Business Budget Template

Having a business budget is essential for any size business. A business budget helps you decide whether you can grow your business, give yourself a raise, purchase additional inventory and assets, and whether you may be able to avoid bankruptcy.

It's possible to modify a personal budget spreadsheet to apply to a business, but if you are using our Income Statement Template , you'll want to use the business budget spreadsheet so that you can create a budget that is parallel to your income statement.

For those who are just starting a business, or thinking of starting a business, you might be interested in the free Business Start Up Costs template. A startup cost analysis is an important part of a good business plan and can help you get things off the ground before you begin using a more detailed business budget.

License : Private Use (not for distribution or resale)

"No installation, no macros - just a simple spreadsheet" - by Jon Wittwer

Description

This spreadsheet contains two sample business budgets designed for companies providing services or selling products.

Service Providers : The Services worksheet is a simple business budget that separates income and business expenses into categories that closely match those used in an income statement. The categories are fairly comprehensive, but it is also easy to add, remove, and modify the categories.

Retailers, Manufacturers, Publishers : The Goods worksheet includes the categories in the Services worksheet, but also has a Cost of Goods Sold section for recording inventory and purchases and calculating Gross Profit.

12-Month Business Budget

This worksheet is a variant of the above business budget, with sales and business expenses broken down by month . This is helpful for budgeting quarterly expenses and other business expenses that occur at specific times of the year.

The Goods worksheet lets you record sales and cost of goods sold for multiple products .

Business Budget for Multiple Products

This version allows you to perform a detailed analysis of your business expenses and cost of goods sold (COGS) if you are selling multiple products. Columns are also included for calculating the Percentage of Total Sales for each product and the various expenses.

Using the Business Budget Spreadsheet

These business budget templates are pretty simple to modify and customize. However, here are some things you should know and keep in mind as you use these templates:

Double-Check the Formulas

If you add or move categories around, make sure to double-check the calculations, especially the SUM() formulas that calculate the totals and subtotals, to make sure that the right cells are summed.

Conditional Formatting for red Values

The Difference is calculated as Actual - Budget. Conditional formatting is used to highlight the Difference red if income is less than the budget amount or if business expenses are more than the budget. In other words, a red value means you ought to take a closer look at it.

Analyzing Cost of Goods Sold

The costs associated with producing and purchasing goods are variable costs that increase or decrease with the volume of production and sales, such as wages for direct labor required to produce the goods, packaging, inventory purchases, shipping, and commissions. These costs are usually compared to the total sales. A careful study of these costs can help you determine pricing for your products, which products are more profitable, etc.

Multiple Products

The Goods spreadsheet is set up initially to record total net sales for each quarter. If you want to perform a more detailed analysis for multiple products, you can insert additional rows and separate the sales and costs according to product, or you can use the bonus spreadsheet that is designed for performing a detailed analysis for multiple products.

Income Taxes

A separate section under business expenses calculates the Net Income Before Taxes by subtracting the Total Expenses from Total Income. This helps you make a simple estimate of the income taxes, assuming all the Expenses are tax deductible. If you have any taxable expenses make sure to subtract those values from the Net Income Before Taxes before estimating your income tax budget.

Budgeting Large Non-Recurring Expenses

One of the reasons for budgeting is of course to help you determine whether you will be able to afford upgrades, new construction, asset purchases, etc. However, this budget spreadsheet is mainly for comparing your operating income and expenses to make sure that in your normal business activities you are earning more than you are spending. You would typically look at your Net Income to determine whether you will be able to expand your business, make large asset purchases, etc.

More Business Budgeting Resources

  • Small Business Budgeting Tips and Techniques at investopedia.com
  • Drafting Your Budget at entrepreneur.com

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Financial Statements

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Top 10 Free Excel Business Budget Templates for 2023

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates

What Is Budgeting?

Why is budgeting important, how to create a budget template, how to make a monthly budget template, why use a template for budgeting, how to use an excel budget template, top free excel business budget templates, 1. business case excel template, benefits of using a business case excel template, 2. p&l statement excel template, benefits of using a p&l statement excel template, 3. revenue forecasting excel template, benefits of using a revenue forecasting excel template, 4. balance sheet excel template, benefits of using a balance sheet excel template, 5. income statement excel template, 6. startup business budget excel template, 7. expense-tracking excel template, 8. cash runway excel template, 9. unit economics excel template, 10. operating budget excel template.

A business budget is an essential tool for any business, no matter how big or small. It helps you stay on track with your finances and ensure that all areas of your organization run efficiently. With a budget in place, you can quickly identify areas where costs are getting out of control and make adjustments before they become problematic.

Creating a budget can be daunting, especially if you are unfamiliar with Excel. Thankfully, many free Excel business budget templates are available that make it easy to set up your own budget. These templates provide an easy-to-follow format that allows you to quickly input your income and expenses so you can get started right away.

Budgeting is a process of predicting and managing your income and expenses. It helps you plan out how much money you will need to cover your business costs for the month or year ahead. With budgeting, you can track spending, identify areas where you may be overspending, and make adjustments as needed to stay within your budget.

Budgeting is essential for any business, as it allows you to plan ahead and ensure your organization is on the right track financially. Without a budget, setting goals and tracking progress can be challenging. A budget also helps you identify areas where costs are getting out of control so you can take corrective action before they become too costly.

When creating a budget template, it's essential to include all the categories and items relevant to your business. This includes revenue sources, fixed costs such as rent or utilities, variable expenses like advertising or travel, and any other relevant items. Once you have identified these categories, you can enter them into an Excel spreadsheet. It's important to remember that budgeting can be complex, and you should always consult a professional if you need help.

Once all the information has been entered into your template, it's time to begin tracking income and expenses. This will give you an accurate picture of how much money is coming in and going out each month. As the months progress, you can easily adjust your budget if it becomes necessary. This way, you'll always have an accurate picture of your financial situation and be able to adjust accordingly.

Using a free Excel business budget template, you can quickly and easily create a comprehensive budget that will help keep your finances in check. Once you're comfortable with the budget, you can modify it as needed to accommodate any changes in your business. With a bit of time and effort, you can have an adequate budget in place that will keep your business running smoothly.

Creating a monthly budget template is similar to creating a one-time budget. Start by identifying all the relevant categories and items to your business. Once you have all the information gathered, enter it into an Excel spreadsheet. You can then use this template to track your monthly expenses and income. As the months pass, adjust your budget based on new developments or changes in your business.

Using a template for budgeting provides several benefits. It allows you to quickly create accurate and up-to-date budgets, allowing you to make informed decisions about your finances. Additionally, templates make it easy to track expenses and income so you can adjust as needed. Finally, free Excel business budget templates can save time and money as you won't need to hire a professional to help with budgeting.

Using an Excel budget template is a great way to get started creating your business budget. All of the free templates provided here include a simple format that's easy to use and understand. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your Excel budget template:

  • Start by entering all your income sources, such as sales revenue, interest income, and other sources of revenue.
  • Next, enter your expenses, such as payroll, rent, supplies, and other operating costs.
  • Make sure to include taxes and other overhead costs in your budget.
  • Set up a timeline for budgeting so you can stick to it throughout the year.
  • Run reports and analyze the data in your budget. This will help you identify areas where costs are getting out of control or where there may be opportunities to save money.

By taking the time to create an accurate and up-to-date business budget, you can ensure that your organization runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. With the help of free Excel business budget templates, you can quickly and easily create a budget that works for your organization.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Business Case Excel Template

A business case excel template helps businesses easily analyze and evaluate different scenarios to inform decision-making. This type of template includes pivoting tables, graphs, financial projections, and other valuable data that can help you make the best possible decisions for your organization. Business cases are often used to compare various investment or product opportunities to determine which one is the most profitable.

There are many benefits to using a business case excel template, such as:

  • Streamlining the decision-making process by providing relevant data and insights that help inform decisions.
  • Creating an organized structure for analyzing different scenarios and options.
  • Consolidating data into one place to make it easier to analyze and compare.
  • Generating various reports that can be used to track performance and make informed decisions.
  • The ability to customize the template for specific needs or goals.

Creating a business case template in Excel can help you analyze data and make informed decisions that will benefit your organization.

Download the Business Case Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Profit and Loss PL Statement Excel Template

A Profit and Loss (P&L) statement Excel template is a spreadsheet that helps businesses analyze their financial performance and make informed decisions. This type of template includes tables and graphs that can be used to track income, expenses, and profits over a period of time. It also provides insight into cash flow and profitability.

Using a P&L statement Excel template provides several benefits, such as:

  • Giving an overview of the business's financial performance over some time.
  • Breaking down income and expenses into categories to make it easier to analyze.
  • Being able to track profit margins, cash flow, and other vital metrics.
  • Generating reports that can be used to inform decision-making.
  • Analyzing different scenarios to identify areas for improvement.

By using a P&L statement Excel template, businesses can quickly and easily analyze their financial performance and make informed decisions that will benefit the organization.

Download the P&L Statement Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Revenue Forecasting Excel Template

A revenue forecasting Excel template helps businesses predict future financial performance by analyzing historical trends and data. This type of template includes a variety of graphs, charts, and tables that can be used to analyze past performance and make projections for the future. Revenue forecasting is often used to set business goals and inform strategic plans.

Using a revenue forecasting Excel template has many benefits, such as:

  • Allowing businesses to develop reliable projections and estimates based on past performance.
  • Identifying trends and insights that can inform decision-making.
  • Generating various reports and dashboards that can be used to track performance.
  • Establishing goals and benchmarks that can be used to measure success.

Download the Revenue Forecasting Excel Template for Free.

Top Business Budgeting Software Tools

The best picks for business budgeting software tools to monitor your financial performance and ensure your business is using its resources efficiently.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Balance Sheet Excel Template

A balance sheet Excel template is a spreadsheet that helps businesses track financial transactions and analyze the organization's overall health. This template includes several sections, such as assets, liabilities, and equity. A balance sheet provides an overview of a company's finances, showing how much money it has in cash, investments, or debts.

Using a balance sheet excel template has many benefits, such as:

  • Allowing businesses to analyze and compare financial data easily.
  • Creating an organized structure for tracking assets and liabilities.
  • Generating various reports that can be used to measure performance.

By creating a balance sheet excel template, businesses can quickly and efficiently track their financial data and make informed decisions about their organization's finances.

Download the Balance Sheet Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Income Statement Excel Template

An income statement Excel template helps businesses analyze and track their financial performance. This template includes several sections, such as revenue, expenses, and net income. An income statement provides an overview of a company's profitability, showing how much money it has earned or lost over a given period.

Download the Income Statement Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Startup Business Budget Excel Template

A startup business budget Excel template helps businesses manage their finances and plan for the future. This template includes several sections: revenue projection, expenses, and cash flow. Companies can use a startup business budget template to analyze their financial performance accurately and determine the best course of action for their organization.

Download the Startup Business Budget Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Google Sheets Templates and Financial Models

Top Free Google Sheets Templates and Financial Statements to help you manage your business financials, monitor performance, and make informed decisions.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Expense Tracking Excel Template

An expense-tracking Excel template or an expense-tracker Excel template helps businesses track and analyze their spending. This template includes several sections, including expenses by category, total costs, and monthly averages. By using an expense tracking template, businesses can quickly and easily identify areas of overspending or unnecessary expenses so they can make better decisions about their finances.

Download the Expense-Tracking Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Cash Runway Excel Template

A cash runway Excel template is a type of spreadsheet that helps businesses track their cash flow and analyze the short-term financial health of the organization. This template includes several sections, such as cash inflows, outflows, and balances. A cash runway provides an overview of a company's ability to pay its expenses and manage liquidity, showing how much cash is available to the organization at any given time.

Download the Cash Runway Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Unit Economics Excel Template

A unit economics Excel template is a spreadsheet that helps businesses analyze the profitability of individual products, services, or customer segments. This template includes several sections, such as revenue per unit, cost per unit, and operating profit per unit. Using a unit economics Excel template, businesses can accurately analyze the profitability of different product lines and identify potential areas for improvement.

Download the Unit Economics Excel Template for Free.

Top Free Excel Business Budget Templates Operating Budget Excel Template

An operating budget Excel template helps businesses track and manage their expenses. This type of template includes several sections, such as fixed costs, variable costs, and capital investments. An operating budget provides an overview of a company's expected expenses over a given period of time, helping the organization make smart decisions about its finances.

