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Streamline Your Business with the Right Apps Business App Advisory Albury Wodonga. First Class Accounts Overns and Murray

There’s an app for that!

Streamline Your Business with the Right Apps

Still bogged down by admin? Spending too much time on manual processes or jumping between systems that don’t talk to each other?

The right business apps can do more than just save time – they can improve accuracy, simplify operations, and help you make informed decisions with confidence.

But with so many options out there, it’s hard to know which ones are right for your business. That’s where we come in. At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, our business app advisory Albury Wodonga service is here to help streamline your systems, reduce admin, and free up your time.

Choosing the Right Tools – Without the Overwhelm

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we specialise in understanding the different options of business apps for different industries and business types. Whether you’re in trades, professional services, retail, or something else entirely – we’ll help you choose the right tools for your needs.

We don’t just recommend an app and send you on your way. Our business app advisory service is designed to help you choose the right apps, set them up properly, and make sure they’re working seamlessly with your bookkeeping or payroll systems.

A Few of Our Go-To Apps

Here are just some of the tools we support and implement for clients across Albury Wodonga:

Xero

A cloud accounting platform that gives you real-time access to your financials. As a Xero Gold Champion Partner, we have the expertise to help you set up, customise, and connect Xero to other apps you’re already using (or should be using). You'll get better visibility over your numbers and a smoother, more efficient workflow.

Dext Prepare

Automates data entry for invoices and receipts, pushing information straight into Xero. No more chasing paperwork or typing up bills – Dext takes care of it.

ServiceM8

Perfect for tradies and service businesses. Manage jobs, quotes, scheduling, invoicing, and payments from your phone. We’ll help you integrate it with your bookkeeping so nothing gets missed.

Deputy

Handles staff rostering, time tracking, and award interpretation. When connected to your payroll system, it can save hours in admin and reduce errors with leave, hours worked, and pay rates.


Other Business Apps

We specialise in understanding the different options of business apps for different industries and businesses. And we can provide you with insights and guidance on what apps would best suit your business.

This is where we really shine. At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we go beyond suggesting tools. We assess your business needs, set up the right apps, integrate them with your accounting software (like Xero), and can train your team on how to use them. We make sure your apps actually work to reduce mistakes, save time, and deliver better data.

Whether you need help with inventory, job costing, project tracking, time sheeting, payroll or scheduling – we can help you get the systems in place.

Make Your Tech Work Smarter

The right app setup can make a massive difference – not just in productivity, but in how confidently you manage your business. If you're not sure where to start or feel like your current systems aren't cutting it, get in touch.

We’re here to help you find the best app combinations to support your cash flow, payroll, and everyday operations – and make sure everything works together seamlessly.

If you're looking for business app advisory in Albury Wodonga that actually makes a difference, get in touch with our team today.

Fundamentals of a Business Budget | Bookkeepers Albury Wodonga

The Fundamentals of a Business Budget

The Fundamentals of a Business Budget

If you want to take control of your business finances and set your sights on growth, you need a budget. It’s one of the most useful tools for staying on track and making smart, informed decisions.

Put simply, your business budget shows what you plan to do with your cash over the next 12 months. It helps you stay clear on where the money is coming from, where it’s going, and what you want the future to look like.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we help business owners turn their budgets into practical tools using real-time data and industry-leading apps like Calxa, Futrli and Spotlight

So, you’re not just making plans, you’re actively managing your business with clarity and confidence.

What a budget tells you

Your budget is just one part of your financial toolkit. When you look at it alongside your profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cashflow forecast, you get a complete view of your business health. Together, these reports help you plan, monitor performance, and adjust as needed.

A budget gives you a forward-looking lens. It helps you forecast income and expenses, spot seasonal trends, and set targets that are grounded in data—not guesswork.

By comparing your actual results to your budget, you can quickly see where things are going to plan and where they’re not. That gives you time to act—before small issues become major problems.

Why budgeting makes a difference

Creating and using a budget gives you more than just a spreadsheet of numbers. It helps you:

  • Understand how your income and expenses change throughout the year

  • Set realistic financial goals and track your progress

  • Spot cash shortfalls or unexpected costs early

  • Stay motivated and focused on what matters most

  • Make confident, informed decisions at the right time

And once your budget is in place, it becomes a reference point for everything else. From managing day-to-day operations to planning for bigger moves like hiring staff or investing in new equipment.

