Keeping track of sales, earnings, expenses, and purchases is fundamental to the overall health and sustainability of your business. Effective bookkeeping produces the data you need to evaluate your current practices, anticipate challenges, and set attainable future goals.

But despite their proven importance, many business owners dread and avoid accounting tasks, wondering if it’s really worth the aggravation.

Here are four reminders of how effective bookkeeping is for success of small businesses.

Keeping track of expenses

A reliable system for tracking expenses ensures you reap all the benefits you’re entitled to when filing your taxes. Expenditures sorted into categories, such as “repairs & maintenance”, “travel”, and “office supplies,” can be catalogued quite simply with online bookkeeping software.

Using a dedicated credit card for business expenses, and updating your records on a monthly basis, will put money back in your pocket come tax time.

Measuring profitability and planning for the future

In order to grow your business, you must be able to track and compare its finances from one year to the next.

In addition to reconciling the books and bank statements every month, effective bookkeeping generates records you can use to gain a comprehensive overview of your business. This data can help you:

• Measure year over year profits
• Identify opportunities to cut costs
• Plan for major expenses (such as new office space, equipment, or staff)
• Develop data-based strategies for expansion

Preparing for tax season

Few things are more stressful for business owners than scrambling to get poorly maintained financial records ready for tax season. In addition to the panic of last-minute filing, inaccurate or incomplete documentation can lead to serious penalties, fines, and even an audit.

Save money and get peace of mind with sound bookkeeping. You’ll be assured of compliance with regulations, and will receive a reliable estimate of amounts owing long before your tax bill is due.

Final tip: Ask us for help today!

Employing a professional bookkeeper, can help optimize your accounting and increase overall profitability. Then business owners can focus on their business, not crunching numbers.

There’s a good reason many small businesses outsource to help manage tasks like reconciling the books each month. Invest in effective bookkeeping and you’ll build a solid foundation for a resilient, forward-moving small business.

Ask about our monthly plans, that include month-to-month bookkeeping!