As a small business, you rely on a healthy cash flow to give you the resources to continue operating your company successfully. For this reason, you need to manage your cash flow carefully, which typically involves regular cash flow analysis. Below is some information to help you understand cash flow analysis and incorporate it into the management of your business.
What Is Cash Flow Analysis?
The term “cash flow” refers to the movement of cash in and out of your company. Analyzing cash flow is essential for a number of different reasons, regardless of the size of the business.
Cash flow analysis is the process of evaluating the flow of cash in and out of your company to and from all sources. The goal of cash flow analysis is to help business owners understand where their money comes from and where it goes so they can optimize cash flow and maximize profitability.
Why Is Cash Flow Analysis Important?
Engaging in ongoing cash flow analysis is important because it helps you to identify any problems with your incoming or outgoing cash. For example, if you have revenue streams that are not producing as much money as they should, cash flow analysis will shine a light on them so you can make changes. Likewise, if you have outgoing cash flow that is higher than it should be, cash flow analysis will help you identify the best ways to save money.
Effective Cash Flow Analysis
To perform cash flow analysis effectively, you need to examine every component of the business that affects cash flow, including your accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory and credit. In order to analyze cash flow accurately, you must also keep accurate records of all of your company’s revenue and expenses.
Keep in mind that cash flow analysis is only part of the process of optimizing cash flow. When you find problems or weaknesses in cash flow, you must also be ready to make the proper changes.
Getting Professional Help
As a small business owner, you already have many responsibilities. Adding cash flow analysis to this list can be difficult or even impossible, causing you to neglect this important task. If you are not able to manage regular cash flow analysis in-house, however, you can outsource this responsibility to an accounting professional. An accounting professional can also help you with other aspects of your business, such as payroll, taxes and other important financial issues.