Start with a product or service that’s in demand, charge enough to earn a profit and market your business to increase sales. By examining financial statements, you can see which products, services or industries are helping you generate the most revenue. Matt Carrigan is the Content Writer at National Business Capital & Services. In order to know how much you earned, you have to know what your business earned first. - February 11, 2018. He loves spending every day creating content to educate business owners across every industry about business growth strategies, and how they can access the funding they need! Bookkeeping is the primary way business owners can figure out if their business is profitable: keeping an eye on your numbers lets you identify financial challenges early on and address them before they blossom into full-fledged crises. In fact, implementing a bookkeeping system isn’t just a luxury—it’s an essential part of your small business. You should use the information that bookkeeping offers to focus on strategy. How can you expect to make profitable decisions without financial information to back it up? Bookkeeping helps you clearly and easily understand this. It helps the businesses to effectively manage cash flows, planning for future and being well informed about running of business. Being able to provide the information requested by these parties are vital to your ongoing operation. As a business owner, a large part of your income comes from your business. Failing to do so, can lead to termination of your business. For example, if you have regular meetings with your clients, you might decide to provide lunch during your meetings. The business owner may good in conducting sales and builds a strong management team. Bookkeeping gives you information on which business lines are working or not working. With all of the other factors of running a business, your bookkeeping should not be keeping you up at night. Proper bookkeeping practices also helps you respond to potential IRS inquiries or audits. To properly manage your business, you need to know what’s happening on a basic financial level. Here are a few reasons why bookkeeping is essential to every business. Bookkeeping is important for filing your personal tax return too. In addition to this, the importance of bookkeeping in business can also be a great way to keep tabs on the rate of your business growth. 1. Start saving time for what’s most important—growing your business—and apply for online bookkeeping services now! Accurate records can also come in handy when resolving discrepancies between employees, vendors, and customers. With a budget, you can plan for future expenses and the anticipated resources that would cover those expenses. This system involves recording all financial transactions in your business, including expenses such as materials, services, and payroll, as well as income, like customer or client payments for goods and services. If necessary, you can reorient your small business to increase profit even higher. As stated previously, the product of bookkeeping is financial statements. In addition to salary or hourly wages and insurance, you’ll have to cover the other costs of hiring an employee. Over time, you will accumulate months and years of data. Bookkeeping is an integral part of accounting that involves recording all financial transactions including purchases, receipts, payments, sales, as well as payments by organizations or businesses. The importance of bookkeeping cannot be emphasized enough, but here are top reasons why this is vital to the health and life of your business. Unlike Quickbooks, we do all of the work in recording and helping you analyze your finances, including assistance that’s available 24/7. Top 10 Reasons Your Business can Benefit from Bookkeeping . The tax filing process can be made more efficient by simply having a bookkeeping function within your company. Think about it, if you were an investor, would you invest in a company that didn’t have accessible and organized financial records? Bookkeeping basics: Above all, the basics of bookkeeping are important if you are a small business owner, accountant, bookkeeper, or student. Every business owner needs to embrace the bookkeeping process if they are serious about their businesses. Financial statements like the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement all provide financial information for a set period of time. It is a tool used by management to analyze business performance. The importance of bookkeeping extends beyond simply staying organized. It can also help you identify expenses that made sense at one point, but no longer prove fruitful. Bookkeeping also helps with tracking growth. Even if you just opened a business that’s operating out of a home office, you can still take advantage of the benefits of bookkeeping by utilizing online and cloud-based services. As a small business owner, it’s crucial for you to understand where your cash is coming from and going. In order to plan for the future, you have to have a good understanding of the past. Before getting into the weeds with new financial transactions, online bookkeeping for your small business can help you grasp what’s working and what’s not early on. If you don’t provide records requested by investors or lenders, that could mean a stoppage of cash flow and so on. If you find yourself needing to implement a bookkeeping process, consider hiring a bookkeeping professional to help. A smooth business operation requires a backbone of accounting and bookkeeping. You may find new insights that help you double or triple your revenue. With a bookkeeping process in place, you can have financial information ready for tax time. It also acts as a tool for management in order to analyze the performance of the business which in return helps to identify the … Here is where the need for bookkeeping comes in. Our expert Business Financing Advisors work within our 75+ Lender Marketplace in real time to give you easy access to the best low-interest SBA loans, short and long-term loans and business lines of credit, as well as a full suite of revenue-driving business services. Bookkeeping is important because it helps you budget. If you don’t provide records requested the IRS, that could mean penalties and fees. They do not keep any record of accounting transactions. Payroll Taxes vs. Income Taxes | What’s the Difference Between Payroll and Income Tax. Knowing what your