Creating a budget is an essential step for any organization or individual to ensure financial stability. It is important to understand the objectives of your organization, calculate your income, and determine your budget surplus or deficit. The four phases of a budget cycle for small businesses are preparation, approval, execution and evaluation. To create a budget and generate savings, it is important to consider changes in revenue, adjustments in costs, and new information about your customer base.
There are thousands of basic budget templates available, but one of the most popular is the Money Under 30 template. It is important to set goals that will motivate you to stick to your budget. As a small business owner, your leadership and vision will guide what is included and what is excluded from the budget. Bank of America customers can access the Spending & Budgeting tool in online and mobile banking to automatically classify transactions and facilitate budgeting.
The four-phase budget cycle applies to small businesses that operate on a budget basis. The steps for setting up a budget are always the same, whether you use pen and paper or financial software. A portion of your budget should always go to savings, both for retirement and for an emergency cash fund. It is also important to periodically evaluate your discretionary spending to keep them under control.
Budgeting for an individual or a family is as simple as making a list of the money coming in and going out. The approval process can be an opportunity to take a step back and get another view of how your company spends its funds. Once you've established your budget, it's important to review it and review your spending regularly to make sure you're on the right track.
