A week is a long time in business!
Business Advisory Services Update
Every business operator knows this. Why then is there a lack of emphasis by all of us who guide and advise SME operators of the desirability of implementing daily and weekly systems that will convey real information to the leadership team?
This recognition that business activities are normally conducted 5, 6 or 7 days a week – and that a lot can happen in those days – is evident in some businesses but, unfortunately, is totally ignored in many others.
Business advisors, management consultants, accountants, bookkeepers can all play a role in advising on the establishment of appropriate daily and weekly systems, to assist SMEs gain meaningful management information in as close as possible to “real-time”.
This all starts with the budgets – my recommendation is that the budgets should be prepared on a weekly basis and that fluctuations that are anticipated are built into the budget estimates to cater for:
- “Pay week – off week” affects many businesses because of when major employers and government departments pay their payroll.
- Sports home games
Daily Analysis:
- Record sales in one hour instalments – helps with planning staff rosters and the timing of in-store displays
- Consideration of the placement of stock within the store can affect the overall result for the day
- Number of customers
- Average sale
Weekly Analysis – the weekly performance report for each business activity (not a consolidated report) should include:
- Profitability analysis for the week’s trading activities
- Number of customers for the week
- Average sale for the week
- Gross profit percentage on a departmental basis and overall
- Wages to sales percentage
- Expenses for the week
- Net profit for the week
- Net profit percentage to sales
- Stock on hand end of week
- Comparison to the previous week’s performance and year-to-date performance and to the budget estimate
This type of reporting introduces discipline into the business because everyone knows that the business performance is being analysed on a day by day basis and summarised each week.
The business operator receiving this type of information is in a far better position than his/her competitor down the road who relies on receiving an annual set of financial accounts and tax return.
Want to know more? We've presented a webinar - Offer Services Over 52 Weeks - on Wednesday 22 March 2023. Click here to watch the recording.
