How to Prepare a Budget Using a Spreadsheet

unning a business without a clear budget is like driving in fog.
This practical guide gives South African entrepreneurs a simple, repeatable way to see their money before it moves—using a spreadsheet you fully control.

In How to Prepare a Budget Using a Spreadsheet, Douw Steyn walks you through building a decision-ready budgeting system tailored to real SA business conditions: 15% VAT, local payment gateways, courier costs, seasonality, and cash-flow pressure.

What you’ll learn:

• How to design a clean, audit-friendly budget workbook

• Building driver-based revenue and expense models

• Tracking VAT (output vs input) and preparing for VAT201

• Managing payroll, PAYE, UIF, SDL, and the owner’s pay

• Creating cash-flow forecasts and a 13-week cash flow view

• Running variance analysis and rolling forecasts

• Using KPIs to make better business decisions

Who this book is for:

• Small business owners and entrepreneurs

• Side hustlers formalising their finances

• Managers who want control without complex accounting software

• Anyone using Excel or Google Sheets to manage money

If you can read a bank statement, you can build a budget that actually works.

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