Kevin Bannister FCCA, managing director and founder of  The Accurate Accountant, explains how you can ensure your business is financially fit and healthy. He says take steps now to get in shape.

As a business owner, you are probably always looking for ways to increase revenue. But what about ensuring that your company is financially fit and healthy?

While it may seem like the two are mutually exclusive, they are not. In this article I’ll share six simple tips that will help ensure that your company is in tip-top financial shape.

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1. Set a goal

Ask any personal trainer if it’s a good idea to set fitness goals and they’ll respond with an emphatic “yes!” The same rings true for your business’ financial fitness.

Setting goals is a great way to ensure that you’re on track for success. Remember that your goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.

For example:

• Reduce expenses by 5% by the end of Q1
• Set aside capital to open a second location within three years
• Hire a full-time marketing manager by the end of Q3

2. Create a plan to achieve your goals

Once you’ve set your goals, it’s time to create a plan for achieving them. If your goal is to reduce expenses by five percent by the end of Q1, then list out specific areas that are ripe for improvement and identify potential solutions.

For example:

• Reduce postage expenditure by implementing an online postage system
• Implement a more efficient way to track inventory
• Create new systems to increase productivity
• Increase hybrid working hours
• Relocate to a smaller office space

3. Track uour progress

Just as runners track their miles on their Garmin watches, business owners should keep track of their data in order to track progress and identify trends.

However, instead of a smartwatch or phone app, business owners should opt for cloud accounting software.

Cloud accounting software gives you greater financial visibility and anytime, anywhere access to all of the numbers that matter.

It also makes it easy to track your invoices and transactions, and get a handle on your cash flow.

Cloud accounting solutions also enable you to visualise data, which can help you to identify problems and opportunities that might otherwise go undetected.

4. Prioritise cash flow

Cash flow is one of the most important aspects of a healthy business. If you don’t have enough cash to pay your employees, suppliers and other bills then it doesn’t matter how much revenue you’re bringing in – your bottom line will be negative every month.

Therefore, cash flow is central to the financial health of your business. Keep on top of your cash flow by using  a tool like Xero or QuickBooks Online..

Xero and QuickBooks Online let you manage your cash flow to ensure that bills are paid on time and you’re always aware of how much money is coming in, going out and whether or not there’s a surplus or deficit.

You can set up alerts for when invoices become due so that you don’t end up incurring a late payment fee.

5. Hire an accountant

Just as fitness fanatics hire personal trainers, business owners need the guidance of a quality consultant/advisor/accountant.

A great accountant will allow you to tackle the particular problems and pitfalls of your industry using a proven method for success.

They will point out where there is room for improvement and identify opportunities for growth that you may have missed.

Furthermore, they will coach you through the implementation of these strategies and keep you accountable, ensuring that your goals will be met.

6. Create financially-aware culture

Finally, in order to ensure that your company is financially fit and healthy, it’s important to create a culture where employees are actively engaged in improving financial performance.

This can easily be done with team-building exercises, like brainstorming new ways to decrease expenses or increasing profits.

Hire employees who are enthusiastic about improving the financial performance of your company by providing them with training and access to cloud accounting software so that they can monitor their daily tasks for possible improvements.

Don’t wait until hard times start – be proactive about your company’s financial fitness.

Track your progress, prioritise cash flow and hire an accountant so that you can avoid paying late fees.

Finally, create an environment where employees are actively engaged in improving the financial performance of their company.

With these six simple steps, you will ensure your KBB business will be in great financial shape.