For many adults, managing personal finances is already a source of stress. You have to balance income, expenses, vacations and bills all under one single budget. However, it’s more complicated if you are an entrepreneur.
As a business owner, you have to deal with your personal finances and manage your business finances at the same time. It requires diligence, precision and a money-savvy mind to accomplish it well. Luckily, there are a few tips that every owner can implement to make managing money easier.
Five tips to help manage company finances
There are several ways to handle business finances, but some of the most helpful tips include:
- Make sure to pay yourself – many first-time owners make the mistake to improperly compensate themselves. You don’t need to take home a huge check every week but start with 10% of the earnings until your business is consistently performing. It provides a safety net for you personally and professionally.
- Do not slack on invoicing – send invoices out immediately for providing goods or services and set up payments within seven days to ensure you receive your full compensation. Staying on top of invoices will keep you and customers in check.
- Stay frugal – If you see results from your business, do not start reaping in too many benefits. You still need to set your salary as low as possible and offer government-mandated benefits until your company is proving a success. Staying frugal may help your business during an economic recession or an unpredictable downturn.
- Leave the bookkeeping to the professionals – if you do not have an accounting background, bookkeeping is extremely difficult and tedious to perform. It may be in your company’s best benefit to working with a professional to track expenses, income and losses.
- Establish financial protections – It’s not enough to protect your finances on a personal level. You need to develop protections for your company early on to ensure that you can address any financial hurdles early on instead of getting bogged down in details.
Your best strategy is to think about your financial decisions thoroughly. Any time you need to make a big purchase for your company, consider the advantages and disadvantages before investing in that object or employee. You may find a better use for that money soon.
