By Richard Lipton, CPA
Richard L. Lipton CPA & Associates LLC, www.liptoncpa.com
When it comes to creating a budget, it’s essential to estimate your spending as realistically as possible. Here are three budget-related errors commonly made by small businesses, and some tips for avoiding them.
Not Setting Goals. It’s almost impossible to set spending priorities without clear goals for the coming year. It’s important to identify, in detail, your business and financial goals and what you want or need to achieve in your business.
Underestimating Costs. Every business has ancillary or incidental costs that don’t always make it into the budget – for whatever reason. A good example of this is buying a new piece of equipment or software. While you probably accounted for the cost of the equipment in your budget, you might not have remembered to budget time and money needed to train staff or for equipment maintenance.
Failing to Adjust Your Budget. Don’t be afraid to update your forecasted expenditures whenever new circumstances affect your business. Several times a year you should set aside time to compare budget estimates against the amount you actually spent, and then adjust your budget accordingly.
Richard L. Lipton CPA & Associates LLC, located in Florham Park, N.J., draws on its founder’s 10 years as a stockholder and manager of family-owned Sam’s Tire Co. in Paterson, NJ. Richard L. Lipton CPA & Associates LLC “is structured to personally serve large and small clients who have a need for business consulting services as well as accounting and tax services. We have even developed a niche in the area of forensic accounting. Our clients have realized that this combination of skills is extremely valuable in providing the highest quality professional services in today’s and the future’s economy.” – Richard L. Lipton CPA
Contact Richard L. Lipton CPA & Associates LLC:
Call: 973-520-8123
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.liptoncpa.com