What is the Difference Between Financial Management and Book Keeping?

If you are one among those who relates finical management to book keeping then you need to re-think. In fact, there are many people who consider financial management similar to book keeping or often gets confused to differentiate between both of them. Perhaps, the difference between book keeping and financial management is a common inquiry among numerous sophomores who are eager to gain knowledge and have a career in the sphere of financial and business management. From an elementary perspective, the aspect of financial management is a massive arena, and much broader than that of conventional book keeping methodologies. It is true that most of the financial management programs incorporate the study and application of book keeping in their syllabi, but as a whole, the ins and outs, details of financial planning and management are monumental in quantity and relevance.
Generally, the book keeping procedure deals with the traditional methods of accountancy that primarily considers the debiting and crediting of various monetary transactions. On other hand, the different facets of financial management do not only deal with accountancy, but it even includes other core subjects such as economics, mathematics and commerce.

The procedure of bookkeeping is largely mechanical and often do not require any detail study. Instead of the analyzing, the bookkeeping majorly depends on the recording of the information. On other hand, FM once again also address to risk associated to business. Every business that has a well defined system or even a good cash flow can have a problem. Now through some tried and true methods of proper financial management problems like handling any sort of cash shortages can be prevented. The principles of management can at times help in preventing cash flow problems and deal with them more effectively.
Moreover, F.M as a whole can be broadly defined as the procedure of running the financial resources, including financial reporting, budgeting, risk management, and insurance for a business. In fact, it primarily refers on two key aspects - how you are really financing your business and how well you handle the money in the business. However, bookkeeping basically talks about the day to day operation of an accounting system. It majorly refers the recording of regular transactions within the suitable accounts. An accounting system defines the process of recognizing, evaluating, recording and talking about the financial information concerning the business. So, in simple words, the bookkeeping can also be considered as a subset of the accounting system.
Without doubt, financial management generally encompasses a number of crucial areas of business, but at same the business results are usually delivered in forms of reports. Consequently, talking in the present context both financial management and book keeping have their own role to play, but having a knowledge of both can always assure excellent employment in the market. Both of them are beneficial in terms of salary and also at context of job satisfaction.

The Importance of Financial Management

The present world is synonymous with consumerism; therefore, management of finances is often a difficult task. Individuals can spend their money on a wide range of products or services. Over-indulgence in such products can lead to high credit card bills. In many cases, individuals spend their money before earning it, which can lead to a fiscal crisis. At this point, a financial management book comes to the rescue.
Every individual dreams of becoming a millionaire, especially in a relatively short period of time. However, dreams are not enough, and you will have to demonstrate effective monetary management. A management book contains useful resources and tips on how to manage your money.
A finance management book will give you definite steps to optimize your income and prevent losses. By reading it, you can equip yourself with a definite road map toward economic independence.
An important strategy listed in a finance management book revolves around changing your mindset. As a consumer, you would have to curb spending and wisely invest the money that you earn. Your perception of money should change if you wish to become wealthy. Most financial management books list effective habits and strategies, and it will do you a load of good if you master these habits. You should be able to understand the cash flow and manage it effectively, so that your income is more than your expenditure.

Almost every individual stands a chance of benefiting from knowledge related to monetary management. Every individual and business has financial concerns and hence it is important to learn the nuances of finance.
Fiscal management can be a tricky issue, and hence a financial management book is very handy. Effective financial management should help curb stress related to finance. Financial management equips you to pay your bills on time, and simultaneously have a good social life. Some of these books have been written by experts in this field, giving great insight, depth and knowledge. Financial management books are worth the investment if you can learn and master the listed strategies.
An important financial management strategy is to limit purchasing products on credit. Effective management programs help you save money for future needs.
The first step in management is making a list of all the sources of income. Follow this by a list of all your monthly expenditures. If you still have money left after taking care of all your expenditures, then you would need to invest this money in an effective way. Having an emergency fund is a great way to tackle unexpected expenditures.
Financial management can help if you wish to have a healthy, post-retirement life and a nice vacation home. It also helps you to take care of your child's education, especially college fees.

Financial Management Software Secrets

Money is tight, times are hard, you have heard this constantly for the past couple of years and businesses in particular have suffered at the hands of the global economic downturn. Perhaps the poor economy as much as anything else has increased the importance companies now place on their financial teams and perhaps to a greater extent the financial management software that they employ. Is it really possible that something as basic as software could be the difference between success and failure in a recession?
It may be a little far-fetched to say that financial management software will determine how a company performs in any kind of market; however it is entirely reasonable to say that it can change the fortunes of a company. It is also fair to say that if used correctly it will provide a road map to how a business can avoid the worst of a difficult trading situation and perhaps even prosper in a recession. Of course not all financial management software is created equally and I'm not suggesting that a program created to manage a home budget will change the fortunes of a large business, what we are talking about here enterprise level software designed with business in mind. So how does it achieve all this?
Today programs are more than just accounting software and definitely about more than just managing a bank balance. Actually it is used to provide in depth information as a basis for key strategic business decisions, the reporting features that enterprise level financial software has means that it is an invaluable tool for any company involved in planning for the future, informing decision makers of the areas of business where savings can be made and how those savings can be made. It's not only about savings though, increasing profits is an area where the insights offered by the reports can prove invaluable, the combination of cutting costs, making savings and increasing margins the basis of how using financial management software can turn the failing business around to be a successful and lean operation. How to choose the right software is another matter entirely.

Enterprise level financial management software does more than just accounting, when choosing a program there are several factors that must be considered to get the right platform for the specific business conditions you operate in, to do this it should be:
  • Reliable; it is essential that the program has been proven over time.
  • Robust; the software should be strong enough not to break through input error.
  • Flexible; it should be able to manage the whole range of financial processes.
  • Simple; a smooth learning curve is helpful, user-friendly is essential.
  • Integration; it is a necessity for the software to integrate seamlessly with existing business applications.
  • Expandable; if necessary a modular program that can growl to a full suite of ERP applications is idea.
Although not exhaustive this is the very basics of what is required for a finance application to be good enough to guide your business strategies, anything less and the results would be misleading.
Cost effective financial management is not easy with finance teams having to achieve more in less time with less resources, the only way they can manage to do this is by utilising the best possible tools at their disposal. Financial management software can help them provide the proper reports for the best possible strategic business decisions to be made.