Management accounts are vital in keeping on top of your business’s performance. But what are they, and how do they work?

Management accounts are a key tool for keeping on top of the financial data of your business.

Whilst statutory end-of-year accounts are necessary for compliance, management accounts can be tailored to reveal key information about your business.

Management accounts are also typically done on a monthly or quarterly basis, allowing you to have an accurate review of your business’s current finances in real-time.

Management accounts can contain information about:

• Key performance indicators (KPIs) that are relevant to your business
• Profit and loss
• Cash position
• Balance sheet

By monitoring the performance of your business using these categories, you open the opportunity for analysis to identify areas for improvement when it comes to adapting your business plan.

By collecting this information regularly, you can quickly flag and rectify any issues your business is experiencing before they become more damaging.

Spotting key trends

Short-term profit trends are more easily identified using management accounts, allowing you to increase profits by investing in the highlighted areas.

As well as trends in profits, you can easily track your business spending. There may be areas where costs can be cut and changes to your business plan can be implemented.

Planning ahead

The best way to predict the future for your business is to look back at the trends of the past.

You can compare several months’ worth of data from your management accounts to track long-term trends.

Having this data at your disposal allows you to find areas to adjust your business plan to ensure efficiency and long-term success.

Alongside planning for trends, management accounts allow you to plan for taxation. They help to keep a more accurate account of your expenses, ensuring that you will be paying the correct amount of tax and can identify any tax reliefs you may be eligible for.

Creating management accounts

Management accounts can be done by business owners themselves, but it is recommended to consult an accountant to ensure you make the most of the data.

With the guidance of an expert, you can focus on the most relevant data to your business and unlock valuable insight from the metrics.

From this information, an accountant can help you identify causes for concern, as well as opportunities, and advise how to adapt your business plan accordingly.

Our team of accountants can help you get the right information from your management accounts. Get in touch to find out more.