In this episode, business finance expert Mike Michalowicz shares his system for structuring business finances to prioritize profit. He emphasizes the importance of being honest about your financial situation and provides strategies for monitoring cash flow and managing taxes. The chapter also explores the benefits of hiring part-time employees, maximizing productivity, and the power of vulnerability in business.
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Quick takeaways
Prioritizing profit at the beginning of each month reshapes the mindset around profit and expenses.
Creating separate accounts for income, expenses, taxes, and profit provides clarity and discipline in financial management.
Identifying and eliminating unnecessary expenses improves margins and overall financial performance in business.
Deep dives
Allocate profit first
The podcast episode discusses the importance of prioritizing profit in business finances. The host emphasizes the need to allocate profit at the beginning of the month rather than waiting until the end. Using a percentage-based system, a portion of the income should be set aside as profit, which serves as a reward for owning the business. The speaker recommends starting with a small percentage and gradually increasing it over time. By making profit a priority, business owners can shift their mindset and build financial stability.
Separate accounts for better financial management
The podcast episode suggests creating separate accounts to streamline financial management. The speaker proposes having different accounts for income, business expenses, taxes, and profit. This division helps prevent mingling of funds and provides clearer visibility into the business's financial health. Additionally, having dedicated accounts for specific purposes, such as saving for a new house or a child's education, helps maintain focus and discipline in allocating funds. The speaker advises using different banks or platforms to make accessing certain accounts more challenging, reducing the temptation to dip into the funds earmarked for specific goals.
Identify and eliminate unnecessary expenses
The podcast episode highlights the importance of identifying and eliminating unnecessary expenses in business. The speaker emphasizes the need to distinguish between essential expenses and extravagant ones driven by ego or a desire to impress others. This involves reevaluating facility rental costs, staffing needs, and unprofitable products or services. By shedding unprofitable elements and focusing on profitable aspects, businesses can improve margins and overall financial performance. The speaker also encourages businesses to assess their customer base and consider parting ways with customers who consistently drain resources or create unprofitable situations.
Using Small Plates: Behavioral Psychology and Resource Consumption
The podcast episode discusses the concept of using small plates, applying behavioral psychology to resource consumption. By dividing money into different accounts for specific purposes, such as operating expenses, business owners are able to live and survive within the confines of what's available. This approach increases frugality and innovation, as less money leads to more resourcefulness. The use of small plates not only helps save profit but also forces business owners to organize their economics.
Serve Sequentially: Prioritizing Profit and Other Financial Allocations
The podcast emphasizes the importance of serving profit first in business. By allocating a percentage of income to profit, behavioral and psychological rewards are triggered. This approach helps business owners shift their mindset from paying bills first to prioritizing profit. The system encourages a sequential allocation process that includes profit, owner's compensation, taxes, and operating expenses. By enforcing a rhythm of paying bills and allocating funds twice a month, businesses gain predictability, maximize profits, and ensure expenses are aligned with income.
Sales minus expenses equals profit, right? Not exactly, according to Mike Michalowicz, our guest on today’s episode.
A lot of business leaders aren’t maximizing their profits because they’re thinking about them as what’s “left over.” He shares his system for structuring your business’ finances so you put the priority on profit. It’s remarkably simple and will help you reshape your entire mindset around how you look at profit and expenses.
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