Budgeting6 min · Updated Aug 2026
A simple budget for people who also run the shop floor
If you will not open a spreadsheet every night, build a budget you can run in ten minutes a week.
A useful owner budget has five lines: expected sales, cost of goods, fixed costs, tax set-aside, and owner pay.
Fill it with last month's averages, not hopes. Then adjust one line at a time when reality changes.
Review weekly, not daily. Daily checking creates anxiety without better decisions.
When a cost rises — insurance, rent, a supplier — update the budget the same week. Waiting until quarter-end hides the squeeze.
The point is a decision tool, not a performance report for someone else.
