Cash flow v profit - what is the difference

When it comes to running a small business in the UK, understanding the difference between cash flow and profit is essential. Knowing how to manage your cash flow can help you make sure that your business continues to operate successfully. In this article, we will look at what cash flow and profit are, how they differ from each other, and how understanding this can help you manage your finances.

What is Cash Flow?

Cash flow is simply the amount of money coming into and out of a business. It is also sometimes referred to as net cash flow or free cash flow. This includes income from sales, investments, loans, and any other source of revenue that a business may have. It also includes any expenses such as payroll costs, materials costs, rent payments, etc. The important thing to remember about cash flow is that it represents actual money coming into or out of a business.

What is Profit?

Profit isn’t actually related to money itself—rather, it’s a measure of how much value has been created by a business over a certain period of time. For example, if a company sells £100 worth of products and incurs £50 worth of expenses related to those sales (such as materials or labour), then its profit would be £50—the difference between what was earned and what was spent in order for that money to be made. The important thing to remember about profit is that it does not necessarily represent actual money entering or leaving the business—it just tells us how much value was created by doing something (in this case selling products). 

There are also 3 different types of profit and you can read more about those here. 

The Difference Between Cash Flow And Profit

The main difference between cash flow and profit is that one measures actual money entering and leaving the business while the other measures value creation over time. While they are both important metrics when assessing the health of a small business in the UK, they measure different things—so it’s important to understand both when managing your finances.

Understanding the difference between cash flow and profit can help you make informed decisions about how best to manage your finances as a small business owner in the UK. By knowing when your money is actually entering or leaving your business (cash flow) versus when you are creating value (profit), you can make better decisions about how best to allocate resources and maximise returns on investment over time. With this knowledge in hand, you will be able to make informed decisions about how best to run your small business in today's economy!

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