For small businesses, getting a bookkeeper is considered another big expense. Perhaps you have never considered the serious impact of bad bookkeeping on your business. However, if you are going to see the big picture, you will realise that it is indeed necessary to have someone to handle the financial aspect of your business properly. You may not easily realise the problem that bad bookkeeping creates but once you see your financial statement in chaos, you will know how important good bookkeeping is.

Why you should invest in a good bookkeeper?

•    It gives you peace of mind.  You have nothing to worry about knowing your finances are in good hands. Having someone who has full understanding of your finances can give you an assurance that you will not be going out of business. Although a bookkeeper executes simple procedures such as record keeping, it has a huge impact on the outcome of your business.

•    You can put your business in proper perspective. When you cut cost on hiring a bookkeeper, you will realise in the end that have not really saved money, but accumulated additional expenses. With a good bookkeeper, you will be able to ensure that the lifeblood of your business is handled properly. Aside from taking care of your accounting bookwork, there are various responsibilities that a bookkeeper needs to take care, but an inexperienced bookkeeper may not be able to provide you the results you are looking for.

•    You are assured that your business is taking the right direction. It is easy to determine your business is headed toward the right direction if you have your bookkeeping in place. If your books are incorrectly completed because you just appointed a family member or friend to carry out the bookkeeping task, you will realise that there are data details incorrectly entered. It can take some time before you correct the information needed for your business and this means you should opt for a bookkeeper that can do the job correctly. It would not come to this point if a good bookkeeper has been considered in the first place.

•    The bookkeeping process is systematic. If the systems and procedures are inadequate, record-keeping will not be effectively executed. When a bookkeeper knows what his doing. Your business will be in a better position to be well-aware of cash-flow and other important aspects of bookkeeping.

Bookkeeping is an essential part of every business because without it, you will end up mismanaging your finances. It is important that you know how to choose the right bookkeeper for your small business because the effects of bad bookkeeping is beyond repair if you choose cost over quality. You will realise the importance of good bookkeeping once you notice the improvement in your business’ financial aspect.

January is by far the busiest month of the financial year because this is the time when financial records need to be recreated and reassessed. For business owners, the idea of checking financial records and identifying areas for improvement can be a challenging task. Suffice it to say, it is a stressful event that makes bookkeeping the most dreaded task for a business owner. It is easy to get side tracked with other obligations but allowing bookkeeping to take a backseat can have a negative effect on the overall outcome of your business. Instead of hoping for the best, you are only increasing the chances of taking a turn for the worse.

How to avoid bookkeeping stress?

1.    Create a folder for your expenses – For business owners who are busy attending to various transactions, throwing all receipts and folders into one folder is the easiest way to take care of financial activities. However, when you need to retrieve specific receipts, you will have difficulties getting the right information because you got the invoices mixed up. When you make it a habit to compile essential information by creating an expenses folder, not only will you speed up the process but also have enough time for carrying out other tasks.

2.    Set up a bookkeeping system – These days, it is easy to store bookkeeping information with the use of bookkeeping system in the form of a software program. You reduce the chances of duplicating entry of information and you automatically capture the details you need. There are various software programs for you to choose from and the program you choose will greatly depend on your bookkeeping needs.

3.    Update your system on a regular basis – It is not enough that you have set up a system as you also need to update it on a regular basis. However, this does not mean you should do it every day. It depends on how frequent you need your system updated. Some owners update the system every month, while others update it on a quarterly basis. Make sure all information is captured because you will need them in the future.

4.    Capture information as soon as you have them – It is easy to overlook some things that are going to be essential to your business if you are only focusing on big expenses. If you have used your personal card for business transactions as you have not brought your business credit card, it does not necessarily mean that you are going to skip liquidating your expenses. While the amount may seem small it can still add up causing you to lose track of your business expenses.

Bookkeeping need not be stressful if you know how to organise essential information for recreating financial records. Even if it is the busiest month of the financial year, you can still maintain a steady pace with these best practices. Once you follow these practices, you will begin to notice that your day-to-day task becomes easier and faster. It is important that you keep your system organised so you can make bookkeeping less daunting.

One of the things that a business owner needs to ensure is hiring a professional and experienced bookkeeper.  While this can be a challenge to those who own a small business, a bookkeeper who knows how to carry out the most crucial task in a business can provide business owners much greater peace of mind. However, there are instances when a business owner loses track of the business’ day-to-day transactions and relying heavily on the information that the bookkeeper provides is the only available option. Unfortunately, business owners are taken by surprise once they see financial statements in chaos. Where exactly does the problem lie?

