Cash Flow Checkups For Financial Health

From individuals to huge corporations, staying on track to reach financial goals means tracking where your money is going, your cash flow. With today’s inflation, buying one thing might require a small adjustment to your spending. When you need to stock an entire company, it takes more planning to make your net. Seen from a big picture perspective, you need to be aware of your current expenses and savings to see if you are on track to meet your financial goals.

Start With Your End Goals

Before you review your cash flow, look at your plan. Even once you made a good plan with specific goals in mind, periodic reviews are an incredibly useful tool. Over time, our priorities and our goals change. Reviewing and revising those goals can make sure they continue to be aligned with our shifting priorities. It’s especially ideal to review those goals so you can analyze whether your projected activities will meet them. When your goals are lined up, it’s time to track where your money comes in and goes out.

Track the Cash Flow

Monitoring the cash flow into and out of your business or accounts is one of the best ways to improve your financial health and that of your business. Creating and regularly updating a spreadsheet gives you the data you need for your own financial dashboard or statement.

Cash Flow from Operating Activities

Since the majority of business income comes through sales it is often the first line item on your statement, in the “Cash Flow from Operations” section. Opinions differ on whether they want the numbers in one column or two. But this section will also contain cash outflow such as inventory expense, payroll cost, and other operating expenses. That includes interest paid on loans; sales tax and income tax paid are name common examples.

Cash Flow from Investment Activities

Your Business has other cash inflows and outflows. For instance, proceeds from investments needs a spot on your dashboard. This could be from sale of a property held, or from equipment and other assets held by the business. When equipment, property and other assets are purchased that cash outflow would be listed in this section.

Cash Flow from Financing Activities

This can include bank financing, program funds, grants or even owner contribution. First list the cash received during the analysis period, and then list the repayment of loans if any, owner’s drawings and dividend payments. What’s left is your net cash flow from financing.

Summary

Don’t forget the part where you show opening balance, net cash movement, whether positive or negative and the closing balance. This shows how your position changed during that period. Note: if your cash flow isn’t as strong as you’d like it to be, contact us for details on programs that help change that. We regularly guide our clients through programs and their application process.

Once you know your business spends the most money and the cash reality of your business, you can spot the shortages. It is the first step to aligning your business activities with your end goals. Regular cash flow checkups help you plan your future and ensure a healthier working fund. If you’re interested in information on programs that are great at improving cash flow, we should have a conversation. Tell your Americore representative about your situation and we’ll tell you how we think we can help you improve it.