You made a budget. Back in January, probably. You had plans, projections, optimism… maybe even color-coded spreadsheets.
Now it’s nearly June, and the whole thing is off the rails.
Most small business budgets fall apart before Memorial Day. But that doesn’t mean budgeting is useless. It just means the way most people build them doesn’t work.
Here’s how to fix it before Q3 turns into another round of guess-and-hope.
1. You Budgeted Based on Vibes, Not Reality
It usually starts with:
“Well, if we grow 20% and nothing unexpected happens…”
You can see the problem.
A solid budget starts with real, historical numbers. Not your best month, and not wishful thinking. Use:
- Actual average monthly revenue
- Real overhead
- Seasonality
- Payment timing (work now, get paid later)
Hope is not a strategy. Start with facts.
2. You Didn’t Leave Any Room to Breathe
If every dollar is spoken for, your budget isn’t a plan… it’s a trap.
You need margin:
- For when clients pay late
- For when something breaks
- For when sales dip for no good reason
If one bad week throws off your entire month, your budget was too tight to begin with.
3. You Stopped Looking at It
A January budget in May is just outdated math.
If you have not revisited your numbers since Q1, you’re not budgeting… you’re reminiscing.
Set a time each month to check in:
- Did your income change?
- Did your costs shift?
- Did you actually stick to the plan?
Budgets should flex. If they don’t, they fail.
4. You Budgeted Bills but Not Growth
Budgets that only track rent, payroll and software are not budgets… they are checklists.
You also need to plan for:
- Strategic hires
- Marketing and ad spend
- New gear or tools
- Your own raise
- Taxes (seriously, don’t wing this)
Growth doesn’t happen by accident. Your budget should help it happen on purpose.
If Q1 Was Chaos, Q3 Doesn’t Have to Be
You don’t need to scrap the whole thing. Just fix what’s broken.
A real budget is simple. It’s based on what is actually happening in your business, and it helps you make better decisions without guessing.
If you’re done winging it, we’re ready.
Set up a quick chat and we’ll help you rebuild a plan that won’t collapse by Q3.
