v. 1. What are budgets? How do they work? In Blakeway Ltd budgeting is vital to their manufacturing plans - but budgets depend on sales forecasts which are notoriously unreliable. Variance analysis is used to track the difference between estimates and reality. Budgets can be used to make staff more accountable and set priorities - but sometimes managers use up current budgets simply for fear of losing their money next year! --v. 2. A manager uses the budget to crack the whip. Against a background of falling sales, company accountant Bee Payne asks her colleagues to account for their spending against their budgets. The systems department hasn't actually overspent - but shouldn't they have spent less with sales falling? And why is the sales and marketing department overspending on its budget? Is there a scope for spending cuts to get the firm back on target? --v. 3. First Luggage makes its money by taking your luggage off your hands and transporting it to wherever you go on holiday or business. It's enjoyed impressive growth - and detailed budgeting, it's claimed, is central to its success. First Luggage's boss explains how they put their budgets together. But budgets are estimates - it's critical to monitor what happens in reality and "tweak" the business accordingly. --v. 4. SRA is a charity which helps people with mental health problems get work experience in its businesses. It uses a combination of budgeting and cash-flow forecasting to control its finances. Being realistic is vital in planning its budgets - allowing for things like inflation and the cost of materials. Business goes up and down, too - so monitoring how well they're actually doing against their forecasts is vital.