As a business owner, it is necessary to get involved in every business operation. Business owners might wear multiple hats of business management. However, it doesn’t mean that every hat fits you well. They have a much worse time when it comes to donning that financial chapeau.
Accounting is a significant element for any business. Many entrepreneurs might realize this fact in the company’s initial stages, but they still fail to manage it properly.
Being an entrepreneur, if you’re not familiar with the mechanism of accounting, then you’re going to create errors, not by choice but with a lack of knowledge. In severe cases, repeated accounting errors can lead your business to insolvency and assets liquidity.
Here’s a list of accounting errors that business owners are prone to create.
Not saving official receipts:
After the work is complete, it is a common practice to throw the receipts away. Maintaining correct records monthly will help you convince your auditors that you’ve added accurate records. In case of a potential audit, proper forms of income and expenditures could end up securing thousands of income tax dollars.
Combining personal and business accounts:
Not having a separate bank account for personal and professional activities. Make sure that your banking records are adequately maintained. In case of an audit, you might need to provide complete business financial records separated from your private finances. This separation of accounts will prevent possible errors and identify potential issues.
Avoiding sales tax:
Many business owners often forget to report the sales tax in the bookkeeping. Neglecting sales tax or not reporting it to the account might lead to significant fines and penalties. Alternatively, inaccurate data entry might result in a higher sales amount and increased sales taxes.
Poor communication with the accountant:
Keep your accountant informed about your next move related to financial operations. It is essential to develop a cordial relationship with your accountant; only then you’ll be able to communicate with them without any restrictions. However, some business owners forget to implement this gesture and couldn’t apply the potential strategies smartly.
Not having substitutes:
We live in the advanced era of technology where any issue can arise unexpectedly. There will always be room for human errors, and it can harm your confidential data, so you need to be prepared beforehand. As a business owner, you’ll be providing justifications to your monetary team and management.
Hiring an unprofessional accountant:
Hiring an unprofessional accountant can create numerous financial problems that can go beyond just producing blurred resolutions. If you’re being stingy and don’t want to spend a valuable sum of money for the insurance of your financial operations, then you’ll have to face severe audits and penalties.
Not accepting your flaws:
While managing the financial accounts all by yourself, there comes a time when you need to seek professional help. It’s acceptable to confess that finance might not be your field of expertise, but not getting professional service when required can be a significant blunder. Being a business owner, you might don’t want to show that you lack finances. However, there’s no shame in hiring an external accounting to manage the finance.
Carelessness in cash management:
Every time a cash withdraw occurs from the business account, fill out a cash slip for any purpose. While removing the money, employees often forget to ask for the cash slip, which lets them get away with the cash without keeping accurate records of the transactions.
Wrongly categorized accounts:
There are some standard categories for every account. However, errors occur when adding expenditures into the wrong type or numerous categories. Try to follow commonly accepted accounting practices to stay on track.
Accounting is the most critical aspect of every business. Unfortunately, business owners often underestimate the importance of accounting. Even the tiniest accounting mistakes can be expensive, chiefly when they result in refusal. Business owners should make sensible decisions to maximize their accounting resources and prepare them for the future growth of the business. When nothing works, you can always seek a professional hand for help, such as an accountant or financial adviser.
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