Download the Operating Budget Excel Template for Free.

Using the top free Excel business budget templates is an effective way for businesses to create and maintain financial plans. From business cases to revenue forecasting and balance sheets, these templates help businesses stay organized and make informed decisions that benefit their organization.

Hady has a passion for tech, marketing, and spreadsheets. Besides his Computer Science degree, he has vast experience in developing, launching, and scaling content marketing processes at SaaS startups.

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[Step-by-Step] Create A Budget In Excel In 10 Minutes

Creating a Budget in

In this tutorial, we are going to learn to make a monthly budget in Excel. Budgets help you increase your savings or profits by helping you stay within the estimated costs and expenses.

We will learn to create a budget both automatically and manually, step-by-step.

Steps to create a budget in Excel

Let’s get started with this step-by-step tutorial to creating a budget in Excel.

1. Creating a budget using templates

Let’s create a budget automatically using templates. Follow these steps.

  • Open a new Excel workbook.
  • Click on More Templates .
  • Type “budget” in the search box.
  • Select your favorite budget template based on your needs and liking.

Budget In Excel

You have a variety of budget templates to choose from this list.

  • Once you’ve selected a template, click Create .

Take a look at this neat personal monthly budget template that was created automatically.

Budget In Excel

This ready-made template eases your task of manually creating a budget. You simply have to add the figures that are relevant to you and you’re good to go.

Budget In Excel

Look at how easily you can add the different kinds of expenses like transportation, loans, insurance, taxes, housing expenses, and more. Not to forget the sub-categories that are already created for you. How convenient, isn’t it?

Notice that the template also allows you to enter estimated cost as well as actual cost for an item. It also automatically calculates the difference between actual and estimated costs for you.

Excel’s budget templates are completely automated. This makes your task even more time-saving and allows managing data in a clean and systematic way.

Creating a budget in Excel from scratch

Let’s get started with creating a monthly budget manually in an Excel sheet.

  • Type a heading named “Income”.
  • List down all sources of income like salary, dividends, etc.
  • Type “Total” in the last once you have listed all your income sources.

Budget In Excel

  • Now, type in your income values.
  • In the totals row, sum all your income values using the sum function.
  • Or press Alt + ’=’ to let Excel automatically sum the above values for you.  
  • Press ENTER to complete the formula.

income sum

  • Select the figures and add ‘Accounting’ format to them to display numbers with a $ sign.
  • Go to the Home tab, pull down on the box named ‘General’, and select Accounting.

accounting format

Now, it’s time to list all your expenses and calculate your savings. We will take an example of a personal monthly budget of a person. Let’s get started.

  • Skip a cell below ‘Total’ and create a new heading named ‘Expenses’.
  • Now, list down all your expenses under this heading.
  • Add ‘Savings’ at the bottom of the list after ‘Total’.

Here’s how we have listed below the monthly expenses.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • Now, to calculate total expenses, press ALT + ‘=’ or use the sum function to sum all expenses.

expenses sum

  • Hit ENTER to complete the formula.
  • To calculate savings, find out the difference between total income and total expenses. Here’s how you can do it.
  • Type ‘=’ in the savings cell, select the total income, type ‘-‘ and then select the total expenses.

savings

You can see that we have successfully calculated the savings amount for the month.

savings calculated

You can also create an ‘Estimated’ sub-section in the Expenses heading if you wish to compare your actual costs or expenses with estimated or planned costs.

Here’s how an expenses list with actual and estimated expenses would look like.

estimated

The expenses for each month are created in a fresh new sheet within the same workbook.

sheets

To create a new sheet, click on the + and start making the budget for a new month in a new sheet every time.

Graphically representing a budget

To graphically represent your expenses on a chart, here are the steps to be followed.

Learn more here in detail to manually create a bar chart in Excel.

expenses selected

  • Select the range with expenses and the two titles named Actual and Estimated.
  • Go to the Insert tab.
  • Click on Recommended Charts .
  • Select a chart style you like that best represents your data.

recommended charts

  • Click OK to create a chart.
  • Double-click on the Chart title to rename the chart as you like.

Learn more about editing legends and axes on a chart in Microsoft Excel here.  

This article was all about creating a budget and representing it graphically in Microsoft Excel. Feel free to comment below if you have any doubts regarding creating a budget in Excel.

References- Excel Easy

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Budgeting 101: Your Easy Guide to Creating a Business Budget in Excel

Anthony Stevens

by Anthony Stevens   August 30, 2022

A business budget is essential!

Before you make money, you need to figure out how to spend it properly. It's an essential business tenet. 

To ensure money goes where it should, there is one thing you must do: create your business budget. 

With a budget, you can easily track business expenses, cash on hand, and the revenue needed to ensure your business grows or stays afloat.

Nowadays, it is also reassuring to know there is no shortage of Excel templates you can use to ensure you have all the budgeting bases covered.

An expense report template , for instance, is a tool that can effectively track business spending. Other tools can also help you anticipate spending, future needs, and cash flow.

Business Budget in a Nutshell

Simply put, a business budget is a detailed plan that allows you to outline where you will spend your money monthly or annually. A budget can help you with the following:

  • Forecasting the amount you expect to earn
  • Planning where your revenue should be spent
  • Analyzing the difference between your plan and your current reality

Seven Components of a Good Budget

Ideally, your business budget should be straightforward and flexible. In case circumstances change, your budget should give you a clear picture of where you stand.

Your budget should include the following key components:

1.   Estimated Revenue

Estimated revenue is the amount you anticipate to make from the sale of your goods or services.

Estimated revenue is the cash you bring in the door and should be the first line on your budget.

This can be based on last year's figures. If you are a startup, you can base it on industry averages.

2.   Fixed Cost

Fixed cost refers to consistent costs that won't change regardless of how much you make.

Examples of fixed costs include insurance, bank fees, utilities, rent, equipment leasing, legal services, and accounting.

3.   Variable Costs

Variable costs can change depending on sales volume or production.

Variable cost is closely related to the cost of goods sold.

This can include production cost, shipping, inventory, packaging, and raw materials. Other variable costs include credit card fees, sales commissions, and travel.

4.   One-Off Costs

One-off costs are those things that fall outside the typical work your business does.

These are startup costs like equipment, software, moving offices, etc. Other costs that are related to research and launch belong to one-off costs.

5.   Cash Flow

Cash flow is the money that travels in and out of your business.

If more money comes in than goes out over a set period, you have positive cash flow.

Since cash flow is considered the lifeblood of every business, it is crucial that it is monitored weekly or at the very least monthly.

6.   Profit

Profit is what you take home after deducting all your expenses from your revenue.

If the difference between your expenses and revenue is not to your liking, you need to rethink the cost of your goods and perhaps consider increasing your price.

7.   Budget Calculator

This is another helpful tool that can help you see where you stand in terms of business budget planning. If anything, having all your numbers in one place can be beneficial.

Create a summary page for each of the critical categories mentioned above. This is your business budget's basic framework.

Next to each category, list down the total amount you intend to spend.

Create another column to the right and use it to list down the actual amount you have spent.

This setup can give you a quick snapshot of your business budget without requiring you to dive into multiple layers of spreadsheets.

A business budget template can be as complex as a multi-page spreadsheet or as simple as a table. Regardless of what you prefer, you need to create something you are comfortable using.

Ideally, you need to create a yearly budget; a 12-month budget is considered standard. It is also recommended that you do quarterly or monthly check-ins to ensure you are on the right track.

Budget Templates for Different Types of business

While every good budget template shares the same framework, it is recommended that you consider your industry and business type when creating your budget.

Seasonal Businesses

If your business has a slow and busy season, having a budget is doubly essential. Since business is not consistent each month, a budget can give you a clear insight into past and present data.

Why is this important? It can help you predict future cash flow.

Forecasting this way can also help you see how much you need to get through the slow months, what the annual trends are, and when you can cut costs to offset the low season.

E-Commerce Businesses

The primary budgeting factor for e-commerce is shipping. It is important to remember that potential import duties and shipping costs can have a significant impact.

Check if you have space in the budget to cover customer shipping. If not, do you have a strategy that's aligned with your budget?

Since packaging can also affect shipping rates, it is recommended that it is also factored into the cost of goods sold. While you are at it, also consider warehousing duties and costs.

To create a great online shopping experience for your customers, it is ideal that you factor in web design, advertising, product photography, and a good web hosting service into your budget.

Understandably, budgeting can be tricky for startups since they rarely have a model to work from.

If you are running a startup, do your due diligence by researching industry benchmarks for marketing costs, rent, and salaries.

You also need to know what to expect to pay for benefits, equipment, and professional fees.

Also, set aside a portion of the budget for advisors — lawyers, accountants, bookkeepers, etc. Investing a few thousand dollars upfront might save you thousands more in legal fees down the road.

Final Thought

You can liken budgeting to dreaming: it's mostly pretending. However, as soon as you start pulling accurate historical financials and when you get to check the budget you have set against real numbers, that's when you will see how valuable and magical a budget can be.

ACTION ITEM: Before we close out this post I want to give you one little action item! Comment below with ONE thing you learned from this post and how you're going to put it into ACTION.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Anthony Stevens

About the author

Anthony Stevens

Anthony Stevens is the Content Specialist for ExcelTemplates.com , a resource for free Excel templates including calendars and charts. When not writing, he spends time building furniture and running with his dog.

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Top Excel Budget Templates

We’ve provided you with the best free budget template selection around, whether you’re managing a personal budget, an industry-specific budget, or balancing a household budget. additionally, we’ve provided details on how to choose the right budget for your use case, and steps on how to create one..

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Business Budget

Track and manage your business expenses so you can make the best strategic decisions for your company with this business budget template. Gain visibility into where you’re overspending, where you need to cutback, and the general health of your company.

Download the Business Budget Excel Template

View your budget and expenses in real time so you can make the most informed decisions, track income against expense, and ensure no item goes unseen in savings, spending, or debt repayment goals.

Track Your Business Budget in Smartsheet

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Department Budget

Estimate your department expenses for the upcoming fiscal year, track spend against savings, and compare year-over-year budget numbers by percent changes with this template designed for teams and departments.

Download the Department Budget Excel Template

Manage Your Department Budgets with Smartsheet

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Project Budget

Using this template will help you stay on top of your project budget. Track the material, labor, and fixed costs associated with each project task, and monitor the variance between your actual and budgeted amounts.

Download the Project Budget Excel Template

Manage Your Project Budget in Smartsheet

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Home Construction Budget

Keep an eye on all construction-related expenses, including remodeling, planned improvements, emergency repairs, and labor and material budgets, and monitor the running balance.

Download the Construction Budget Excel Template

Manage Your Construction Budget in Smartsheet

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Business Budget Management Template Set 

This set of templates in Smartsheet helps track monthly actuals against budget goals so you can tightly manage your financial performance and ensure your business stay on track.

Track monthly actuals against budget goals by department

Receive automated budget and spend approval requests

See a real-time dashboard view of financial health

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Simple Budget

List your income and expenses, calculate spend and savings totals, and view which portion of income is going to which category of expenses to stay on top of your budget and ensure you don’t go over.

Download Excel Template

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Personal Budget

Document, track, and manage your personal income, expenses, and savings to ensure you’re moving towards your financial goals. Improve visibility into how well you save your money so you can reach your goals faster.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Household Expenses Monthly Budget

Track, manage, and organize expenses for an entire household on a month-to-month basis, create line items for recurring expenses, and boost savings so you can reach your financial goals faster.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Weekly Budget Planner

Track your income and expenses on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to gain better insight into where you’re spending the most money and identify areas where you can save. Add additional columns and update your spending goals as time goes on.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Money Manager

Track expenses and manage your budget in one location with this money manager template. With a yearly budget, a monthly budget report, and a transaction history log, you will have one comprehensive budgeting solution in one location to track expenses and income appropriately.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Zero-Based Budget

Allocate every dollar of your income to a piece of your budget to better track where your money is going and ensure the difference between your monthly income and expenses equal zero. Document both incoming money and outgoing expenses and adjust allocations accordingly.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

GLBL Budget

Manage your budget every paycheck and ensure you’re allocating every dollar of income toward an outgo, resulting in a zero balance. Reduce the possibility of overspending by tracking transactions and assessing incoming and outgoing money on a regular basis.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

College Budget

Create a budget to help you save money, balance expenses, and manage student loan payments while you’re in college. Track all income and expenses on a quarterly basis and estimate monthly college expense totals to ensure you are always on top of your money.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Academic Club Budget

Track fundraising efforts, document sponsorship amounts, and manage expenses to ensure the operations and strategies of your academic club run smoothly with this comprehensive template. Gain insight into budget versus actual balances and better manage club revenue.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Wedding Budget

Plan how much money you need to save for your wedding, surface all applicable expenses, estimate overall costs, and establish a baseline spend goal. As you start planning, track actual spend amounts to determine the variance to budget to ensure you remain within the bounds of your ideal spending goal.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Early Retirement Budget

Ensure that you’re saving enough money to live comfortably in retirement by creating a comprehensive plan, estimating your daily needs and expenses, and documenting how you will allocate your income. Gain insight into your income and expenses and estimate your budget with inflation factored in to make sure you’re covering all your bases.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Holiday Shopping Budget

To prepare for the holidays, list all gifts to purchase for whom, document how much each will cost, and compare that against a monthly or yearly budget to ensure you have visibility into how much money you are spending during the hectic holiday months.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Finding the right template can help you get started planning your budget, but you should also look for a solution to ensure your finance operations are as efficient as possible. Consider a tool that provides one location for your team to track and manage financial details, from anywhere, in real time.