We regularly support clients to build and refine budgets in platforms like Calxa, Futrli and Spotlight. These tools are powerful, visual, and designed to work with your accounting software. They help bring your numbers to life, so you can see what’s possible and take action faster.

Where to begin

Every budget starts with what you know: your regular income and expenses. From there, we work with you to add in assumptions about timing, growth, pricing, and planned costs.

Most businesses start with a single budget, but over time, you might develop a few different versions. For example, you might have:

  • A business-as-usual version, based on past results with minor adjustments

  • A worst-case version, to plan for lower-than-expected sales or higher costs

  • A best-case version, where you aim higher and prepare for growth

These versions can help you stress-test your business model and prepare for different outcomes, without the panic. First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can guide you through each stage, setting up your budgets and tracking them monthly against your actual results.

And if you want to project out beyond the next 12 months, we can build multi-year budgets that support longer-term planning and investment.

Keeping it useful

A budget isn’t something you set and forget. It should evolve with your business.

We run monthly financial reports for our clients and compare them against their budgets. That way, they can make timely, informed decisions and adjust their plans based on what’s really happening, not what they hoped would happen.

Apps like Calxa, Futrli and Spotlight make it easy to track and visualise this performance over time. Whether you prefer a dashboard view, a simple graph, or a detailed breakdown, we help you get the insights in the format that works best for you.

Ready to start?

It’s never too late to build a budget that works. Whether you’re brand new to budgeting or looking to improve what you’ve already got, we can help you create a plan that’s relevant, practical, and aligned with your business goals.

Book a time with First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray and let’s set up a budget in your accounting software that gives you more control, more insight, and a clearer path forward.

Understanding your balance sheet | Bookkeepers Albury Wodonga

Understanding Your Balance Sheet

Understanding Your Balance Sheet

Business owners often focus on how much money is in the bank. And fair enough, it’s an important figure. But your bank balance doesn’t tell the full story.

To really understand how your business is going, you need to look at the bigger picture. That’s where your financial reports come in. And one of the most important reports to get your head around is the balance sheet.

Let’s walk through understanding your balance sheet, what it is, what it tells you, and how it connects with the rest of your business performance.

What the balance sheet tells you

Your balance sheet, sometimes called a statement of financial position, gives a snapshot of your business’s financial position at a specific point in time. It works alongside your profit and loss and cash flow reports to show what your business owns, what it owes, and the value left over.

When your bookkeeping is accurate and up to date, your balance sheet becomes a powerful tool. At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we make sure your reports are reliable, easy to access, and actually make sense, so you’re not second-guessing the numbers.

Assets – what your business owns

Assets are everything your business owns or is owed. That includes your bank accounts, unpaid customer invoices, stock, equipment, vehicles, property, and even things like intellectual property or prepaid expenses.

Some assets are more short-term, like money in the bank or invoices due to be paid soon. Others are long-term, like a company vehicle or a commercial lease bond.

If you’re using accounting software like Xero, we’ll help set things up so your assets are correctly tracked. We also work with add-ons like inventory and project management tools to make sure everything feeds cleanly into your reports, giving you a clear picture of what’s sitting on your books.

Liabilities – what your business owes

Liabilities are your unpaid bills and upcoming obligations. This includes supplier invoices you haven’t paid yet, employee wages, super, tax, loans, and even deposits from customers for work you haven’t done yet.

Keeping on top of these is vital to avoid cash flow problems and ATO penalties. That’s why we look after all your payroll processing, STP reporting, super payments, and ATO lodgements. We also help you plan ahead, so you’re not caught short when quarterly or annual obligations roll around.

Equity – what’s left over

Equity is the part of the business that belongs to you. It’s what’s left once you take away everything you owe from everything you own. It includes the money you’ve put into the business, any retained profits, and drawings or dividends.

As you grow your business and earn profit, your equity increases. If you make a loss or draw money out, it decreases. Understanding how this figure changes over time can help you track long-term progress, especially when it comes to reinvesting or planning for growth.

We take the guesswork out of these figures. Our monthly reporting and real-world advice help you understand the impact of your business decisions and make better ones going forward.

The balance sheet equation

Assets = Liabilities + Equity. That’s the core formula.

