Obtaining better financial control

The importance of monitoring projections and results.

At Blue Spire we can provide businesses in the Brighton area with help and advice on financial control, forecasting and cash flow.

As a businessperson you will recognise the vital importance of financial control in sustaining and improving profitability.

Good financial control involves:

  • Deciding which areas you need to monitor and how frequently
  • Generating the numbers quickly and accurately
  • Sharing the results with everyone who needs to know them
  • Interpreting the numbers correctly
  • Taking appropriate and timely action based on your interpretations

The starting point is to set up a system that enables you to generate accurate reports as quickly as possible - certainly no later than ten days after the month closes.

To be fully in control, you need information on what is happening to your business now, not what happened weeks or months ago.

Weekly and daily updates

In key areas, such as sales, debtors, cash position, trade creditors, and employment figures, you can't afford to wait even for a month. Here you could consider setting up a system of weekly or even daily updates. These 'flash reports' will give you better control in the short term.

Make sure key managers receive the flash reports as well as the monthly reports quickly, and encourage them to share the results with the relevant employees.

Compare projections with results

One of the most valuable instruments of financial control is drawing regular comparisons between projections and results. Not only does this keep you up-to-date on how your business is doing, it also reveals how realistic your expectations are and how in touch you are with the essentials of your business.

For best results, you should draw up projections for a six-week period and then set new projections at the four-week point.

Bottom line results

The key to good financial control is to have an effective system for collecting data and generating accurate and timely reports that is tailored to your specific needs. In our experience, such a system can make a considerable difference to your bottom line results.

If you are in the Brighton area and are looking for advice on financial control, forecasting or other aspects of your business, contact Blue Spire.



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Blue Spire Limited (Brighton) are Accountants in Brighton.

Contact Brighton Office

Tel: +44 (0)1273 739533
Fax: +44 (0)1273 732844
Email: brighton@bluespiregroup.com


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Tel: +44 (0)1243 781234
Fax: +44 (0)1243 791770
Email: chichester@bluespiregroup.com

Brighton Address
5th Floor Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2JQ

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Cawley Priory, South Pallant, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1SY

Blue Spire Limited is Registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales C004152645. Professional indemnity insurance is provided by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Plc 9th Floor, One Plantation Place, 30 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BD and its territorial coverage is worldwide (excluding United States/Canada).
Blue Spire Financial Planning Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FSA register https://www.fca.org.uk/register reference 566257. This guidance and/or advice contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime, and is therefore targeted at customers based in the UK