How would someone describe a Cash Flow Statement (Analysis)?
Cash flow Analysis (Cash flow forecast) is a fascinating topic in the field of financial accounting. It is taught to beginner-level accounting students and goes on as a significant field of study. In layman’s terms, a cash flow statement is a type of statement that makes out collective data and affects all sorts of “cash inflows.” Cash flow statements are affected by:
- Operation
- Investing
- Finance
Significance of Cash Flows
Developing a cash flow statement is very interesting, and it is extremely important to keep track of what is happening inside a business. It shows the fiscal position of a new startup. Moreover, it is mandatory to keep a record of your financial statements by law.
It can also help the company with its Public Liability Insurance and public reputation. In fact, if some law-enforcement institute prepares a lawsuit against them, they can show the cash flows to ensure a financial victory over their foes. It will be proof that the amount of cash is fairly balanced.
- Firstly, it is necessary to keep these financial records because these statements provide a view of your financial health.
- Secondly, it can help a company remain alert for any liabilities or dues to be paid in the future.
- Thirdly, it makes sure that your monthly revenue target is being completed. If the company keeps checking the financial statement records, they will remain updated regarding future payments to be received or paid for.
The next guide is about the useful method of creating a statement of a cash flow:
Please choose to create these statements from scratch, but you can try some exciting templates online and fill them out effortlessly if you are running out of time.
Preparing a Cash Flow Statement
- Start with how much net cash/amount you have stored in your accounts. For example, if you have $50000 stored inside a bank account, note this amount on a piece of paper. You have to settle any kind of loans that you are liable to pay to others before creating the cash flow statement. For example, if you have to pay back some loans to a funding organization like a bank or any kind of liability, then do it beforehand. We have to carry out this step to be on the safe side as the last step of the cash flows will also be affected by it.
- Prepare a list of all the cash inflow that is coming into the company. Prepare all kinds of resources that came inside the company when you started it. It also includes funding from other sources. The current and noncurrent assets are to be included as well.
- Prepare a list of all the cash outflows, respectively.
- If you have used the cash anywhere outside the business, subtract it.
- Finally, if the number is positive, i.e., the remaining cash is positive, then it means that you have the cash to cover your expenses. Otherwise, you need to generate more sales and create more revenue.
These five simple steps are a great tool for small startups.
What important information can one draft from the cash flow statements?
The hardest work is now completed because you have already collected all of your transactions and made a cash flow statement. Lastly, now you just have to look at each statement and decode what it means. Some significant factors are given below:
- Payment yet to be received from the client- The target for a business entity is to gather as much revenue as possible from the customers, and there are many methods they use. Customers are always liable to pay their sellers, given that the sellers provide excellent support.
- Investment in noncurrent assets like company equipment, such as furniture or computers, is also recorded. The business will know what to buy in the future and how they can save their income from investing productively and economically in company assets.
- Ending Cash can also be determined from these statements of cash flows.
- The accountant or the experts can figure out if the company will face a dreadful loss or enjoy a long-lasting profit at the end of an accounting period.
- The liable payments or expenses can be paid off at their specific time.
- Information about the total change in cash from the start to the end of the accounting period will be determined as well.
Finally, the very important question is that after concluding every statement and finding out the simplest information, how to make changes to the business to increase sales and revenues, and how can we be less liable to pay or have lesser debts in the future?
Following things can be done with the statements:
- Adjust the number of workers or employees. Focus more on quality workers so that one worker can carry out the task of five workers. Buy less equipment that is more effective and easy to use.
- Pay those clients that you are indebted to.
- Create a short-term setup, like an Outbound Sales-based call centre, inside your larger setup.
- If the cash statement cannot be balanced, the entity can try getting loans from their clients or consider getting funded from new clients by presenting them with a business proposal.
- Buy fewer assets or try to use the asset (equipment) that is available at the moment. Try to adopt an economical approach. Utilize the assets that are available and use them qualitatively.
- Create a plan or a schedule for the company’s next five to ten years, keeping in mind the business’s current financial position.
We hope this guide will help businesses create successful cash flow statements and help them make more sales and satisfy as many customers as possible. It will help accelerate the payments and create compelling and long-lasting capital. If someone does not understand the method of making a cash flow statement, they can use any template by searching it online.