Smartsheet is an enterprise work execution platform that is fundamentally changing the way businesses and teams work. Use Smartsheet to boost visibility into your finance operations. Make real-time updates and share details with key stakeholders to increase transparency and accountability. Ensure that everyone is working with the most up-to-date information, so that no detail is missed and you are able to make the right decisions at the right time.

The Importance of a Personal Budget

Creating a personal budget is not only important for your financial well-being and peace-of-mind, but also for your short and long-term goals. Taking control of your finances with a personal budget template will help you make headway on these goals. 

To get started, you want to consider the following steps to help you establish your personal budget:

  • Set your goals. Take some time to make a list of your short and long-term goals. Determine why each goal is a priority, how you plan to achieve them, and the timeframe in which you would like to accomplish them. Short-term goals should only take a year to accomplish and would include items like paying off a credit card. Your long-term goals could take many years to accomplish, with examples of long-term goals including saving for your child’s education or your own retirement.
  • Track your spending. To make accurate estimates of how much you should allocate to each expense within your personal budget, you will need a sense of how much you are currently spending in each area. Review your bank statements for the last three to four months to get an idea of your spending. Of course, you may decide to change the amount you budget for each item, but this will at least provide a baseline to go off of.
  • Personalize your budget. Using a personal budget template is helpful to get your budget started, though you can always personalize your budget to match your specific needs. Additionally, just because you create a budget one month, doesn’t mean your expenses and goals will be the same for the next. Be sure to have monthly check-ins on your budget and don’t hesitate to update it as your circumstances change.

Getting Started With a Personal Budget Template in Excel

Now that you’ve made a list of your goals and started tracking your expenses, you can begin creating your actual budget using a personal budget template. 

Begin by downloading the personal budget template, and inputting your income, savings goals, and expense amounts for the first month. This template is made up of two sheets, one for your budget breakdown and the second is your dashboard.   

personal budget template

Within the first sheet, you will find three sections, including income, savings and expenses. The categories of the income section are:

  • Salary/Wages
  • Interest Income
  • Refunds/Reimbursements

personal budget template

The next section is where you will input your savings goals. These goals may include both your short-term and long-term savings goals that you listed earlier. This section includes the following categories, but can be changed to fit your goals:

  • Emergency Fund
  • Transfer to Savings
  • Retirement (401K, IRA)
  • Investments

personal budget template

The last section of the personal budget sheet is for expenses. This section has various primary categories, with multiple sub-categories associated. The primary expense categories include:

  • Transportation
  • Daily Living
  • Entertainment
  • Vacation/Holiday

personal budget template

Once you have input the individual amounts for each of the income, savings, and expense categories, you will see that the total for each month is calculated at the bottom of each column. Additionally, totals are calculated at the end of each row, representing your year-to-date total for each budget item, category and section. 

On the second sheet you will find your budget dashboards. Dashboards are helpful to provide a quick visual into the summary and health of your budget, and will automatically update as you make changes to your personal budget sheet. The dashboard sheet included in this personal budget template has the following four distributions:

  • Potential to Save Summary  This summary calculates your potential savings, on a monthly basis, after you have met your current savings goals for the expenses incurred. The potential to save amount is calculated by subtracting the Total Savings and Total Expense amounts from Total Income.

​personal budget potential to save

  • Income to Expenses Chart  The bar chart provides a quick look at the difference between your total income and expenses on a monthly basis, which is helpful to provide a high-level view of the health of your budget.  

personal budget template bar chart

  • Income-Expense-Savings Pie  This pie chart is helpful to determine the breakdown of your budget, providing a visual of what proportion of your budget goes to income, savings, and expenses.

personal budget template pie chart

Use a pre-built Smartsheet template to create a budget in minutes.

How-To Geek

How to make a simple budget in microsoft excel.

If you already use Excel for work, why not use it for money management too?

Quick Links

Use an excel budget template, use a third-party budget template, create a budget from scratch.

Keeping track of your budget, whether for yourself or your entire household, is key to money management . If you already use Microsoft Excel, you can create a budget easily using a template or making one from scratch.

You can get a jumpstart on your budget by using a template . Microsoft offers several budget templates already in Excel or via the Office Template website.

Related: How To Create Custom Templates in Excel

To see the budget templates in Excel, open the application and select "More Templates" in the Home section.

More Templates in the Excel Home section

Enter the word "budget" into the search box and you'll see many options.

Excel budget templates

Choose the template you want to use to see more details and click "Create" to open the template.

Create a budget with the template

You're then on your way to budgeting your money with premade sections and built-in formulas. For more options, visit the Budget section of Microsoft's Office Template site . You can then pick a template to download and use in Excel, or open it online and use it in Excel for the web.

Office budget templates

If you've browsed Microsoft's budget templates and don't see one you like, you can choose a third-party template. Sites like Vertext42 and Spreadsheet123 offer nice collections of budget templates.

One benefit of using a template is that it lists common expenses for you so that you don't forget anything.

This option from Vertex42 is ideal for managing your own finances. It's a personal monthly budget template with spots for all income you receive, and the expenses are grouped by category. At the top, you'll see a wrap-up section of moneys in and out along with the net amount, totals, and averages.

Vertex42 template

The template from Spreadsheet123 is a good option for a family monthly budget. Similar to the personal budget template above, you have places for income and expenses but also with estimated and actual amounts. The top section shows you your estimated and actual totals with the differences per month.

Spreadsheet123 template

If you can't find a template to fit your needs or just want something simple, or if you have unique circumstances and needs, you can create a budget from scratch with helpful Excel budget functions. For the purpose of this tutorial, we'll make a basic monthly budget.

Related: How to Create Expense and Income Spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel

Open a new workbook, select the sheet, and give your budget a title at the top of the sheet. Then, create sections for income and expenses labeled however you like.

Title and labels for a budget

If you have more than one source of income such as more than one earner, multiple jobs, or dividends from investments, you can list those separately in your income section.

Income in the budget

Then, list all of your expenses. Be sure to include all bills, loans, and miscellaneous expenses.

Expenses in the budget

Next, head back to the top and enter the months across the second row, starting in the second column. If you prefer a weekly budget, you can enter the week numbers or for a daily budget, enter the days of the week.

Months in the budget

You can enter the first two or three months, week numbers, or days and then use the fill handle to enter the rest.

You can then start adding the amounts for income and expenses starting with your current month. If you want to insert these amounts for previous time periods, that'll be helpful for an overall picture of the year.

To format the amounts as currency , select the cells containing the amounts. Then go to the Home tab and pick "Currency" in the Number drop-down box.

Format as currency in the budget

Because you want a clear picture of money coming in and going out, you should add totals to your income and expense sections. This will also let you easily see how much money you have remaining at the end of the month.

Go to the first cell below all income for the first month. Select the Sum button in the Editing section of the Home tab and pick "Sum" from the list. Confirm the cell range and press Enter or Return. Then, do the same for your expenses.

You can then copy both total formulas across the rows for the remaining months. Select the cell with the formula, use the fill handle to drag to the remaining columns, and release. Although some months display $0, you'll have the formulas ready to go when you add the amounts later.

Use Fill for the SUM formula

Next, you can include a money remaining section at the bottom as mentioned above. You can do this easily by subtracting the cell containing your total expenses from the one containing your total income.

Go to the bottom of the column for the first month, below expenses. Enter the subtraction formula for the two total cells. For instance, our income total is in cell B6, and expense total is in cell B19, so we'd use this formula:

Subtraction formula for remaining money

Press Enter or Return and you'll see your remaining money at the end of the month. Remember, you can use the fill feature to copy the formula to the rest of the months. Optionally, you can label this amount in the first column as well as the income and expense totals if you like.

Labels for totals and remaining money

Once you have this basic budget built, you can use Excel's formatting features to spruce up the sheet if you like. Here, we simply increased the font size for the title and added font colors and bold for income expenses, totals, and months. Visit the Font section of the Home tab for options like these.

Font formatted in the budget

If you want to create a more detailed budget, take a look at our list of Excel budget functions to see if any interest you. 

Here are just a few examples:

  • Use the COUNT function to count the number of expenses you have.
  • Use the MAX function to see your most costly expense.
  • Use the TODAY function to always see the current date when you open your sheet.

With these easy ways to create a budget in Excel, you can stay on top of your incoming and outgoing money. It's also a great option if you're a Money in Excel user and looking for a replacement for the vanishing service .

Related: 7 Essential Microsoft Excel Functions for Budgeting

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How to Create a Business Budget for Your Small Business

Hillary Crawford

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

A business budget estimates future revenue and expenses in detail, so that you can see whether you’re on track to meet financial expectations for the month, quarter or year. Think of your budget as a point of comparison — you run your actual numbers against it to determine if you’re over or under budget.

From there, you can make informed business decisions and pivot accordingly. For example, maybe you find that your expenses are over budget for the quarter, so you may hold off on a large equipment purchase.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for creating a business budget, along with why budgets are crucial to running a successful business.

» MORE: What is accounting? Definition and basics, explained

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online

How does a business budget work?

Budgeting uses past months’ numbers to help you make financially conservative projections for the future and wiser business decisions for the present. If you’ve had a few bad months and predict another slow one, you can prepare to minimize expenses where possible. If business has been booming and you’re bringing in new customers, maybe you invest in buying more inventory to satisfy increased demand.

Creating a business budget from scratch can feel tedious, but you might already have access to tools that can help simplify the process. Your small-business accounting software is a good place to start, since it houses your business’s financial data and may offer basic budgeting reports.

To create a budget in QuickBooks Online , for example, you break down your estimated income and expenses across each area of your business. Then, the software calculates figures like gross profit, net operating income and net income for you.

You can then compare actual versus projected figures side by side by running a Budget vs. Actuals report. Businesses that need more in-depth features, like cash flow forecasting or the ability to use different projection methods, might subscribe to business budgeting software in addition to accounting software.

If your small business doesn’t have access to these features or has simple financials, you can download free small-business budget templates to manually create and track your budget. Regardless of which option you choose, your business will likely benefit from hiring an accountant to help manage your budget, course-correct when the business gets off track, and make sure taxes are being paid correctly.

Why is a business budget important?

A business budget encourages you to look beyond next week and next month to next year, or even the next five years.

Creating a budget can help your business do the following:

Maximize efficiency. 

Establish a financial plan that helps your business reach its goals. 

Point out leftover funds that you can reinvest.

Predict slow months and keep you out of debt.

Estimate what it will take to become profitable.

Provide a window into the future so you can prepare accordingly.

Creating a business budget will make operating your business easier and more efficient. A business budget can also help ensure you’re spending money in the right places and at the right time to stay out of debt.

How to create a business budget in 6 steps

The longer you’ve been in business, the more data you’ll have to inform your forward-looking budget. If you run a startup, however, you’ll want to do extensive research into typical costs for businesses in your industry, so that you have working estimates for revenue and expenses.

From there, here’s how to put together your business budget:

1. Examine your revenue

One of the first steps in any budgeting exercise is to look at your existing business and find all of your revenue sources. Add all those income sources together to determine how much money comes into your business monthly. It’s important to do this for multiple months and preferably for at least the previous 12 months, provided you have that much data available.

