If you want to succeed in your business, then you have to make a budget every year. This is because everything in your organization, including putting up a simple advert such as “we buy houses in Pittsburgh” will require you to spend money, and if you finance it without a plan hoping that numbers will work out themselves, you will be in for a rude shock. We’ve compiled a list of budgeting tips every entrepreneur should know.
Budgeting is critical in meeting profit targets, and this is why you should treat this undertaking with the seriousness it deserves. It helps you invest your resources to the best interest of your business other than spending them when an urgent matter arises. Also, a good budget will help you to plan for the unknown; hence avoiding pricey surprises that might cost a fortune.
Below is a complete guide on how to budget for your business:
Understand what a budget is
Before you even make a budget for your business, first endeavor to understand what it means. Don’t treat a budget as a document that will help you manage every dime you spend, but rather, let it be a guide that helps you make informed financial decisions. Let it provide leeway for enhanced business success.
Understand that all businesses are not the same
Your business might be similar to that of your best friend, but you need to remember that it is unique in its own way. For this reason, don’t copy paste someone else’s budget, believing that it will work for you. No! You need to understand your organization. Uncover the risks you are likely to face, tax laws, and changes in regulations that might affect your business over time. This will help you determine whether your budget will be monthly, yearly, or quarterly.
Take your time
Don’t be in a hurry to make a budget for your organization. Remember, this is not a sales forecast that you will do in one night to impress potential investors or financial institution. This is something that matters to you and one that can determine the future of your venture. That said, take all the time you need to think through it. You can even engage a professional accounts officer who will help you allocate resources to different projects based on your priorities.
Dobot 
Dobot is a completely free app to help you mindlessly save up for whatever goals you might have. Create goals for the $500 computer you need, save up for the $200 you’ll need on your work trip, and create goals for anything you can think of. Dobot takes small amounts from your bank account to put towards these goals you set up with certain time constraints. Dobot will never overdraft your account and you can move the money back whenever you want. It studies your spending and picks a small amount here and there to take from your bank account and put towards your goals to effortlessly save for whatever goals you want for your business (or personal life). Sign up today and you’ll get $5 free.
Be realistic
Don’t set a budget that is too good to be true. For example, if your business has a monthly turnover of one million dollars, don’t set a budget of ten million. If you do this, even your employees will dismiss it as unattainable, and this might affect their performance.
Develop a budget based on what you have achieved in the past. Analyze your profits for the last five years or so, and use them to come up with realistic budget numbers.
Be flexible
Don’t create a budget and make it a law that should be followed to the letter. On the contrary, let your budget plan be a guide to how you use your business resources, but if the need arises and you have to spend more on a certain project to make it more successful, don’t hesitate to do it. 
Also, if you find out that some items or projects have been allocated more resources that they require, cut off financing to a certain percentage, and use what you get to finance bigger projects.
The budgeting tips every entrepreneur should know mentioned above will help you create a budget that will maximize your business success. Re-read them and do the needful. Best of luck!
Written by guest blogger: Camila Merashi.
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