The LivePlan Blog

You most likely take a deep look at your business numbers once every three months—but reviewing your key numbers only once a quarter can limit your opportunities. However, there’s a simple solution you can use to improve your company, making it more nimble and agile than your competition.

Cash is the lifeblood of every business—and understanding your cash flow statement will keep your business alive. Here’s how to make sense of your cash flow statement (and how a cash flow statement differs from a cash flow forecast).

Accounts payable is the total of the bills that you have to pay, but that you haven’t paid yet. Here’s why accounts payable matters for your business, and how to manage it.

The balance sheet is the most misunderstood financial statement—which is problematic because it is also one of the most useful. Here’s why the balance sheet matters, and how to read and create one.

When you’re building your financial forecast for your business plan, there’s nothing more important than your cash flow forecast. Here’s what to watch out for when you’re forecasting your cash flow.

Cash flow is critical to running a business. Without money in your bank account, you can’t pay your bills. Find out how to calculate and improve operating cash flow.

Profit margin (also called operating margin) shows how much profit your business makes on every dollar of sales, before paying interest payments or taxes. It is usually expressed as a percentage. Here’s why it matters, and how to calculate the profit margin for your business.

A good business dashboard (also called a “financial dashboard”) is important for growing businesses. A simple dashboard that you feel comfortable reading will help you keep an eye on several key metrics at once, so you can focus on steering your company effectively.

We’ve just released some exciting updates to LivePlan that make it easier to create new financial forecasts. We’ve also given you a new option to forecast cost of goods sold and improved how we provide help.

Writing a business plan can seem like a daunting task and an easy one to avoid. But, it doesn’t have to be. An easy way to start is with a one-page business plan or Lean Plan. Here’s how to do it.