Hiring someone, taking on a bigger contract, opening a second location, all of it comes down to the same question, can the business actually afford this and what happens if it doesn't go to plan?
Most owners make that call on gut feel, because building the numbers out properly feels like a job for a spreadsheet they don't have time to build.
Getting it right, but for the wrong reasons, is just as risky, since you won't know why it worked and you won't be able to repeat it.
Forecasting and budgeting built around the decision in front of you
We build forecasts and budgets that model what a decision actually does to your business, not a generic annual budget you set once and forget. Thinking about taking someone on? We'll show you what that does to your monthly costs and what income needs to look like to cover it. Weighing up a big contract? We'll model the cash impact, not just the headline revenue. Planning growth? We'll build the budget plan so that you can stay on track.
This draws on the same book-keeping and management accounts that we already produce for you, so the forecast is built on your real numbers, not rough estimates.
A budget is the plan, what you intend to spend and earn over a set period. A forecast is the ongoing best estimate of what's actually going to happen, updated as real figures come in. We build both, and use the forecast to show you early when reality is drifting from the plan, while there's still time to adjust.
Yes. This is one of the most common reasons clients come to us for this. We'll model the full cost, not just the salary and show you what income needs to look like to support it comfortably, plus what it does to your cashflow in the months around the hire including any recruitment or advertising fees.
Yes, this is exactly what this service is for. Compliance work keeps you on the right side of HMRC. Forecasting and budgeting is about the decisions that you're making to grow the business and making sure that the numbers actually support them.
At least quarterly, so it stays a useful working document rather than something set once a year and forgotten. If you're going through a period of change, hiring, a big contract, a new location, it's worth revisiting as soon as that decision is on the table so that an updated forecast can be produced.
This depends on whether you need a one-off forecast for a specific decision or ongoing budgeting support. Every business need is different.
Get in touch and we'll help you find out before you commit.
Get in touch