It always has to balance. If it doesn’t, there’s an error somewhere that needs to be fixed. For example, if you buy a vehicle for $80,000 using a $20,000 deposit and a $60,000 loan, your asset value goes up by $80,000, your cash decreases by $20,000, and your liabilities increase by $60,000. Both sides of the equation remain balanced. 

If your balance sheet isn’t balancing, or you’re not confident the figures are correct, we can help. Our catch-up and cleanup work gets everything sorted and reconciled, so you can trust what you’re looking at.

But it’s not your market value

It’s worth noting that the equity figure in your balance sheet doesn’t reflect the market value of your business. Your assets are recorded at their original purchase value (less depreciation if applicable), not what they’d sell for today.

That means your business might be worth more (or less) than what your balance sheet says. Market value also considers things like goodwill, customer relationships, future earnings, and brand reputation, which don’t appear on the balance sheet.

If you’re planning to sell, expand, or apply for finance, we can work with your accountant to make sure you’ve got the full picture.

Let’s make your numbers mean something

The balance sheet can be one of the most misunderstood reports in business. But once you understand how it works, and how it links in with your other reports, it becomes one of the most useful.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we don’t expect you to be a financial expert. That’s our job. We give you accurate, consistent reporting and explain what the numbers mean, so you can feel more in control and make better decisions for your business.

If you’re looking for a bookkeeper or payroll specialist in Albury Wodonga who keeps things running behind the scenes and helps you stay across your financial position, we’re ready when you are. Get in touch.

Dealing with uncertainty

Dealing with uncertainty – tips for business owners

Dealing with uncertainty – tips for business owners

Whether you’re facing changing market conditions, supply chain disruptions, or other challenges, there’s still real uncertainty for business owners. We’re trading in challenging times at present. 

And knowing what step to take next is a key worry. We know that you invest more than simply time and money into your business. It is more than a job but part of your identity.

So, how do you get more clarity around your future plans? And how do you work on the short-term future of the business, when sales, income and cash are in short supply?

Focusing your efforts in the right places

Planning the next business move is difficult at the best of times, but it’s doubly problematic when we have so little clear idea of what a post-COVID19 business world will look like.

It's difficult to plan when we don't know what will be possible. What regulations will be in place once you can begin trading? Will the market have changed dramatically? Will you be able to trade over borders and continue to be an international operation? Will you have enough cash to actually operate?

As a business owner, you’ll be continually thinking of new business-critical issues to add to this list – but the reality is that you CAN’T control all these elements. This sense of mounting uncertainty is likely to raise your stress levels and make you more anxious.

So, how do you overcome these worries and find a practical solution?

Try to focus on the things you can control:

  • Identify the things that matter to the short and long-term success of the business

  • Find the things you can control and over which you have some influence.

It's too overwhelming to try and work on everything at the same time. Instead, try to focus on the one thing you can achieve each day.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we can help you identify and prioritize these elements through detailed management accounting and cashflow forecasting. These tools empower you to make informed, confident decisions, even when navigating uncertain times.

Review your overheads and costs

One way to reduce your cashflow worries is to reduce your spending. Look at your controllable overheads and see if there are ways to negotiate better terms with suppliers, cut down on expenses or pause any subscriptions.

Our team can assist by reviewing your financial data and providing insights into where savings can be made without sacrificing operational efficiency. With First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray managing your accounts, you’ll save time and gain clarity.

Talk to debtors and creditors

If you can bring down your aged debt, that will help your overall financial health. Set up automatic reminders for any overdue payments. Also, talk to any late-paying customers and agree when these debts will be paid. And talk to suppliers about extending payment terms, if possible.

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can streamline your debtor management process by setting up automated payment reminders using integrated apps like Xero. These tools ensure your customers receive consistent, professional reminders about outstanding invoices, helping you reduce late payments and improve cashflow.

Our expertise extends to configuring these apps to suit your business, saving you time and ensuring payments are followed up efficiently. We can also assist with tracking your accounts payable, giving you better visibility and helping you negotiate extended payment terms with suppliers when needed.

Consider alternative revenue streams 

If your current business model doesn’t work well in lockdown, are there other online services that you could diversify into? Any new revenue streams will help to bolster your income and cash position.

Update your website and marketing

Having a great online presence is vital during this crisis, when most goods and services will be purchased online. Give your website a refresh and make it easy for potential customers to find and buy your services.

Catch up with your team

Maintaining contact with your employees is vital if you’re going to nurture team spirit. The more engaged your team is, the easier it will be to embrace change together.

