{"id":8623,"date":"2022-05-19T09:54:33","date_gmt":"2022-05-19T08:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/?p=8623"},"modified":"2026-07-09T15:35:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T14:35:50","slug":"financial-statements-grow-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/financial-statements-grow-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How using financial statements can help you grow your business"},"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-ie\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/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\tHow using financial statements can help you grow your business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\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=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2022-05-19T09:54:33+01:00\">19 May, 2022<\/time><\/span><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=\"How using financial statements can help you grow your business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/financial-statements-grow-business\/\"\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<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/author\/simonbrooke\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/08\/Simon-Brooke.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" height=\"40\" width=\"40\" fetchpriority=\"high\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Simon Brooke<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial statements are the building blocks of any well run company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can help you to manage and grow your business \u2013 if they\u2019re accurate, regularly updated and you use them effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can reassure investors both current and future and they are essential for getting the best deal on rates if you\u2019re borrowing to invest and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, you\u2019ll learn about the basics of financial statements, why they\u2019re important for your business, how using them can lead to making better business decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#what\">What are financial statements?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#why\">Why financial statements are important for businesses<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how\">How to use financial statement data to make better business decisions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#using\">How using financial statements can help you grow your business<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#final\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-398e695c-7974-4818-8195-a9d92f0bcd9e\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-398e695c-7974-4818-8195-a9d92f0bcd9e\"\n\t>Download your free copy of 7 tips to supercharge your business decisions to help you make the right choices so your company thrives<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">What are financial statements?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In these uncertain times, with the aftermath of the pandemic and lockdown still evident, and Brexit, war in Europe, rising inflation and increasing prices of raw materials, it\u2019s more important than ever that businesses keep on top of their finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where these comprehensive, accurate financial records can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Essentially, these documents are an official record of your company\u2019s financial activities and its financial position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aim is to show <a href=\"https:\/\/online.hbs.edu\/blog\/post\/how-to-read-financial-statements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">clearly and concisely<\/a> the business activities and financial performance of a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These essential business tools typically include the balance sheet, the profit and loss account (also known as the P&amp;L or income statement) and a cash flow statement at a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The balance sheet gives an overview of your business\u2019s assets, liabilities, and the shareholders\u2019 equity at a particular time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The profit and loss account shows the income and expenditure over a set period, and this is used to calculate the company\u2019s net income or profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, the cash flow statement measures how well your company generates cash to pay its debts, its operating expenses and any investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These essential representations of a company\u2019s finances are often used by Revenue, accountants and banks plus other lenders to get an accurate picture of the financial position of your company for the purposes of tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019ll also be essential if you\u2019re looking to borrow money or you\u2019re talking to investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you come to sell your business, the buyer will certainly want to see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why\">Why financial statements are important for businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The more accurate, timely information you have about your business, the better you can manage it \u2013 and handle any risks and threats that it might face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These documents allow everyone including senior managers, the finance department, HR, sales and others to make better informed financial decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can, for instance, decide where to invest and where to reign in expenditure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have shareholders (or may have them in the future), they\u2019ll want to use these statements to understand your company finances, so they can hold the board to account, if required, and to decide whether to stay invested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This detailed information about a company\u2019s financial situation can show when it risks moving into the red but they can also reveal the most profitable periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They provide an important comparison with previous years that will enable you to understand the overall trajectory of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can show how much the business is spending to service its debts and how well positioned it is to repay those debts. It can also show which products or services are most profitable and which are underperforming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With larger companies, valuation ratios help determine the correct value or price for a company\u2019s shares as well as helping shareholders and others to understand the dividend pay-out ratio and forecast the future dividends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, the balance sheet is important because it shows your company\u2019s debt in comparison to its equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sales, expenses, losses and profit figures on the profit and loss account can help investors in your business to evaluate past performance and estimate cash flows in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cash flow statement is important because by revealing the way cash moves in and out of the business, you, your investors and others can check on whether your business has enough cash to pay for its operating expenses, and any \u2018rainy day\u2019 costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial statements can help to make preparing your accounts quicker and easier when the time comes during the financial year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can also be useful if you decide to sell your business, as any buyer will want to see detailed financial statements going back a few years \u2013 as well as those looking forward with projections based on solid assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how\">How to use financial statement data to make better business decisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your financial statements can help you measure the basics, such as your debt in relation to your assets and your income compared to outgoings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can help you to decide where and how much to invest and whether to increase your liquidity \u2013 your available cash \u2013 by selling assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also use them to calculate and even reduce your tax liability (an accountant or tax adviser can help you here).