Common mistakes bookkeepers commit:

1.    Failure to reconcile bank accounts for long periods of time. This mistake can be costly if not properly addressed. If you are the type of a business owner who leaves everything to your bookkeeper, without taking time to evaluate or check the financial statement, duplications in entries become unavoidable.

2.    Unmonitored cashflow. Business owners do not have the time to update bank and credit card reconciliations, payment processing and invoicing of debtors. This is why a bookkeeper needs to regularly update these records. Monitoring cashflow regularly allows the business owner to receive update of their current position so contingency plans can be formulated for future business development.

3.    Making a mistake in assigning accruing annual and personal entitlements. Bookkeepers have the ability to set up the entitlement calculations and superannuation in the accounting software and their job includes ensuring that the numbers are calculated accurately. As a result, employees are paid more than the 9% super based on their ordinary times earnings. If this is not corrected immediately, it can become a costly mistake for both the bookkeeper and the business owner.

4.    Unable to understand when Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) should be applied. Old bookkeepers had erroneously entered wrong information causing businesses to suffer due to huge ATO debt. This could have been avoided, had the bookkeepers understood FBT and the schedule that the tax must be applied.

5.    Posting GST transactions incorrectly using the accounting software. Another mistake that can cause a diabolical mess is entering the wrong information in the accounting software causing figures to mix up. Dealing with GST requires accuracy to ensure that the Business Activity Statement (BAS) that is lodged with the tax office contains the correct information.

6.    Failure to categorise expenses and income. The profit and loss spreadsheet reports are one of the essential tools that bookkeeper use to know the business’ current standing. If the bookkeeper fails to review the reports and correct entries, reports become more vulnerable to a myriad of mistakes.

7.    Overlooking tax and compliance obligations. Bookkeepers may not be completely aware of lodgment dates and compliance obligations that business owners fall behind payment schedule. These dates are critical to every business and a bookkeeper needs to be aware of these important dates.

8.    Not filing invoices and receipts. Aside from financial statements, bookkeepers must also keep a record of receipts and invoices because they allow businesses to keep track of sales and services rendered. A bookkeeper must have a simple filing system that provides business owners and bookkeepers access to the essential business information.

For small business owners, the New Year is also the best opportunity to rethink things and determine what else needs to be done. The financial aspect of your business is often overlooked especially if you have a bookkeeper or accountant that takes care of your finances. Unfortunately, things may not go as planned if you do not have a thorough understanding of how financial aspect of your business works. As you are about to welcome another year, now is the time to analyse and reflect on the things you may have missed out on doing.

1.    Choose bookkeeping software that meets your needs

If your business is not yet using bookkeeping software to make your day to day tasks easy and hassle-free, you should consider using it can provide you the most convenient way of accomplishing your task. However, you should also keep in mind that software is not created equal. This is why you should not choose the first one you come across. Make sure the software you choose is tailored to your needs.

2.    Engage a competent bookkeeper

If there are some aspects of your business that you have to reassess due to bad bookkeeping, you should choose a bookkeeper that can put your business structure in proper perspective. A bookkeeper should assist you with aspects like obtaining an ABN, GST registration, payroll set up, BAS and tax lodgements etc. Make sure you search for a bookkeeping professional before the end of the financial year and obtain advice from an expert so you can prevent nasty surprises along the way.

3.    Never combine personal and business finances

Using the same bank account for your business and personal transactions can spell trouble and this is the habit you need to get rid because it takes away your ability to track your finances. The reason you need to separate your personal and business finances is to avoid doubling your bookkeeping fees. Make sure you open a business account and use a personal savings account and credit cards for personal spending.

4.    Keep receipts

The ATO requires business owners to keep data for a minimum of 5 years so you can keep your finances in check. However, five years of data have the tendency to add up over time and going paperless is the best option. Aside from saving physical space, the data are also stored safely for future retrieval.

5.    Avoid over categorising

You may find yourself get caught up with lots of details and you have the tendency to create separate account for each item. While categorising these items is a good practice, you should also avoid over categorising your items as you may find it difficult to look for the items you need. Make sure you categorise bookkeeping items accurately.

6.    Prepare funds to pay tax

It can be stressful to fall behind your tax payment schedule, but instead of allowing delayed payments to take a toll on your business, you should consider setting aside funds so you can pay tax in a timely manner. You can either open a separate bank account for paying taxes or simply transfer funds from the business account to pay these taxes.

