I have been working with companies for more than 30 years, ranging from small one-man operations to Fortune 500 corporations. During those years, I learned business owners have the following financial goals in common. They want to:
- Increase the company’s income
- Pay their bills on time on a consistent basis
- Avoid getting into debt or eliminate current debt
- Make higher profits
- Pay themselves more money, and
- Build enough wealth to achieve financial freedom
During the many years I spent working with business owners to teach them how to manage their money to actually achieve those goals, I discovered the basic factors that get in the way of an owner achieving these goals. Those factors are:
Lack of education about money management and the correct actions to take with their money. I have yet to meet one business owner who actually received any education on how to properly manage the money and assets of a company to ensure its long-term survival.
False data about money and economics. The suppliers of this false data are banks, credit card companies, the government and the news media (newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, to name a few.)
One thing I teach my business owner clients is that they should not worry about the economy of the country (the rise and fall of the stock market, interest rates, unemployment numbers, etc.) as that is an economy they cannot control. Instead I teach them how to focus on their business and household economy, since that is an economy they can control.
Bad advice. This can come from friends, colleagues, family, books, the media and even your accountant and your accounting software. Here is one example of bad advice:
I spent more than a decade doing accounting, tax preparation and money management planning with my clients. Now don’t get me wrong. I use QuickBooks, and I really like the simplicity of QuickBooks. However, accounting software programs all have a little betrayal mechanism built into them. That betrayal mechanism is this: All they can do is tell you what happened with your money in the past, and if you are making financial decisions based on what happened in the past, then your money is controlling you rather than you being in control of your money.
Correct money management (also called financial planning) is done by looking to the future and that planning actions be taken before the money comes in—and before it is spent.
A proven truth: It’s not how much money you make, it’s what you do with it that determines your financial condition.
The secret formula for increasing profits: There is a simple science of managing money correctly that increases profits. Very rich people know this science. It is an old-school science that is based on common sense, discipline and constant vigilance in handling money. Your grandparents probably used this science.
I distilled this science down to a simple software tool, so business owners can learn to do this for themselves in a few minutes each week. My clients who use the software program have had tremendous improvements in their financial condition in a few weeks to a few months, depending on how bad their condition was when they started.
The following Business Checklist for Increasing Profits is based on this science. You can use the checklist to give your money management skills a tune-up and improve your financial condition.
If you have questions on any of the points on the checklist, feel free to e-mail me at Sandra@MoneyMgmtSolutions.com and ask. Let me know what question you had the toughest time finding an answer to. I will privately answer you back!
Sandra Simmons was educated at Virginia Commonwealth University. She spent the early years of her professional career working for major advertising agencies and Fortune 500 corporations in executive marketing management positions, winning the prestigious advertising Addy Award in 1983. In 1995, she opened her own business, Money Management Solutions, Inc., with the goal to provide business owners worldwide with a software tool for real cash-flow planning and profit building. Simmons is now recognized as one of the leading experts in the field of money management and financial consulting, and her wealth and financial freedom seminars are enthusiastically received all around the country. Since starting her company, she has established an outstanding track record in turning companies around who were struggling financially. For more details, visit www.MoneyMgmtSolutions.com.