Notice how your business’s monthly income changes over time and try to look for seasonal patterns. Your business might experience a slump after the holidays, for example, or during the summer months. Understanding these seasonal changes will help you prepare for the leaner months and give you time to build a financial cushion.

Then, you can use those historic numbers and trends to make revenue projections for future months. Make sure to calculate for revenue, not profit. Your revenue is the money generated by sales before expenses are deducted. Profit is what remains after expenses are deducted.

2. Subtract fixed costs

The second step for creating a business budget involves adding up all of your historic fixed costs and using them to reliably predict future ones. Fixed costs are those that stay the same no matter how much income your business is generating. They might occur daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, so make sure to get as much data as you can.

Examples of fixed costs within your business might include:

Debt repayment.

Employee salaries.

Depreciation of assets.

Property taxes.

Insurance .

Once you’ve identified your business’s fixed costs, you’ll subtract those from your income and move to the next step.

3. Subtract variable expenses

As you compile your fixed costs, you might notice other expenses that aren’t as consistent. Unlike fixed costs, variable expenses change alongside your business’s output or production. Look at how they’ve fluctuated over time in your business, and use that information to estimate future variable costs. These expenses get subtracted from your income, too.

Some examples of variable expenses are:

Hourly employee wages.

Owner’s salary (if it fluctuates with profit). 

Raw materials.

Utility costs that change depending on business activity.

During lean months, you’ll probably want to lower your business’s variable expenses. During profitable months when there’s extra income, however, you may increase your spending on variable expenses for the long-term benefit of your business.

4. Set aside a contingency fund for unexpected costs

When you’re creating a business budget, make sure you put aside extra cash and plan for contingencies.

Although you might be tempted to spend surplus income on variable expenses, it’s smart to establish an emergency fund instead, if possible. That way, you’ll be ready when equipment breaks down and needs replacing, or if you have to quickly replace inventory that's damaged unexpectedly.

5. Determine your profit

Add up all of your projected revenue and expenses for each month. Then, subtract expenses from revenue. You may also see the resulting number referred to as net income . If you end up with a positive number, you can expect to make a profit. If not, that’s a loss — and that can be OK, too. Small businesses aren’t necessarily profitable every month, let alone every year. This is especially true when your business is just starting out. Compare your projected profits to past profits to confirm whether they’re realistic.

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6. Finalize your business budget

Are the resulting profits enough to work with, or is your business overspending? This is your opportunity to set spending and earning goals for each month, quarter and year. These goals should be realistic and achievable. If they don’t line up with your projections, make sure to establish a strategy for making up the difference.

As time goes on, regularly compare your actual numbers to your budget to determine whether your business is meeting those goals, and course correct if necessary.

» MORE: Ways your small business can spend smarter

A business budget projects future revenue and expenses so you can create a smart, realistic spending plan. As the year progresses, comparing your actual numbers against your budget can help you hold your business accountable and make sure it reaches its financial goals.

A business budget includes projected revenue, fixed costs, variable costs and the resulting profits. You can also factor in contingency funds for unforeseen circumstances like equipment failure.

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How to Create a Basic Business Budget

8 Min Read | Feb 7, 2024

Ramsey

You’d never intentionally set your business up to fail, right? But if you don’t know your numbers and how to make a business budget, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Money problems and bad accounting are two reasons why many small businesses don’t make it past their first five years. 1

Talking about budgets can feel overwhelming. We get it. For a lot of business leaders, it’s a lot more comfortable dreaming up big ideas and getting stuff done than digging into numbers. But you can’t set yourself up for steady growth until you have a handle on the money flowing in and out of your company. You also can’t enjoy financial peace in your business.

Not a numbers person? That’s okay. Follow the simple steps below to learn how to create a budget for a business and manage your finances with confidence. We’ll even give you a link to an easy-to-use small-business budget template in the EntreLeader’s Guide to Business.

But before we get to that, let’s unpack what a budget is and why you need one.

Don't Let Your Numbers Intimidate You

With the EntreLeader’s Guide to Business Finances, you can grow your profits without debt—even if numbers aren’t your thing. Plus, get a free business budget template as part of the guide!

What Is a Business Budget?

A business budget is a plan for how you’ll use the money your business generates every month, quarter and year. It’s like looking through a windshield to see the expenses, revenue and profit coming down the road. Your business budget helps you decide what to do with business profit, when and where to cut 

spending and grow revenue, and how to invest for growth when the time comes. Leadership expert John Maxwell sums it up: “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.”

But here’s what a business budget is not: a profit and loss (P&L) report you read at the end of the month. Your P&L is like a rearview mirror—it lets you look backward at what’s already happened. Your P&L statement and budget are meant to work together so you can see your financial problems and opportunities and use those findings to forecast your future, set educated goals, and stay on track.

Why Do I Need to Budget for My Business?

Creating a budget should be your very first accounting task because your business won’t survive without it. Sound dramatic? Check this out: There are 33.2 million small businesses in the United States. Out of the small businesses that opened from 1994 to 2020, 67.7% survived at least two years. But less than half survived past five years. 2    The top reasons these businesses went under? They hit a wall with cash-flow problems, faced pricing and cost issues, and failed to plan strategically . 3

As a business owner, one of the worst feelings in the world is wondering whether you’ll be able to make payroll and keep your doors open. That’s why we can’t say it enough: Make a business budget to stay more in control and have more financial peace in running your business.

A budget won’t help you earn more money, but it will help you:

  • Maximize the money you’ve got
  • Manage your cash flow
  • Spend less than your business earns
  • Stay on top of tax payments and other bill
  • Know if you’re hitting your numbers so you can move at the true speed of cash

How to Create a Budget for a Business

Your ultimate goal is to create a 12–18-month business budget—and you will get there! But start by building out your first month. Don’t even worry about using a fancy accounting program yet. Good ol’ pen and paper or a simple computer document is fine. Just start! Plus, setting up a monthly budget could become a  keystone habit  that helps kick-start other smart business habits.

Here’s how to create your first budget for business:

1. Write down your revenue streams.

Your revenue is the money you earn in exchange for your products or services. You’ll start your small- business budget by listing all the ways you make money. Look at last month’s P&L—or even just your checking account statement—to help you account for all your revenue streams. You’re not filling in numbers yet. Just list what brings in revenue.

For example, if you run an HVAC business, your revenue streams could be:

  • Maintenance service calls
  • Repair services and sales
  • New unit installation
  • Insulation installation
  • Air duct cleaning

2. Write down the cost of goods sold (if you have them).

Cost of goods is also called inventory. These expenses are directly related to producing your product or service. In the HVAC example, your cost of goods would be the price you pay for each furnace and air conditioning unit you sell and install. It could also include the cost of thermostats, insulation and new ductwork.

3. List your expense categories.

It’s crazy how much money can slip through the cracks when we’re not careful about putting it in the budget. Think through  all  your business expenses—down to the last shoe cover your technicians wear to protect your customers’ flooring during house calls. Here’s a list of common business budget categories for expenses to get you started:

  • Office supplies and equipment
  • Technology services
  • Training and education

Related articles : Product Launch: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Launch a New Product New Product Launch: Your 10-Step Checklist

4. Fill in your own numbers.

Now that you have a solid list of revenue and expense categories, plug in your real (or projected) numbers associated with them. It’s okay if you’re not sure how much you’ll sell just yet or exactly how much you’ll spend. Make an educated guess if you’re just starting out. If your business has been earning money for a while, use past P&L statements to guide what you expect to bring in. Your first budget is about combining thoughtful guesswork with history and then getting a more realistic picture month over month.

5. Calculate your expected profit (or loss). 

Now, number nerds and number haters alike—buckle in. We’re about to do some basic accounting so you know whether you have a profit or loss. This is your chance to figure out exactly how much you’re spending and making in your business.

Take your  gross revenue (the total amount of money you expect to make this month) and subtract your expenses and  cost of goods sold  to find your profit or loss. Here’s what that calculation looks like:

Revenue - Expenses - Cost of Goods Sold = Profit or Loss

Don’t freak out if your first budget shows a loss. That actually happens a lot with your first few monthly budgets. You’re learning and getting context on what’s coming in and going out so you can make adjustments. Keep doing your budget, and before you know it, you’ll be a rock star at telling your money where to go, planning for emergencies and opportunities, and building momentum.

6. Review your budget often. 

Whew! Once you get that first business budget under your belt, take a deep breath and celebrate. You’ve just done something huge for your business! (You’ll also be happy to know, budgeting gets easier from here since you can copy and paste your first one and tweak your income and expenses each month.)

But here’s the thing: Your budget can’t just sit in a drawer or on your computer. You’ve got to look at it consistently to make sure you’re actually following it.

Weekly Review

At least once a week, someone in your business (whether it’s you, a qualified team member or a bookkeeper) needs to track your transactions so you know what’s happening with your money all month. Then you can make adjustments before you have more month than money.

Every time you review your budget, ask yourself these three questions:

  • Are we on target to hit our revenue goal this month?
  • If not, what we can change to get there?
  • Are there any expenses we can cut or minimize?

Monthly Review

You also need to review your business budget when you close your books every month to compare it to your actuals—your P&L. Otherwise, how can you know how you’re doing?

7. Work toward a 12–18-month budget.

Now that you’ve created your first month’s budget, move on to the next one. You’ve got this! The more budget-building reps you get in, the better you’ll be at looking forward and planning for growth. In no time, you’ll reach that ultimate goal of a 12–18-month budget. Just keep adjusting as you go based on all you’re learning about getting an accurate road map for your finances.

As you start owning your numbers, remember: It’s okay if you’re a little intimidated by the process of accounting and making a budget for business. But it’s not okay to avoid the financial details that will make or break you. So just keep applying the basics we covered and keep moving forward.

Follow the steps above to create your budget, and review it often to stay on track.

Want a tool to make budget building simpler? Check out the EntreLeader’s Guide to Business Finances. It includes an easy-to-use small-business budget template in the extra resources section.

What are the benefits of budgeting?

A business budget will help you:

  • Make informed, strategic decisions
  • Invest in under-resourced areas
  • Trim over-resourced areas
  • Plan for the future
  • Set goals and track your progress

Does using a small-business budget template save time?

Yes! Using a small-business budget template helps you plug in the numbers you need to operate with more confidence and fewer wrong turns. Check out the small-business-budget template inside our EntreLeader’s Guide to Business Finances .

How do I budget if I own a seasonal business?

Just like farmers put extra hay in the barn to cover leaner months, if you’re a seasonal business owner, you need to set aside resources in times of plenty to cover months your business turns down. Use your P&L statements to go back in time and look at financial performance year over year. Then, create your business budget based on what you learn and on any changes you see coming. You can also go to trade conferences to get an idea of your industry’s seasonal benchmarks.

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Ramsey Solutions

About the author

Ramsey Solutions has been committed to helping people regain control of their money, build wealth, grow their leadership skills, and enhance their lives through personal development since 1992. Millions of people have used our financial advice through 22 books (including 12 national bestsellers) published by Ramsey Press, as well as two syndicated radio shows and 10 podcasts, which have over 17 million weekly listeners. Learn More.

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7 free small business budget templates for future-proofing your finances

Hero image with an icon representing a budget

As a small business owner, you're likely balling with a lot more than your personal checking account. If you don't properly manage your business finances, there's more on the line than an overdraft fee—you now have an entire organization to account for.

Small business budgets are necessary to balance revenue, estimate how much you'll spend, and project financial forecasts, so you can stay out of the red and keep your business afloat.

But creating a small business budget template isn't a small task. Since I don't have a business to run, I did the heavy lifting for you—check out these free, downloadable templates for your small business budgeting.

Table of contents:

2. Overhead budget template

3. multiple-project budget template.

4. Startup budget template 

5. Labor budget template

6. cash flow budget template, 7. administrative budget template, periodic budget reviews, how to design your small business budget plan, small business budget faq, 1. static budget template.

Best for: Multiple departments or revenue streams; Industries with complex operations

A static budget combines all the function-specific budgets a business uses into one. Typically, a static budget includes the following items (plus any other budgets your business might use):

Cash flow projections: Estimations of how much money will flow into and out of your business. They also help you decide when, how, and what you should spend money on.

Total expected spending: All estimated expenses, including labor and administrative costs. 

By integrating all of your budgets and projections, the static budget provides a full picture of your business's estimated expenses and financial strategy for the upcoming fiscal year. 

