Bookkeeping Dos and Don'ts

There are several common bookkeeping mistakes that business owners make. These mistakes can not only cost you money, they can cost you a great deal of time as well. In order to help you avoid these mistakes, let’s take a look at what they are, and how they affect a business.

Mistake #1: Trying to keep the books yourself.
This is an especially big problem for small business owners. It is not uncommon to try to manage every aspect of a business by oneself. Many times people do this in an effort to save money; however in the long run it can lead to errors in the accounting, and a good bit of time being wasted that could otherwise be spent on the products or services being offered. If you’re not an experienced bookkeeper than hire a bookkeeping service.

Mistake #2: Not reconciling your business bank accounts with your books.
It is essential that the books always match the bank statements. When all the numbers are properly tallied, you can clearly track where money goes, what money is owed, and what bills are outstanding. This keeps monetary errors from being overlooked.

Mistake #3: Not updating the books regularly.
It is very common to simply forget to update the books. Anytime you make a purchase for any type of business expense, and every time there is any type income or outgo of cash, you need to document it in entry form.

Mistake #4: Not using, or not using the right type of, bookkeeping software.
Bookkeeping software can be extremely beneficial to accurate record keeping. Try to find a program that will work well for your type of business, and train anyone who completes transactions for your business to use it properly.

Mistake #5: Not backing up data.
You should always keep a backup log of all of the data that is entered into any type of bookkeeping program. This takes no time at all, but will mean a world of difference should your computer crash.

Mistake #6: Not categorizing entries.
Make sure you design your books to have plenty of categories in order to properly explain all entries. This will ensure your records are easy to follow, clear, and consistent.

Mistake #7: Not establishing a separate business bank account.
Even if you run a sole proprietorship, you should always have a separate bank account to track all of the transactions that have to do with the business. Doing this will make the process of keeping books much simpler, and will provide easy to track documentation of all income and expenses.