Setting next year’s budget

We set next year’s sales, costs and profit with you month by month, with a 12-month cash flow forecast alongside it, for £1,200 + VAT. Business Pulse then tracks the business against the budget all year.

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Run by Andy Jackson and Peter Allen · AAT licensed · ICPA member · FreeAgent and Xero partner

The budget calendar, counted back from your year start

Two months beforeThis year’s results to date, with a forecast to the year end

Six weeks beforeYour goals for next year: sales, profit, hires, prices and spending

A month beforeSales set by customer, product or job type, then cost of sales and gross margin

Three weeks beforePayroll, overheads and known cost increases added line by line

Two weeks beforeThe budget phased by month and turned into a 12-month cash flow forecast

Month oneManagement accounts start being measured against the new budget

A budget meeting with Buzz covers the goals, the sales lines and the cost lines in one session, with the monthly phasing and the forecast built afterwards.

A florist’s budget for next year

A florist with a shop and a wedding business made £23,000 of operating profit this year and wants £28,000 next year. The budget adds £18,000 of wedding work and a 2% price rise on shop sales worth £6,000, and keeps flowers and sundries at 35% of sales.

Wages rise by £8,500 for an extra Saturday assistant and the April pay rise. The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour from April 2026, and the rates change on 1 April every year (GOV.UK, 2026).

	This year	Next year’s budget	Change
Sales	£312,000	£336,000	+£24,000
Flowers and sundries	£109,200	£117,600	+£8,400
Gross profit	£202,800	£218,400	+£15,600
Wages	£118,000	£126,500	+£8,500
Rent and rates	£26,000	£26,500	+£500
Van and delivery	£14,500	£15,000	+£500
Other overheads	£21,300	£22,400	+£1,100
Operating profit	£23,000	£28,000	+£5,000

An illustrative example. The business is not a real client and every figure is invented. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and the summer weddings are then phased into the months they fall.

Business Pulse measures the year against the budget

We review your budget, a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast and management accounts against the budget with you.

Quarterly Business Pulse

From £375+ VAT a month

Management accounts against the budget and a forecast update every quarter, with a 90-minute review meeting.

For established businesses with steady trading.

Monthly Business Pulse

From £499+ VAT a month

The same every month, with a 60-minute meeting, a monthly action plan and priority support.

For businesses with staff, borrowing, changing margins or big decisions ahead.

How Business Pulse works

Questions about setting a budget

When should I start next year’s budget?

About two months before the year starts, so it is agreed before the first month ends. A budget can still be set a month or two into the year.

Should the budget run with my financial year?

Yes. The budget then lines up with your year-end accounts and with your Corporation Tax or Self Assessment.

What if the year turns out differently?

The budget stays as the yardstick for the year. The 12-month cash flow forecast is updated every month or quarter to show where the year is heading.

Can you set the budget as a one-off?

Yes. A budget and 12-month cash flow forecast, built together, is £1,200 + VAT. Business Pulse measures the year against it.

Annual budget and 12-month cash flow forecast

£1,200 + VAT, once

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Tell us about the business and which level you are looking at, or book a 30-minute call.

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