Reach out for tailored support

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray offers flexible, 100% contract-based bookkeeping services. This means no interruptions due to staffing gaps—your accounts will always be managed on time, accurately, and with efficiency. By partnering with us, you can focus on growing your business while we handle the financial details.

Take control of what you can today by seeking expert advice and support. With First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, you’ll gain access to expert bookkeeping, process improvement, and cashflow solutions to help you stay ahead, no matter the challenges.

Contact us to learn more about strategies and services designed to keep your business moving forward
Cashflow and cost control

Cashflow and cost control

Cashflow and cost control

More than ever, cashflow is a vital part of staying afloat, whether your business is in recovery or growth mode.

Revenue, profit, and your bottom line are always important, and in 2024, maintaining steady cashflow remains the foundation for keeping your business running smoothly and adapting to challenges as they arise.

Regular cashflow forecasts will help you keep that in focus. Here’s why:


Cost control  

If you can't reach your targets for income, reining in your costs may give you a little extra head room to manage cashflow while you plan your next move.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, our team provides detailed cashflow analysis and forecasting services, ensuring you have a clear picture of your financial position. With actionable insights, we help you identify areas where costs can be reduced without compromising business quality.

Visibility on outgoings 

Cost control can be a challenge when it’s hard to pinpoint hidden costs or where established ways of doing things cost more money than they should. You may also have been coping with unexpected expenses, as you’ve adapted your business for unplanned circumstances.

We can your financial systems and processes to identify inefficiencies. Our expertise in management accounting ensures your data is not only accurate but also timely, so you’re never left guessing where your money is going.

Improving business practice

It's more than just keeping an eye on outgoings (though that's important). It's about looking at each aspect of your business and business systems (or the gaps where there should be business systems) to see if poor practice is driving costs up unnecessarily.

Streamlining your processes can drastically improve your cost control. We work with you to implement appropriate apps to improve efficiencies, save time and money, and reduce costly errors.

It can be useful to break it down  

You can look at cost centres such as office supplies or freight. Or you can look at what those costs do for your business.

It can help to analyse costs in terms of cost of sale and overheads.

Cost of sale and overheads

Cost of sale (also known as Cost of Goods Sold or CoGS) is how much it costs you to make a sale. In a business which sells products, CoGS is based on the price paid for the product, plus any costs necessary to put the merchandise into inventory and make it ready for sale, including shipping and handling. You can even break it down to calculate the cost of sale of individual units.

Overheads are general business expenses. They can’t be tracked directly to sales. Overheads are what it costs you to open your doors (whether online or actual) every morning.

What’s your plan?

  1. Reduce unnecessary expenses
    Now might be the time to trim every expense that’s not related to your core product or service.
  2. Suppliers
    Are you able to work with your providers to ask for discounts or more favourable payment terms on either cost of sale or overhead expenses?
  3. Talk to the team
    Analyse your costs and involve your team, including frontline sales staff.
  4. Advertising
    It might be a false economy to cut back on advertising, as customers are online looking for bargains and price-checking alternatives. Targeted campaigns might work better.
  5. Prioritise
    Can you pinpoint the products most likely to bring the fastest or best return and hold back on products that are a slower sell?
  6. Promote or discount
    If you have old or slow-moving stock, can you discount it and convert old stock to cash? If you can attract customers now, you may be able to use it to spotlight your other products.

Making managing cashflow easier

Every dollar you can pull back from your costs can go straight into cashflow. Whether your sales are booming or slow, keeping your costs under control is key to sustaining growth and stability.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we understand the importance of managing your cashflow effectively. From cashflow forecasts to systems that streamline your operations, we partner with you to ensure your business has the financial stability it needs.


Want to get a handle on cash flow in your business?

Whether your sales are boom or bust, you want to make sure that your costs aren't holding you back. We can help.

Talk to us if you'd like to review your costs and your systems to keep costs under control. .

Planning for seasonal dips in income

Planning for seasonal dips in income

Planning for seasonal dips in income

Seasonal dips in income can be highly challenging when you’re a small business. But there are proactive ways to predict, plan for and overcome these dips in revenue.

The key to dealing with seasonal dips is to know when they’re most likely to occur, and to have measures in place to spread your income and revenue pipeline over the course of the year.

