By Janet Schmidt


Staying on top of the numbers can be a challenge for any businessperson, even for those with a degree in accounting or business. Sometimes there is no time to go over things a third time or do extensive research to find the missing figure. When a person is starting out, they may not have the time to properly set up their office suite or the funds to pay for it. The good news is there are many options, like using excel templates for entrepreneurs who are too busy to create spreadsheet formulas.

For those who find their business is growing faster than expected, it is not too late to install a spreadsheet program. While most people think these are strictly for accounting purposes, this is not the case. Many come with easy tutorials that show how to link the customer database, inventory, invoices, and other account information.

Wherever a person stands in their business, it helps to get into counting the numbers as early as possible. Many new entrepreneurs are learning how to use software applications so they can see everything for themselves. Since some may link their business bank accounts, they can find discrepancies or entry errors faster.

For the person that knows the basics, it may help to start with the simple tasks. Creating general accounting, expense, and inventory sheets is a good place to start. These call for simple add and subtract formulas that can be linked to one another or to an external link, like a merchant site used for sales.

When something is not considered a hobby, having a good tracking system is highly recommended. Especially for those whose business venture is their sole source of income and they need to file taxes at the end of the year. Depending on state laws, they may be required to file taxes every quarter in addition to filing federal taxes annually.

Templates can be set up to figure the correct percentage to pay taxes, along with business deductions and other items to be written off. For those who do not use an accountant, this is the next best thing for a growing operation. In the case of entrepreneurs that still work a salaried job, spreadsheets that are already formatted for a small side business can make tax preparation a lot easier.

Otherwise, these programs make accuracy a lot easier for the person who does their own bookkeeping. When a business gets more revenue, having a solid accounting system in place is best when it comes to hiring an outside party to take over this task. If accounting tasks are outsourced to another individual, files can be sent over in zip format, if necessary.

So having a lackadaisical approach about money is not fitting of an entrepreneur unless they have a wonderful accountant that is also trustworthy. For those who prefer to handle their business finances, learning how to create basic spreadsheets is rather simple. Anyone who enjoys formulas may find ways to create these easily but not everyone can learn these functions in a short time. When the time comes to hire an accountant or bookkeeper, having a solid system in place will make it easier for the owner.




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