Reducing the uncertainty: financial forecasting and planning

Economic conditions and the costs of trading make it difficult to keep your finances on track. We’ve put together five ways to help you reduce the financial uncertainty and improve your planning.

Uncertainty can be a major threat to your strategic financial planning.

Being unsure of what lies around the corner makes it difficult to make those important financial decisions around operational budgets, investment and growth funding.

But by using forecasting and scenario-planning, you make it easier to manage your finances and reduce some of the financial uncertainty.

Looking to the future with your financials

Analysing your cashflow statements, profit and loss reports and quarterly management accounts gives you an indication of where you’ve been as a business. But these reports don’t tell you much about where you’re going, and what your financial future may look like.

By looking forward, rather than backward, you can start to get a better idea of the landscape that lies ahead – including future cashflow, revenue, profits and operational budgets.

Five key techniques you can use to reduce your financial uncertainty

Cash flow forecasts

Cash is king, so having a detailed overview of your cash flow trajectory is vital.

With cash flow forecasting apps, like MYOB, Xero and Figured, you can predict your cash availability and spot potential cash shortfalls – while there’s still time to plug the hole. By cutting expenses or seeking short-term funding, you can keep the business in a positive cash flow position. It’s this forecasting and foresight that keeps you trading, despite the uncertainty in the market.

Revenue forecasts

Knowing the future patterns in your sales and revenue data helps you keep your income stable.

Revenue forecasting apps analyse your sales data, revenue trends and market shifts to anticipate fluctuations in your revenue. Armed with this future view of your potential revenue, you can adapt your pricing, invest in more marketing, and make your income more consistent.

Scenario planning

There’s always more than one potential outcome of any business situation. Having a plan B (or C, D and E) allows you to understand the multiple potential possibilities – and plan for them.

Forecasting apps help you model potential ‘what-if’ scenarios, so you can see the possible outcomes of an economic downturn or disruption to your supply chain disruptions. This kind of scenario planning makes it easier to make contingency plans and mitigate the potential risks.

Profit projections

Being a profitable enterprise is important for a number of reasons. It shows lenders you’re a low-risk borrower, allows you to invest in the business and drives your dividend payments.

Software tools help you track your performance and estimate future profitability, factoring in variable costs, sales, and market changes. This helps you determine your price point, drive cost-cutting measures, or make investment decisions that keep the profits rolling in.

Budget forecasts

Tracking and forecasting your budget performance keeps your expenses in check.

Use the budgeting tools available to you within MYOB or Xero to help you build dynamic budgets and remain on budget to achieve your financial goals. Budget forecasts help you track your performance, control your expenses and cut any unnecessary spending, keeping you on track with your agreed budget.

Making your financial future clearer and easier to navigate

With so many ups and down in economic conditions and the costs of raw materials and labour, getting serious about financial forecasting really is a must.

Come and talk to us about the key areas of financial uncertainty in your business – and find out how we can guide you through these uncertain times and out the other side.

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