Feb 05 Best Business Accounting Practices

Perhaps you’re a small business with a new year’s resolution to implement better accounting practices in the new year. It is an admirable and certainly productive goal, indicating that you have developed an awareness of accounting’s importance to all businesses, particularly small and fledgling businesses. So, while many small businesses will continue living in denial of the benefits of good business accounting practices (and continue to take significant risk in doing so) you are resolved to turn over a new leaf. The problem with resolutions, though, is that most people don’t keep them. That goes for businesses as well. What steps can you take to stick with an important resolution like making sure your business’s finances are held to a higher standard? Well, one tried and true method for realizing goals is to be as specific as possible. As a business owner or a business accountant, only you aware of your accounting needs at their most specific level. To get you thinking in the right direction, however, here is a list of a few specific principles that need to pervade the mindset of your internal accountants or of the New Jersey business accounting firm you choose to work with.

 

Prioritization

 

Accounting cannot be something you simply choose to add on to your overall business strategy. Accounting needs to be a priority. It needs to be expertly considered by your business at each critical juncture. Making accounting a priority can begin with the habit of keeping accurate books constantly, as opposed to just doubling back during tax time or when an issue arises. Will you have a need for flawless accounting records at an unexpected moment’s notice this year? Hopefully not, but the knowledge that this information is available provides much needed peace of mind.  Furthermore, constant dialogue with your accountant can begin to affect your decision-making is a positive way as the priority of accounting begins to factor more heavily as you consider different options.

 

Automation

 

 

Just as there is no substitute for your accounting to be taken care of by someone who specializes in the field, there is no substitute for having the latest financial tools at your disposal. You should invest in accounting professionals but also in the right accounting software. There are many accounting platforms that automatically track all aspects of a business’s finances. It is important, though, not to simply splurge on the most expensive and expansive option. Dedicating yourself to the importance of accounting means making a deliberate, conscious decision about exactly what your business needs out of its accounting software and what it doesn’t. This is a decision that an accountant will be able to help a business make.

 

Accuracy

 

It might seem obvious that staying accurate and organized is a given if you prioritize accounting and invest in the right software, but you would be surprised at how many fail to follow through on this basic best accounting practice. Keeping accurate records is a difficult habit to cultivate because it requires a constant renewal of your dedication to the practice. Things like keeping business/personal spending separate, tracking all expenses and staying organized throughout the year are the backbone of any accounting commitment. With the right business accounting mentality, 2017 can be the most successful year yet.