Understanding seasonality in your sector

If your business is seasonal such as pool supplies, or a ski gear specialist, you’ll be used to the peaks and troughs, but many 'non-seasonal' businesses experience times during the financial year where sales and revenue peak – and, on the flipside, where sales and revenue experience a pronounced dip.

When income is low at certain times of the year, it makes for challenging times. First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can assist by analysing your business's financial history to pinpoint these peaks and troughs. Our expertise in management accounting provides insights that help you understand your sector’s unique seasonality and prepare for it.

So, what are the key ways to plan for this kind of seasonality?

Forecast your seasonality

It’s vital to know WHEN you’re most likely to experience any seasonal dips. Looking at bench-marking reports for your industry is one way to predict the seasonality in your niche or sector. But you can also use your own accounting data to great effect. Look back through your profit & loss reports and spot where the peaks and troughs have occurred over preceding years.

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray offers forecasting services to help you assess this historical data. With our support, you can anticipate and prepare for quieter periods, ensuring that your financial planning is well-informed and tailored to your business.

Charge a premium in peak time 

One straightforward approach is to apply premium pricing for your products/services during the busy season. By increasing your pricing, you boost your overall revenue, giving you more working capital to see you through the leaner months when sales and income are at their lowest.

Our team can work with you to develop a pricing strategy that aligns with your cash flow needs, helping you make the most of high-demand periods while securing funds to navigate slower months.

Offer additional peak-time services

Offering added extras and other additional service lines during peak time is another way to maximise the season. In the months where customers are most engaged, look to upsell these premium services and offer more value. Satisfied clients will be more inclined to pay for added extras, giving you an increased revenue stream from the same number of customers.

We can help identify and structure these peak-time offerings, ensuring you’re positioned to maximise revenue during high-demand times.

Target other markets

Exploring other related markets is another useful tactic. When you’re experiencing downtime, look for other ways to monetise your existing assets, products or services. For example, if you’re a hotel where sales peak in summertime, offer discounted conference space in the winter months to boost revenue.

Diversify your products/services

If one product/service has a known seasonal dip, look at adding an additional product or service to offset this downtime. For example, a a ski resort could promote bike-riding or hiking breaks during the warmer summer months to keep revenue constant. Likewise a pool maintenance firm could establish an outdoor fireplace business for the colder months.

Have a regional e-commerce strategy

If you’re dependent on a small local market, broadening your marketing and e-commerce strategies can help to attract a wider customer base – and bolster sales. Paid advertising through Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter can easily target new geographical markets, bringing in new customers and giving your revenue a much-needed uplift during seasonal troughs.

Talk to us about planning for seasonality

If your business is struggling with seasonal dips, and the resulting impact on cashflow, come and talk to us. We’ll help you identify the timing of your seasonal downtime, and come up with a clear strategy for stabilising your income across the year.

Get in touch to start planning for seasonal dips in income.

Reduce your debtor days and improve your cashflow

Reduce your debtor days and improve your cashflow

Reduce your debtor days and improve cashflow

Managing the gap between the receiving money into your business and paying money out of your business is vital for sustaining viability.

So, how do you reduce your debtor days and improve your cashflow? Let's start with understanding debtor days. 

Debtor days is the average number of days taken for a business to receive payment for goods or services. Keeping track of the average number of days for a business to receive payment is important in understanding the cashflow gap you might experience and the impact on cashflow planning and budgets.

How to calculate debtor days

(Year-end receivables amount ÷ annual sales) x 365 days = average debtor days.

Here's an example: An IT consultant has in her terms and conditions that payment is due 21 days after invoice date. But she is interested to know what the actual average payment time is.

Trade debtors at 30 June 2019 = $35,000

Annual sales for 2019 = $478,000

(35,000 ÷ 478,000) x 365 = 26.7 days

With this information, she can either alter her cashflow planning according to the actual time-frame or take steps to reduce the average number of debtor days.

Here are ten things you can do to reduce the payment times?

1. Update your payment terms

Make sure the terms are clear on every invoice issued. Don’t forget to include bank details on the invoice!

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can assist in reviewing your payment terms and help integrate them into your invoicing software, ensuring consistent communication.

2. Regular admin

Schedule a regular time for your own administration and get your invoices out promptly.

3. Send to the right person

When you send invoices, make sure you address the email personally to your contact. Send the invoice to multiple addresses if possible, for example, your contact and the accounts department.

