Can you believe more than half of all businesses (over 50%!) have to deal with errors or fraud because they lack proper internal controls and mainly financial controls, or there’s a common habit of overriding them? Well, numbers and reports back that! If you’re someone associated with the financial side of the business, be it an ecommerce one or the traditional brick-and-mortar one, this number shows just how important financial controls are for protecting your business against fraudulent activities!
With the rise of cybersecurity threats in the ecommerce landscape, secure financial management of your financial data becomes even more important, and financial controls can assist with that! Let’s explore what financial control means, the types available, their importance, practical examples, and how you can implement them in your organization. But first, let’s start with the basics.
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Financial controls meaning
Financial controls are simply the systematic processes and procedures that you use to manage your business’s financial resources. This includes monitoring all financial transactions to ensure they’re accurate, compliant with regulations, and aligned with your organizational goals. Effective financial controls help you maintain the integrity of your financial records, protect against fraudulent activities, and ensure that you’re making informed decisions based on reliable data.
For example, think that you’re running a small ecommerce business with an annual revenue of $500,000. Without proper financial controls, you might overlook discrepancies in your balance sheets that could result in thousands of dollars in losses. Let’s say, an employee misappropriated $10,000 due to weak oversight—that’s 2% of your revenue gone! Implementing strong financial controls can prevent such losses and ensure your business remains profitable.
However, financial control isn’t one-size-fits-all—it comes in different forms, each with its own role. Let’s break down the key types and see how they work.
Types of financial controls
Here are the two main categories of financial controls:
- Preventative controls
These measures are what you’ll design for your business to stop errors or fraud before they happen. For example, authorization processes, which require managerial approval for expenditures over a certain amount (like $1,000). This will ensure that all significant spending is scrutinized.
Similarly, you can use segregation of duties as a preventative control in which you’ll divide responsibilities among different employees so that no one person has control over all aspects of a financial transaction. For instance, one employee might handle cash receipts while another manages the accounting records.
- Detective controls
These controls identify errors or fraudulent activities after they’ve occurred. One good example would be account reconciliations in which you’ll be regularly comparing your internal records with bank statements to catch discrepancies. For instance, if you find that your bank statement shows $50,000 in cash while your records indicate $48,000, you need to investigate the $2,000 difference.
Having understood the nature of financial control and its types, let’s explore why it’s important.
Why are financial controls important?
If you’re operating a business, the importance of financial controls just can’t be overstated. Here’s why they matter:
Accurate financial records enable you to make informed decisions. For example, if your profit margin is consistently around 20%, knowing this helps you set realistic sales targets. Strong controls deter fraudulent activities. In fact, as we discussed earlier, organizations with robust internal controls get to experience 50% fewer cases of fraud compared to those without.
Additionally, they’re a must for enhancing operational efficiency. Streamlined processes lead to better management of financial resources. By minimizing errors through effective controls, you can save time and money. They also help with adhering to laws and regulations and protect you and your business from legal penalties and reputational damage.
Ready to learn about some examples of financial controls? Read further.
Examples of financial controls
Let’s look at some practical examples of financial controls that can be implemented in your organization:
- Account reconciliations: Conduct monthly reconciliations of your bank statements against your accounting records. If you fail to do so and identify and investigate discrepancies in time, you can face cash flow issues, tax problems and put your business at a heightened risk of fraud and financial instability.
- Cash inflows and outflows: Monitor cash flow closely by tracking daily sales and expenses. If you notice that cash inflows are consistently lower than expected (say $5,000 instead of $7,000), this could indicate issues such as declining sales or unrecorded transactions.
- Segregation of duties: Implement a system where different employees handle different aspects of a transaction. For example, one employee handles invoicing while another manages payments. This reduces the risk of embezzlement; studies show that organizations with proper segregation have 80% fewer fraud incidents.
- Internal audits: Schedule regular internal audits, at least twice a year, to review your financial practices thoroughly. This could involve checking if all transactions over a certain amount (like $500) have proper documentation and approvals.
How to implement effective financial control?
Implementing effective financial control is essential for safeguarding your organization’s assets and ensuring accurate financial reporting. Here’s a detailed guide on how to establish robust financial controls tailored to fit your organization’s needs, along with a step that highlights the benefits of using technology, specifically Synder.
1. Assess current practices
Start by conducting a thorough evaluation of your existing financial protocols. This involves reviewing your record-keeping methods and transaction approval processes. Identify strengths and weaknesses in these areas. For example, if you find that your expense approval process lacks clarity, it may lead to unauthorized spending. By pinpointing these gaps, you can create a solid foundation for improvement.
2. Identify risks
Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential areas where errors or fraud could occur. For instance, if cash handling is centralized with one employee without oversight, this poses a significant risk. You might discover that this individual has access to both cash receipts and accounting records, increasing the likelihood of misappropriation. By identifying these vulnerabilities, you can prioritize which controls need immediate attention.
3. Develop policies
Create clear and concise policies outlining procedures for all financial transactions. Specify who can authorize expenses over certain thresholds (for example, only managers can approve purchases exceeding $1,000). Documenting these policies ensures consistency and provides guidance for employees, reducing the risk of errors or fraud.
4. Incorporate technology
Incorporating technology into your financial control processes can significantly enhance efficiency and accuracy. Synder, for instance, is an accounting automation tool that integrates seamlessly with over 30 popular platforms like QuickBooks, PayPal, or Shopify.
By using Synder, you can automate data entry from multiple sales and payment channels into your accounting system, minimizing manual errors and saving time. This tool also provides real-time insights into your financial data, allowing you to make informed decisions quickly. With features like automated reconciliations and streamlined reporting, Synder helps ensure that your financial records are accurate and up-to-date.
Don’t leave your financial health to chance; invest in effective financial control today! Sign up for Synder’s 15-day free trial or book a spot at a Weekly Public Demo and add unmatched accuracy to your business’s financial reports.
5. Train your staff
Ensure all employees understand their roles in maintaining financial controls. Regular training sessions are crucial for reinforcing the importance of these practices. For example, conduct quarterly workshops where employees learn about updated policies and procedures related to financial transactions. This ongoing education helps create a culture of accountability and compliance within your organization.
6. Monitor and review
Regularly review your financial controls for effectiveness. Set up quarterly reviews where management assesses compliance with established policies and identifies areas for improvement. For instance, if an internal audit reveals recurring discrepancies in expense reports, it may indicate a need for stricter approval processes or additional training for staff.
Wrap-up
In conclusion, implementing effective financial controls is essential for safeguarding your organization’s assets and ensuring accurate reporting. By understanding the different types of financial controls and following a structured implementation process, you can significantly enhance your business’s financial performance.
If you’re ready to take your accounting efficiency to the next level, use Synder, an accounting automation tool designed specifically for ecommerce and subscription-based businesses like yours!
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