Setting next year’s budget
Decide what next year should deliver, set the sales, costs and profit month by month, and have a plan to measure every month against. Business Pulse, Buzz’s advisory service, sets the budget with you and tracks the business against it all year.
Run by Andy Jackson and Peter Allen · AAT licensed · ICPA member · FreeAgent and Xero partner
The budget calendar, counted back from your year start
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
Your budget, a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast and management accounts against the budget, reviewed with you. Both levels include your year-end accounts and tax returns, with no setup fee.
Quarterly Business Pulse
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
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.
Get your Business Pulse fee
Answer four questions in the instant quote and choose Business Pulse at the last one.
Run by Andy Jackson and Peter Allen · AAT licensed · ICPA member · FreeAgent and Xero partner
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 is available as a one-off piece of work. Book a call and we will price it. Business Pulse measures the year against it.
Talk to us about Business Pulse
Tell us about the business and what you need. A named person replies within one working day.
