{"id":4107,"date":"2026-04-24T16:13:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-financial-management\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T14:55:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:55:44","slug":"what-is-financial-management","status":"publish","type":"sage_glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-financial-management\/","title":{"rendered":"What is financial management?"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Glossary definition<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat is financial management?\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"What is financial management?\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-financial-management\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial management&nbsp;is the planning, directing, monitoring, organising, and controlling of money to&nbsp;accomplish&nbsp;business&nbsp;goals&nbsp;and return maximum value to stakeholders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s&nbsp;a core leadership discipline, focused on&nbsp;identifying&nbsp;the resources you need, building clear financial plans, and putting the right processes in place to&nbsp;collect data and&nbsp;support confident, informed decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial management&nbsp;for managers means&nbsp;understanding how money is raised,&nbsp;allocated, and controlled across the business while balancing day-to-day needs with long-term priorities. The right&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;system supports these efforts by&nbsp;providing&nbsp;accurate,&nbsp;real-time data on cash flow, costs, and performance, helping you make decisions based on solid data, not guesswork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-nbsp-financial-management-nbsp-important-nbsp\"><strong>Why is&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;important?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without effective&nbsp;financial management, even a profitable business can find itself unable to meet payroll, service debt, or fund the next stage of growth.&nbsp;Financial management&nbsp;is the foundation on which sound business decisions are built,&nbsp;giving&nbsp;you&nbsp;the visibility&nbsp;you&nbsp;need to&nbsp;make decisions&nbsp;with confidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strong&nbsp;business&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;delivers several critical advantages:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Survival and stability:<\/strong>&nbsp;by tracking cash flow and managing working capital, you can meet your obligations, even during quieter periods or unexpected disruption.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Informed decision-making:<\/strong>&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;financial data&nbsp;helps you&nbsp;evaluate opportunities, control costs, and&nbsp;focus&nbsp;resources where they will have the greatest impact.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Growth planning:<\/strong>&nbsp;Understanding the financial position of the business makes it&nbsp;easier&nbsp;to plan investments, hire with confidence, and&nbsp;expand&nbsp;sustainably.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Compliance and risk management:<\/strong>&nbsp;Maintaining&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;records and meeting reporting obligations&nbsp;helps&nbsp;you meet regulatory requirements and build trust with lenders, investors, and HMRC.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/product-capabilities\/extended-capabilities\/financial-planning-budgeting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">budgeting and forecasting software<\/a>&nbsp;can help you&nbsp;model different&nbsp;scenarios&nbsp;so&nbsp;you&#8217;re&nbsp;prepared to handle&nbsp;shifting market conditions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-functions-of-nbsp-financial-management\"><strong>Functions of&nbsp;financial management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;role of a financial manager&nbsp;covers a mix of day-to-day tasks and longer-term planning. Understanding&nbsp;what a financial manager does&nbsp;can help&nbsp;businesses build more disciplined, efficient financial operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The core functions of&nbsp;financial&nbsp;management&nbsp;are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Planning:<\/strong>&nbsp;setting&nbsp;financial goals and&nbsp;determining&nbsp;the resources required to achieve them. This includes forecasting revenue, projecting costs, and aligning financial targets with broader business strategy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Budgeting:<\/strong>&nbsp;translating financial plans into detailed budgets that&nbsp;guide how money is spent&nbsp;across departments, projects, and time periods.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Monitoring:<\/strong>&nbsp;tracking actual financial performance against budgets and forecasts,&nbsp;identifying&nbsp;variances, and&nbsp;taking action&nbsp;where&nbsp;needed.&nbsp;Using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/cash-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cash management software<\/a>&nbsp;can help to&nbsp;streamline&nbsp;monitoring&nbsp;tasks&nbsp;by&nbsp;giving you real-time visibility into&nbsp;your cash flow.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reporting:<\/strong>&nbsp;producing&nbsp;accurate,&nbsp;timely&nbsp;reports that give stakeholders a clear picture of business performance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Controlling:<\/strong>&nbsp;Ensuring that financial&nbsp;procedures&nbsp;and&nbsp;processes are in place to safeguard assets, prevent fraud, and&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;regulatory compliance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-three-types-of-nbsp-financial-management-nbsp\"><strong>What are the three types of&nbsp;financial management?