How to Budget: Key Decisions

Download the Companion to A Better Budgeting Process

The budgeting process breaks down into the following discrete activities, with finance responsible for running the process.

(Click + to learn more about each activity)

7 Decisions That Guide the Budgeting Process

These 7 decisions — from risk appetite to review cadence — frame every budget you build. Use the key questions in each row to gauge where your organization stands.

(Click + to learn more about each decision)

1. Strategize: How much risk are we willing to take? +
2. Plan: How do we set the baseline? +
3. Align: How do we translate plans into operational targets? +
4. Decide: Who gets to make what decisions? +
5. Measure: Is our process defined by control or agility? +
6. Adjust: What changes can be made during the year? +
7. Prepare: What is the right level of granularity? +