How Entrepreneurs Can Manage Their Personal Finances

Compared to other workers, entrepreneurs tend to enjoy an advantage in financial literacy. The know-how required to invest, organize, and save funds for a business often applies well to personal finance management, so these individuals run a “tighter ship” at home.

But this isn’t always the case. Business owners can lose their way financially by going to one of two extremes: Tying their personal finances too closely to their business resources, or running their personal finances quite differently from how they manage company money.

An unbalanced approach in either direction can lead to financial difficulties in the form of squeezed budgets and damaged credit. On the other hand, entrepreneurs who can strike a middle ground between these extremes enjoy greater financial security and success in their business and personal lives.

How successful entrepreneurs balance personal with business finances        

For owners of small businesses, personal and business funds are often interconnected. Most entrepreneurs use their own money to fund their enterprises, and when they make profits off their goods or services, a portion of the proceeds goes toward paying their living expenses.

But business owners don’t always recognize how they could benefit if they managed their personal finances the same way they run their companies.

“Entrepreneurs understand the importance of managing their businesses effectively for the greatest success. Unfortunately, some of them do not apply the same tactics to their personal finances, which can create problems that might eventually spill over into the business. It’s crucial for business owners keep their personal finances in good shape, just as they do for their business,” according to Natalie Cooper, editor at Banking Sense.

Applying business techniques to a personal budget includes both minor and dramatic tactics, such as:

• Setting small goals. The greatest financial gains often come from small behaviors that individuals maintain over a long period of time, such as packing lunches, clipping coupons, and purchasing used items rather than new ones. Although the benefits don’t appear immediately, they create greater financial stability over the long run.

• Considering cost effectiveness. Successful business owners use cost-benefit analyses to weigh financial decisions before they make them, but they may not think to use the same technique in their personal lives. You should avoid projects and purchases that cost more than the expected benefits.

• Making big changes. “Downsizing” can be a dirty word in the business world, but it can certainly furnish dramatic financial benefits in a crisis. Reducing spending by moving into a smaller home or trading in a pricey car for a more economical one makes more money available to save or spend on more essential expenses.

Navigating personal credit from a business perspective

For business owners, maintaining strong credit scores becomes a way to achieve their personal and business goals. When negative payment histories, outstanding judgments, and overextended credit lines reduce an individual’s creditworthiness, that impairs your ability to obtain financing for housing, transportation, and business investments.

Once your credit score takes a hit, it can take months – even years – to repair the damage. The best way to avoid credit problems is to make sure you never take on more debt than you can handle.

People who find themselves stuck with mountains of debt can take action to reverse their situation and prevent themselves from making similar decisions in the future.

Regardless of whether debt is connected to personal expenses or to starting and operating a business, reducing these financial obligations has got to be a priority for entrepreneurs. Paying down debt is rarely easy or enjoyable, but it can become more manageable with techniques such as:

• Building savings. Setting aside a piece of your personal and business income on a regular basis helps you build a “nest egg” from which to draw for unexpected expenses or when slow periods reduce business revenues.

• Paying off existing debt. Spending money on items you’ve already been using for months or years can be a less-than-motivating prospect. But paying off debt is vital if you wish to continue obtaining credit and hold onto valuable possessions, such as your home and vehicles. When payments become unmanageable, seek out the services of a skilled debt counselor.

Running a business imbues the owner with a sense of pride, independence, and autonomy over his or her life. Extending these achievements to your personal finances becomes simple when you treat your personal finances with the same care and savvy as your business resources.

Operating the household like a business, it turns out, will give you two successful enterprises for the price of one!