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three core types of&nbsp;financial management: working capital management, capital budgeting, and capital structure management. Each addresses&nbsp;a different aspect&nbsp;of how a business&nbsp;earns and manages&nbsp;its&nbsp;money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-working-capital-management-nbsp\"><strong>Working capital management<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working capital management focuses on the short-term assets and liabilities that keep the business running day to day, such as stock, debts, credits, and cash. Get this wrong and&nbsp;your&nbsp;business can find itself technically profitable but unable to pay its bills. Effective working capital management&nbsp;helps you&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;a healthy cash flow so you can&nbsp;meet immediate obligations without tying up&nbsp;more&nbsp;capital&nbsp;than necessary.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-capital-budgeting-nbsp\"><strong>Capital budgeting<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capital budgeting involves evaluating and&nbsp;choosing long-term investments, such as new equipment, premises,&nbsp;or&nbsp;technology, that will generate returns over time.&nbsp;Without effective capital budgeting, resources&nbsp;could be&nbsp;committed to projects that deliver poor returns or drain cash flow for years. Sound business&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;requires&nbsp;a&nbsp;structured process for assessing the risk and potential reward of every significant investment decision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-capital-structure-management\"><strong>Capital structure management<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-capital-structure-management\">&nbsp;Capital structure management concerns how the business is funded, including&nbsp;the balance between debt, equity, and&nbsp;retained&nbsp;earnings used to fund operations and growth.&nbsp;Managing this effectively helps you stay financially resilient, avoiding too much debt while still having the resources to grow.&nbsp;Larger organisations often rely on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/erp\/multi-entity-and-financial-consolidation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">multi-entity and financial consolidation software<\/a>&nbsp;to coordinate complex ownership structures and&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;consistent oversight across entities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-examples-of-nbsp-financial-management-nbsp-in-action\"><strong>Examples of&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;in action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These&nbsp;scenarios&nbsp;show&nbsp;how&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;shapes&nbsp;real business&nbsp;decisions across different contexts:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-example-1-a-growing-professional-services-firm-nbsp\"><strong>Example 1: A growing professional services firm<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mid-sized consultancy is considering opening a second office.&nbsp;Before committing, its financial manager:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Analyses current cash reserves and working capital.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Models&nbsp;revenue scenarios for the new location.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Assesses whether&nbsp;the&nbsp;expansion can be funded without taking on debt.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By using up-to-date financial data, the business can make a clear, evidence-based decision about whether to&nbsp;expand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-example-2-a-seasonal-retail-business-nbsp\"><strong>Example 2: A seasonal retail business<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A UK-based retailer experiences strong sales before Christmas and slower trading through the first quarter.&nbsp;Effective&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;here means:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building cash reserves during peak months.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forecasting the shortfall ahead of quieter periods.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scheduling supplier payments to&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;steady cash flow.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/spend-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spend management software<\/a>&nbsp;to automate approvals and optimise payment schedules reduces the risk of overspending during lean months, turning a predictable&nbsp;financial&nbsp;challenge into a manageable, planned-for reality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions\"><strong>Frequently asked questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776689562915\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is\u00a0financial management\u00a0in simple words?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Financial management\u00a0is how a business looks after its money day to day and\u00a0plans for the future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776689572914\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What does a financial manager do?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The role of a\u00a0financial manager\u00a0is\u00a0to\u00a0oversee\u00a0how a business plans, uses, and controls its money. This includes setting financial goals, creating budgets,\u00a0monitoring\u00a0performance, and producing reports to support decision-making.\u00a0<br><br>In smaller businesses, this role may be handled by the owner or a small team, focusing on day-to-day cash flow and cost control. In larger organisations, financial managers take on a more strategic role, guiding investment decisions, managing risk, and ensuring long-term financial stability.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776689587832\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Why is\u00a0financial management\u00a0important for small businesses?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Financial management\u00a0is essential for small businesses because it helps\u00a0you\u00a0maintain\u00a0control over cash flow, manage costs, and make confident decisions with limited resources.\u00a0<br><br>It supports day-to-day stability while enabling sustainable growth and stronger relationships with lenders and regulators. Investing in user-friendly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/erp\/business-management-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">business management software<\/a>\u00a0can also streamline tasks like invoicing and bookkeeping, freeing up time to focus on growth.