So, you've just started your own small e-commerce business—congratulations! With the digital landscape booming, there's plenty of money to be made in the e-commerce industry. However, when running a business, do you know where the money comes from and where it goes? For your business to succeed, you need to know how your money flows in and out, also known as your “cash flow.”
With knowledge of your cash flow, you'll be able to make strategic decisions that'll help your business grow faster. Failure to understand your cash flow can result in poor financial decisions that can put your business in jeopardy. With an e-commerce accountant's help, you’ll be better able to understand your cash flow and make decisions from there.
What's cash flow, and why is it so important?
As mentioned, cash flow is how your money moves in and out of your business. It helps you understand how much money is entering your business and from where, such as loans, income, and transfers; as well as how much is going out, such as taxes and expenses.
Why is knowing this so important? Well, as we've pointed out earlier in the introduction, your cash flow determines whether your business will grow quickly, slowly, or not at all. Understanding your cash flow gives you a good idea of what you have to work with.
For example, a cash flow analysis will help you understand how much money you’re working with and if you’re making profit or breaking even. If you find out early on that you aren't making enough money, then you'll avoid getting into debt or having your business close prematurely. Without such an analysis, you might not realize this until it’s too late.
Other things cash flow will tell you is how long it takes for clients to pay you. Data like this will give you the ability to make the necessary changes to improve cash flow and help you make more sound financial decisions.
How do I analyze my cash flow?
Perhaps the easiest way to do a cash flow analysis is to hire an accountant, specifically an e-commerce accountant, to do it for you. Even if you have the software to do so, you might not understand the results. Fortunately, the accountant will have all the necessary knowledge and skills to interpret these results, and will even help you create a plan to improve on it.
Since cash flow analysis is conducted monthly, doing this often will take up a lot of time and effort. This makes hiring an e-commerce accountant even more enticing, as they'll lift the burden of conducting the analysis, allowing you to take on other critical functions in your small business.
Conclusion
From what we’ve written above, we hope you understand the importance of analyzing and understanding your business' cash flow. With such information, you'll be able to make the right financial decisions that not only put your money to good use without jeopardizing the business, but allows your company to grow as efficiently as it can. However—unless you have a background in accountancy—we will always recommend that you hire an e-commerce accountant to do these tasks for you, as they have the expertise and experience to give you the best and most accurate results.
Are you in need of an e-commerce accountant to bookkeep your online business? Get in touch with us to see how we can help.