Ask any top sportsman how well they are doing and they will always know the key information that makes them the best, like how many goals they’ve scored, their batting or bowling average, their 1st serve percentage, their personal best times etc. – and the things they need to work on to improve their performance.
The top businesses do the same thing – they know the key performance indicators for their business and are constantly looking at ways to improve them – to improve the health of the business.
And we can all learn from this – even us “non-fit” people can look forward to the New Year with confidence that our resolution to join the gym is going to get us fitter and healthier next year. Well it’s a nice idea, rarely lasts beyond March, but if taken seriously, can make a big difference to your health and well-being.
And it’s the same with your business - as the New Year approaches, take some time to give your business a financial health check and here are a few things to get you started.
Looking at a profit and loss account and a balance sheet can give you a clear idea of the health of your business, but for many people these statements are somewhat daunting. However, calculating a few financial ratios can help you to assess quickly how well you are doing and give you early warning of financial problems.
So I will try to explain what ratios are, the types of information they can be used to analyse, and how to go about using them.
A ratio is simply a relationship between two numbers. Within your business, you can use ratios to assess the following important financial indicators:
You can also compare your business’s ratios with the same ratios for other businesses operating in a similar environment to you – giving an idea of your relative performance. Ratios are published for many business sectors (sometimes referred to as ‘industry norms’) which can be used as a comparison.
It is useful to compare ratios for different periods, to see what trends and patterns of performance emerge.
The current assets of your business are its cash or assets such as stock, work in progress, or debts that can be turned into cash. Current liabilities are your immediate trade creditors and your bank overdraft. You should always have sufficient current assets to meet current liability obligations. Liquidity ratios indicate your ability to meet liabilities.
The current ratio simply shows the relationship of current assets to current liabilities. In particular, it shows the ability of your business to meet short-term debts with current assets.
This ratio should normally be between 1.5 and 2.
Some people argue that the current ratio should be at least 2, on the basis that half the assets might be stock. A ratio of less than 1 (that is, where the current liabilities exceed the current assets) could mean that you are unable to meet debts as they fall due, in which case you are insolvent. A high current ratio could indicate that too much money is tied up in current assets, for example, giving customers too much credit.
A stricter test of liquidity is the quick ratio or acid test. This ratio measures your ability to meet short-term liabilities from liquid assets such as cash. Some current assets, such as work in progress and stock, may be difficult to turn quickly into cash. Deducting these from the current assets gives the quick assets.
The quick ratio should normally be around 0.7-1. To be absolutely safe, the quick ratio should be at least 1, which indicates that quick assets exceed current liabilities. If the current ratio is rising and the quick ratio is static, there is almost certainly a stockholding problem.
The defensive interval is the best measure of impending insolvency and shows the number of days your business can exist if no more cash flows into it. As a guide, it should be 30-90 days, though it depends on the industry.
If the net worth of your business becomes negative – that is, the total liabilities exceed the total assets – you have become insolvent. In other words, if you closed, it would not be possible to repay all the people who are owed money. It is an offence to allow your business to become insolvent, so watch the figures closely.
The gearing ratio gives an indication of solvency. It is normally defined as the ratio of debt (loans from all sources including debentures, term loans and overdraft) to total finance (which includes shareholders’ capital, reserves, long-term debt and overdraft). The higher the proportion of loan finance, the higher the gearing.
Ideally, your gearing should not be greater than 50%, although new, small businesses often do exceed this percentage. If cash flow is stable and profit is fairly stable, then you can afford a higher gearing.
In addition to watching the gearing of your business, bankers will also want to be satisfied that you will be able to pay the interest on any loans. So, they look particularly at how many times your profit exceeds their interest charges. A business with low interest cover may be unable to meet future payments if profits were to fall.
Generally, the measure of risk should not be decreasing. There is a problem if the interest cover is lower than 1, and this may indicate potential problems if interest rates were to rise. If it is more than 4, it is very good.
Efficiency ratios provide a measure of how much working capital is tied up, how quickly the business collects outstanding debts (and pays its creditors) and how effective the business is in making money work.
The debtors’ turnover ratio shows how quickly you are collecting the debts that are due to you.
Ideally, the average debtors for the period should be used. An approximation is given by dividing the sales by the debtors at the end of the period. Dividing this ratio into 365 days gives the average collection period in days.
Tight credit control is essential to every business. The debtors’ collection period measures how long it takes to collect cash from a customer after making a sale. The collection period should be kept as short as possible. Many businesses aim to operate on a 30-day period, but often find it is longer than that.
Monitoring how long it takes to pay suppliers is as important as knowing how long customers take to pay you. If suppliers have to wait too long, they may withdraw credit facilities. The creditors’ payment period measures how long you take to pay suppliers for items bought on credit.
Stock will increase in times of expansion and decrease in times of contraction. For some businesses, such as wholesalers and some retailers, a high stock turnover ratio is essential in order to make any profit. A low stock turnover could indicate the presence of slow moving stock, which should be disposed of more quickly.
It is also often helpful to know how quickly the stock is turned over, so you can use the following ratio to calculate your average stockholding period.
There are a number of simple profitability indicators that you can use; the gross profit margin is one figure to watch most closely.
The gross profit is the total income for the business less the cost of sales. The gross profit needs to cover all of the fixed costs and, after they have been paid, contributes to the net profit. The gross profit margin is simply the gross profit expressed as a percentage of sales. This is a good figure to compare with others in the same sector.
The net profit of your business is what is left after all your costs (except interest and tax, neither of which are generally regarded as costs) have been deducted. The net profit margin is the net profit expressed as a percentage of sales.
This one is a huge “must know” for any business – as it tells you what level of sales you need to achieve to cover all your overheads. If you know you need to do £2000 a week to “breakeven” and you hit this by Wednesday – the rest of the week is profit. Now that’s a good motivator!
It’s easy to calculate: overheads divided by gross profit margin
The key use of ratios is to examine trends and identify problems. Ratios will never solve problems but they might help to identify the factors behind your business’s financial problems.
The smaller your business, the more important it is to watch the cash flow, rather than relying on ratio analysis. Ratios depend upon accurate, consistent financial information, so keep your accounts up to date. If you need any help or advice with anything related to your business, we are here to help you.
At Frost Group, we want to make things as easy as possible for you. That is why, if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you. We operate face to face, nationwide meetings, wherever is most convenient for you.
Court House,
Old Police Station South Street,
Ashby de la Zouch LE65 1BR
0345 260 0101
enquiries@frostbr.co.uk
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