Real-World Finance 101 for Small Business A few basics and a few things you probably didn’t know
Oct 30, 2014
Real-World Finance 101for Small BusinessA few basics and a few things you probably didn’t know
Agenda• Performance analysis• Accounting vs. Finance• Accounting cycle• Roles• Software• Chart of accounts• Accrual accounting• Management cycle• Financial management
What are your numbers telling you about your biz?
• Too fast when margins are shrinking• Too slow when not keeping pace with
markets• Fat when there is no leverage • Vulnerable when revenues are erratic
Trends to Watch
Revenue
Expense
Unhealthy
Time
$
Revenue
Expense
Time
$
Revenue
Expense
Time
$
Healthy
Revenue
Expense
Time
$
Revenue
Expense
Time
$
Trends to Watch
Revenue
Industry Benchmark
Unhealthy
Time
$
Healthy
Revenue
Time
$Industry Benchmark
Trends to Watch
Revenue
Cash
Unhealthy
Time
$
Revenue
Cash
Time
$
Healthy
Revenue
Cash
Time
$
Revenue
Cash
Time
$
Trends to Watch
RevenueCOGS
Unhealthy
Time
$
Healthy
$
Overheads
RevenueCOGS
Time
$
Overheads
Revenue
COGS
Time
$
Overheads
Trends to Watch
Revenue
Unhealthy
Time
$
Healthy
Revenue
Time
$
Benchmarks
What we see financially is that…• Business owners don’t know when they
are off track• Opportunities go unnoticed• Markets fluctuate – its hard to ride a
wave when you aren’t looking
Accounting vs. Finance
Accounting
• Looks back• Tax driven• Transactions• Internal data• Cycles – mo/qtr/yr
Finance
• Looks forward• Plan driven• Models / scenarios• Internal plus external data• Management cycles
Finance is about combining accounting information with business intelligence
Accounting Cycle
1. Daily posting
2. Monthly closing1. Reconciliations (balance against bank
statements)
2. Adjustments (accruals and
3. Reporting
3. Annual closing
Role of Bookkeeper
• Posting• Reconciliation• Billing• Basic financial reporting
Principle of “Separation of Duties”
One person should not manage the books and handle receipts and deposits
Accounting Software
Selection Checklist:
Is it easy to use & get help? Does it interface with my
operations management system? Association or peer network
preferences Cost of systems & ops Is there a hosted version?
Regional leaders:
US and Canada: 1. QuickBooks Pro2. Microsoft Dynamics
Europe3. Sage Peachtree4. MAS
India5. Tally
Australia and Pacific Rim6. MYOB7. Zero
Chart of Accounts & LOBsChart of Accounts: The naming convention for grouping accounting activity.
Lines of Business (LOB): are the tributaries to group the sources of revenue and expenses.
Example: • Products• Services• Special projects
Achieve a balance between: 1. Minimal detail for easier management2. Granular enough for visibility on financial
performance by LOB.
Where is your revenue coming from?
Where is your profit coming from?
Chart of Accounts
Two categories of accounts:
1. Balance Sheet accountsRunning totals; account balances as of the end of a reporting period.
2. Income Statement accountsPeriod activity totals; total amount of activity during a reporting period.
Chart of Accounts
Assets
Current assets
Cash/checking
Accounts receivable
Inventory
Long-term assets
Furniture/equipment
Organization costs
Liabilities
Short-term liabilities
Credit cards
Accounts payable
Long-term liabilities
Long-term loans
Equity
Capital stock
Retained earnings
Balance Sheet
Assets = Liabilities + Equity
Chart of Accounts
Sales
Cost of goods sold (COGS)Product costs
Service costs
Gross Profit (Gross Margin% = gross profit/sales)
Expenses (a.k.a., SG&A, sales, general and admin)
Salaries
Benefits
Incentives / bonuses
Rent
Legal
Operating Income
Other Income
Net Income Profit% = net income/sales
Income Statement(a.k.a., P&L; profit & loss)
Principle of Revenue and Expense Recognition (GAAP)
• Revenue received before it is earned should be booked as a prepaid asset and not recognized as income until it has been earned.
• Expenses owed but not paid should be recorded as expenses in the period incurred regardless of when they are paid
Accrual Accounting
• Accrual-Basis Accounting: revenues and expenses that have been received and paid in cash plus revenues and expenses that have been earned and incurred• Accounts payable or receivable, depreciation
• Cash-Basis Accounting: revenues and expenses that have been received and paid in cash • Cash payments and receipts
Accrual Accounting
Your choices:A. Accrual Basis B. Cash BasisC. Combination
Most small businesses choose “combination”– Pay taxes based on “Cash Basis”– Management reporting based on “Accrued
Revenue” and “Cash-based Expenses”– Financial analysis based on Full Accruals
Adjustments
• Depreciation and amortization– Recognizing expense in the period where you
use it. Can impact analysis if not reflected.
• Accrued earnings– e.g. Multi-month projects
• Accrued expenses– e.g. prepaid software license, contractor
payments
Maybe you didn’t know…
• Balance Sheet doesn’t reveal the market value of a business – If you were looking to buy or sell a business, assets
and liabilities don’t tell the story. Value is driven by trends, future potential, market comparables, ability to generate “free cash”.
• Income Statement (P&L) does not reveal where your business is headed – Trend analysis tells the bigger story– Performance analysis tells the detailed story
Financial Management
• Business planning• Goal setting• Budgeting• Progress analysis• Communications to management team
– Goals– Actual performance– Collaboration on needed improvements
• Monthly, quarterly and annual cycles
Financial Management Resources
• Professional association standards or recommendations
• Integrated systems (financial and operations)• Financial dashboard (“business intelligence”)• Business advisor / consultant• Board of directors or advisory board
Performance Analysis
Trends
Goals Benchmarks
Ratios
Performance AnalysisCombined Business Analysis: growth, profitability
Line of Business (LOB) Analysis: growth, profitability
Services
GrowthGM
Profitability
Product Sales
GrowthGM
Profitability
Other
GrowthGM
Profitability
KPIs (key performance indicators)
• Ties operating data to financial data• Example – product sales and service
– Revenue or Expense per employee– Quick Ratio (Current Assets / Liabilities)– Support calls per sale– etc.
The Process
• Need to do it every month• Don’t let it take too much time (30 min
monthly management)• Use analyzed data to find “the big 3
priorities”• Share with your team – get everyone on
the same page
Getting your Team on the Same Page
How do you know when you’ve “got it?”
Checklist for success: Taxes submitted on time
(not too much, not too little)
Goals are set & tracked Routine monitoring BI shared with team Course-corrections Tools to monitor
Long Term Goals
• Sustainability• Long-term growth• Market position• Owner’s return on investment (ROI)• Equity value• Liquidity event (sell, acquire, investment)• A good night’s sleep
Don’t live on an island!
Free Financial Health Check
Your Company, Inc.
https://healthcheck.corelytics.com/pub/sign_up.aspx