The Provisions For Basic Bookkeeping For New Business Start Ups

| Thursday, April 21, 2011
By David Campbell


Basic bookkeeping for new business start ups begins by recording all purchases, inventory, expenses and incoming capital. During the first year, most businesses will not realize a profit, but investors will want to know where and how money is being spent. It is important to show that all capital is being expended in an effort to earn eventual revenue.

The bookkeeper or owner should create spreadsheets or journals which allow all financial transactions to be recorded as they take place. First, it should be decided whether the business is going to operate on a cash basis or an accrual accounting basis. Some companies will even choose a hybrid method of the two.

Recognizing transactions when cash is exchanged is referred to as the cash basis of accounting. Some companies prefer to recognize these events when the revenues and expenses are incurred, rather than when they are paid. This is called the accrual method. An example would be by recording a wage expense in the period the employee worked, not when the paycheck was remitted.

Bookkeeping for a start-ups also includes the need for bank reconciliations to be conducted on a monthly basis. This allows the cash to be reconciled to the recorded transactions since total receipts may not match what the total in the bank account reflects. This is an important part of the process to enable investors and owners to understand why there is too little or too much cash appearing in the bank account.

Theft can be a prominent occurrence in many companies that are just starting out. Accurately recording all inventory and material purchases is very important to discourage this from happening. Also, reviewing all of the transactions on a monthly basis will help to catch any mistakes and any possibilities of dishonesty.

Basic bookkeeping for new business start-ups begins with choosing the method of accounting that the company will practice and creating spreadsheets or journals to record all financial transactions. Investors and owners are going to want to know where the money is going and the purpose for which it is being spent. The point of the company is to eventually make a profit, which can only be done if spending is tracked and understood.




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