Showing posts with label small business bookkeeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business bookkeeping. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2009

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Starting a Small Business

One of the most important things you can do is become knowledgeable about the risks and pitfalls faced by small businesses during the startup phase. So to avoid these pitfalls of starting a small business are:
Insufficient Capital
Starting a business requires the proper resources. The worst thing you can do is launch a small business without the resources you need to do business and turn a profit. Many would-be small business owners launch their businesses with the idea that they will acquire the resources they need to run business as the business grows. The problem is the business may never grow because it is under-resourced.
Lack of Planning
Planning is essential in launching a small business. Although it might seem tedious, you need to do your research about the kind of business you are launching, market demographics and cost estimates.. 
Bad Location
You've probably already heard that the most important thing is location. For many kinds of businesses, this isn't far from the truth. A cheaper monthly rent payment will not help you if you don't have any customers. Scout around and maybe even employ the services of a local real estate agent to help you find the best location for your company.
Low Sales
Stimulating sales is an art form that you will probably spend your whole career perfecting. 
Competition
It would be great if your business was the only business of its kind. 
Unanticipated Growth
Growth is supposed to be a good thing, right? But if your business grows too fast, too soon, you might have a mess on your hands. Even worse, it could cause your business to self-destruct from the inside out. The only way to avoid this problem is to plan for growth ahead of time so you will be prepared for it when it comes.
If you are trapped up in the stress of preparing to start a new small business, the pitfalls faced by small businesses during the startup phase. For this purpose you are looking for tax accounting services then Avicennaaccounting.com is the right form of organization for your enterprise. Our aim is to provide best small business accounting services with the law while paying the minimum amount of tax possible.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

6 Bookkeeping Tips For Starting Your Own Business



Starting your own business can be a very rewarding experience. You will enjoy freedom and flexibility you never imagined. You will also work harder than you ever have before but it feels completely different when you are working for yourself. Here are some tips to help you get off on the right foot with your record keeping.

1. Keep Receipts For All Transactions From The First Day Onword. If you pay for everything with a check, debit card, or credit card this may not seem necessary. As a tax accountant I can assure you that it is. The IRS will disallow deductions if you do not have receipts to accompany your bank and credit card records.

2. Avoid Cash. I can tell you the easiest way to get into hot water with the IRS is to pay for things with cash and then not have a receipt. For many of us we are in a habit of using cash from the time we were kids. For your own business though, you need to avoid cash.

3. Deposit All Your Income. It is very tempting to withhold cash from your business receipts but I advise you do not. Instead be aggressive with your expenses. If you are in an industry where cash deals are common the IRS will look for evidence of cash deposits in your checking account. If they are absent you will have a lot of questions to answer.

4. Use QuickBooks. Inuit owns 80% of the small business accounting software market and for good reason. Their software is easy to learn and easy to use. Within a few hours after installing you can be producing your own professional financial statements. It is the software I use for my own accounting/tax business and also what I use to produce client Financial Statements and Payroll Reports.

5. Report Employee Earnings Timely. There are several services on the market that will be glad to do your Payroll Reports and process your employee checks. Shop around and get the best deal. This market has become more competitive which means there are some good deals out there for you. For example, if you are in a high risk industry you can get a reduced WCF rate with a company like ADP. With the amount you save in disability insurance for your employees your Payroll Tax preparation expense is essentially free.

6. Use A Business Credit Card. Using a business credit card has many benefits. You can usually find one with no annual fee, 0% introductory interest rate and even cash rewards. But for the purpose of this article one of the primary benefits is for your record keeping. At the end of the year you will receive a summary of all your expenses by category. Give this to your accountant along with your other records at tax time. This will make your accountant's job easier which should lower his/her fees.

There are many other items to consider when starting your own business and I recommend you speak to an accountant as soon as possible. If you already have someone preparing your tax returns then you can start with them. Make sure they are familiar with hiring your spouse and children, medical reimbursement plans, business plans and entity structuring. Do not stay with an accountant who is not familiar with these because you cannot afford to

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bookkeeping Services

Bookkeeping, commonly referred to as keeping the books, is the process of keeping full, accurate, up-to-date business records. Proper bookkeeping can help businesses effectively manage cash flow, stay abreast of profits and losses, and develop plans for the future based on financial trends. Furthermore, accurate bookkeeping is required by both federal and local tax agencies.

Bookkeeping involves making a record of the monies received by a business as well as the monies paid out. It encompasses money a company owes to vendors, employees, tax agencies, contractors and any other individual or entity. Likewise, accurate records of amounts owed to a company by outside individuals and organizations are also recorded in a company's books.

Bookkeeping systems:
Two common bookkeeping systems used by businesses and other organizations are the single-entry bookkeeping system and the double-entry bookkeeping system. Single-entry bookkeeping uses only income and expense accounts, recorded primarily in a revenue and expense journal. Single-entry bookkeeping is adequate for many small businesses. Double-entry bookkeeping requires posting (recording) each transaction twice, using debits and credits.
Avicennas professional bookkeeping services cover the entire scope of bookkeeping and customers have the flexibility to choose what they require.
Our Outsourced
Bookkeeping Services are focused at helping our customers with the management, accounting and tax preparation needs, thereby reducing their finance and accounts operating costs. We take responsibility for all aspects of your bookkeeping and accounting, we can manage your payroll processing and we can provide total backup support.
* Bank Reconciliation
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Financial statement report
* Payroll processing