Screenshot of a static budget template.

Best for: Service-based businesses

It's easy to forget about expenses that aren't directly tied to production, like delivery charges or utilities. But these costs exist (and can add up quickly), so you need an overhead budget. A detailed overhead budget template will include:

Administration expenses

It compares your budgeted amount to actual figures (warning: it may be a rude awakening) and can help improve accuracy for future financial planning. 

Predicting overhead spending helps you plan how to use other funds more practically too—if you know how much you'll spend on overhead, you can make better business decisions. For example, you'd know whether you can afford to invest money into other initiatives like adding a delivery service or upgrading equipment.

Screenshot of overhead budget template.

Best for: Project-based industries

If you're managing multiple projects like website development or event planning, each with its own budget and expenses, you need a multiple-project budget to help keep your head on straight. This type of budget will help you track the following items per project:

Product-by-product COGS (cost of goods sold)

Labor costs

Equipment and resource costs

Indirect project expenses like travel

A multiple-projects budget establishes estimates for everything you need to get projects across the finish line. It also lets you track costs to ensure you're not spending more than you accounted for in the budget.

Screenshot of a multiple-project budget template.

4. Startup budget template

Best for: New small businesses and startups

Startups need to ensure financial success from the get-go, so they can reinvest profit into the business and potentially attract more investors. 

But unlike established small businesses, you don't have past financial data to base expenses on. That's why you need a startup budget to focus on expenses for your first year of business, including items like:

Funding from investors and loans

Licensing and permits

Logo and website design

Website domain

Business software

Security installation 

Overhead expenses

Capital expenses

Screenshot of a startup budget template.

Best for: Larger businesses with lots of employees

Unless you're a one-person show, you'll need a labor budget. And even if you are a one-person show, it's good to know if you can afford to pay yourself. A labor budget breaks down all employee-related costs like: 

Payroll taxes

Contract labor

Screenshot of a labor budget template.

Break down employee costs into direct, indirect, fixed, and variable categories to clarify how your company allocates its resources. You can also consider different scenarios more easily when you understand the breakdown of labor costs.

For example, you can simulate the impact of adding or reducing staff in specific departments or assess the effects of different compensation structures on different teams.

An accurate forecast of labor costs ensures you can sustainably meet your staffing needs and can help you make informed hiring decisions. Down the road, it can also help you determine if you can afford to give your staff raises, bonuses, or additional benefits.

Best for: Businesses with fluctuating income and expenses; Seasonal businesses; Retail

As important as it is to be mindful of how much money you're spending, you should also track how much money you're making . A cash flow budget helps estimate how money is flowing in and out of your business. It includes:

Starting balance (set at the beginning of the month, quarter, or year)

Projected cash inflow from all revenue streams

Estimated cash expenditures

Ending balance (calculated at the end of the month, quarter, or year)

This type of budget lets you proactively manage your resources, anticipate potential cash shortages, and strategize for growth. For instance, if you know you're only going to break even this year, you may wait on expanding or making a large investment. 

Screenshot of a cash flow budget template.

Best for: Businesses focused on streamlining operations

An administrative budget includes all those general expenses that the company as a whole needs to function. This type of budget accounts for: 

Depreciation expenses

Training and development

Communication expenses

Accounting fees

While you could technically include administrative expenses in an overhead budget and call it a day, a separate administrative budget gives more of an eagle-eye view of how well your business is operating. 

Without an eye on administrative costs, you may be spending unnecessarily or lose focus on areas where it'd be wiser to invest your money. In other words, you could be spending way too much on fancy pens when you should be saving up to upgrade your cash register. 

Screenshot of an administrative budget template.

A budget isn't a "set it and forget it" deal. Regular budget reviews can help you stay on track with your financial goals and respond proactively to changing market conditions. 

You should compare your estimated budget to actual spending. Then you can see where you went over and where you can splurge more. Try to review your budget monthly, quarterly, and yearly.

Monthly: Compare actual performance against your budgeted figures for the month. Identify any deviations and look for insights into cash flow, sales trends, and expense management.

Quarterly: Dive deeper into performance over the last three months. Use trends to project revenue and expenses for the upcoming quarter and identify areas for improvement.

Yearly: Reflect on your long-term financial objectives for the fiscal year. Assess the effectiveness of your budgeting strategies, and set new budget targets for the upcoming year. 

It's cliched but true: you gotta spend money to make money. But that's no excuse to start throwing cash at your business willy-nilly.

Budgeting forces you to prioritize your objectives, so you spend money on the things that matter most. Here's how to create a small business budget in four steps:

Identify your working capital for the budgeting period. Add up your current assets like cash, accounts receivable, and inventory. Then subtract current liabilities like accounts payable and short-term debt. The remaining amount is what you have left to cover your operational expenses during the budgeting period.

Separate business and personal expenses. If you haven't already, open a dedicated business bank account. This makes it easier to track, categorize, and analyze your finances.

Determine your fixed and variable costs. Make a list of costs that stay the same every month (fixed costs) and what changes (variable costs). These will change based on the purpose of the budget. For instance, a labor budget will only consider employee-related costs.

Calculate your total expenses. Add up all the costs for your business, including fixed costs, variable costs, labor, and any other applicable expenses. This total is how much your business needs to run. Any leftover money from your working capital can be allocated toward other business investments. 

Budgeting methods

If you've budgeted before and hated it, you may just have been using an ineffective budgeting method for your preferences. Here are a few budgeting methods to try instead: 

Traditional: This budget is set for a determined amount of time and uses last year's numbers as a benchmark. Once you set your budget, you don't change it unless you get approval for an adjustment.

Rolling: This dynamic approach spans a continuous time frame instead of a fixed time period. As each month or quarter passes, you add a new budget period and drop the oldest period. This lets businesses adjust projections based on real-time performance and market conditions.

Flexible: This budget changes along with your sales forecast. As real-time sales activity deviates from budgeted amounts, you recalculate the budget to reflect the new data. 

Still don't know where to start with your small business budget? Check out the answers to these common questions before you open a new Google Sheet.

What should a business budget include?

A business budget should include all income sources and expenses. Income sources could include projected revenue from sales, loans, or potential investor funding. Expenses may include items like office space rent, employee salaries, insurance, and marketing. Add anything that helps paint a full picture of your finances.

How much does the average small business startup cost?

The average small business startup costs $40,000 in its first year of business. But this will absolutely vary depending on your type of business, unique expenses, and cash income. For instance, there are multiple types of businesses you can start with $10,000 or less.

What is the best free business budgeting software?

The best free budgeting business software will depend on what your business needs, but you can try apps like Mint or Wave. Or you can use a spreadsheet—scroll up for some free small business budget templates.

Automate your small business

Knowing when or where to invest money into your business is just one of the many tasks you have on your plate as a small business owner. Learn how automation for small businesses can help take some of those recurring tasks off your hands, so you can focus on growing your business. 

Related reading:

The best free small business software

The best CRMs for small businesses

How to create effective document templates

21 free Google Sheets templates to boost productivity

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Cecilia Gillen

Cecilia is a content marketer with a degree in Media and Journalism from the University of South Dakota. After graduating, Cecilia moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she enjoys reading (almost as much as book buying), decor hunting at garage sales, and spending time with her two cats.

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Using Excel for business budgeting: pros, cons, and when to automate

Using Excel for business budgeting: pros, cons, and when to automate

As the founder of a growing business, you know how important it is to explore money management tips and create healthy habits early on — including establishing a budget. For many, Excel becomes the go-to tool when taking those initial steps into budgeting, offering a familiar and accessible platform to understand their finances. 

However, the financial management journey inevitably reaches a crossroads: should you continue down the path of manual data input or pivot toward the utopia of automated budgeting software? 

In this article, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of using Excel for budgeting and help you pinpoint the signs you might need to upgrade to an automated system. 

What is budgeting?

Budgeting is the process of creating a plan to manage your money. By having a budget, you can make sure you don’t spend too much, can afford your expenditures (such as operational costs, payroll, and inventory), and can save for future goals or emergencies.

How to create a budget spreadsheet in Excel

Have you ever found yourself staring into the seemingly infinite cells of an Excel spreadsheet, sipping your third coffee, and wondering if there’s a less brain-buzzing way to pull together your finances? We’ve been there. 

Let’s break down the process of using Excel to budget so you can save yourself some time (and a headache) when you need to bust out the spreadsheets. 

How to build a budget in Excel using templates

If you’re just dipping your toes into the exciting world of business budgeting, using an expense report template can be a great place to start. Excel provides a variety of templates designed to cater to diverse business needs, simplifying setup and offering a structured format that can easily be tailored to your financial planning.

Here’s how you can use a template to create a budget in Excel:

Open Excel and navigate to the “File” tab.

Select “New” and browse through the available templates (or you can use other free templates — they don’t have to be Excel’s).

Search for “Budget” and explore the options available, choosing one that resonates with your business needs.

Click on the chosen template and select “Create.”

Begin inputting your financial data into the predefined fields.

Adjust categories and values as per your business specifics.

Review and save your budget!

How to build a budget in Excel manually 

Creating a budget from scratch might sound tricky, but the extra effort is worth it to some. Manually making a budget in Excel gives you the freedom to build a budget that's completely customized for your business.

Let’s walk through how to do this: 

Open Excel and start with a blank worksheet.

Title your worksheet and create headers for various financial categories (such as date, expenses, cost, income, balance, and notes).

Under each header, list the relevant subcategories (like “salaries” under “expenses”).

Insert your financial figures corresponding to each subcategory.

Calculate the balance by entering the formula “= income - cost” in the formula tab just above the spreadsheet, or choose the field in which you want the balance to display and input the formula into that field. 

Use visual aids, like graphs or charts, to represent data visually for easier analysis.

Be sure to regularly update and review your budget so you can adjust values and categories to reflect the evolving nature of your business.

Pros and cons of using Excel for business budgeting

There are plenty of reasons to use Excel for business budgeting, but there are disadvantages to Excel , too. 

Excel has historically been a solid starting point for small businesses embarking on their budgeting journey. First-time budgeters often gravitate towards it because:

It’s flexible: Excel allows you to create a budget that fits your specific needs.

It’s familiar: Many people have used Excel at some point in their lives, making it a comfortable place to start for those not ready to venture into new territory.

It’s accessible: Almost everyone knows how to use Excel to some degree, and Excel files can be shared, accessed, and edited on various devices.

It’s (relatively) cost-effective: Excel tends to be affordable and is already available as part of the Microsoft Office suite — although the time it takes to build, adjust, and implement a budget manually leads to increased operational costs.

However, as businesses grow and financial operations become more complex, the limitations of Excel begin to surface, sometimes nudging businesses to explore alternative budgeting solutions. A few noteworthy limitations to Excel include:

Manual errors: Manually inputting data can lead to errors that are hard to fix and can sometimes lead to larger issues down the line. 

Inefficiency: Building budgets and updating data in Excel can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, eating up valuable employee time that could be better spent elsewhere. 

Scalability issues: As your business grows, manually building and managing your budget in Excel might not be feasible. 

Lack of real-time updates: Financial data in Excel isn’t automatically updated, which can lead to decision-making based on outdated information.

Signs it’s time to automate 

If you’re noticing a bit of a struggle to keep your budgets in check, pivoting to an automated process could be your next strategic move. Here are some key signs that might indicate it's time to embrace the efficiencies of automation.

Your business is growing 

As your business grows, so do your fiscal responsibilities — and a few humans with an Excel spreadsheet can only do so much to keep everything in check. If you’ve found that your business growth has outpaced your ability to keep up with your budget, it’s probably time to automate. 

Using a tool like Expensify, which is designed to scale with your business, helps streamline budget management by automating your expense reports and ensuring consistency in data. This, in turn, helps your business grow even more. 

You’re missing real-time data

You know what they say — time is money. Having access to real-time data is the key to making informed, timely decisions, and relying on manual data entry can result in outdated information and delayed decision-making. 

Expensify offers real-time insights at your fingertips, enabling you to make decisions based on the current financial status of your business so you can confidently steer it in the right direction. 

Manual errors are holding you back

Manual data entry is always risky. A slip of the finger, a misplaced decimal, or a misentered digit in Excel can cascade into significant miscalculations, affecting your financial data’s accuracy and reliability. 

If you notice that your spreadsheets are prone to error, it might be time to upgrade to an automated system. With Expensify, you minimize opportunities for human error and enhance the accuracy and reliability of your business’s expense management process, making miscalculations a thing of the past.

