Every business owner must know their numbers.
I know, I know you hate to look at the numbers. It’s boring. But really, is that an excuse not to look? How can you make effective, informed decisions without knowing your numbers? Can you answer the following questions without too many manual calculations? Is this information easily accessible on demand?
- How much cash do you have on hand?
- What is your break-even number?
- What is your most profitable product?
- Do you have enough cash to cover all your expenses for the year?
These are just a few questions that every business owner should know. You may be asking yourself, where would I find these numbers? There are four core reports that you should require your CFO to review with you every month.
These four reports are:
- Income Statement (or Profit and Loss Statement)
- Balance Sheet
- Statement of Cash Flows
- Cash Basis Cash Flow Forecast (or Operating Cash Flow Forecast)
These four reports will provide you with valuable information to guide you in making sound financial business decisions for your company. If you don’t know how to read these reports or how to determine what is a good statement or a wrong statement, do not feel that you can’t ask! Remember that CFO’s and Accountants spend many, many years in school, and in the field learning how to create and interpret these reports.
Don’t expect because you are a business owner that you should automatically know how to read the reports. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to understand these reports and how you and your employees’ actions affect the financial health of your company.
It is also your responsibility as a business owner to find the right people for your team that complements your strengths. Hire experts that are good at the things you are not and complement you. Many of these experts are also available on a part-time or as-needed basis. What is hiring your compliment? That’s another post for another day!