Future Proofing SMES

Good day!

Welcome to this update on ESS BIZTOOLS ADVISORY SERVICES NEWS.

FUTURE PROOFING SMES

In this overview we are discussing components of the Financial Forecasting Product Package developed by ESS BIZTOOLS that are available for accountants to utilise to offer a high level of service to SMEs to assist those businesses with their scaling up processes to operate businesses that utilise a range of opportunities that are available to assist SMEs.

ESS BIZTOOLS is presenting a complimentary webinar relating to the items discussed in this article and the Financial Forecasting Product Package on Thursday, 13 March 2025 at 9.00am AEST which will also be presented on Friday, 14 March 2025 at 10.00am AEST.

BUSINESS PLANNING IS VITAL

Business planning is a very important component of the preparation for starting a business and an annual occurrence for an operating business to review strategies, discuss potential changes, analyse competitors, evaluate new products or services, review team training, develop corporate governance awareness for the Leadership Team and many other items.

In most SMEs the business planning function will not be conducted unless there is involvement by the accounting firm that is advising the business.  The reason for this is that business planning takes time to organise and then to implement the actual planning process.  Most SME operators do not have the time to undertake this activity and within their Leadership Team they may not have someone who is experienced in the coordination of the preparation of a Business Plan and has the time available to devote to this process.

The ESS BIZTOOLS Financial Forecasting Package includes detailed processes to be implemented for the preparation of a Business Plan.

PREDICTIVE ACCOUNTING REPORTS

The Predictive Accounting Reports are the “Financial Interpretation of the Business Plan”.   It is recommended that the Business Plan is prepared first and then the Predictive Accounting Reports are prepared.  Each financial decision that is made in the Business Plan should be reflected within the Predictive Accounting Reports.

The recommended approach to the preparation of Predictive Accounting Reports is the “Four Way Forecasts” (normally referred to as the “Three Way Forecasts”).  As we have included the “Key Drivers” category as a distinct component we refer to this budgeting process as “Four Way Forecasts”:

1. Budgets (Income Statement)
2. Key Drivers
3. Cash Flow
4. Balance Sheet

Our recommendation is that the Predictive Accounting Report process is prepared on the basis of monthly transactions being shown within each component of the “Four Way Forecasts” and at the conclusion of the first 12 months the reports are prepared on an annual basis.

If, detailed information is required on a month by month basis after the expiration of the first 12 months there is nothing wrong with the reports been prepared on that basis.

The key components of the Predictive Accounting Reports are:

Budgets For Each Operating Business/Entity within the organisation.  It is highly desirable that individual budgets are prepared for each business rather than just producing one overall budget which might include a number of business operations.

This segregation of business activities should then continue within the financial accounts where individual Profit and Loss Accounts would be produced for each operating business/entity within an organisation.

The benefit from preparing a separate budget for each business/entity enables a clear identification of what the expected performance is anticipated from a particular business/entity.  The preparation of a separate Profit and Loss Account for that business/entity enables the all important analysis of actual performance as compared to the budgets to highlight any abnormalities or other issues relating to the business/entity.

Key Performance Indicators and Business Metrics should also be prepared both within the budgets and as an adjunct to the Profit and Loss Account to enable comparisons to be made to previous performance and to benchmark individual business to determine whether there are unexplained variations.

KEY DRIVERS – this is the terminology given to key sub-accounts within a business relating to functions that could be “hidden” within the Cash Flow Forecast and the Balance Sheet, but it is far better financial management to identify all movements within the sub-account so that the amount of money invested in that sub-account can be analysed and Key Performance Indicators monitored on an ongoing basis.  Some of the normal items included within the Key Drivers are:

• inventory of raw materials
• inventory of completed stock
• labour manning budget
• component manufacturing
• sundry debtors
• work in progress
• capital expenditure
• research and development
• sundry creditors
• loans

CASH FLOW FORECAST – will reflect the “cash transactions” that have been reflected within the budgets and the payments for the key driver sub-accounts together with direct payments that are reflected within the Balance Sheet.

PROJECTED BALANCE SHEET – reflects the projected balances in all of the accounts either on a monthly basis or annual basis as per the decision that has been made relating to the forecasting methodology to be implemented.

The Projected Balance Sheet enables the accountant responsible for the preparation of the Predictive Accounting Reports to be the “Financial Storyteller” by presenting an overview of the predictive accounting process and to indicate to the Leadership Team this is what the Business Plan and the predictive accounting process have forecast will be the financial position of the business in three years’ time (or such other time period that you and your client select).

CROWD SOURCED FUNDING EQUITY RAISING

A private company and an unlisted public company with gross international turnovers of less than AU$25 million and gross value of assets on an international basis of less than AU$25 million not listed on a stock exchange anywhere in the world are able to submit a Crowd Sourced Funding Offer Document to a government appointed consultant known as a Crowd Sourced Funding Intermediary to raise up to $5 million in 12 months from the public without having to prepare an “Offer Information Statement”.

The Directors will require briefing on the legal position of Crowd Sourced Funding Equity Raising and the documents that are required.  Every company that attempts to raise capital in this way will require source documentation including:

• Business Plan for the next three years
• Valuation of the business
• Predictive Accounting Reports
• Business operational overview

Which will culminate the preparation of the Crowd Sourced Funding Offer Document.

ESS BIZTOOLS includes a detailed product package identifying all aspects of the Crowd Sourced Funding Equity Raising process to assist accountants to be able to guide your clients on this process.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Australian companies are able to access significant taxation and financial benefits from investments in undertaking research and development activities.  ESS BIZTOOLS has developed a separate product package relating to research and development to assist accountants to supply an important professional advisory services to assist SME clients.

Some accountants appear to be reluctant to assist SME clients who are interested in accessing the research and development program.

As an accountant you are not required to express an opinion on any aspect of the suitability or otherwise of a research and development project, your role is something similar to an “internal auditor” to ensure that the documentation that we have documented within the ESS BIZTOOLS Research And Development Product Package is completed by your client and that the required lodgements are submitted to AusIndustry and the Australian Taxation Office by the stipulated lodgement dates.

Working with a client who has started a research and development project can be an exciting innovation journey which can present opportunities to the accounting firm and to your team members because there is a range of interesting and challenging work to undertake for a SME that is committed to research and development activities which could lead to capital raising utilising Crowd Sourced Funding Equity Raising, Early Stage Innovation Company Capital Raising, section 708 of the Corporations Act capital raising with these processes involving the necessity for the preparation of Business Plans, Predictive Accounting Reports, corporate governance advice and possibly virtual Chief Financial Officer services.

It is definitely worth your time to explore the opportunities that the ESS BIZTOOLS Research and Development Product Package enables you to consider.

SUCCESSION PLANNING

Is an important process for owners, Directors and Leadership Team members to consider from time to time.

ESS BIZTOOLS has developed a product package relating to succession planning issues which we will refer to in the webinar.

FINANCIAL FORECASTING PACKAGE

In the webinar on Thursday, 13 March 2025 or Friday, 14 March 2025 a brief overview will be given of the various product packages (some of which have been mentioned in this article) that are available within the Financial Forecasting Product Package.

You have two opportunities to attend a webinar:

• Thursday, 13 March 2025 at 9.00am AEST; or
• Friday, 14 March 2025 at 10.00am AEST

To attend this complimentary webinar please log onto www.essbiztools.com.au – click on webinars.

If you would like to have a discussion on how the ESS BIZTOOLS Financial / Commercial / Management Accounting Advisory Service Package could be implemented for your firm please send us an email or Telephone (07) 4724 1118 and we will arrange a complimentary 40 minute Zoom meeting with you and your colleagues.