Budgets
How do you create a budget if the college did not have budget before?
Good question Dawn. Did you check to see what kind of budget the school is operating under. And what the budget is to run your department. The owner or campus president should have this information. Or your supervisor. If there is no budget then this is the time to work with the school bookkeeper and create one to present to the school owner. good luck, Susan
I believe you shuld hire a profesional to do the budgeting it is way to complex.
kelly,
Budgets are very complex. So having professionals with experience is important. However, we feel that everyone should be involved in preparing the budget. That is a great way to get all staff involved and responsible for income and expenses. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I'm not overly familiar with making budgets, but here's my rough draft for planning one.
As was suggested, getting the budget from a superior is best. If one isnt in place, it's time to play! Research is key. I would ask all of my staff what they absolutely needed in order to run classes/business functions. Then, I would ask them what they think would be helpful to create better synergy.
From here, a professional would be very helpful (since really, I dont fully know what I'm doing either). I think that teamwork would be key. Talk with and go over items with the professional to create a set plan.
I would start looking around for price comparisons, while also checking the "mandatory" lists for things that may not be needed. After price checking for the better prices, I would set up an account (if needed), and then start order what is needed first. Later, as more things come together and income comes in, the 'want' list can be looked at.
I'm going to say that it is safe to assume that budgets need to be as inexpensive as possible, to get more bang for your buck. Just be sure to take quality vs. quantity in to account.
Hope that this helps! I hope that I can learn from your plan.
Kristen,
This is great. You've identified the elements of setting, maintaining, and monitoring great budgets. A committee to oversee and make decisions. Stakeholders to set goals with costs and ROI, Implementers. Ways to get feedback and how you are doing. The internet can provide many examples of budget formats. Find one that is easy and makes sense. Again, it's about creating a plan, putting numbers to it, measuring, and making changes. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
