Finance is an important business operation and the application of planning of this function is termed as ‘financial planning’. Financial planning is directly related with the frugal procurement and lucrative use of available funds. Financial planning is most significant of all business functions and it’s impossible to replace or eradicate this function as the business enterprise will finish in the absence of finance. The requirement for money is permanent, which begins with the establishment of an enterprise and persists at all times.
Financial plan can be defined as, “A budgetary planning document reflecting the way an organization plans to use its financial and human resources in a given year.”
Financial planning involves the determination of business purposes, strategies, plans and policies regarding finance function, which are helpful in the procurement, management and disbursement of funds in an efficient way. Whether the business is on large or small scale, this function has to be performed without any interference.
The success of business hinges upon its financial plan and the business should know how to make financial plan, how to follow it, etc. The chief objective of financial plan is to arrange funds for the business and a healthy financial plan will not ascertain the procurement of sufficient funds but their correct utilization also. A financial plan should be prepared after taking present plus future developments into consideration and its main features include: -
- A long-term financial plan should aim to reduce dependence on outside sources.
- Financial planning should ensure solvency and liquidity of the enterprise.