Company budget: a guide for entrepreneurs

As a lawyer who has worked with many businesses in Montreal, I’ve found that financial planning is often overlooked. Yet establishing a solid business budget is essential to anticipate financial needs, avoid unpleasant surprises and ensure your company’s longevity. In this article, we’ll look at the key steps involved in creating a reliable and effective business budget.

Why is a company budget essential?

Before diving into the process of creating a budget, it’s important to understand why it’s a crucial step for the financial health of your business.

1. Forecasting and planning: A budget helps you predict your income and expenses, enabling you to make informed decisions.
2. Expense control: With a clear picture of your expenses, you can identify and avoid unnecessary spending.
3. Performance measurement: A budget enables you to compare your actual performance with your forecasts, and adjust accordingly.

Steps to effective corporate budgeting

1. Evaluate your revenues

The first step in establishing a budget is to evaluate your income. Review your past financial statements to get an estimate of monthly and annual revenues. If you’re starting a new business, research your industry for estimates.

Case in point: If you have a law firm specializing in business law, analyze the average number of clients you have per month, the average fee per client and project your monthly revenues.

2. List fixed and variable expenses

Fixed expenses are those that remain constant from one month to the next, such as rent or salaries. Variable expenses fluctuate according to your company’s activity.

• Fixed expenses: Rent, salaries, insurance, subscriptions.
• Variable expenses: Advertising, legal fees, travel, office equipment.

3. Anticipate unforeseen expenses

A common mistake is to forget about unexpected expenses. While it’s impossible to predict every unexpected expense, setting aside an emergency fund is a wise practice.

Case in point: If you’re faced with unexpected litigation or legal fees, having an emergency fund will enable your business to navigate these situations without jeopardizing your financial health.

4. Adjust for past performance

Once you have a draft budget, compare it with your past financial statements. This will give you a better idea of how your forecasts match up with reality.

5. Review and adjust regularly

A budget is not a fixed document. It needs to be reviewed and adjusted regularly to ensure that it reflects the reality of your business. Set up monthly or quarterly checkpoints to compare your actual results with your forecasts.

If, after six months, you find that your revenues are consistently higher than expected, it may be time to revise your forecasts upwards and adjust your expenses accordingly.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Drawing up a business budget requires caution. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Overestimating revenues: Be realistic in your projections. It’s always best to be conservative in your estimates.
• Neglecting small expenses: Even the smallest expenses add up over time. Make sure you take them into account.
• Not anticipating market changes: The market is constantly evolving. Your budget needs to be flexible to adapt to these changes.

How to budget your business under Canadian law

The business world is full of pitfalls, especially when it comes to finances. Entrepreneurs must juggle economic realities, growth ambitions and legal constraints. In Montreal, as in the rest of Canada, the latter is often underestimated. The laws governing corporate finances are many and varied. It is therefore essential to integrate these legal aspects into budget planning. Let’s decipher some of these aspects together.

The corporate budget: between projections and legal realities

When we think of a company budget, we immediately think of figures. However, behind these figures often lie legal obligations. Taking these obligations into account from the outset can avoid many complications later on.

The Business Corporations Act is a good example. Every company, large or small, must submit financial statements. But financial statements are not just administrative documents. They reflect the economic reality of the company and engage the responsibility of the directors. An error in these documents can have serious consequences, not only financial but also penal.

Then there’s the Income Tax Act. While this law may seem complex at first glance, it is actually quite clear on one point: all declared expenses must be justified. This means that every dollar spent, every invoice, every receipt must be carefully preserved and filed.

The nuances of Canadian tax law

Canadian tax law is rich in nuances. It’s not just a question of how much tax a company has to pay, but also how it pays it, and on what basis. For example, Section 18(1)a of the Income Tax Act stipulates that only certain expenses are deductible. For an entrepreneur, this could mean the difference between a profitable year and a loss-making one. Imagine offering a meal to a potential customer. If this meal is not properly documented, it could be considered a personal expense and not deductible. These nuances, often perceived as details, can have a considerable impact on a company’s financial health.

A few tips for navigating these legal waters

Laws and regulations are constantly changing. Keeping up to date is essential, but often difficult for an already overburdened entrepreneur. That’s where a good business lawyer comes in. Regular collaboration with a lawyer can help you anticipate legislative changes and adjust your budget accordingly.

Next, documentation is your best friend. Keep track of all your financial transactions. Not only will this help you establish your budget, but it will also be essential in the event of litigation or an audit.

Finally, don’t forget that flexibility is key. Markets evolve, as do laws. Your budget must be flexible enough to adapt to these changes.

Navigating the complex world of corporate finance in Canada can seem daunting. But with the right planning, documentation and a solid understanding of current legislation, this challenge can be met successfully.