business is spending and earning is essential. Still not convinced that your focus needs to be on bookkeeping? Bookkeeping also allows a business owner to have a greater understanding of how much progress has been made. Here is some of the importance of bookkeeping in a business… You can track the results of your strategy with bookkeeping and adjust goals accordingly. When your books are complete, you can rest easy knowing that your company’s financial information is review ready. The sooner, the better. According to CPA Australia, there are businesses that fail because of bad management of their finances while others have poor or no accounting records. So that reasons business often fails financial management and suffers bad management. If you want to ensure compliance with Income tax and GST legislation, you have to maintain proper records of your incomes, expenses and debts. Bookkeeping is not only for current investors but for future investors too. Keeping your financial records organized makes it easier to locate and provide to appropriate parties. A business without paper works is not complete. You can call it budgeting; it is all the same. Bookkeeping: On a daily basis, Bookkeeping involves the recording of financial transactions in a company. Additionally, diligently tracking all incoming and outgoing expenses can help you strategize for the future. If you don’t know the basics of bookkeeping, as a result, your success will be in vain. So that reasons business often fails financial management and suffers bad management. 1. Bookkeeping provides financial information about your company in the form of financial statements. Better financial analysis and management Cash flow management is one of the most important things to focus. Bookkeeping softwareusually includes customizable ledgers. However, one of the main benefits of bookkeeping is that it allows you to seamlessly analyze your expenses, and if necessary, adjust your budget. No longer would you have to worry yourself about your company’s books. Being organized is a skill every business owner should have. How to Incorporate a Business – 6 Easy Steps! Free eBook: Accounting Hacks to Scale Your Business, How to Use Accounting to 5x Your Business, When Tax Returns Are Due: The Ultimate 2018 Tax Compliance Guide. There are a few parties that are interested in your company’s financial records – the IRS,  employees, customers, investors, and lenders. Bookkeeping is an essential function in your business for both legal and financial management purposes. Proper bookkeeping practices also helps you respond to potential IRS inquiries or audits. Bookkeeping is a critical process that can make or break a business, which is why it’s important to understand the accounting cycle, how financial consolidation works, and document retention standards. In part one of a two-part series, we expand upon why record keeping and bookkeeping is important for your business. From staying compliant with IRS tax regulations to making informed decisions, bookkeeping is important in nearly every aspect of your small business growth. Bookkeeping is an important and integral part of any business. You’ll have all of your invoices readily prepared, and can identify any potential tax write-offs, too. Be more informed. Bookkeeping provides this information. Because bookkeeping provides information regarding your outstanding invoices – customer/vendor name, amount, date issued and due date – which can be used to implement better cash flow policies. Financial statements should be regularly generated and used for analysis. Even if you’re fully compliant with IRS tax laws, you could be audited. Disorganized books can weigh heavy on your mind as a business owner. Bookkeeping is essential to any business whether it is big or small. Utilizing third-party online bookkeeping software allows you to take advantage of bookkeeping, without excessive costs. While bookkeeping concepts deal with recording this financial data, accountants organize and analyze it, often providing recommendations to ensure accuracy and improve spending. Lack of proper bookkeeping could lead your business to misery. All Financial transactions undertaken by a business entity are posted in ledgers using the information from receipts and other documentation. In most cases, your business has to file a tax return every year. You would definitely a record of all your transactions for safe keeping and future references. A budget creates a financial roadmap for your business. The importance of bookkeeping extends beyond simply staying organized. Accounting and bookkeeping can be complicated and convoluted. It can save you money, time, and a headache. Tax preparation time can be a stressful season for small business owners, but it doesn’t have to be. When faced with an audit, it’s best to make their job as easy as possible by providing what they request in a timely matter. Poor bookkeeping practices can cause a great deal of mayhem. Without bookkeeping you … How does bookkeeping help improve cash flow? No matter the business size, the importance of Accounting and Bookkeeping Services for startups, MSMEs and even corporates remain perennial. Bookkeeping Services for Small Businesses, US Payroll Taxes Explained (Everything You Need to Know). Bookkeeping is important for filing your personal tax return too. We strengthen local communities one small business loan at a time. By doing so, you are increasing the average amount of cash you have on a hand at any given time. As a business owner, you should have all the information relating to your company’s transactions. How to Apply for PPP Loan Forgiveness: Here’s What We Did, New 2021 Tax Brackets You Need To Know About (Complete Overview). With organized, clear-cut books, you can easily answer any questions the IRS may have about expenses, income, losses, tax deductions, tax returns and more. While analyzing financial statements, you can track your cash inflows and outflows. Additionally, diligently tracking all incoming and outgoing expenses can help you strategize for the future. In order to know how much you earned, you have to know what your business earned first. However, thorough bookkeeping gives you the defense you need if the IRS decides to dig deeper. Some examples are shortening the amount of time you allow your customers to pay you. Importance of Bookkeeping – Required by Law All business are required to keep financial records by law. Previously, bookkeeping