Avoiding Common Cash Flow Budget Mistakes

[By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA, CMP™]

[By Hope Rachel Hetico; RN, MHA, CMP™]

[Publisher-in-Chief and Managing Editor]

Although some doctors might view a budget as unnecessarily restrictive, sticking to a spending plan can be a useful tool in enhancing the wealth of a practice. We emphasize the keys to smart budgeting and how to track spending and savings in these tough economic times.

Money and Happiness

There is an aphorism that suggests, “Money cannot buy happiness.” Well, this may be true enough but there is also a corollary that states, “Having a little sure reduces the unhappiness.” Unfortunately, today there is more than a little financial unhappiness in all medical specialties; not just the specialty of podiatry – where this article first appeared as a free-lance writing project. The challenges range from the commoditization of medicine, aging demographics, Medicare reimbursement cutbacks and increased competition to floundering equity markets, the home mortgage crisis, the squeeze on credit and declines in the value of a practice. Few doctors seem immune to this “perfect storm” of economic woes.

Most Doctors Financially Hurting Today

Far too many physicians, dentists and other medical providers are hurting and it is not limited to these above-average earning professionals. However, one can strive to reduce the pain by following some basic budgeting principles. By adhering to these principles, most physicians can eliminate the “too many days at the end of the month” syndrome and instead develop a foundation for building real wealth and security, even in difficult economic climates like we face today.

Three Budget Types

There are at least three major budget types. [1] A flexible budget is an expenditure cap that adjusts for changes in the volume of expense items. [2] A fixed budget does not. [3] Advancing to the next level of rigor, a zero-based budget starts with essential expenses and adds items until the money is gone. Regardless of type, budgets can be extremely effective if one uses them at home or the office in order to spot money troubles before they develop.

Assessment

For the purpose of wealth building, medical professionals may think of a budget as a quantitative expression of an action plan. It is an integral part of the overall cost-control process for the individual, his or her family unit or one’s medical practice.

Read the entire article: http://www.podiatrytoday.com/essential-insights-on-successful-budgeting

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Filed under: "Doctors Only", Accounting, Career Development, Financial Planning, iMBA, Inc., Practice Management, Research & Development | Tagged: budgeting, cash flow, cash flow crunch, david marcinko, fixed budget, flexible budget, hope hetico, podiatry today | 2 Comments »