Remember that shiny budget and those big goals you made in January when the year felt fresh and full of possibilities? If your business (or life) looks different now than it did months ago, you’re not failing, you’re simply running a real business in the real world. Things shift. You adapt.

In this episode, Danielle Hayden, CEO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., walks you through one of her favorite CFO tools: reforecasting. It’s not about starting over—it's about realigning your financial strategy with where you are right now.

Key Takeaways: 

• Reforecasting = Realignment, Not Failure: Your original budget was based on what you knew at the time. Updating it doesn’t mean you failed—it means you're leading with clarity and making strategic decisions based on your current reality.  

• Start with Solid Bookkeeping: Before you can reforecast, your financial foundation needs to be accurate. Without clean, up-to-date books, your forecast is a guess and isn’t providing you with proper clarity.

• Use Actual Data + Updated Insights: Effective reforecasting combines what you know now, your business’s year-to-date (YTD), with your revised budget to project the rest of the year.

• Reforecasting Should Be Routine: Use this tool anytime your business shifts, like if there’s a change in revenue, a team adjustment, a new offer, or even a personal life change that impacts your work.

• Rewire Your Mindset: There’s no shame in changing the plan. In fact, there’s power in it. Adapting your financial strategy is a sign of leadership, not failure. 

Topics Discussed:

(00:19 – 01:14) Why is Reforecasting Important in Financial Planning? 

(01:14 – 02:28) What is Reforecasting in Business?

(03:32 – 06:12) When Should You Reforecast?

(06:12 – 07:49) Real World Client Examples of Reforecasting

(07:50 – 08:49) Rewiring Your Mindset Around Changing Your Plans

(08:52 – 09:49) How to Reforecast Step-by-Step 

 

Your Reforecasting Action Plan:

1. Review your year-to-date and quarterly financials

2. Ask yourself: What’s changed? What needs to shift or stay the same?

3. Update your original budget with what you now know

4. Download our free reforecasting template below!

 

Resources: 

Free Reforecasting Template | KickstartAccountingInc.com/budget

 

Book a Call with Kickstart Accounting, Inc.:

https://www.kickstartaccountinginc.com/book 

 

Connect with Kickstart Accounting, Inc.:

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YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@businessbythebooks 

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