We can assist in setting up automated systems to manage your contact database, minimising errors in invoice distribution.

4. Use technology to your advantage

Use automated invoice reminders to notify customers when an invoice is about to be due and then when it is overdue. Do not wait to send notifications manually, let the software do it as soon as the invoice is a day overdue.

We can help implement the latest accounting software that includes automated reminder features, keeping your invoicing on track.

5. Make it easy for your customers

List the payment terms, for example, due in 14 days, as well as the actual due date.

6. Provide incentives for early payment 

For example, a 5% discount if paid within five days.

7. Offer several payment methods for clients

Adding options like credit card payments or online gateways such as PayPal makes it easier for clients to pay promptly.

We can advise on and set up various payment methods, ensuring integration with your existing systems.

8. Offer instalment payment plans over a mutually agreed period. 

This allows you to plan for part payments, rather than being inconvenienced by the whole invoice being paid late.

9. Do not offer unlimited credit to customers

Make sure your terms and conditions include the right to refuse further supply if invoices are outstanding. Request part or full payment before supplying more goods or services.

10. Talk to your suppliers

Maintain good relationships and clear communications so they are more likely to help you if you need an extension on your bills. If possible, renegotiate supplier terms that suit your business cashflow.

Take Advantage of Low-Activity Phases

During periods of lower business activity, take the time to:

  • Update Terms and Conditions: Make sure they reflect your current business needs.
  • Implement Alternative Payment Options: The more ways customers can pay, the fewer barriers there are to timely payment.
  • Refine Business Systems: Use this time to review processes and find ways to improve them.
  • Revamp Your Website: Ensure payment information and terms are clearly displayed.

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can support you in enhancing your business systems with app integration. We offer tailored advice on selecting and implementing the right apps for payment processing, invoicing, and cashflow management. Our services include ensuring seamless integration with existing systems to improve efficiency. We can also conduct cashflow analysis using app-based tools to compare your debtor days with industry standards, pinpointing areas where technology can help reduce payment times and optimise cashflow.

Talk to us about adding payment options, updating your software and improving business systems to assist in reducing the number of debtor days to improve your cashflow.

We can also look at average debtor days of your business compared to industry averages and discuss ways of managing cashflow during difficult periods.

Key numbers to focus on in your business

Key numbers to focus on in your business now

Key numbers to focus on in your business now

As a business owner, it’s always been helpful to have an understanding of accounting – but in the world today, it’s never been more important to have a good grasp on your finances and understand the key numbers to focus on in your business.

For many businesses, priorities have changed, customer behaviours have mutated and revenue streams have had to evolve and pivot in order to maintain a profitable business model.

To track, monitor and drive your financial performance in this new business world, it’s increasingly important to have a handle on your key financial reports and metrics.

Getting to grips with your financial reports

In the past, extra cash in the business may have been seen as a surplus that needed to be spent on something. Recent years have shown us that having these reserves is vitally important for the survival and long-term health of your businesses.

To truly be in control of this cash, it’s vital that you can understand your accounts, financial reports and dashboards and ‘see the genuine story’ behind your financial position.

So, what are the key reports to focus on? Let’s take a look:

Budget 

Your budget is the financial plan that's tied in with your strategic plan. In essence, the budget is your approximation of the money it will take to attain your key strategic goals, and the revenue (income) and profits you hope to make during this period. It’s a benchmark you can use to measure your actuals (historic numbers) against, allowing you to see the variances, gaps and missed targets over a given period.

Cashflow Statement 

A cashflow statement shows the flow of money into and out of your business.

Understanding these cash inflows and outflows in detail allows you to manage this ongoing process, allowing you to aim for a ‘positive cashflow position’ – where inflows outweigh outflows.

In your ideal positive scenario, you have enough liquid cash in the business to cover your costs, fund your operations and generate a profit.

Cashflow Forecast

Forecasting allows you to take your historic cash numbers and project them forward in time.

As such, you can see where the cashflow holes may appear weeks, or even months, in advance. This gives you time to take action, whether it’s increasing your income stream, reducing your underlying costs, chasing up unpaid invoices (aged debt) or going to lenders for additional funding.

Balance Sheet 

Your balance sheet shows you your company’s assets, liabilities and equity at a given point in time.

In a nutshell, it’s a snapshot of what your business owns (your assets), what you owe to other people (your liabilities) and what money and profits you currently have invested in the company (your equity).