There are several reasons businesses are bound to fail, but the most common reason is weak financial management, which includes bookkeeping, accounting, cash flow management and raising capital. Most entrepreneurs do not have issues handling daily operations except the business’ financial aspect. Since financial management is considered essential to every business, especially when it comes to its success, entrepreneurs must learn the importance of proper financial management. Entrepreneurs are not required to study for years to become good at financial management. You just need to be keen on determining the factors that can contribute to poor financial management.

The effects of poor financial management on your business:

Most entrepreneurs put more focus on generating more sales for the belief that it is one important aspect that can make your business succeed. While this may be partly true, there are also businesses that fail in spite of generating sales.  There is one reason for bankruptcy and that is because of poor financial management.  

Cash Flow Mismanagement

Proper cash flow management must be observed if you want your business to prosper in the end. The failure to manage your cash flow properly can take a toll on your business as your inability to pay rent, insurance, phone, and so on, can definitely hurt your business in more ways than one. This is why planning ahead pays off because you will be able to foresee problems that arise.  You should know how to negotiate with vendors and customers so you can cover your bills. If there are cash flow gaps, learn to manage them as well. Cash flow gaps happen at some point and this will test your ability in managing cash flow.

Unpaid Taxes

You can run from tax collectors but you can never hide and that is certain. When it comes to paying your taxes, you need to plan ahead because there are instances when your business does not generate the same profits as the previous months. Obtain the skill of timing investments so you can get the most out of your purchases. You can postpone some of your investments for the following year if don’t intend to pay a lot in taxes this year.

Failure To Keep Expenses As Low As Possible

Many entrepreneurs often overlook expenses. Careless spending can lead to bankruptcy as there isn’t enough money left to cover all expenses. It can create a domino effect on your business, deterring you from expanding because you do not have money for making additional investments. Learning the art of cost management is essential as this includes keeping your expenses as low as possible. Your business will be more profitable if you try to look at the aspects that can help your business prosper. When you have enough to cover all expenses, business expansion is not far from happening.

Never take financial management for granted because it is an essential skill that every entrepreneur should master. The financial aspect of your business should not be relied on others because at the end of the day, you will be held responsible for the success of your business.

Bookkeeping and accounting fees can cause small business owners to tighten their belt, but imagining the vast amount of money you need to spend to repair a bookkeeping mistake can make rethink about skimping on bookkeeping cost. Any business owner is left with no choice but to submit for the business operation to continue.

A business that is competitive and you cannot afford to miss out on grabbing every business opportunity that comes your way. You know that customer loyalty is measured by how you deliver their needs. You know for sure that everything is on the right track until you open your email. Just the thought of opening your email fills you with excitement and fear. You are wondering where the email came from then lo and behold, an email from the ATO.

Although you have not completely gone over the email you received from the ATO, you know that something is not right. Your suspicions have been confirmed as you read the email. To make matters worse, the letter has already been forwarded to your bank by the ATO and they have already been advices of the non-payment. Nothing can be more horrifying than discovering that your bookkeeper is no longer doing what they are supposed to do. You know what is going on and you are waiting for the bank manager to give you a call.

If a small business owner no longer has the ability to pay debts, insolvency and bankruptcy are not far from happening. The bad news is, these things can be beyond the business owner’s control. Financial loss can be due to a number of reasons. For instance, if your business partner is experiencing marriage break down, it can definitely result in business mismanagement and cash flow shortages. However, a business owner still has the option to get out of this difficult financial situation.

A business can be compared to driving a car because you know to keep an eye on the dashboard and avoid driving too fast or too hard. It is also your responsibility to meet your financial obligations to keep the ATO at bay.

The Following Are Alarming Indicators That You Need To Pay Heed To Your Financial Activities:

• Your superannuation payments and GST are always falling behind their schedule.

• Wages, payroll and contractor’s bill are no longer met.

For A Business Owner To Ensure Financial Stability, A Bookkeeper Must Do The Following:

• Ensure that invoices go out promptly and reminder notices are received in a timely manner to avoid making late payments and incurring penalties.

• Create a system that provides bookkeepers the ability to highlight late payers as soon as they are falling behind payment schedule. Bookkeepers can also follow up on late payers the next day.

• Add terms on invoice so that collection costs waived once recovery service becomes a requirement.

A business owner must also perform their obligation so matters will not be taken to court. There are various options available to business owners in settling their unpaid debts. They can call the bank manager, call ATO, arrange payment plan, prepare budget and reduce head-count before the situation becomes worse.

