Your accounting books are one of your major sources of financial data. Mistakes in your books because of negligence or fraud can lead to decisions that have a long-lasting negative impact on your business. It’s important to keep your books updated so that you always have access to real-time information. Implementing the best practices in bookkeeping is a must if you want to keep your books mistake-free and updated.
An accounting company in the Philippines mentions the following bookkeeping best practices you can implement to improve and streamline your own processes.
Separate Business and Personal Accounts
According to an accounting company in the Philippines, one of the most common mistakes of some companies is mixing their personal and business accounts and expenses. This makes it difficult to trace where the money went and complicates bookkeeping. Always keep accounts and expenses separate. This makes it easier for your accounting team to monitor costs, update your books, pay taxes, and manage cash flow.
Automate Some Tasks
Automation has made the work of companies easier and simpler. They no longer have to spend time and resources on doing repetitive and mundane tasks. They can automate some of these to free up their employees. This gives them more time to focus on analytical and profitable work. You can also start delegating more decision-making duties to your team. You still need a person to manage some of the work you automate. This ensures the output is up to your standards and complies with the requirements of your clients. Look for accounting software that allows you to automate some of your bookkeeping tasks.
Monitor Cash Flow
You need updated financial information when you strategize and decide on the direction your company will take during a fiscal year. Identify your fixed and variable costs and monitor cash flow so that you have real-time data. This detailed approach reduces mistakes in your accounting books while keeping them updated. You’ll know which tax incentives and deductibles to utilize so that your company saves more money. You’ll be able to invest in the growth of your organization. Monitoring cash flow also allows you to allocate financing to projects, campaigns, and tasks that generate the most profits for your company.
Establish Deadlines
Late payment incurs penalties and fines that give your company a bad reputation in the eyes of your customers and partners. An accounting company in the Philippines mentioned that establishing deadlines allows you to avoid these problems. Discuss urgent and long-term due dates with your team. Prioritize which suppliers, payments, loans, or other payables you need to pay first. Remind your own team about their deadlines and send reminders to customers and partners about their due dates. Use tools that can automatically send notices once you set a schedule.
Make Reports Regularly
Create reports on a regular basis to reduce mistakes in your accounting books and keep financial records updated. This also enables you to monitor operational expenses and identify which aspects of your business needs additional funding or if they’re consuming resources inefficiently. Reports make it easier to identify which clients pay on time and which ones you always need to send reminders to. Regular reports allow you to gather financial data about the sales cycle trends of your business. This enables you to gain insights into expenses you incur and the sales you generate monthly.
Conduct Bank Reconciliation
An accounting company in the Philippines states that conducting bank reconciliation regularly keeps your books updated and error-free. Bank reconciliation enables your team to identify discrepancies between your company’s accounting records and bank statements. One of the advantages of a bank reconciliation statement is that it allows your team to determine errors in your records and statements. Early detection enables them to make corrections immediately. Bank reconciliation also lets companies know if fraudulent activities have taken place within their organization. Your team can spot anomalies in transactions and identify what employees or managers spend money on.
Pay Dues on Time
Paying your dues on time is a must. It helps keep your books updated and maintain a positive cash flow. Avoid late payments by creating reminders whenever a due date is near. Paying on time allows you to establish goodwill with your partners. Once you show you’re a reliable partner, they might be open to renegotiating your payment terms, provide you with a line of credit, and/or offer discounts for the goods you purchase and the services you use.
Internal Controls
Establish internal controls so that you can detect and prevent fraudulent activities. Policies and processes that you implement are ways you can monitor the transactions that take place within operations. These enable you to identify anomalies and provide solutions immediately. Assign tasks to different employees so that they don’t do all the tasks. This creates a check and balance within the process. Document each step so that you can track which employees are assigned to a specific task.
Implement a Record Keeping System
Create and implement an easy-to-follow record keeping system. Record and organize information in such a way that simplifies the work of your accounting team. This makes accessing, gathering, and analyzing financial information easy. Your team can generate reports and get insights from the data without wasting time reviewing disorganized and cluttered information. Keep a digital record of your receipts, expenses, invoices, and other financial data. Store these in the cloud so that your team can access them at their convenience.
Consider Outsourcing Bookkeeping
Consider outsourcing to an accounting company in the Philippines or from other countries. Outsourcing is a proven and reliable strategy that many companies have already implemented. Outsourcing provides you with first quality services at a price lower than what you pay in developed countries. You get the same or higher quality output while cutting costs and boosting profits. You have access to a wider talent pool when you outsource. You also have the option to negotiate a shorter or longer contract based on your needs. You don’t have to pay them like a full-time employee. You can limit your budget based on the hours an outsourced provider has worked or on a project basis.
These are some of the bookkeeping best practices you can implement to simplify your accounting processes. If you need assistance with bookkeeping and establishing a branch office, we at Manila Bookkeepers can assist you. We’re an experienced accounting company in the Philippines that provides first-rate services for foreign-owned companies that want to do business in the country.
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