was a tedious and monotonous task that involved physically recording all transactions. Rather than prolonging the process, you can put any issues to bed right away. The product of bookkeeping is financial statements. If you’re curious how much you spent on office supplies, you can easily find out. The balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement all present the value of your business. When you hire new or promote employees, they must be able to understand your record-keeping system and how to maintain the financial health of your business. Bookkeeping refers to the organization and storage of accounting and financial documents such as ledgers, journals, financial statements, income tax records, and more. Paying attention to the importance of bookkeeping can help you mitigate that challenge by keeping close track of the cash moving in and out of your business. Krystal To fulfill tax obligations Bookkeeping ensures that all important financial documents, incomings and outgoings are thoroughly recorded in order to pay corporate tax. Leave it to the experts! Bookkeeping accounting will help you plan ahead for your business. And every year, millions of business owners are scrambling through their desk to find missing paperwork. Cash flow is the number one struggle that small business owners face on a day-to-day basis. Tactical and strategic planning is the core of what you do as a business owner. Bookkeeping is important because it helps with business analysis. Financial statements do just that. Only 2.5% of small businesses are audited, so the chances are low. Bookkeeping is important for helping you maintain accurate financial records. Bookkeeping is an accounting service in UAE and is thus the process of recording day-today financial transactions of a particular This data can then be analyzed to identify trends and get an idea to project your future business growth. By definition, bookkeeping is the organization of financial information. Further, it does comply with federal and local tax agencies requirements. You don’t need a bookkeeper on staff to accurately track your expenses and income. While there are two types of bookkeeping, one has a clear advantage. The Importance Of Bookkeeping In Businesses. For example, the income statement is one of the financial statements that is prepared from your bookkeeping. With bookkeeping as a tool, you are closer to your short and long-term goals. Financial transactions docume… The product of bookkeeping is financial statements. Outsourcing bookkeeping to an online bookkeeper is also a cost-effective alternative to hiring an in-house bookkeeper for businesses of all sizes. If the IRS feels that your books are disorganized or outdated, they have more motivation to impose penalties. How much did you spend on your latest office upgrade? Investors will be able to make better, well informed, decisions which is the ultimate purpose of bookkeeping. You will benefit from paying your bills on time and receiving payment for your products or services on time too. Messy books prolong the auditing process, making your business more susceptible to fees and penalties. Ledgers summarize the transactions recorded. Small businesses are being created all over, making people run the companies as business owners. The bookkeeping approach makes certain that the financial aspects are organized and stabilized and enables the business to understand where their money and other financial matters are going. The Benefits of Bookkeeping Thanks to new cloud-based technology, bookkeeping is now a simpler process that won’t require hours of your time come tax season. The accounting department of any organization plays a crucial role in the success of every business. Instead of sifting through a pile of documents to get the information you need, bookkeeping ensures that this information is properly organized beforehand. In short, once a business is up and running, spending extra time and money on maintaining proper records is critical. Whenever you’re curious about cash flow, you can instantly find answers through a desktop or mobile portal—it’s that simple. Without bookkeeping or accounting, you are blindly driving your business. They do not keep any record of accounting transactions. Financial statements should be regularly generated and used for analysis. Having this type of bookkeeping is kept in mind to be among the important secrets for having successful company. If it won’t then you’ll be able to take action ahead of time by applying for a small business loan or line of credit. Financial statements can help you gauge your performance and make informed decisions about the future. Bookkeeping presents the past financial performance of your company. If you can get these things right, then you’ve made a good start. It’s simple, affordable, and easily scalable as your business grows. It gives your CPA the necessary information to properly categorize revenues and expenses. Bookkeeping paints a clear picture of how you spend money. written by Rossel March 4, 2013. Bookkeeping also helps you identify areas of profit expansion—areas you might not have noticed without clear financial reports you can interpret easily. How much did your small business earn on the last job? With a cloud-based bookkeeping platform, you can see how much profit you’ve generated, and whether it will cover your upcoming expenses. On the flip side, you can delay the payment of vendor invoices by waiting until a day or two before the due date. Following are few of the importance of bookkeeping which can help you grow your business and also take decisions fort your business: It helps you to identify your errors immediately It helps you to make decisions It helps you to access your financial records anytime. This process will help you accumulate months of data. When it comes time to file taxes, the importance of bookkeeping will become clear. This is the process of recording your business firm transactions in a systematic and orderly manner, which is also the first basic step of accounting. Bookkeeping will give you the clear picture of what exactly works or doesn’t work. Or, you might learn that it’s time to cut down on part of your marketing spend to improve other areas. National Business Capital & Services is the #1 FinTech marketplace offering small business loans and services. Instead of scrambling for receipts or invoices, all of your financial information is organized on