A successful business is a financially responsible business. Whether you are an entrepreneur who is on their way to starting a business or your business is already established, the financial well being of the business is paramount. Why? A business without money to back it up is no more than a mere idea.
The question remains, what can you do to keep your business financially responsible? Luckily, there are several methods to do so. First, it starts with the entrepreneur’s mindset and an understanding of the importance of financial success. There is a difference between being aware, however, and maintaining the financial stability of the business. Thus, your business must be financially accountable and have strategic goals.
The entrepreneurial mindset
As an entrepreneur, you naturally want to grow your business and see it succeed. There isn’t a single person who starts a business and thinks to themselves; they are happy with stagnant achievements. After all, that is not a successful enterprise.
Most entrepreneurs have a driven mindset, one where they are completely determined to achieve success. For a successful business and one that is financially responsible, this isn’t enough. The initial stages of starting a business are paramount to setting its structure up for success. If you are an entrepreneur reading this, you must also think about what it is the world needs when you start a business. Your business will have a target audience, of course, but does your target audience want to use your product? Remember, if no one will use your business, what is its purpose? Your investors will want to see results and a return on investment, so you must do everything you can to achieve this. How? It starts with understanding your target audience and shaping your business in a way that it will sell. Research is key, and you must always think about the future of the business at all times. In doing this, you are on your way to ensuring the financial success of the business.
Staying accountable
Your business must be held accountable in order to be financially responsible. One of the very first ways this can be achieved is through an accounting department and thus having an entire department that handles the business’ finances. If your business is a start-up and does not yet have one, you must start thinking about it right now.
All money-related ventures within the business must be documented and tracked. The amount of money an investor loaned, for instance, must be documented and tracked in the system. Employees salaries must be kept in the system and tracked at all times, and so should purchase orders between a buyer and external suppliers, among other financial transactions. There is a method of tracking everything and thereby showing proof that a transaction occurred. You can never be too financially responsible, and you never know when you may need the document. A purchase order, for instance, is a commercial document that states the products prices that were agreed upon between an external supplier and a buyer. You need to document and track these orders, and you can do so with a free printable purchase order template where you fill out the necessary information (just remember to keep a copy on file!). Through staying financially accountable and responsible at all times, you also make the billing processes easier. You need to track the money going in and going out of the business, and that is why an accounting department is paramount to accountability, as that is their primary responsibility.
Strategic goals
Behind every financially successful and responsible business is a set of strategic goals. Your business’ goals are there to help keep your business on track. You can always look back at them and see the progress you have made, or even the lack of progress. Should your business not be gaining any new investors or generating any more revenue, you can rethink your strategy. Perhaps your goals were too big or too small? Having goals from the very beginning will allow you to remember why you started in the first place – as a startup it’s natural that you will go through some rough patches. However, as an entrepreneur, you must persevere and do what you can to change it for the better.
The financial wellbeing of your business should be more than a fleeting thought that enters your mind. Although you may understand its importance, you must understand how to obtain financial responsibility. As an entrepreneur, you are not the investor, and that is why it’s important to have relations with the investors of your business and continue to gain new ones. Your strategy and goals are paramount in this process. Don’t forget that while having a goal over the span of a year keeps your business on the right track, you must think long-term if you hope your business to succeed. A business that is not financially responsible will not succeed long-term. As an entrepreneur, you must always keep this top of mind.v
