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Thursday, December 27, 2018

A Useful Guide To Ecommerce Bookkeeping

By Nancy Hayes


Accounting for any business is absolutely crucial. Not only will it come in handy when the time comes to file taxes. It also ensures one can keep proper track of their progress. If the business is small, it might be a little costly for the business to hire a professional. So here are a few tips for DYIers. Keep track of all papers. Keep all receipts. Including email receipts for things like digital ads. Keep every little relevant piece of paper. Even that coffee with the new supplier. Ecommerce bookkeeping will ensure one can claim tax credits. Even for internet costs. This should be done on a daily basis.

At the end of every week, do a mini report. Look at the performance that week. Look at the cash flows and expenses. Look at how some of the special projects have performed that week. Like digital ads for example. Those usually have metrics attached to them. Heck to see if there is a need for modification. This ensures one knows what the finances look like. Then if a situation arises where a decision must be made quickly, there will be no problem.

Every single month a more comprehensive report should be created. Bring together every single record from the dailies to the weeklies. One is able to get a more general and wholesome financial position. By having these monthly reports for several months, it is easier to note trends and direction. One can even extrapolate and see the financial future. These monthly reports will also reveal the benefit or impact of special projects on the bottom line. Are they serving their purpose?

Accounts receivables are amounts due to the business. Work was done on credit and the client is yet to pay. Be very wary of the accounts receivable. Do not let the figure get too high. This is because the accounts receivables while shiny, are not really available funds. They are only applicable to plans and budgets when settled. That is when they are paid.

One must match every transaction on their accounting records with those on the bank statement. This helps reveal any discrepancies. Often, there will be one or two unmatched transactions. Like interest entries, unpresented checks and others. This matching can be exhausting for some. The idea is not to leave it for later. Because the things pile up and possible mistakes are left uncorrected for long.

One must ensure to back up all accounting and financial information. Things happen. A fire. A burglary. Losing files in a move. There really is no telling what could happen to files that have only been stored in a computer. It is easy to get online storage space now. Take advantage of it.

There are three main reasons why the system might fail despite following the above to the letter. The first is time. Not knowing what to do when and not having enough time to do it. The other issue is the technical skill. Difficulty understanding the intricacies of accounting. The third is more balls than one can handle. When one is running a business, there is a lot on the plate. Each demanding attention and priority. In this case, one should try to find an affordable service. Find a professional who will not charge too much.

Finding an accountant or firm to handle things should not be haphazard. Caution should be exercised. Find a qualified person. Make sure they adhere to accounting principles. Do due diligence. Most of all ensure the fees do not drive the company to the ground.




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