether you are a seasonal small business or a firm with stable annual revenue we can help.
To learn more about our online invoice factoring company click the link below or give us a call. 888.833.2286