As cloud technology becomes increasingly popular and in demand, changing role of bookkeepers is necessary because of the benefits that changes are capable of providing. However, the idea of changing role of bookkeepers can also create challenges in terms of their working relationship with accountants. The role of accountants differs from bookkeepers but these roles remain indefinite, making the client suffer from its effect.

Issues that accountants and bookkeepers may face:

• If accountants fail to communicate with bookkeepers when doing their work for the client, there are plenty of rooms for mistakes and confusion. Potential problems can also arise if the bookkeeper fails to inform the accountant of issues concerning the task at hand.

• There will be territorial disputes when one or both parties tend to be protective of their role in terms of client’s affairs.

• Bookkeepers have not thoroughly understood their limitations and the absence of skills needed for a specific task results in a huge mess that the accountant has to clean up.

Due to the challenges that accountants and bookkeepers are continuously facing, working together may seem like an impossible thing to do. However, when proper expectations are set and both parties are putting extra effort to make the relationship work, nothing is impossible.

There are some practices that both the accountant and bookkeeper need to follow for a harmonious working relationship to take place:

• Both parties should act in the best interests of the client and should prioritise thinking about what will work best for the client. They should not be competing against each other because both roles are crucial to the success of the client.

• The lines of communication are essential for the accountant and bookkeeper to be in perfect harmony. If there are issues related to the task, it should be immediately discussed for the problem to be quickly resolved. More often than not issues or concerns become worse due to lack of communication.

• Both parties need to be clear about the tasks they are carrying out. If they do not have the skills required for the task, they should not take on the work and find out when to seek advice. Instead of making the task less burdensome, more problems are encountered because of failure to recognize the importance of skills in carrying out a task.

• Knowing exactly where to draw the line and to set boundaries before the work commences can also help an accountant and bookkeeper establish a good working relationship. They need to be in agreement of the role they are going to play. Disputes over territory must be sorted out before working together. When accountants and bookkeepers are fully aware of their limitations, the tasks will be successfully accomplished.

Accountants and bookkeepers have important roles to play in every business. Aside from making the job easier for a client, they are also instrumental to the success of the business by ensuring that its financial aspects are kept in check. Once accountants and bookkeepers are in harmony, the best possible outcome can be achieved. The client can benefit from a great working relationship between a bookkeeper and an accountant.

As a business owner, you get to take a look at the financial statements every once in a while because it is part and parcel of managing your business finances. The financial statements have a lot to tell you including how your business is performing financially. You will also know why your business is making money or losing it. These statements also help your financial planners, bookkeepers and advisors analyse the figures. There are 2 key financial statements that are commonly used for your business: the Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet.

Profit & Loss

A Profit & Loss Report refers to a summary of your business expenses and income at a specific period of time. It provides you an idea of your business’ performance. The data you will usually find in a Profit & Loss Report include Cost of Goods Sold, Equals Gross Profit, Expenses, Operating Profit, Tax Payable and Net Profit.

Although they may seem easy to interpret, you need to develop specialized skills so you can determine what the figures say. Unfortunately, this essential financial statement is not often understood by some business owners. The Gross Profit Margin is the gross profit over sales and this is usually presented in percentage. This margin is essential for tracking so you can ensure that profitability is improved and maintained. The Gross Profit Margin also allows you to compare your figures with competitors.

If there is a decrease in Gross Profit Margin, it only means there is a rise in inventory cost, heavy discounting and many more. The Net Profit Margin can also be measured as a percentage and this is referred to as net profit over sales. If you notice any decrease in your Net Profit, it means you are paying more in your expenses.

It is necessary that a Profit & Loss Report is prepared on a monthly basis because this practice enables you to perform regular analysis of your expenses and income. You will also be able to know your key business drivers. As you master the skill of reading a Profit & Loss Report, start planning how your business can keep up with competitors.

Balance Sheet

A Balance Sheet is another important statement that business owners should not miss out on checking because it demonstrates the financial strength and net worth of your business. In a Balance Sheet, you will be able to see the assets, liabilities and equity or net worth.

The assets refer to the tangible and non-tangible items that your business owns. The liabilities are the amounts you owe to other parties. The difference when assets are subtracted from liabilities is referred to as equity or net worth. The Balance Sheet helps you identify the key performance indicators such as control of working capital, financial strength, return on equity and return on capital. A Balance Sheet may be harder to interpret than a Profit & Loss Report because of all the technical terms you can find in it. This is why you need to make sure that key areas are not missed such as the Current Assets and Current Liabilities. You should also pay close attention to the amounts on your Balance sheet as they can assist you in making a decision and cash-flow.