Your balance sheet is useful for seeing what stock and equipment your business owns, how much debt (liabilities) you’ve worked up and what your company is actually worth. This is all incredibly useful information to have at your fingertips when making big business decisions.

Profit & Loss

Your profit and loss report - often referred to as your P&L. Your P&L gives you an overview of the company’s revenues, costs and expenses over a given historic period of time.

While the balance sheet is a snapshot, your P&L is more like a moving video. It shows you how your finances are progressing by demonstrating how revenue is coming in and costs/expenses are going out (rather than cash coming in and going out, as you see in your cashflow statement and cashflow forecasts).

There is a range of software and apps that you can use to generate the above reports so you can understand and focus on the key numbers in your business. For example Xero

Talk to us about software and apps to help you with the financial reporting and forecasting for your business

Key ways to get more from your forecasting

Key ways to get more from your forecasting

Key ways to get more from your forecasting

During challenging times, many businesses see income either disappear completely or drop to dangerous levels.

To be able to navigate the future path of your cashflow, you need to start forecasting, so you can map out your financial position over the coming months and can take the appropriate action to safeguard your cash position.

At First Class Accounts Ovens and Murray, we understand the importance of proactive cashflow management. Our team helps businesses like yours implement effective forecasting tools, ensuring you can monitor your cash position with ease and take timely action when needed.

Forecasting your future cash pipeline

Having access to detailed forecasts helps you to scenario-plan, search for cost-savings and look for strategies that will preserve your cashflow position.

Remaining in control of the cash coming into (and going out of) the business is the real focus, so you can accurately predict your financial position and can resolve any issues.

Our team provides customised forecasting services, allowing you to see the full picture of your cashflow pipeline. We help you stay in control, so you can confidently manage both the inflow and outflow of cash.

Key ways to get more from your forecasting

Run regular forecasts

The financial landscape is changing on a daily basis at present. A cashflow forecast is not a document that remains static. Variables and external drivers are literally changing each day, so it’s vital that you run frequent forecasts and react swiftly to any projected cash issues as they become apparent.

Use the latest cashflow forecasting apps 

Cashflow forecasting apps, like Futrli, integrate with your Xero accounts, giving a drilled-down view of how your cash inflows and outflows will pan out over the coming months – information that will inform and justify the decisions you make during these extremely challenging times.

At First Class Accounts Ovens and Murray, we specialise in integrating the latest forecasting tools with your accounting software. Our team can show you how to use apps like Futrli to get detailed insights into your cashflow, so you can make informed decisions based on real-time data

Explore the right revenue streams

Most sectors will have seen their face-to-face sales drop to absolute zero since quarantine restrictions came into place. To overcome this, there’s a real imperative to explore revenue streams and new opportunities for income. An example of this is coffee shops that now sell roasted beans online (this will depend on lockdown restrictions). The idea is to find ways to increase the money that’s coming in the door and balance out your unavoidable expenses.

Get proactive with cost-cutting

If you can reduce cash outflows to a minimum, that will have a real impact on the health of your future cashflow. Pare back your operations and aim to reduce things like unnecessary software subscriptions, or over-ordering of basic supplies. Negotiating cheaper rates with suppliers, if possible, will also help.

Review your staffing needs

Now’s not the time to make anyone redundant, but you can look at ways to reduce the costs of staffing and resourcing. Reducing working hours or redeploying staff in different roles are all options that reduce payroll costs, while also looking after your staff’s welfare.

Run a variety of scenarios

Changing the financial drivers in your forecast model allows you to scenario-plan different strategies and options. Many of these will be in a long-term plan when restrictions ease. Scenario-planning lets you answer questions and will give you some hard evidence on which to base your decision-making and strategic outlook over the coming months.

Look at various ways to access funding

If forecasts show a giant cashflow hole coming up, you’re going to need additional funding to get through this crisis. We can assist your business to investigate funding opportunities from grants, banks, loan providers, alternative lenders and crowd-sourcing funders.

Forecasting is an important step to give you the business intelligence to support your decision making. 

By working with First Class Accounts Ovens and Murray, you’ll have the tools, insights, and ongoing support to ensure your cashflow forecasts are accurate and responsive to your needs.

Talk to us about setting up cashflow forecasting today. We’re here to help you stay in control of your financial future. Get in touch today.

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