Monday, June 6, 2011

Taking A Brief Look At Basic Bookkeeping For New Business Start Ups

By Nathan Thompson


For a lot of people, opening up their own business is among the most exciting things they will do professionally. In today's world, that may mean a traditional storefront or it may mean a website. No matter what kind of business it is, too many people get caught up in the excitement of the grand opening that they let some important details slip through the cracks. Here is a look at basic bookkeeping for new business start ups.

Before embarking on any adventure, you probably do your due diligence. For example, if you're planning to go backpacking you would want to know what the weather forecast is, what equipment to bring along, and what maps are available. So it is with running a company. You will want to have the tools to monitor your company's financial health. Maintaining bookkeeping journals can go a long way to achieve this.

A check register is the best way to record all checks you write. In the register you can look at the entire log. Or you can go back to individual checks and see when it was written, its amount and where it went.

You can keep track of all your transactions with a sales journal. You are able to gather information concerning any and all invoices. You also will be able to determine whether specific invoices are related to labor cost, goods or both.

Then there is the cash receipts journal for tracking monies received. You will know how much was taken as well as when and from whom. Along with the cash receipt journal goes the voucher journal. This is where you can track all bills including amounts, when they are due and what services were given. Then in a general journal you can note any changes that had to be made in these other journals.

With today's affordable technology you can keep your books on a computer. Additionally there is myriad bookkeeping software available. Regardless of what method you use, knowing where your business stands at all times will prove invaluable.




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