Budgeting

Budgeting involves the planned allocation of funds to various departments in a business organization. Budgeting is often done by enterprises on a periodic basis. In simpler terms, it means planning for and estimating the financial position of an organization in a given time period.

The process of budgeting is very basic. Budgeting helps keep track of the health of a business, be it big or small. An individual with a basic income can also plan his budget. A simple rule for making a financial statement is keeping the accounts very simple. The expenses can be noted on a day-to-day basis; these expenses can be clubbed under one subcategory.

The usefulness of a budget depends on the reliability of the information used to create it. Unrealistic estimates of prices, yields, or input quantities would lessen the accuracy of the budget and could possibly lead to a faulty financial decision.

The process of budgeting can help make sound management decisions in any organization, if the information used for making the statement is reliable. If the process is undertaken on a one-year cycle, one should plan the next budget at least three months prior to the end of the current one. If the budgeting is for much shorter periods, for instance one month, one should begin preparing next month's budget within one to two weeks prior to the start date.

As per business terminologies there are six broad types of budgets made by enterprises, namely, sales budget, production budget, material purchase budget, staff budget, overheads budget, and capital expenditure budget.

Most organizations use structured planning to yield maximum results in key areas, including return-on sales, revenue growth, asset management and equity. Many businesses carry out the process almost on a daily basis, and include the majority of the activities associated with business planning, such as growth areas, competitors, cash flow and profit.

One of the prime benefits of carrying out annual business planning is that it gives organizations the opportunity to understand the performance, and also helps in realizing the factors affecting it. It also helps to make continuous improvements and anticipate problems, and offers sound financial information on which to base decisions, improved clarity and focus.