Reconciliations are eating up valuable time

When manual reconciliations start consuming a chunk of your productive hours, it's a red flag. Laboriously matching transactions and chasing discrepancies in Excel can be significantly optimized with automated platforms like Expensify. 

Expensify auto-matches receipts and expenses, saving you from the tedious task of manual reconciliations and freeing up your time for more important tasks (or even a much-deserved long lunch). 

Common questions about using Excel for business budgeting

There are a lot of questions that can come up when considering your options for business budgeting. Our FAQs below will help you answer some of them. 

What is the easiest way to keep track of a budget?

The easiest way to keep track of a budget is to use automated expense management platforms like Expensify. This is primarily because Expensify alleviates the manual labor of data entry, categorization, and report generation, which are often prone to human error. 

Plus, Expensify captures, processes, and archives expense data in real time so your budget always reflects the most up-to-date information. This not only saves time but also ensures that you're working with accurate and reliable data — keeping your budget in great shape, 24/7. 

Is Excel good for bookkeeping?

Excel can be good for bookkeeping and accounting depending on the needs of your business. 

While Excel is flexible and familiar to many, it may not be the optimal choice, especially as your business grows. The manual input and management of financial data in Excel can become exhausting, and this can lead to costly mistakes. 

On the other hand, a platform like Expensify is specifically designed for expense management and bookkeeping, ensuring streamlined, accurate, and efficient handling of all your financial data. With features like automatic expense tracking, integrated accounting software , and real-time data availability, Expensify is the better choice for a growing business. 

How does automation improve budget accuracy?

Automation improves budget accuracy by minimizing the risk of human error, which can include data entry mistakes or miscalculations, and by providing real-time financial data that enables more informed decision-making. 

Skip the errors and save time with Expensify

Excel is a great place to start — but as a growing business with goals to reach, it shouldn’t be your final stop. 

Expensify empowers you to ditch the spreadsheets and embrace automation, propelling your business toward your fiscal goals with newfound zeal and precision. So, what are you waiting for? Drop your info below and automate your budget today.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

Joanie Wang

Joanie is the Director of Marketing and Brand at Expensify, and possibly the only Bahhston native who doesn't run on Dunkin’. She is "outside-y," enjoys food-based travel, and loves John Mayer maybe a little too much.

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How to make a budget in Excel

november 15, 2023

A woman with brown hair smiling at the camera, wearing a purple top against a green background.

by Farizat Tabora

Keeping up with your expenses doesn't have to be a tedious task. My favorite hack is using a free Microsoft Excel personal budget template, and I'll show you step-by-step how to customize a budget template to make tracking your income and expenses a whole lot easier.

Step 1: Download the Excel budget template

The first thing you need to do is to download the budget template. I like this free personal budget template from Microsoft Excel. You can find this one and a myriad of other free budget templates on Microsoft Create. Now, let me show you how to enter your income and expenses into the budget template.

Step 2: Enter your income in your budget template

To enter your income, go to the "Income" sheet. Here, you'll see a table with several categories, such as "Salary," "Freelance Income," and so on. Simply enter the appropriate amount for each category, and add any new income sources you may have below. For example, let's say you have a freelance project that earned you $500: you can add it to the appropriate category or create a new one.

Step 3: Enter your expenses in your budget template

To enter your expenses in your Excel budgeting template, go to the "Expenses" sheet. Here, you'll see a table with categories such as "Rent/Mortgage," "Utilities," "Food," and so on. Again, just enter the appropriate amount for each category and add new expenses as needed. For example, let's say your daycare expenses are $800. You can enter it right below here.

Step 4: Add extra columns to your budget template

Let's add a budget column so that we can compare our actual expenses to our budget. Let’s name column D "Budget" and enter your budget amounts for each category. Once you've added the budget column, you can calculate the difference between your actual expenses and your budget. To do this, let’s name column C "Difference." Then, subtract the amount you spent from the budgeted amount and autofill it down. Using this Excel budgeting template will give you a clear idea of how much you overspent or underspent in each category.

Viewing your Excel budget template

To make it even easier to see your Excel budget, you can use conditional formatting to highlight the cells with positive or negative differences. Select the cells in column C and go to the Conditional Formatting menu. Choose Icon Sets , and then select the icon set that you like best. The icons will change based on the values in the cells. This will help you identify which expenses were higher or lower than planned.

To view the summary sheet in your budget template, just click on the "Summary" tab. Here you'll see a breakdown of your total income, total expenses, and total savings for the month. The donut chart shows you the percentage of income spent. This information can help you make better financial decisions and stay on track with your budgeting goals.

That's it! Now you know how to use my favorite Excel template for budgeting - take charge of your finances today.

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Excel Tutorial: How To Create A Budget Plan In Excel

Introduction.

Creating a budget plan in Excel is an essential skill for keeping your finances in check. Whether you're managing your personal expenses or overseeing a business budget, having a well-organized plan can help you make informed financial decisions and stay on track towards your financial goals. Excel provides a powerful platform for budget planning, offering flexibility, customization, and powerful calculation capabilities that can streamline the process and provide valuable insights into your spending habits.

Key Takeaways

  • Creating a budget plan in Excel is important for financial management
  • Excel offers flexibility, customization, and powerful calculation capabilities for budget planning
  • Understanding the basics of Excel, including functions and key terms, is crucial for effective budget planning
  • Using formulas and functions in Excel can automate budget calculations and streamline the process
  • Visualizing budget data through charts and graphs can provide valuable insights into spending habits

Understanding the basics of Excel

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for creating and managing budgets, as well as analyzing financial data. Before we dive into creating a budget plan in Excel, it's important to understand the basics of the software.

Excel has a user-friendly interface that consists of rows and columns, which form cells where data can be entered and manipulated. The toolbar provides access to various functions and tools, such as formatting options, mathematical functions, and data analysis tools.

Cells: Cells are the basic building blocks of an Excel spreadsheet. They can contain text, numbers, formulas, or functions.

Formulas: Formulas are used to perform calculations in Excel. They start with an equal sign (=) and can include mathematical operations, cell references, and functions.

Formatting: Excel offers various formatting options to customize the appearance of data, including font style, color, borders, and alignment.

Setting up the budget spreadsheet

Creating a budget plan in Excel can help you keep track of your finances and manage your expenses effectively. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of setting up a budget spreadsheet in Excel.

1. Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer and create a new workbook.

2. Set up the worksheet: Rename the default Sheet 1 to "Budget Plan" by double-clicking on the tab at the bottom of the workbook and typing the new name.

3. Format the cells: Select the entire worksheet by clicking on the button between the A and 1 labels and adjust the column width and row height to your preference.

1. Create headers: In cell A1, type "Category" and in cell B1, type "Budgeted Amount." In cell C1, type "Actual Amount" and in cell D1, type "Difference."

2. List budget categories: In column A, starting from cell A2, list the categories for your budget plan such as "Housing," "Utilities," "Transportation," "Food," "Entertainment," "Savings," and "Miscellaneous."

3. Enter budgeted amounts: In column B, starting from cell B2, input the budgeted amounts for each category based on your financial plan.

4. Record actual expenses: In column C, starting from cell C2, input the actual amounts you spend for each category as and when the transactions occur.

5. Calculate the difference: In column D, starting from cell D2, use the formula "=B2-C2" to calculate the difference between the budgeted amount and the actual amount for each category.

By following these steps, you can set up a budget spreadsheet in Excel to effectively manage your finances and track your expenses on a regular basis.

Entering the budget data

When creating a budget plan in Excel, it is important to accurately input the budget numbers in the spreadsheet. This will serve as the foundation for your entire budgeting process.

A. How to input the budget numbers in the spreadsheet

  • Open a new Excel workbook and create a new worksheet for your budget plan.
  • Label your columns with specific categories such as income, expenses, and savings.
  • Input your budget numbers in the respective cells, making sure to accurately represent your income and expenses.
  • Use formulas to calculate total income, total expenses, and the difference between the two to determine your savings or deficits.

B. Tips for organizing and categorizing expenses for easy reference

  • Group similar expenses together to create a clear and organized budget plan.
  • Use sub-categories to further breakdown expenses, such as grouping all housing expenses together or breaking them down into rent, mortgage, utilities, etc.
  • Consider using color-coding or formatting to visually distinguish between different expense categories for easy reference.
  • Regularly update and review your budget plan to ensure accuracy and make any necessary adjustments.

Using formulas and functions

Creating a budget plan in Excel involves using various formulas and functions to automate calculations and ensure accurate financial management. Let’s explore how to utilize basic arithmetic functions and other Excel functions to streamline the budgeting process.

A. Exploring basic arithmetic functions for budget calculations

  • Addition: Use the SUM function to add up expenses, income, or any other numerical values in your budget plan.
  • Subtraction: Utilize the minus (-) operator to subtract expenses from income or to calculate the difference between budgeted and actual figures.
  • Multiplication and Division: These functions can be used to calculate percentages for budget allocation or to determine growth rates for financial projections.

B. Utilizing SUM, AVERAGE, and other functions to automate calculations

  • SUM: This function not only adds up individual values but can also be used to sum a range of cells, making it ideal for totaling up budget categories.
  • AVERAGE: Use this function to calculate the average of a set of values, which can be helpful for determining monthly spending patterns or income trends.
  • IF: By using the IF function, you can set conditions for budget-related calculations, such as determining whether actual expenses exceed the budgeted amount.
  • VLOOKUP: This function allows you to retrieve specific data from a table, making it useful for referencing budget information or categorizing expenses.

Visualizing the budget plan

When it comes to creating a budget plan in Excel, it’s essential to not only input the data but also to visualize it in a way that’s easy to understand and interpret. Visualizing the budget plan can help in identifying trends, patterns, and areas that require attention.

One of the most effective ways to visualize budget data is by creating charts and graphs. Excel offers a wide range of chart options to choose from, including pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and more. These charts can be used to represent different aspects of the budget plan, such as income, expenses, savings, and investments.

  • Bar graphs: Use bar graphs to compare different categories of expenses or income over a specific period of time.
  • Pie charts: Pie charts are useful for showing the proportion of each expense category in relation to the total budget.
  • Line graphs: Line graphs can be used to visualize the changes in income and expenses over time.

It’s important to customize the visual elements of the budget plan for better presentation and to make it more visually appealing. Excel allows users to customize the charts and graphs in various ways, such as changing the color scheme, adding titles and labels, and adjusting the layout.

Customization options include:

  • Color scheme: Choose a color scheme that is visually pleasing and easy to interpret.
  • Titles and labels: Add descriptive titles and labels to the charts and graphs to make them easier to understand.
  • Layout: Adjust the layout of the charts and graphs to make them fit seamlessly into the budget plan presentation.

Excel is an invaluable tool for creating and managing budget plans. Its user-friendly interface, powerful calculation capabilities, and customizable features make it an ideal choice for individuals and businesses alike. By utilizing Excel, you can easily track expenses, analyze data, and make informed financial decisions. As you continue to practice and explore advanced features, you'll find that Excel can truly revolutionize the way you manage your budget.

  • Recap of the benefits of using Excel for budget planning: Excel offers a user-friendly interface, powerful calculation capabilities, and customizable features for effective budget planning and management.
  • Encouragement to practice and explore advanced features for better budget management: By continuing to practice and explore advanced features in Excel, individuals and businesses can enhance their budget planning and management skills.

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14 Best Excel Templates for Business in 2024 (Free & Premium)

  • Last updated October 5, 2023

Let’s talk about Excel templates. These pre-made spreadsheets help you improve productivity quickly. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of Excel templates, equipping you with the knowledge and tools to streamline your tasks, boost productivity, and make informed decisions.

From understanding what Excel spreadsheet templates are to exploring specialized templates for various industries, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a seasoned Excel user or just starting, our friendly yet professional approach will simplify complex concepts and empower you to harness the full power of Excel templates.

What Are Excel Templates?

We provide a host of spreadsheet templates for our readers. And Excel templates are no exception. These pre-designed spreadsheets created to simplify various tasks and processes. They serve as starting points, offering predefined structures, formulas, and formatting. These templates are designed to save you time and effort by eliminating the need to build spreadsheets from scratch.