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial statements are useful for supporting decisions on which projects or initiatives to launch, and which aren\u2019t by helping you to calculate the return on investment (ROI) that they\u2019ll generate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You should be able to adjust certain figures \u2013 such as the initial investment in the project, its time period or the price of the resulting products or services \u2013 as part of your calculations to work out the most efficient and profitable option, assuming there is such a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also use these vital documents to manage your budgets by tracking actual spending against estimated expenses income versus expenditure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sharing them among your teams can improve collaboration on projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having these detailed financial records helps you to track your net profit over months, quarters and years, which in turn is useful for managing stock, pricing, discounts and expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can often use this information to compare your performance with the industry average or even with other players in the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Measuring time periods for accounts receivable (the amount of time that it takes for you to get paid after you\u2019ve sold your goods and services) in relation to accounts payable days (how long you normally take to pay your suppliers) is another useful outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-398e695c-7974-4818-8195-a9d92f0bcd9e\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-398e695c-7974-4818-8195-a9d92f0bcd9e\"\n\t>Download your free copy of 7 tips to supercharge your business decisions to help you make the right choices so your company thrives<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"using\">How using financial statements can help you grow your business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to grow your business, this detailed, accurate and regularly updated information found in your financial statements is essential for bringing in new investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, if you\u2019re planning to borrow money from a bank or an angel investor, they\u2019ll almost certainly want to see recent, comprehensive and accurate details about your business\u2019 financial situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being able to show high-quality records could possibly lower your risk profile and therefore earn you a better interest rate if you\u2019re borrowing funds from a lender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same is true if you\u2019re looking to recruit new shareholders to increase your pool of capital and broaden the leadership\u2019s management experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This detailed financial information can enable you, your board and your accountant to anticipate tax payments early and manage them in terms of your cash flow. They can also be useful for proper tax planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Making mistakes in business can be costly and waste time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having detailed, accurate and financial information can mean you\u2019re less likely to make these errors because you\u2019ll have the correct information to base your decisions on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By tweaking figures in your statements, you can see the results of various actions and permutations of income and expenditure before you carry them out. Ensuring that everyone making projections and decisions has these statements is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These statements of your finances need to be forward looking as well as historic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, knowing your revenues, costs and outgoings over the past few years is important but you also need to be able to make projections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Detailed plans showing a variety of scenarios over the coming years will help you and your teams to plan for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moving beyond traditional spreadsheets and using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">smart accounting software<\/a>, which might involve keeping this and all of your financial information in the cloud can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will allow you to keep your records constantly updated and to share them in real time with other stakeholders within your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sooner you start, the more years of financial records you\u2019ll accumulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this longevity is particularly useful if you\u2019re applying for loans, appealing to investors or looking to sell your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accurate, timely financial statements are essential for any successful business. Not only do they tell you what\u2019s going on currently, but they allow you to make projections and explore hypothetical scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, in today\u2019s fast moving and unpredictable business environment, that\u2019s more important than ever.<\/p>\r\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\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\">7 tips to supercharge your business decisions <\/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>Discover the seven powerful insights that can help to keep your business healthy, wealthy and wise.<\/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-398e695c-7974-4818-8195-a9d92f0bcd9e\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button 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business_type-medium-sized-business business_type-accountants 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=\"999\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/Sage_Cantelowes1444_All-Uses.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/Sage_Cantelowes1444_All-Uses-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/Sage_Cantelowes1444_All-Uses-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/Sage_Cantelowes1444_All-Uses.jpg 999w\" 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=\"2026-04-13T11:11:45+01:00\">13 April, 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\">11 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-ie\/blog\/three-way-matching-in-accounts-payable\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThree-way matching in accounts payable: What it is and why it matters\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\tStruggling with invoice errors? See how 3-way matching in accounts payable ensures accurate payments, reduces risk, and improves efficiency. \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-17849 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-cash-flow 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-ie\/blog\/what-is-a-pro-forma-invoice\/\"\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\" 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class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 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 create accurate budget forecasts: Methods, tools, and real-world 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-3 post-17838 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-free-guides-templates category-money-matters tag-business-finances tag-ecommerce tag-electronic-payments business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business industry-ecommerce\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/guide-to-subscription-billing\/\"\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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0-.739.761v10.689l-1.72-1.72a.75.75 0 0 0-.957-.099.75.75 0 0 0-.315.776c.031.146.104.28.211.384l3 3a.75.75 0 0 0 1.06 0l3-3a.76.76 0 0 0 .231-.533.74.74 0 0 0-.22-.538q-.108-.106-.247-.164c-.139-.058-.191-.057-.291-.056s-.198.022-.29.061-.174.097-.243.169l-1.72 1.72V3.75a.76.76 0 0 0-.22-.541.76.76 0 0 0-.542-.22zM5.75 8.5C4.24 8.5 3 9.74 3 11.25v7C3 19.76 4.24 21 5.75 21h12.5c1.51 0 2.75-1.24 2.75-2.75v-7c0-1.51-1.24-2.75-2.75-2.75h-3a.76.76 0 0 0-.537.216.74.74 0 0 0-.223.535.76.76 0 0 0 .223.535.74.74 0 0 0 .537.216h3c.699 0 1.25.551 1.25 1.25v7a1.24 1.24 0 0 1-1.25 1.25H5.75a1.24 1.24 0 0 1-1.25-1.25v-7c0-.699.551-1.25 1.25-1.25h3a.76.76 0 0 0 .537-.216.74.74 0 0 0 .223-.535.76.76 0 0 0-.223-.535.75.75 0 0 0-.537-.216z\" \/><\/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=\"2026-04-10T10:12:46+01:00\">10 April, 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class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 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\tAccounts payable management best practices\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 statements are the building blocks of any well-run company. Here&#8217;s how they can help you to manage and grow your business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":653,"featured_media":8237,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"163","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[105,107,313],"business_type":[5],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[232],"imagine_tag":[178,340,344,230],"coauthors":[415],"class_list":["post-8623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-bookkeeping","tag-business-finances","tag-business-performance","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ie","author_name":"Simon Brooke","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-863559036.jpg","imagine_tags":{"178":"Accounting software","340":"Business intelligence","344":"Business reporting","230":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Ireland","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/8237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=8623"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}