Your finances must be regularly tracked if you are running a business. Otherwise, you can put your business at serious risk. If you want your business to survive and thrive, it is imperative that you have good bookkeeping habits.
1. Have a professional prepare your tax returns
Business owners are not only focused on one aspect of managing the business. This is why most savvy entrepreneurs choose to outsource work to ensure accurate results. If you have a trained financial eye, bookkeeping processes can be easily monitored. If there are discrepancies, bookkeeping experts can correct or improve the data before it reaches you. Preparing tax returns on your own may not be a good idea. It is because there are technicalities that you might not be fully aware of.
2. Document bookkeeping processes
It is also a good habit to document your processes. This way, you will be able to gain a better understanding how bookkeeping processes should run. As your business grows, you will also be able to prevent confusion as everyone is in the same direction. Good bookkeeping should be consistent.
3. Choose the right software
Never skimp on the bookkeeping program you are going to use because it can help you get things done in an accurate and timely manner. In choosing the right software, you should focus on your business needs. Sophisticated software that is not aligned with your business objectives will be a waste of money. Ask for recommendations and get ample training before deploying the new system.
4. Keep an eye on your reports
Although you need to hire a bookkeeper and accountant for your financial reports, this does not necessarily mean you should go entirely hands off. You still have to keep yourself involved by reviewing reports and checking what is going on with your business. You need to have basic understanding of business numbers including trend in expenses, profit, profit per customer, accounts receivable and many others. Knowing the basics of accounting can help you monitor the health of your business.
5. Keep receipts
You need to know how much you are spending on your business and keeping receipts should be considered a habit. If you are not mindful with your cash expenses, it is easy to get confused with business numbers. Receipts serve as your backup statement. Some business owners may even keep a notebook to log cash expenses they incur. You can also download accounting app which enables you to snap pictures of your receipts so you do not have to keep the paper copies.
