Brilliant Budgets and Forecasts: Your Practical Guide to Preparing and Presenting Financial Information (Brilliant Business)

✍ Scribed by Malcolm Secrett

• Publisher: Pearson Business
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 325
• Edition: 01
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Writing spreadsheets, budgets and forecasts is an important part of many managers roles, but do you need help in understanding and presenting the information in a clear and concise way? This step-by-step guide shows you the advantages and potentials of using spreadsheets. After reading this book you’ll be able to master company accounts; understand balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and cash flow systems; and learn to analyse and monitor your company’s financial performance.

BRILLIANT OUTCOMES:
• How to save time and gain control of your business.
• Ability to understand, analyse and present financial information in a clear and concise way.

BRILLIANT FEATURES:
• Up-to-date examples and spreadsheets.
• On-line downloads of examples and spreadsheet models
• New 234mm X 156mm format to make

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Brilliant Budgets and Forecasts
Contents
About the author
Foreword
Introduction
Part 1 Budgeting and forecasting essentials
Understanding budgets and forecasts
Definitions of budgets and budget forecasts
Profit and loss forecasts
Cash flow forecasts
Spreadsheet-based budgets and forecasts for day-to-day management
Forecasts – not the sole province of accountants
Planning cycles
Fixed, rolling and perpetual forecasts
Can a forecast ever be right? Does it need to be?
Summary
Using budgets and forecasts
Budget management
Planning and ‘what if’
Cost control
Raising finance
Cash flow control
Summary
Part 2 Spreadsheet essentials
Understanding computer spreadsheets
How to use the example files
What are spreadsheets?
Examples of principal facilities and functions
Handy tips and shortcuts
Summary
Spreadsheet techniques for budgeting and forecasting
So many ways and means
Essential practices and conventions
Example forecasts
Examples of non-essential but useful techniques
Summary
Part 3 Building the illustration framework
Preparations for the illustration budget
Are everyone’s objectives the same?
Budgeting methods
Review of a budgeting process
The example business ‘Widget Makers Ltd’
Deciding the requirements of the example budget
A single or departmental budget?
Cost categories
Cost headings
Categorising cost headings
Revenue headings
The forecast’s duration and periods
Summary
Creating the illustration framework
The sales forecast
The budget forecast
The cash flow forecast
Summary
Part 4 Using the illustration framework
Assembling the budget
Making the sales forecast
Making the budget forecast
Cash flow forecast adjustments
Charts and key indicators
Key ratios
Summary
Causes and effects
Adjustment and refinement
The reiteration process
Examining causes and effects
Simple cause and effect
Address the cause or the effect?
Gross profitability of each product
Summary
Allocation, monitoring and reviewing
Visibility, clarity and relevance
Budget allocation
Performance monitoring principles
Setting up monitoring for the Widget Makers Ltd forecast
Recording actual figures
Reviewing the forecast
Summary
Further analysis
The impact of change on cash flow
The effect of rapid growth on cash flow
‘What if’ analysis
Summary
Part 5 Handling VAT
VAT in the forecast
What is VAT?
Calculating and paying VAT
Cash flow forecast VAT calculations
Summary
Part 6 Measuring and controlling costs
Measuring and controlling costs
First things first
Absolute figures and percentages
Measuring production costs
Measuring manpower costs
Activity based costing (ABC)
Summary
Part 7 A practical forecasting framework
A practical forecasting framework
Features and uses of the practical template
Structure of the practical template
Sales and direct costs
Profit and loss/budget
Cash forecast
Asset register
A typical month end routine
Summary
Glossary
Index