Budget Optimiser Worksheet

Visualise where your money is going, cut the waste, and focus every pound on growth that matters.

Why Optimising Your Budget Matters for Growth Without the Waste

As a founder... your budget is one of your most powerful tools - but also one of the easiest to lose control of.

When you don't have clear visibility... it's all too easy to...

Keep paying for subscriptions and services no one uses.
Fund marketing campaigns that generate noise but no real customers.
Spend on 'growth hacks' that look exciting but don't create lasting results.
Allow hidden costs to quietly eat away at your profit.

Every pound that's wasted isn't just lost... it's time, energy, and opportunity stolen from your business.

The Budget Optimiser Worksheet gives you clarity.

It helps you see the full picture, so you can quickly identify where money is being wasted and reallocate those resources to activities that actually grow your business.

This is how you stop 'guess-spending' and start building a growth engine without the waste.

What The Budget Optimiser Worksheet Does for You

When you use the Budget Optimiser Worksheet, you will...

Visualise Your Entire Spend Clearly - Every cost, every campaign, every subscription.
Spot Hidden Leaks - See exactly where money is being wasted without a return.
Reallocate Effectively - Move funds from low-value spend to high-impact activities.
Gain Confidence in Decisions - Make choices based on facts, not gut feelings.
Create a Streamlined, Stronger Business Model - Where every pound spent drives measurable growth.

This tool turns financial fog into clear focus, giving you full control over where your money goes and why.

Why Founders Often Get Stuck Without Optimising Their Budget

Many founders confuse activity with progress.

They assume that as long as they're 'doing things' (running ads, hiring agencies, launching campaigns), they're growing.

But... in reality... they're often just pouring money into chaos.

Here's why budgets spiral out of control...

No Central View - Costs are scattered across tools, teams, and accounts, making it hard to track.
Shiny Object Spending - Chasing trends or copying competitors without clear strategy.
Vanity Metrics Focus - Paying for marketing that looks good on paper but doesn't create customers.
No System For Review - Expenses go unchecked, and waste builds up month after month.

Without a structured process... founders are left reactive instead of proactive, always feeling short of cash while wondering why growth feels so hard.

The Budget Optimiser Worksheet fixes this by giving you a clear, step-by-step way to take back control.

How to Use the Budget Optimiser Worksheet

Follow these simple steps to make the most of your worksheet...

Step 1: Gather Your Numbers

Collect every financial detail for your business, including...

Marketing spend
Team costs
Subscriptions and tools
Agency or contractor fees
Any other recurring costs

Be brutally honest... include everything... even if it feels small. Tiny leaks add up fast.

Step 2: Categorise Your Spend

Inside the worksheet, enter each cost into its relevant category...

Direct Growth Activities - Spend tied directly to acquiring or retaining customers.
Indirect Costs - Necessary operations that support growth but don't directly generate customers.
Wasted Spend - Anything not driving measurable impact.

Step 3: Assign Value Levels

For each cost, rank its impact level...

High Impact - Directly linked to revenue growth or retention.
Medium Impact - Supportive but not critical.
Low Impact - Has little to no measurable effect on growth.

This step instantly highlights where waste lives.

Step 4: Reallocate Your Budget

Use the visual outputs in the worksheet to...

Identify which costs to cut completely.
Highlight areas where more investment will drive growth.
Build a streamlined budget focused only on high-value activities.

Step 5: Review Monthly

Set a recurring date to review and update the worksheet.

Regular use prevents waste from creeping back into your business.

Download Your Budget Optimiser Worksheet

Take control of your budget and turn waste into growth.

>>> Download the Budget Optimiser Worksheet →

What's inside the file?

Instructions - Clear, step-by-step guidance on how to capture spend, spot waste, and reallocate funds with confidence.
Blank Worksheet - A clean sheet to enter your actual expenses with columns for Category, Monthly Cost, Impact Level, and Notes. Includes conditional highlights so Wasted Spend stands out and High Impact is easy to spot.
Demo Worksheet - A fully populated example with 12 realistic items founders will recognise, including Google Ads, SEO tools, old unused software, and print marketing.
Summary - Automatic totals by category for both the demo and your sheet, plus a combined view. Includes a built-in bar chart so you can see where money is going at a glance.
Reallocation Planner - Turn savings into growth. Plan cuts, set new allocation targets, and record the new monthly amounts with simple colour cues for Cut and Review.

This isn't just a spreadsheet... it's a decision-making tool that will help you build a streamlined, focused, and profitable business.

The Downloadable Budget Optimiser Worksheet

This worksheet is ready for you to use in Excel, Google Sheets, or your preferred spreadsheet tool.

When populated, your worksheet will look something like...

Next Steps After Filling in Your Budget Optimiser Worksheet

Once you've downloaded and filled in your budget optimiser worksheet...

>>> Follow 'Step 4: Track and Execute' on the 'Accelerate' page →

Or visit the Founders Resource Hub to download other tools to help you to grow without the waste.