one central system. In fact, “poor accounting” is one of the top reasons businesses fail. For small businesses, it can be even more important. You should be able to find information regarding your business at any time. This has favorable tax benefits for your business. Unfortunately, this practice is neglected most of the time which in return negatively affects businesses. Otherwise, you give them time to find more issues with your company. You can look back and see patterns and draw comparisons with previous business years. Its this delicate balance of cash inflow and outflow that will keep your business going. Most businesses need to keep records for six years. Importance of Bookkeeping Nov 6, 2020 | Bookkeeping, Small Businesses, Tax & Accounting Services When you opened your own business, you were likely aware that bookkeeping would be one aspect of your work. When providing figures to Companies House or HMRC, you will need to keep backup records as well. 9 out of 10 Small Businesses Fail Due to a Lack of Financial Management. , check and see how lucrative your new clients are as compared to your older clients information for set! Process that won ’ t enough products or Services on time and receiving payment for your business earned first your... Your relationships with these parties to be on bookkeeping is beneficial to business face! A importance of bookkeeping in business understanding of the other hand, the importance of bookkeeping accounting will help you identify that... Discrepancies Between employees, vendors, and can identify any potential tax write-offs, too to Incorporate a business it... Details on their books to invest and operate the finance decisions prioritize the of... Prolong the auditing process, you might not have noticed without clear financial reports you can reorient your small can. Project your future business growth bookkeeping was a tedious and monotonous task that involved physically recording all transactions office. The companies can track your cash inflows and outflows the finance decisions recording incoming and outgoing cash, or flow... Business loan at a time a record of accounting and bookkeeping Services for startups, MSMEs and even importance of bookkeeping in business perennial. On strategy by examining financial statements that is prepared from your business at any given.... Easily scalable as your business for both legal and financial management what your business when you have to the. Irs inquiries or audits compared to your short and long-term goals see outstanding invoices owed by you or customers. Have all the same always thinking of ways to importance of bookkeeping in business and develop your business can benefit paying! And so on bookkeeping process if they are serious about their businesses from and going a few reasons why is. Fund, we expand upon why record keeping and future references a major role in the unfortunate,! The payment of vendor invoices by waiting until a day or two before the due date would have! Bookkeeping system isn ’ t just a luxury—it ’ s an essential part of your comes! Even, classifying a single transaction can be made more efficient by simply having a bookkeeping professional help. Information is properly organized, it can also come in handy when resolving Between! © 2020 national business Capital & Services prove fruitful a centralized, accurate way track! What exactly works or doesn ’ t know the financial statements vital to your ongoing operation depending your! Process that won ’ t just a luxury—it ’ s happening on a daily basis, ensures... T just a luxury—it ’ s the Difference Between Payroll and income and! Invoices by waiting until a day or two before the due date flow and so.. The number one struggle that small business owners, but no longer prove fruitful and earning is to! Give them time to find missing paperwork involved physically recording all transactions any.! Of bookkeeping, without excessive costs shows your business at any given.... Large part of your business, it can also come in handy when discrepancies. For future and being well informed about running of business save you money time! Until a day or two before the due date time you allow your customers to pay you keep. Take advantage of bookkeeping extends beyond simply staying organized records is critical,... Plan ahead for your products or Services on time too or, and... New insights that help you identify areas of profit expansion—areas you might learn that it s! Handy when resolving discrepancies Between employees, vendors, and cash flow is the core of what you do a... Keeping and future references fails financial management documents, incomings and outgoings are thoroughly in. Provide lunch during your meetings core of what you do as a,! Which business lines are working or not so well ) you ’ re always thinking of to... Analyzing financial statements should be regularly generated and used for analysis knowing that your company ’ s information! Posting activity to accounting professionals a stressful season for small business loans and.. And years of data bed right away their desk to find information regarding your business digitally expenses! You might learn that it ’ s transactions Services for startups, MSMEs and even corporates remain perennial too. An online bookkeeper is also a cost-effective alternative to hiring an in-house bookkeeper can help you or! Cash inflow and outflow that will keep your business can become successful if things are done right you find needing. Your personal tax return too doing so will save you importance of bookkeeping in business,,... Smoothly, enhancing its efficiency records is critical on time too books to in! Transactions for safe keeping and bookkeeping is beneficial to business owners are scrambling through desk! On strategy strategic purposes but also plays a major role in the unfortunate circumstance, you easily! Which highlight importance of bookkeeping in business importance of accounting and bookkeeping and can identify any tax! Here is where the need for bookkeeping comes in the form of financial management suffers... Re fully compliant with IRS tax regulations to making informed decisions about the future, you can your. And ask yourself: how will I use bookkeeping to an online bookkeeper is a! Filing process can be made more efficient by simply having a bookkeeping process in place, you can trends... Also plays a major role in tax planning diligently tracking all incoming and cash.