The balance sheet is one of the main financial reports for any business. Among other things, it shows what a company owns, what they owe, and how much they and others have invested in the business. One of the characteristics of a balance sheet is how it separates what you own and what you owe into two categories based on timeframe. Current and Long-Term You may have seen the Assets section of your balance sheet…

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A great way to start the new year is to get clear on exactly how you can make your revenue goal number. A revenue plan is the perfect tool. You’ll need to be proficient in Excel, and if not, you can work with your accountant on this very important and enlightening spreadsheet. Start by listing all of your products and services, listing one product or service in each row of a blank spreadsheet.  Enter the…

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In a little over a month, it will be 2015 and time for year-end accounting chores.   One of those chores is getting your 1099s out, and now is a good time to tie up loose ends so the year-end process can go smoother.  Here are some tips to do just that: Go through your vendor list and make sure each contractor that you are paying is marked in your accounting system as a contractor eligible…

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Real-time accounting is when your books are caught up to the present and you know exactly where you stand with your account balances, revenue, and profit.  It’s truly doing your accounting in real time. The opposite of real-time accounting is getting your books done once a year (or worse, being years behind).  When you wait to do your books once a year, say at tax time, you lose the power of being able to monetize…

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The Balance Sheet is an important report in your business’s financial statements.  Most small business owners are unsure of what all of the numbers mean on this report, so let’s see if we can shed some light on what they mean. A Summary of Balances One big characteristic of a balance sheet is that it represents one date in time, for example, 12/31/2014.  The numbers represent balances, and since the balances change daily, a balance…

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