When you search online for quotes about business budgets, you find a lot of strikingly similar statements:

“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” ― Joe Biden

“The budget is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations.” – Jacob Lew

A company’s budget is hands down the best way to gain clear insight into its values. Putting your money where your mouth is, isn’t just a saying. Wherever a company’s focus lies, that’s where funds will be allocated. Mission statements and vision statements aside, it’s the areas of investment that show a company’s true values.

So how can you be sure that your business budget is truly aligned with your company’s values?

Mission Statement

First, take a look at your mission statement.

• What is your company’s primary goal?
• What sort of culture does your company promote?
• What do you want to be known for?

Now take a look at your budget.

• Are the majority of your resources being used towards that goal, supporting it in some way?
• Did funds start out allocated towards that goal, but slowly trickle away to cover other needs over time?
• Did some sudden shift or innovation within the company cause a dramatic change, without anyone really realizing the implications?
• And how effective has your current funds allocation been at promoting your primary goal?

True Sky is invaluable for this exercise. It allows you to see clearly how all your resources are allocated, and makes data analysis easy, so you can gain quick insight into what your current budget says about your company’s priorities.

Goals

Next, consider your secondary goals. Maybe you want to do more to reduce your carbon footprint, or support your local community, or help a favorite cause. Do the resources you have allocated towards those goals truly reflect your commitment to them?

Whether your budget already accurately reflects your company’s values, needs a few minor tweaks to get back on track, or requires a complete rethinking and overhaul in order to do so, True Sky budgeting and forecasting software can help you keep a close eye on what your financial priorities say about your goals. In today’s agile and ever-changing business environment, it’s easy for a company’s financial allocations to switch based on one trend, and then another – and soon, without realizing it, your values are no longer being supported as they once were. True Sky can help you retain the focus you need to stay on track, both now and into the future.

So what does your business budget say about you? Contact True Sky today to get more information on how our budgeting and forecasting solution can help you find out.