Diversifying Services - Predictive Accounting
Accountant's Minute 273
Accountants who are committed to offering a broader range of diversified services, known as “Business Advisory Services”, to SME clients need to assist those clients in planning their future.
Business plans document the vision over a range of activities for a business.
“Predictive Accounting” creates a “financial picture” of the visions and strategies contained within the business plan.
This process commences with the identification of the key activities for the business in the future years and builds up from these key components - you just do not take last year’s figures and add a percentage to them!
The key drivers for the determination of the “financial picture” of the business, or any other type of organisation, are:
- Sales Estimates - what does the sales department estimate can be sold for each production type?
- Production Targets - based on the sales estimates, what production targets will be required, taking into account seasonal factors for obtaining raw materials, climatic conditions, and supply chains.
- Team Required - how many team members of various classifications are going to be required to produce the production targets? - What work hours will be required? What is the labour cost?
- Labour Oncost - that relates to the team required to produce the production.
- Materials required to meet the production target, taking into account supply conditions, seasonal factors, climatic conditions, shipping restraints and stockpile requirements.
- Raw Materials Inventory - various types of material requirements - availability - shipping - are there reasons to stockpile at various times during the year - minimum stock requirements for various types of materials?
- Work in Progress - materials - labour - labour oncosts - other direct costs - overhead expenses - invoicing of work in progress - targeted work in progress days.
- Creditors - payment terms for the purchase of materials - can changes be negotiated?
- Marketing Costs - is a special promotion going to be required? If so, when and at what cost? Social media advertising? Website updates?
- Completed Products Inventory - linked to production and sales estimates - stock turn rates the various types of products - build up at various times during the year.
- Selling Costs - selling expenses - salesperson’s salary and oncosts and commissions.
- Sales Budget - units of sales - selling prices (identification of variable selling prices and to whom do they relate).
- Sales Final Planning Document - how many potential customers need to be contacted to generate the sales target - what special costs will be incurred in this process?
- Debtors - terms of trade documentation - debtors’ days outstanding expected - are there special limits for some customers? - Identification of payment date on tax invoice - SMS alert 4 days prior to due date for payment - Prompt follow-up of debtors who do not pay - analysis and prompt action on debtors’ days outstanding to ensure the figure is within the budgeted level.
- Cashflow Forecast - monitor very closely - monitor the individual key driver components on an ongoing basis - ensure that amounts payable on loans, taxation, capital expenditure, dividends and other periodic payments are reflected within the Cashflow Forecast.
- Negative Cashflow Lock-Up - based on current figures regularly update the negative cashflow lock-up figures for various types of businesses so that the leadership team is aware of the lock-up amounts that apply for their business.
The establishment of key drivers and the regular monitoring of amounts reflected in them is a crucial component of a business being able to utilise Predictive Accounting to accurately project the future financial position of the business.
Software supplied by PlanGuru enables a “3-in-1 Financial Forecast” to be prepared comprising:
- Profit and Loss Forecast
- Cashflow Forecast
- Predicted Balance Sheet
All of this information is reliant on well thought out key drivers having been established before any of the financial forecast reports are prepared.
You are invited to attend a free webinar this Wednesday 9th June 2021 at 12-noon AEST titled “Predictive Accounting - What Is It?” Keynote presenters Paul Barnaby, Australasian Representative of PlanGuru, Tripp Graham, Marketing Director, PlanGuru USA and Peter Towers, Managing Director, ESS BIZTOOLS. To register - click here.
ESS BIZTOOLS - Business Advisory Services Starter Package
Helps accountants, business advisors and bookkeepers commence to offer Business Advisory Services.
The starter package includes:
- Debtors’ Management Review.
- Survival in Difficult Times - 38 questionnaires to help you evaluate the performance of virtually any type of business.
- Determination of charge out rates for tradies to achieve profit target.
- Retail product mix and markup strategies to achieve targeted profits.
- Professional service firms’ charge out rates to achieve profit target.
- Business health checks for 5 business groups.
- SME Debtors’ Systems Manual - templates that you can edit to produce a customised debtors’ manual for your client - this will really help to reduce debtors’ days outstanding.
- Leadership Training Modules (8 modules).
- 343 papers/articles relative to business operations for 60 categories - you can badge these papers with your firm’s name and send them to your clients/prospects.
- Monthly newsletter - Business Plus+, which we prepare which you can then badge and send your clients - the articles are educational for your clients but the Business Plus+ is a marketing tool for accountants.
- Business Advisory Services Training Package - 13 modules to assist with the preparation of your firm to offer a range of diversified services.
- Access to 12 client seminars/webinars - promote to your clients/prospects that your firm is assisting clients in a wide range of commercial activities.
- Access to 4 modules to assist with client mentoring and coaching.
If you want to know more information - please ask us.
Special Celebration Of The End Of The Financial Year Offer
Upfront discount price $999 (incl GST) for the year
OR
$197 (incl GST) per month - $2,364 (incl GST) for the year
Would you like to view the Product Brochure? If so, please click here.
If you wish to subscribe now, you can do so by completing the Order Confirmation Form (click here) and return the form to .
Communicating With Your Clients Is Very Important
Our theme for promotional videos over the last week continued with “Diversifying Services”.
- A growing number of businesses around Australia have realised the benefits that they can obtain by utilising the services of an accountancy firm supplying a “Virtual Chief financial Officer Service”.
- Diversifying Services - Chief Financial Officer Services - click here
- Video Recording - click here
- The principal challenge that accountants have in offering Business Advisory Services is in communicating their ability to supply a broader range of commercial advisory services.
- Diversifying Services - Clients Seminars/Webinars - click here
- Video Recording - click here
- Accountants who are delivering Business Advisory Services need to communicate the benefits of these services.
- Informing Clients on Value Adding Services - click here
- Video Recording - click here
- The report from CommBank Accounting Market Pulse in which 81% of the “leading firms” identified that the new service line that they are planning to enter or significantly grow in the next 12 to 18 months is Business Advisory Services – sounds easy doesn’t it?
- Diversifying Services - Promoting to Clients - click here
- Video Recording - click here
Upcoming Webinars Presented By ESS BIZTOOLS
You are invited to register for these free webinars:
- “Predictive Accounting - What Is It?” Presentation by Paul Barnaby, Australasian Representative of PlanGuru, Tripp Graham, Marketing Director, PlanGuru USA and Peter Towers, Managing Director, ESS BIZTOOLS.
- Wednesday 9th June at 12-noon AEST - click here.
- DON’T MISS THIS WEBINAR! - “Promoting Business Advisory Services to Your Clients/Prospects”. This is your opportunity to hear about the exciting new program that ESS BIZTOOLS is implementing for ESS BIZTOOLS’ subscribers (which you are most welcome to join) – a monthly webinar overview of a product package within ESS BIZTOOLS that you could utilise for presentations and professional services to your client’s/prospects.
- Wednesday 16th June 2021 at 12-noon AEST - click here.
If you missed any our recent webinars you can click here and scroll down to “Recent Previous Webinars”.
What’s Included In Business Advisory Services Starter Package?
An overview of the product packages included within the ESS BIZTOOLS’ Business Advisory Services Starter Package - click here.
Want To Know More?
You are invited to “Book A Demo” on ESS BIZTOOLS with Peter Towers, Managing Director, ESS BIZTOOLS to gain a better understanding of the services that are available within ESS BIZTOOLS and ESS BIZGRANTS?
You can book a demo at www.essbiztools.com.au or contact Peter Towers:
Have a great day.
