Tag Archives: entrepreneur

Didn’t think I’d need a bookkeeper….maybe I do. If only I had time to find one.

bookkeeping, Sage 50 - Canadian Edition, Sage Simply Accounting, small business, small business accounting, small business bc, , , , , , , , ,

The title of this blog was taken directly from an email conversation between a mentor and a start-up business owner. This new entrepreneur knew it was essential to seek out a professional mentor that had, as he put it, done this many times before. In this particular email he had two questions for his mentor.

  1. Do you actually charge interest on overdue invoices? 
    1. Sometimes I charge interest.  I expect that you have been phoning and nagging at least weekly.  If not, you must.

       

  2.   I’ve got a student who has agreed to help me out part time – she’s perfect in that she has great skills and is super flexible.  Only we haven’t come to any terms about her employment/contract/whatever.  I think the easiest thing for me to do is to sub-contract her, but I’m not sure if there are any pitfalls to this idea.  
    1. It is my understanding from my bookkeeper that if you hire someone on contract and they do not have other sources of income you may be declared their employer and have to pay Payroll Source Deductions retroactively.  If you hire them as an employee, you have to pay Payroll Source Deductions monthly for the previous month’s pays. 

 

  1. Do you have a book keeper?

    1. Didn’t think I’d need a bookkeeper….maybe I do. If only I had time to find one.

       

  2. You do need a book-keeper. 

This mentor had learned from building a successful business a bookkeeper was needed. Answers to these questions are possible through outsourcing to a professional bookkeeper and implementing a computerized bookkeeping system. It is imperative to invest a little of that start up money on quality and accurate bookkeeping records.

You’ll be on top of the game and the competition with a simple click of a button or a phone call to your bookkeeper. Your financial statement and month end reports fulfill the checklist of a well managed company for all stakeholders. The institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada www.ipbc.ca is a great resource to help you find a qualified bookkeeper.

Monitoring the progress of your business from the beginning stages is critical for new businesses to grow and you need to prepare a cash flow plan. A professional bookkeeper can help you prepare budgets, cash flow plans and a break-even analysis by looking at your projections of revenue over variable and fixed costs.

With accurate bookkeeping you will be able to check on progress such as increased profitability tracking, accounts receivable monitoring, and controlling expenses. How does the data compare with your projections? Are you on track or falling behind?

Clean tax records will keep you and your business in good standing with your banker, investor and Canada Revenue Agency.

Your bookkeeper and accounting software will provide monthly financial statements and reports that provide a precise road map of which direction to take your business in the future. No more sleepless nights wondering if you have made the right decisions. You will feel confident with the numbers to back you up. Start focusing on what matters and hire a professional bookkeeper today. The rest will follow!

 
 

Dianne Mueller CPB

Soma Small Business Solutions

 

The Keys to Unlocking your Business Profits & Growth in Sage 50–Canadian Edition

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You know it is important to lower taxes and increase profits. You also know that it is imperative that you have enough money in the bank to pay the bills, but do you know how to access vital information and the Key Performance Indexes to measure your business progress in Sage 50–Canadian Edition?

Let’s start with the Income Statement and Balance Sheet found in the report center on the home page.

The Income Statement indicates:

  • Which expenses are paying you back and should be increased.
  • Which expenses should be cut back or eliminated.
  • Which products are profitable and which are not.

The Balance Sheet indicates:

  • What your business owns – Assets
  • What you business owes – Liabilities (or financial obligation)
  • Shareholder or Owners Equity – ROI (return on investment)

They also provide Key Comparisons information like:

  • Last month vs. current month.
  • Last quarter vs. current quarter.
  • Year to date. Year to date by month.
  • Current month to same month last year.
  • Current quarter to same quarter last year.

Combining these two statement numbers will indicate important ratios you can use to manage your success.

Increase your profits by utilizing the Business Performance Monitoring feature:

The key financial ratios of liquidity, efficiency, operating, financing and profitability are all at your finger tips in Sage 50–Canadian Edition. The software provides a detailed performance measurement explanation and graph to help you analyze the information in an easy to understand format.

You will find this Key Business Performance information in the Daily Business Manager under the Business Assistant Menu on the home page. Click on the radio button indicating Business Performance. To get a complete list of all ratios available go to the view menu and chose options. You are able to add any that do not appear on the main page to your customizable list. (See screen shots below)

It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses, manage spending and credit. Have money when you need it. These are all important ratios that Sage 50 helps you to reach and manage greater success.

Dianne Mueller CPB

Certified Sage Trainer

Soma Small Business Solutions