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this term<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-finances\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness finances\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-30564 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-business-costs tag-business-finances tag-business-performance tag-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax business_type-small-business business_type-accountants industry-construction card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/06\/landlord-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A landlord outside some properties he owns\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/06\/landlord-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/06\/landlord-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/06\/landlord-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-25T11:09:14+01:00\">25 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/private-landlords-2026-need-to-know-changes\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNew legal requirements for private landlords in 2026 and beyond\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tIf you let property as a private individual then there&#8217;s been a handful of key changes in 2026\u2014plus more on the horizon. Here&#8217;s what you need to know.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-15795 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-brexit-business tag-business-finances business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-account-reconciliation\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1325244864-1-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"man in office\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1325244864-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1325244864-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1325244864-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-02T15:28:18+01:00\">2 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccount reconciliation: What it is and best practices\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-30283 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-business-finances tag-financial-education business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/strategic-budgeting\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" 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2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tStrategic budgeting explained: the finance team&#8217;s role in long-term planning\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-30270 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-business-finances tag-reporting business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business industry-saas\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/saas-revenue-recognition\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1488918938-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A man using a computer and protecting himself from phishing\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1488918938-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1488918938-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1488918938-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-27T12:11:12+01:00\">27 May, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">14 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tA guide to SaaS revenue recognition with examples\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-9993 post type-post status-publish format-audio has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-business-finances tag-cash-flow tag-start-business tag-sound-advice-podcast post_format-post-format-audio business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/sound-advice-how-to-fund-your-startup-sam-jones\/?scroll=1\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/Blog_Header_Image_19-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Sam Jones\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/Blog_Header_Image_19-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/Blog_Header_Image_19-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/Blog_Header_Image_19-810x810.jpg 810w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"card-post__meta-icon svg-icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9.75 1.5C8.793 1.5 8 2.293 8 3.25v8.377a.8.8 0 0 0 0 .243v4.38c0 .957.793 1.75 1.75 1.75h5.5c.957 0 1.75-.792 1.75-1.75v-4.377a.8.8 0 0 0 0-.243V3.25c0-.957-.792-1.75-1.75-1.75zm0 1.5h5.5c.147 0 .25.102.25.25V11h-6V3.25c0-.148.102-.25.25-.25m-4.012 7.989a.75.75 0 0 0-.739.761v4.5A4.76 4.76 0 0 0 9.749 21h2v2a.76.76 0 0 0 .216.537.74.74 0 0 0 .534.223.76.76 0 0 0 .535-.223.74.74 0 0 0 .216-.537v-2h2A4.76 4.76 0 0 0 20 16.25v-4.5a.76.76 0 0 0-.216-.537.74.74 0 0 0-.535-.223.75.75 0 0 0-.75.76v4.5a3.24 3.24 0 0 1-3.25 3.25h-5.5a3.24 3.24 0 0 1-3.25-3.25v-4.5a.755.755 0 0 0-.469-.707.8.8 0 0 0-.293-.055zM9.5 12.5h6v3.75c0 .147-.102.25-.25.25h-5.5a.24.24 0 0 1-.25-.25zm3 1a.997.997 0 0 0-1 1 .997.997 0 0 0 1 1 .997.997 0 0 0 1-1 .997.997 0 0 0-1-1\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-21T15:03:16+01:00\">21 May, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">37 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to fund\u00a0a\u00a0start-up: Top tips from\u00a0Dragons\u2019\u00a0Den\u2019s \u2018best ever pitcher\u2019\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Financial management is the process of planning, organising, and controlling a business\u2019s finances to support decision-making, maintain cash flow, and drive sustainable growth. This guide explains its key functions, types, and why it\u2019s essential for businesses of all sizes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1911,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[135],"class_list":["post-4107","sage_glossary","type-sage_glossary","status-publish","hentry","tag-business-finances"],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/sage_glossary\/4107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/sage_glossary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/sage_glossary"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/sage_glossary\/4107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}