Key Features of Excel Spreadsheet Templates

  • Structured Layout: Templates come with organized rows and columns tailored to the specific task or use case. For instance, a budget template might include categories for income, expenses, and savings.
  • Predefined Formulas and Functions: Excel spreadsheet templates often include formulas and functions that perform calculations automatically. For example, a mortgage calculator template may already have formulas for calculating monthly payments and interest.
  • Formatting and Styling: Templates feature consistent design, including fonts, colors, and cell borders. This makes your data visually appealing and easy to read.
  • Placeholder Data: Templates often contain placeholder data or instructions to guide you in entering your information. These placeholders help you understand how to use the template effectively.
  • Customizability: While templates provide a structured framework, they are highly customizable. You can modify them to suit your specific needs by adding or removing columns, changing labels, or adjusting formulas.

Common Uses of Excel Templates

  • Budgeting: Excel templates for budgeting help individuals and businesses manage their finances effectively by tracking income and expenses, projecting future financial goals, and analyzing spending patterns.
  • Project Management: Project management templates assist in planning, tracking, and managing projects. They often include Gantt charts, task lists, and progress trackers.
  • Data Analysis: Excel offers templates for data analysis, such as pivot tables, allowing you to quickly summarize and analyze large datasets.
  • Accounting: Accounting templates help businesses maintain accurate financial records, including ledgers, income statements, and balance sheets.
  • Inventory Management: Inventory templates help businesses track stock levels, monitor product sales, and manage inventory turnover.

Types of Excel Templates

Excel spreadsheet templates come in various categories, each designed to address specific needs and tasks. Here are some of the most common types of Excel templates:

Financial Excel Templates

Financial templates are geared towards managing finances, budgeting, and financial analysis. You can make your own cash flow template , or use one that’s already made. Common financial spreadsheets include:

  • Budget Templates: These templates help individuals and businesses create and manage budgets, ensuring that income and expenses are balanced. Check out our top budget templates for Google Sheets .
  • Financial Models: Financial modeling templates are used for forecasting financial performance, especially in business planning and investment analysis.
  • Income Statements: Templates for income statements track revenues and expenses to determine profitability.
  • Balance Sheets: These templates provide a snapshot of a company’s financial position by displaying assets, liabilities, and equity.

Project Management Excel Templates

Project management templates are essential for planning, executing, and monitoring projects. For example, we covered our favorite project status report templates . Other common templates include:

  • Gantt Charts: Gantt chart templates visually represent project schedules, showing tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
  • Project Timelines: These templates offer a simplified view of project milestones and deadlines.
  • Task Tracking Templates: Task tracking templates help teams assign, track, and manage tasks to keep projects on schedule.

Data Analysis Excel Templates

Data analysis templates are invaluable for individuals and businesses working with data. Key templates include:

  • Pivot Tables: Pivot table templates simplify data summarization and analysis, allowing users to create interactive reports.
  • Data Visualization Templates: Templates for charts and graphs help transform raw data into visual representations for easier understanding.
  • Statistical Analysis Templates: Statistical analysis templates include tools for performing statistical tests and calculations.

Personal and Business Excel Templates

Personal and business templates cover a wide range of tasks. We have an article that covers payment receipt templates . Other common personal and business spreadsheets include:

  • To-Do List Templates: These templates help you stay organized by listing tasks and priorities.
  • Invoice Templates: Invoice templates streamline the invoicing process for businesses, including itemized lists and payment tracking.
  • Business Plan Templates: Business plan templates provide structured frameworks for creating comprehensive business plans, helping startups and established companies alike.

Whether you’re managing finances, overseeing a project, analyzing data, or organizing personal tasks, Excel templates offer a time-saving solution to enhance your productivity.

Top 14 Excel Templates for Business

Now, let’s delve into the top Excel templates that can significantly boost your productivity across various domains. We’ll explore each template, highlighting its key features and benefits.

Financial Management Excel Templates

1. financial model.

The Financial Model Excel template is a versatile tool designed to help businesses of all sizes and types manage their finances effectively. Whether you’re a business, a startup , or operating in specific niches like SaaS , E-Commerce , or Marketplace , this template offers comprehensive financial projections, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. It’s essential for budgeting, forecasting, and making informed financial decisions.

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  • Accurate Projections: Generate precise financial projections for different business scenarios, aiding in strategic planning.
  • Scenario Analysis: Easily assess the impact of various decisions on your financial health by running multiple scenarios.
  • Investor-Ready: Impress investors and stakeholders with professional financial reports and insights.
  • Data Visualization: Utilize charts and graphs to visualize financial trends and make data-driven decisions.

Price: $74-139 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

2. Profit and Loss Statement

The Profit and Loss Statement Excel template is tailored to specific business models, including startups , marketplaces , SaaS , and E-Commerce ventures. It helps you track your revenues, costs, and expenses to calculate your net profit or loss accurately. With clear and customizable categories, you can gain a deep understanding of your business’s financial performance.

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  • Business-Specific Tracking: Choose a template that aligns with your business model for precise financial insights.
  • Expense Categorization: Easily categorize expenses for better cost management and identification of cost-saving opportunities.
  • Year-over-Year Comparison: Track your financial performance over time to identify growth trends or areas that need improvement.
  • Tax Preparation: Simplify tax preparation by neatly organizing your income and expenses.

Price: $74 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

3. Revenue Forecasting Tool

The Revenue Forecasting Tool Excel template is indispensable for businesses focused on revenue growth. With different versions tailored to Marketplace , SaaS , E-Commerce , and Agency models, it enables you to project your future revenues based on historical data, market trends, and growth strategies. This tool empowers you to set realistic revenue targets and make informed decisions to achieve them.

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  • Data-Driven Projections: Utilize historical data and market insights to generate accurate revenue forecasts.
  • Goal Setting: Set achievable revenue targets and track progress towards your financial goals.
  • Scenario Planning: Assess how changes in pricing, marketing, or sales strategies impact revenue.
  • Informed Decision-Making: Make strategic decisions backed by comprehensive revenue projections.

Price: $46 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

Budgeting and Tracking Excel Templates

4. zero-based budget template.

Zero-based budgeting is a meticulous approach to budgeting where you allocate every dollar of your income to expenses, savings, or investments. The Zero-Based Budget Excel template simplifies the zero-based budgeting process, ensuring that your budget accurately reflects your financial priorities and goals.

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  • Financial Clarity: Gain a clear understanding of where your money goes and prioritize spending according to your goals.
  • Savings and Investments: Systematically allocate funds for savings, investments, and debt reduction.
  • Expense Tracking: Monitor daily expenses to identify areas for potential savings.
  • Emergency Fund Planning: Create a buffer for unexpected costs by including an emergency fund category.

Price: $4.99

5. Inventory and Sales Tracking Template

Managing inventory and tracking sales is crucial for businesses, especially those in retail or e-commerce. The Inventory and Sales Tracking Excel template streamlines inventory management, allowing you to efficiently track stock levels, sales, and product performance.

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  • Real-Time Inventory: Monitor inventory levels in real-time, ensuring you never run out of stock or overstock products.
  • Sales Analysis: Analyze sales data to identify top-performing products and optimize your product offerings.
  • Cost Control: Keep tabs on inventory costs and prevent financial losses due to mismanagement.
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: Use sales insights to make informed decisions about restocking, promotions, and pricing strategies.

Price: $19.99

6. Capital Expenditure Planning Template

Capital expenditures (CapEx) are essential for businesses looking to grow and invest in assets like equipment, technology, or infrastructure. This free CapEx Excel template simplifies the planning and tracking of capital expenditures, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • Streamlined Planning: Plan and prioritize capital expenditures in a structured manner.
  • Budget Control: Stay within budget by tracking expenses against planned allocations.
  • ROI Assessment: Evaluate each capital expenditure’s return on investment (ROI) to make informed decisions.
  • Asset Management: Keep a comprehensive record of your business’s assets and their depreciation.

Price: Free!

Investment and Financial Analysis Excel Templates

7. simple investment template.

The Simple Investment Excel template is perfect for individuals or businesses looking to analyze potential investments. It assists in evaluating the financial feasibility of investments, calculating returns, and making informed investment decisions.

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  • Investment Evaluation: Assess the attractiveness of various investment opportunities.
  • Risk Analysis: Consider the risks associated with each investment and their impact on returns.
  • Return Calculations: Calculate potential returns, including net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR).
  • Decision Support: Make well-informed investment choices based on financial analysis.

8. Mortgage Calculator with Amortization Table

Mortgages are a significant financial commitment. This Mortgage Calculator Excel template simplifies mortgage calculations, helping individuals and homeowners understand their loan terms, amortization schedules, and total interest payments.

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  • Loan Clarity: Understand your mortgage terms, including interest rates, monthly payments, and loan duration.
  • Amortization Schedule: View the full amortization schedule, tracking principal and interest payments over time.
  • Interest Savings: Explore strategies for paying off your mortgage early to reduce interest costs.
  • Financial Planning: Incorporate mortgage payments into your long-term financial planning.

9. CLV vs. CAC Analysis Template

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) are critical business metrics. The CLV vs. CAC Analysis Excel template simplifies the calculation and analysis of CLV and CAC, aiding in strategic marketing and growth decisions.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • Customer Profitability: Determine the profitability of acquiring and retaining customers.
  • Marketing Efficiency: Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by comparing CAC to CLV.
  • Retention Strategies: Identify opportunities to increase CLV through customer retention and loyalty programs.
  • Data-Driven Marketing: Allocate marketing budgets more efficiently based on CLV and CAC insights.

Data Analysis and Metrics Tracking Excel Templates

10. cohort analysis template.

Cohort analysis is a powerful method for examining user behavior over time. The Cohort Analysis Excel template simplifies the process, helping businesses gain insights into customer retention, engagement, and more.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • User Segmentation: Group users into cohorts based on signup date or other criteria for focused analysis.
  • Retention Insights: Identify trends in user retention and pinpoint when users drop off.
  • Product Improvement: Use cohort analysis to inform product improvements and marketing strategies.
  • Churn Reduction: Develop strategies to reduce customer churn based on cohort analysis findings.

11. MRR Dashboard Template

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is a vital metric for subscription-based businesses. The MRR Dashboard Excel template provides a comprehensive dashboard for tracking MRR, analyzing trends, and making data-driven decisions.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • MRR Overview: Get a real-time overview of your MRR, including new revenue, lost revenue, and net MRR growth.
  • Churn Analysis: Identify reasons for churn and implement strategies to reduce it.
  • Growth Tracking: Monitor your subscription business’s growth and set goals for MRR expansion.
  • Data Visualization: Visualize MRR trends with charts and graphs for easier interpretation.

12. User Engagement Dashboard Template

User engagement is critical for online businesses. The User Engagement Dashboard Excel template provides a user-friendly dashboard for tracking user engagement metrics, analyzing user behavior, and optimizing user experiences.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • Comprehensive Metrics: Track key engagement metrics such as session duration, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
  • Segmentation: Analyze user engagement based on demographics, devices, or referral sources.
  • Content Performance: Identify high-performing content and optimize the user journey accordingly.
  • Conversion Optimization: Implement strategies to improve user engagement and conversion rates based on insights.

Business Planning and Management Excel Templates

13. software license management tool.

The Software License Management Excel tool simplifies the process for businesses managing software licenses. It allows you to track software licenses, renewal dates, and compliance, ensuring efficient software management.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • License Tracking: Easily keep track of all software licenses in use across your organization.
  • Renewal Alerts: Identify license renewals timely to prevent interruptions.
  • Cost Control: Avoid unnecessary software purchases and optimize license utilization.
  • Compliance Assurance: Ensure compliance with software licensing agreements to avoid legal issues.

14. Workforce Planning Tool

Effective workforce planning is crucial for businesses of all sizes. The Workforce Planning Excel template streamlines the process by helping you manage employee information, staffing levels, and workforce optimization.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

  • Employee Database: Maintain a centralized employee information database, including roles, qualifications, and contact details.
  • Staffing Analysis: Analyze staffing levels and plan for hiring, training, or restructuring as needed.
  • Cost Projections: Estimate labor costs and budgets for workforce expansion or reduction.
  • Scenario Planning: Model various workforce scenarios and their financial implications.

These Excel spreadsheet templates cover a wide range of business and financial needs, making them invaluable tools for improving productivity, making informed decisions, and achieving your goals. Whether you’re a financial analyst, business owner, or simply looking to better manage your finances, Excel templates offer a user-friendly and robust solution.

