Brilliant budgets and forecasts : your practical guide to preparing and presenting financial information / Malcolm Secrett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Secrett, Malcolm, author.

Contributor:

Secrett, Malcolm.

Series:

Brilliant.

Brilliant

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Budget in business.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (325 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st edition

Other Title:

Budgets and forecasts

Your practical guide to preparing and presenting financial information

Place of Publication:

Harlow, England : Pearson, [2012]

Language Note:

English

System Details:

text file

Summary:

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

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

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

Spreadsheet techniques for budgeting and forecasting

So many ways and means

Essential practices and conventions

Example forecasts

Examples of non-essential but useful techniques

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

Creating the illustration framework

The sales forecast

The budget forecast

The cash flow forecast

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

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

Further analysis

The impact of change on cash flow

The effect of rapid growth on cash flow

'What if' analysis

Part 5 Handling VAT

VAT in the forecast

What is VAT?

Calculating and paying VAT

Cash flow forecast VAT calculations

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)

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

Glossary

Index.

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on print version record.

Related Work:

Secrett, Malcolm. Mastering spreadsheet, budgets and forecasts.

ISBN:

9786612645471

9781282645479

1282645471

9780273730927

0273730924

OCLC:

794665981