Small Business Budget Template

Name: Centennial Accounting Group
Address: 3773 Cherry Creek N Dr, West Tower Suite 630, Denver, CO, 80209, US
Telephone: +1-720-603-9700
Price range: $$

A 12-month operating budget for revenue, cost of goods sold, and operating expenses. Every subtotal, gross profit, and net income line calculates automatically.

Why this matters

A budget isn't a prediction, it's a decision about how you'll run the business. It gives you a benchmark to measure actual results against and a tool to spot problems early.

Businesses that budget consistently spot cash-flow problems 60-90 days earlier than those that don't. That early warning is often the difference between adjusting course and running out of runway.

The right budgeting cadence for most small businesses is: build annually, review monthly against actuals, and reforecast quarterly if reality has diverged from plan.

How to use it

Duplicate the template and rename with the target year (e.g., 'Budget_2026.xlsx').
Fill in revenue lines for each month based on historical trend, pipeline, and growth targets.
Enter COGS (materials, direct labor, shipping), Gross Profit calculates automatically.
Populate each operating expense line by month. Use last year's actuals as a starting point.
Review the auto-calculated Net Income row to confirm the plan is profitable each month.
Compare Net Income to your minimum cash balance target and adjust if needed.
Each month, add an 'Actual' column beside each 'Budget' column and calculate variance.