Best Practices for Excel Templates

Excel spreadsheet templates are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your productivity , but it’s essential to follow best practices to make the most of them. Here are some tips and strategies to help you use Excel templates effectively.

Choose the Right Template

Selecting the appropriate template for your specific task is the first step to success. Consider the following factors when choosing a template:

  • Task Complexity: Ensure the template aligns with the complexity of your task. Simple tasks may require basic templates, while more complex tasks need advanced templates.
  • Customizability: Look for templates that allow customization. Templates that are too rigid may not suit your unique needs.
  • Industry or Use Case: Many templates are designed for specific industries or use cases. For financial tasks, for instance, choose templates tailored to your industry, such as retail, healthcare, or real estate.
  • Scalability: If your task may grow in complexity or data volume, opt for a template that can scale with your needs.

Understand Formulas and Functions

Excel templates often come with built-in formulas and functions to automate calculations. To use these templates effectively, it’s crucial to understand how these formulas work.

  • Learn the Basics: Familiarize yourself with common Excel functions like SUM, AVERAGE, IF, VLOOKUP, and more. These are the building blocks of many templates.
  • Review Formulas: Take time to review the formulas used in the template. Understand how they calculate results and what data they depend on.
  • Customize Formulas: If needed, customize formulas to suit your specific requirements. Modify cell references or add new calculations as necessary.

Input Data Accurately

Accurate data input is essential to obtain meaningful results from Excel spreadsheet templates.

  • Double-Check Data: Ensure all data entered into the template is accurate and error-free. A slight mistake can lead to significant inaccuracies in calculations.
  • Use Data Validation: Implement data validation rules to prevent incorrect data entry. Excel can prompt users when data doesn’t meet specified criteria.
  • Consistent Formatting: Maintain consistent formatting throughout the template. This includes date formats, number formats, and currency symbols.
  • Document Data Sources: Keep track of your data sources, especially if you’re pulling data from external sources. This documentation can help troubleshoot discrepancies later.

Regularly Save and Backup

Excel templates represent valuable work, so protecting your data is essential.

  • Frequent Saving: Save your work regularly to prevent data loss in case of unexpected software crashes or power outages.
  • Version Control: Maintain version control by saving different iterations of your template. Use meaningful file names and dates to track changes.
  • Backup Files: Implement a backup strategy. Regularly create copies of your Excel files and store them in a secure location, whether it’s a cloud service or an external drive.

Understand Template Limitations

Excel spreadsheet templates have limitations, and it’s essential to be aware of them.

  • Data Volume: Excel may not handle very large datasets efficiently. Consider using a database or specialized software for extensive data management.
  • Complexity: Templates have limits in terms of complexity. You might need to consider custom software or consulting with a specialist for more advanced or intricate tasks.
  • Data Security: Be cautious when handling sensitive or confidential data within Excel. Implement password protection and encryption where necessary.

Customize for Your Needs

While templates provide a structured starting point, don’t hesitate to customize them to better suit your unique requirements.

  • Add or Remove Fields: Include additional or remove unnecessary fields to streamline data entry and reporting.
  • Format and Styling: Adjust the template’s formatting and styling to match your preferences and branding guidelines.
  • Automate Repetitive Tasks: Excel allows you to automate repetitive tasks using macros. Learn how to create and use macros to save time.

Stay Updated and Educated

Excel is a continually evolving software, and staying updated with the latest features and best practices can benefit your productivity.

  • Software Updates: Keep your Excel software up-to-date to access new features and security patches.
  • Online Resources: Explore online resources, spreadsheet tutorials , and forums to expand your Excel skills and troubleshoot issues.
  • Advanced Training: Consider advanced Excel training courses or certifications to become an Excel power user.

By following these best practices, you can harness the full potential of Excel spreadsheet templates, streamline your tasks, and make more informed decisions. Excel templates are versatile tools that can save you time and effort, but mastering them requires a combination of knowledge, practice, and attention to detail.

Get Started with the Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle

Ready to take control of your finances and make smart financial decisions? Our Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle is the ultimate solution to simplify financial management, investment analysis, and mortgage planning.

how to make a business budget plan on excel

This bundle includes five powerful templates that can help you achieve your financial goals with ease:

  • Cryptocurrency Portfolio Tracker: Keep track of your cryptocurrency investments, monitor real-time market prices, and analyze your portfolio’s performance effortlessly.
  • Inventory and Sales Tracking Spreadsheet Template: Optimize your business operations with this template. Efficiently manage inventory, track sales, and make data-driven decisions.
  • Simple Investment Template: Make informed investment choices by analyzing potential returns and risks. This template simplifies investment planning for beginners and experts alike.
  • Extra-Payment Mortgage Calculator: Take control of your mortgage payments and reduce the total interest you pay. This tool helps you plan extra payments to pay off your mortgage faster.
  • Mortgage Calculator Spreadsheet with Amortization Table: Understand your mortgage terms, visualize your amortization schedule, and make sound financial decisions regarding homeownership.

Purchasing these templates individually would cost you more than $69, but with the Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle , you can access all of them at a fraction of the price. Save over 40% off the list price and embark on your journey to financial success today!

Price: $39.99

Excel templates are your secret weapon for accomplishing tasks faster and more efficiently. With the right template at your fingertips, you can conquer financial challenges, manage projects like a pro, and analyze data with ease. The best part? You don’t need to be an Excel expert to reap the benefits. These templates are designed to simplify your life and make complex tasks feel like a breeze.

So, whether you’re tracking expenses, planning a project, or diving into data analysis, remember that Excel spreadsheet templates are your trusty companions on the journey to productivity and success. Embrace them, customize them, and watch your tasks transform from daunting to doable. Excel templates are your shortcut to getting things done, and the possibilities are endless. Start using them today and take control of your tasks, one spreadsheet at a time!

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IMAGES

  1. 37 Handy Business Budget Templates (Excel, Google Sheets) ᐅ TemplateLab

    how to make a business budget plan on excel

  2. How to Create a Business Budget in Excel (With Easy Steps)

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  3. Business Plan Budget 5 Years M1 Free Excel Template

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  4. 37 Handy Business Budget Templates (Excel, Google Sheets) ᐅ TemplateLab

    how to make a business budget plan on excel

  5. Example Of Business Budget Spreadsheet

    how to make a business budget plan on excel

  6. 37 Handy Business Budget Templates (Excel, Google Sheets) ᐅ TemplateLab

    how to make a business budget plan on excel

COMMENTS

  1. Business Budget Template for Excel

    for Excel Download ⤓ Download For: Excel 2007 or later & Excel for iPad/iPhone Description This version allows you to perform a detailed analysis of your business expenses and cost of goods sold (COGS) if you are selling multiple products.

  2. Top 10 Free Excel Business Budget Templates for 2023

    Top 10 Free Excel Business Budget Templates for 2023 Hady ElHady Dec 28 2022 Table of contents A business budget is an essential tool for any business, no matter how big or small. It helps you stay on track with your finances and ensure that all areas of your organization run efficiently.

  3. How to Create a Business Budget in Excel (With Easy Steps)

    STEP 1: Preparing Excel Workbook to Create a Business Budget First, open an Excel workbook. Then, make a clear Headline. It's shown in the below image. After that, save the file. STEP 2: Creating Income Section Here, we'll briefly specify the Income details. Firstly, input the precise and short Headings for all the Income details.

  4. [Step-by-Step] Create A Budget In Excel In 10 Minutes

    1. Creating a budget using templates Let's create a budget automatically using templates. Follow these steps. Open a new Excel workbook. Click on More Templates. Type "budget" in the search box. Select your favorite budget template based on your needs and liking. Budget Templates by Excel

  5. Free Small-Business Budget Templates

    5.0 Annual Fee $0 Read Review Learn more Why you need a business budget template A business budget template is an essential tool for business owners who want to take care of their bottom...

  6. Small Business Budgeting Guide

    Try Smartsheet for Free By Andy Marker | March 4, 2022 Creating a budget for your small business can be daunting, but doing so is essential for any successful company. We've rounded up expert tips and created a step-by-step guide for designing a strong small business budget.

  7. Free Small Business Budget Templates

    Download 12-Month Business Budget Template - Excel Business Budget Template for Multiple Products Use this customizable template to track single or multiple-project budgets to get a comprehensive picture of your company's financials.

  8. How to build your business budget with Microsoft Excel

    Save time building your business budget using Microsoft Excel. First, open a new Excel Workbook and use suggested searches to find your budget template. Then...

  9. Excel Tutorial: How To Create A Budget In Excel For A Business

    The first step in creating a budget in Excel is to open a new document. This can be done by clicking on the Excel icon on your desktop or searching for Excel in the start menu of your computer. B. Labeling the columns for income and expenses Once the new document is open, the next step is to label the columns for income and expenses.

  10. Budgeting 101: Your Easy Guide to Creating a Business Budget in Excel

    Your budget should include the following key components: 1. Estimated Revenue. Estimated revenue is the amount you anticipate to make from the sale of your goods or services. Estimated revenue is the cash you bring in the door and should be the first line on your budget. This can be based on last year's figures.

  11. Business budget templates

    Color Create from scratch Show all Free business budget templates Creating and sticking to a budget is essential to run a successful business. Exceeding your budget can quickly land you in financial trouble. It's important to keep track of your business expenses, and using a business budget template can help you do so.

  12. Top Excel Budget Templates

    Business Budget. Track and manage your business expenses so you can make the best strategic decisions for your company with this business budget template. Gain visibility into where you're overspending, where you need to cutback, and the general health of your company. Download the Business Budget Excel Template

  13. Small Business Budget Templates (Excel & PDF)

    Input the year-end balance sheet and income statement into your Excel template. Equity is the difference between assets and liabilities—the true value of your business. The $10,000 net income in the income statement increases equity in the year-end balance sheet. 2. Forecast future sales and costs.

  14. How to Make a Simple Budget in Microsoft Excel

    To see the budget templates in Excel, open the application and select "More Templates" in the Home section. Enter the word "budget" into the search box and you'll see many options. Choose the template you want to use to see more details and click "Create" to open the template.

  15. How to Create a Business Budget: 6 Simple Steps

    How to Create a Business Budget: 6 Simple Steps - NerdWallet Small Business Advertiser disclosure How to Create a Business Budget for Your Small Business Putting together a budget can...

  16. How to Create a Basic Business Budget

    1. Write down your revenue streams. Your revenue is the money you earn in exchange for your products or services. You'll start your small- business budget by listing all the ways you make money. Look at last month's P&L—or even just your checking account statement—to help you account for all your revenue streams.

  17. 7 free small business budget templates

    How to design your small business budget plan. It's cliched but true: you gotta spend money to make money. But that's no excuse to start throwing cash at your business willy-nilly. Budgeting forces you to prioritize your objectives, so you spend money on the things that matter most. Here's how to create a small business budget in four steps:

  18. How to Prepare Budget for a Company in Excel (2 Suitable Examples)

    Method-1: Prepare a Budget for a Company Manually in Excel If you want to make your budget template on your own then you can follow this method. After going through the following steps you will be able to do the basic calculations and formatting needed to decorate your budget template according to your wish.

  19. Excel Budget Template

    Want a template that is already built for you? Check out this video: https://youtu.be/c3vmacKGVkgOr Visit My Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Worksmarte...

  20. Using Excel for business budgeting

    Open Excel and navigate to the "File" tab. Select "New" and browse through the available templates (or you can use other free templates — they don't have to be Excel's). Search for "Budget" and explore the options available, choosing one that resonates with your business needs. Click on the chosen template and select "Create

  21. How to make a budget in Excel

    Step 1: Download the Excel budget template Step 2: Enter your income in your budget template Step 3: Enter your expenses in your budget template Step 4: Add extra columns to your budget template Keeping up with your expenses doesn't have to be a tedious task.

  22. Excel Tutorial: How To Create A Budget Plan In Excel

    A. Step-by-step guide to creating a new Excel spreadsheet. 1. Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer and create a new workbook. 2. Set up the worksheet: Rename the default Sheet 1 to "Budget Plan" by double-clicking on the tab at the bottom of the workbook and typing the new name. 3.

  23. 14 Best Excel Templates for Business in 2024 (Free & Premium)

    6. Capital Expenditure Planning Template. Capital expenditures (CapEx) are essential for businesses looking to grow and invest in assets like equipment, technology, or infrastructure. This free CapEx Excel template simplifies the planning and tracking of capital expenditures, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.