Friday, June 12, 2015

With A Bookkeeper Northamptonshire Businesses Can Make Informed Decisions

By April Briggs


There are many reasons why businesses fail or fall foul of the law. The single biggest cause, however, is failure to stay on top of the financial affairs of the business. Without proper and accurate financial records no business can make sound financial decisions. Entrepreneurs, especially, often forge ahead with new ideas and initiatives, not bothering to keep a keen eye on the books. However, with help from a bookkeeper Northamptonshire companies can control their finances.

There is no doubt that proper financial bookkeeping is to the advantage of the business owner. But this is not the end of the story. The law requires, actually demands, that all organizations keep track of their income and expenditure. Failure may result in legal proceedings and even in severe sanctions. Authorities such as the state finance department may require a record of all the financial dealings of an enterprise at any time.

Bookkeeping is not mysterious or particularly difficult. It is simply a science whereby very exact records are kept about the financial transactions of an enterprise. Even non profit organisations need to keep such records. Without such records no enterprise can exist. Owners of businesses need to know where they stand financially at all time. If they do not, they are in danger of making very costly mistakes.

These days most businesses follow a double entry system. This only means that every single transaction is recorded twice. It sounds complex but it is not really. Here is an example. If a business spends some money on buying goods that is meant for sale, then they have an expense. This is negative on the bank balance. At the same time, however, they now have more stock, and this is recorded on the positive side of the books.

Bookkeeping is as old as the human race. Records of transactions have been kept from the earliest ages. Of course, those days when transactions were carefully entered into giant ledgers are now long gone. These days businesses use advanced software packages to keep their books. Most software packages make it easy to compile reports, to correlate entries and to produce information as and when it is needed.

Many people confuse the terms bookkeeping and accounting. A bookkeeping practitioner is responsible for recording transactions. It is not his task to prepare financial forecasts, draw up budgets or interpret the data that he records. An accountant, on the other hand, uses the records contained in the bookkeeping system to assess the current and future financial situation of the organization. He advises management on these matters.

Proper bookkeeping helps businesses to stay out of trouble. Trouble can originate from poor information about the financial situation of the company or even in the form of legal troubles because the business failed to adhere to all regulations pertaining to tax and trade laws. Well kept books are also of prime importance when is business is bought or sold.

Keeping records of all the transactions a company make is important. It helps to clarify disputes, clear up uncertainties and keep the enterprise on the right side of the law. Bookkeeping is, in fact, the cornerstone of any successful venture.




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