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Budget

By , About.com Guide

Definition:

A budget is a financial document used to project future income and expenses. The budgeting process may be carried out by individuals or by companies to estimate whether the person/company can continue to operate with its projected income and expenses.

A budget may be prepared simply using paper and pencil, or on computer using a spreadsheet program like Excel, or with a financial application like Quicken or QuickBooks.

The process for preparing a monthly budget includes:

  • Listing of all sources of monthly income
  • Listing of all required, fixed expenses, like rent/mortgage, utilities, phone
  • Listing of other possible and variable expenses.

Create a start-up budget using the step-by-step instructions.

More Information on Budgeting for Business

Why Do I Need a Budget for My Business? What Is the Purpose of a Budget?

How Do I Use a Budget to Get a Business Loan?

What is Zero-based Budgeting and How Can It Help My Business?

What are Some Tools I Can Use to Create and Maintain a Budget?

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