The profit and loss report is one of the essential reports that most business owners hold on to in order to find out which direction their business is heading. Going over the numbers require accuracy in interpreting data. There should be no room for mistakes because bookkeepers base their recommendations and suggestions on the report. In essence, a Profit and Loss Report is a determining factor whether a business is making money or losing it. While most business owners leave this task to the bookkeeper, there are still some business owners who do not know understand the report. If you are heavily relying on your bookkeeper without taking time to look at the report, it could only mean that you are not actively planning your business or budgeting.

Interpreting numbers is a bookkeeper’s second nature, but to some business owners, they are often dazed and confused because all they know is that these numbers are only meant for forecasting where there business is going. When figures are good enough, it is easy to overlook some other details. Unfortunately, business owners are missing the point because financial reports offer more than just the figures. They are also crucial to making business decisions that can contribute to the business’ success. If you fail to regularly monitor the performance of your business, it may not take a while for you to discover that your business is already losing money.

Income

The Income refers to the total of sales or invoices you have invoiced over a selected period of time. This amount is also GST exclusive and considered as accrual based. Keep in mind that the Income amount does not include investment income as this falls under a section known as ‘other income’, which is found on the bottom of the report. Your income is also referred to as ‘turnover’.

Cost of Purchases or Goods Sold

The Cost of Purchases and Goods Sold refers to the total of all the expenses you have incurred. These expenses have directly contributed to your income. The purchases are the inventory items that the company has purchased and sold. The Cost of Goods Sold are the items for sale including the freight charges for the items and the costs incurred to bring the purchased item into a saleable state.

Gross Profit

The Gross Profit is the income less the Cost of Goods Sold and purchases. As a business owner, you will be able to understand the markup percentages by referring to the gross profit. In a report, this is expressed as a percentage of income. 

Expenses

Aside from the Cost of Goods Sold, the expenses also provide you figures of other business expenses. The expenses are categorised according to your industry and it includes operating expenses such as rent, power, telephone and many others.

Net Profit or Net Loss

The total net profit or loss refers to the total of income, less cost of goods sold or purchases less expenses. The business makes a profit if the figure is positive. A negative figure indicates that a business is losing money.

Another important note to consider is that the profit and loss report is an indicator of the amount of money you have in your bank account. Your profit may be high, but your cashflow is low. However, you should also keep in mind that a healthy cash flow does not necessarily mean healthy profit.

Spending is necessary in every business, but it should come with a plan. The failure of assessing your spending habits may result in getting a zero balance in your bank account. The rule of thumb is to spend the least amount of money while obtaining the best possible return. This is where budgeting comes in. For you to manage the financial aspect of your business, a cost-effective way of using your money is a must.

You may not be doing things right if:
Bills Are Not Paid In A Timely Manner 

While it is acceptable to miss out on accomplishing some items on your to-do list, not paying important bills is a different story. Set aside money for paying your bills and budgeting is a good way to prioritize your expenses. It should start with the most important payment obligations such as tax payment. If you have to make credit card payment, you should keep a budget for funds are ready to use again.

Your Business Is Showing Clear Signs Of Overspending 

Your business is making a profit if you earn more than you spend. However, this does not mean refusing to spend money even when it is already considered necessary. It only means spending your money on necessary expenses and budgeting is going to help you monitor your expenses. 

You Have A Long List Of Unresolved Obligations 

It is time to rethink how you spend if you always find yourself depleting your funds. A long list of unresolved obligations only means that something is not right with your spending habits. You should know the difference between going out of business and growing your business. Your creditors and the people you are doing business with may lose faith in you, so you need to make sure that your problems are resolved. 

You Have Trouble With Your Petty Cash 

If your account ends up unbalanced at the end of each week, there might be part of your expenses that you need to review or re-assess. If you cannot identify what the problem is, you might be having problems reconciling your petty cash with your business accounting. The lack of budgeting can leave your financial activity in chaos. Not resolving issues with your petty cash only means that you have no idea about the amount of money you have. You also allow your spending habits to wreak havoc on your overall financial status by overspending. Make sure you are in control of your petty cash and never take money out of the rest of your budget if it is intended to cover items you have previously provided.

Poor financial management can increase the likelihood of losing your business. There are businesses that are forced to close because of not keeping an eye on the expenses. Ignoring payment obligations and spending money on unnecessary items can create a serious impact on your business. If you cannot properly identify where the problem lies, a bookkeeper can teach you wise financial management. Closely monitoring your financial activities helps you identify problems before it gets worse. You will also be able to know if changes should be made with your spending habits.