Using the Internet and Search Engines to Create Project Budgets

The idea of calculating and budgeting time and money can make for a difficult task for a project manager.  If a manger is relatively new at developing a budget, it can seem like an overwhelming task (Stolovich, 2012).  Thankfully, the Internet and search engines give a new project manager many resources to understand and develop his or hers budget.  Projects will always have deadlines and budgets for a manger to handle.  It is important that a manager learn to handle all these tasks in an effecient manner (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  Many companies or blogs out on the Internet offer free software and advice and tips to help someone produce an effective budget. 

In reviewing multiple websites on a search engine, it is evident how much assistance there is for a project manager.  There are two particular websites I find helpful in assisting me in understanding the different parts and areas of budgets.  There are thousands of sites out there to assist anyone, and these two specific sites may not be as beneficial to another person, but it gives some insight to the type of assistance the Internet has to offer a project manager.

Social Signal – How to Create Budget Estimates for Proposals and Project Management

http://socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management

The first website comes from a company out of Vancouver, British Columbia and is a company that specializes in assisting companies in marketing or creating their products to sell on the Internet or other multimedia forms.  This blog entry gives practical advice on how to use software the company owns to assist a project manager in creating a budget spreadsheet.  The software uses Google Docs and contains four areas to assist the manger. 

They are (Samuel, 2010):

·         Title page

·         Internal estimating spreadsheet

·         The client budget

·         Project timeline

The blog also goes into a five step instruction on how to use the software appropriately. 

This website and software are useful because it gives a basic but useful starting point software for any project manager free of charge.  It is not an overwhelming and complicated piece of software to use.  In addition, it utilizes Google Docs and can be done using any web browser.  This blog also gives some reflections and the writers own personal experience using the software.  The website is attempting to sell their own companies assets and resources to others, but it does give some useful and advantageous software that any project manager can use (Samuel, 2010)

Tech Republic:  Creating Your Project Budget:  Where to Begin?

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600

The second Internet source I find useful is not so much offering software but is offering advice on how to begin a project budget.  I now understand from this course the amount of time and effort goes into creating and managing a budget.  This website gives me insight to understand where to begin (Doll, 2002).  The author of this entry goes into seven easy steps in beginning to plan out your project budget.  Her useful advice such as labeling your budget as an estimate is useful because it points out that no budget is final until upper level administration or project owners approve it.  In addition, the site gives helpful advice in remembering direct and indirect costs of a project.  The part of this blog entry I find most useful is the section on including risk analysis inside a budget.  Many times, a project manager may forget to include items for unforeseen circumstances.  Risk management and evaluation of a budget is vital in creating a successful budget (Doll, 2002).

The Internet and search engines are vast and valuable resources for any new or seasoned project manager.  Everyone needs assistance at times in performing their jobs and creating a budget for a project.  If one finds themselves stuck, the Internet is a great place to gather new ideas.  If someone else creates a piece of software for one to use, then why is it necessary to reinvent the wheel?

References

Doll, S. (2002).  Creating Your Project Budget:  Where to Begin?  Retrieved on February 2, 2013 from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John

Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Samuel, A. (2010).  How to Create Budget Estimates for Proposals and Project Management.  Retrieved on February 2, 2013 from http://socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management

Stolovich, H. (2012).  Project Management Concerns:  Locating Resources.  Retrieved on February 1, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097260_1%26url%3D