What Are the Four Elements of Financial Management? - Arrow Research Corporation (2024)

Financial management combines organisation, business objectives, task and innovation management as well as the financial stability and profits of a business, and the list can lead to a convoluted practice. However, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it sounds. Most financial management plans will break them down into four elements commonly recognised in financial management. These four elements are planning, controlling, organising & directing, and decision making. With a structure and plan that follows this, a business may find that it isn’t as overwhelming as it seems.

The four elements of financial management

Planning

Identify the steps that align with the business or individual objectives.

Have you taken the time to properly establish your business goals and objectives? Do you know what your long-term plans are for yourself, your brand and your staff? Each business goal, whether that’s profit maximation, business growth or expansion of services will require financial management and with each goal, there will be steps to get there. This includes financing, budgeting, allocating roles, customer research, and much more. Take some time to agree upon some measurable steps that get you towards your goal.

Controlling

Ensure each aspect of the organisation is following the established plan

Now you know your steps, do you know that each part of the business is working to achieve the objectives? This isn’t necessarily about cutting costs or determining redundancies, rather it is more about setting appropriate KPIs that can quantifiably lead to the organisational goal. It’s important to make sure any and all staff are aware of the goals and their role in achieving that goal.

Organising and directing

Decide on what resources are necessary to effectively carry out the plan

Resources don’t just refer to material assets and tools. It expands over to staff, roles, budget, funding, technology & software, outsourcing services, and more. You do not want to start implanting a strategy if you don’t even have all the resources at the ready to get the ball rolling.

Decision making

Make choices after investigating all possibilities and options

Once you have established all alternatives and potential plans decision-makers must choose which alternative is feasible and matches with goals and objectives. Decision making will, in fact, coincide with the rest of planning, controlling and organising, as each element will need to be confirmed before moving forward with the plan.

Implementing financial plans

When handling the complexities of financial management, it’s important to break planning down into categories, aligned with business goals. With the chosen plan you can then decide on software and platforms to support your strategy.

Get the right software to support your goals

If you require an online financial management system, the team at Arrow can help. We provide innovative accounting and software solutions designed to support small to medium businesses in profit maximisation, business management and growth objectives. If you would like to know more about our software reach out to our customer service team on 1800 248 265 or download our brochure to learn more.

What Are the Four Elements of Financial Management? - Arrow Research Corporation (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 elements of financial management? ›

These four elements are planning, controlling, organising & directing, and decision making. With a structure and plan that follows this, a business may find that it isn't as overwhelming as it seems.

What are the four parts of a financial management system? ›

Most association financial management plans can be broken down into four elements. These four elements include planning, controlling, organizing and directing, and decision-making. With a structure and plan that follows this, an organization may find that it isn't as overwhelming as it may seem at first.

What are the four-four processes of financial management? ›

The Financial Management Cycle includes four phases that are essential for the overall evaluation of the financial management of any firm. The four phases are Planning, Budgeting, Managing Operations, and Annual Reporting.

What are the four elements used in financial analysis? ›

Let's delve deeper into the four primary financial statements: the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, and Statement of Changes in Equity, and understand their distinctive importance. What it Represents: The Income Statement provides a snapshot of a company's profitability over a specific period.

What are the 4 C's of financial management? ›

Character, capital, capacity, and collateral – purpose isn't tied entirely to any one of the four Cs of credit worthiness. If your business is lacking in one of the Cs, it doesn't mean it has a weak purpose, and vice versa. Instead, the four categories come together to constitute purpose.

What are the 4 steps of financial management? ›

Use this step-by-step financial planning guide to become more engaged with your finances now and into the future.
  1. Assess your financial situation and typical expenses. ...
  2. Set your financial goals. ...
  3. Create a plan that reflects the present and future. ...
  4. Fund your goals through saving and investing.
Apr 21, 2023

What are the four elements of the financial system? ›

The main financial system components include financial institutions, financial services, financial markets, and financial instruments.

What are the 4 pillars of financial services? ›

The 4 pillars of a financial system
  • Financial system pillar #1: Pricing.
  • Financial system pillar #2: Profit.
  • Financial system pillar #3: Performance.
  • Financial system pillar #4: Planning.

What are the four 4 functions of the financial system? ›

The five key functions of a financial system are: (i) producing information ex ante about possible investments and allocate capital; (ii) monitoring investments and exerting corporate governance after providing finance; (iii) facilitating the trading, diversification, and management of risk; (iv) mobilizing and pooling ...

What are the big 4 financial analysis? ›

In the vast landscape of accounting and professional services, the Big 4 – KPMG, EY, PwC, and Deloitte – reign supreme. These titans not only dominate the field in client network and revenue globally but also audit around 80% of public companies in the United States.

What are the 4 components of the financial statements? ›

Financial statements can be divided into four categories: balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and equity statements.

What do the 4 financial statements consist of? ›

For-profit businesses use four primary types of financial statement: the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash flow, and the statement of retained earnings. Read on to explore each one and the information it conveys.

What are the 4 primary components of a financial system? ›

The main financial system components include financial institutions, financial services, financial markets, and financial instruments.

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