One might be resulted in believe that profit is the main objective in a business but in reality it is the dollars flowing in and out of a small business which keeps the doors open. The concept of profit is relatively narrow and only talks about expenses and income at a particular point in time. Cash flow, on the other hand, is more dynamic in the sense that it is worried about the movement of profit and out of a business. It is concerned with enough time at which the movement of the amount of money takes place. Profits do not necessarily coincide making use of their associated income inflows and outflows. The net result is that dollars receipts often lag cash payments even though profits may be reported, the business enterprise may experience a short-term income shortage. For this reason, it is essential to forecast cash flows along with project likely profits. In these terms, you should discover how to convert your accrual earnings to your money flow profit. You need to be in a position to maintain enough cash on hand to run the business, however, not so much concerning forfeit possible earnings from some other uses.

Why accounting is needed

Help you to function better as a business owner

Make timely decisions
Know when to hire a team of employees
Know how to price your products
Learn how to label your expense items
Helps you to determine whether to develop or not
Helps with operations projected costs
Stop Fraud and Theft
Control the largest problem is internal theft
Reconcile your books and inventory control of equipment
Raising Capital (allow you to explain financials to stakeholders)
Loans
Investors
What are the GUIDELINES in Accounting for Small Businesses to address your common ‘pain points’?
Hire or check with CPA or accountant
What is the simplest way and how often to contact
What experience are you experiencing in my industry?
Identify what’s my break-even point?
Can the accountant assess the overall value of my business
Can you help me grow my enterprise with profit planning techniques
How will you help me to prepare for tax season
What are some special considerations for my particular industry?

To succeed, your company must be profitable. All of your business objectives boil down to this one simple fact. But turning a profit is simpler said than done. As a way to boost your bottom line, you have to know what’s going on financially all the time. You also have to be committed to tracking and understanding your KPIs.
Do you know the common Profitability Metrics to Track running a business — key performance indicators (KPI)

Whether you choose to hire an expert or do it yourself, there are some metrics that you ought to absolutely need to keep track of at all times:

Outstanding Accounts Payable: Spectacular accounts payable (A/P) shows the total amount of cash you right now owe to your suppliers.
Average Cash Burn: Average dollars burn is the rate of which your business’ cash balance is going down on average each month over a specified time period. A negative burn is a wonderful sign because it indicates your organization is generating dollars and growing its dollars reserves.
Cash Runaway: If your organization is operating at a loss, cash runway can help you estimate how many months you can continue before your organization exhausts its cash reserves. Much like your cash burn, a negative runway is a great sign that your business keeps growing its cash reserves.
Gross Margin: Gross margin is a percentage that demonstrates the full total revenue of your business after subtracting the expenses connected with creating and selling your organization’ products. This is a helpful metric to identify how your revenue compares to your costs, enabling you to make changes accordingly.
Customer Acquisition Cost: By focusing on how much you spend normally to get a new customer, you can tell how many customers you have to generate a profit.
Customer Lifetime Value: You need to know your LTV so as to predict your own future revenues and estimate the total number of customers it is advisable to grow your profits.
Break-Even Point:How much do I need to generate in sales for my company to create a profit?Knowing this number will highlight what you ought to do to turn a income (e.g., acquire more buyers, increase prices, or lower operating expenses).
Net Profit: This is actually the single most important number you should know for your business to be a financial success. In the event that you aren’t making a profit, your company isn’t likely to survive for long.
Total revenues comparison with previous year/last month. By monitoring and comparing your entire revenues over time, you can make sound business judgements and set better financial objectives.
Average revenue per employee. It’s important to know this number to be able to set realistic productivity objectives and recognize ways to streamline your business operations.
The following checklist lays out a suggested timeline to take care of the accounting functions which will continue to keep you attuned to the procedures of one’s business and streamline your taxes preparation. The reliability and timeliness of the amounts entered will affect the main element performance indicators that drive business decisions that need to be made, on a daily, monthly and annual base towards profits.
Daily Accounting Tasks

Review your daily Cashflow position which means you don’t ‘grow broke’.
Since cash is the fuel for your business, you never desire to be running near empty. Start your day by checking how much cash you have on hand.
Weekly Accounting Tasks

2. Record Transactions

Record each transaction (billing consumers, receiving cash from buyers, paying vendors, etc.) in the correct account daily or weekly, depending on volume. Although recording erp cloud software or in Excel bed sheets is acceptable, it is probably better to use accounting application like QuickBooks. The huge benefits and control far outweigh the price.

3. Document and File Receipts

Keep copies of all invoices sent, all income receipts (cash, check and charge card deposits) and all cash repayments (cash, check, charge card statements, etc.).

Start a vendors document, sorted alphabetically, (Sears under “S”, CVS under “C,”and so forth.) for easy access. Develop a payroll document sorted by payroll date and a bank statement document sorted by month. A common habit is to toss all paper receipts right into a box and make an effort to decipher them at tax period, but if you don’t have a small volume of transactions, it’s easier to have separate data files for assorted receipts kept structured as they can be found in. Many accounting software systems enable you to scan paper receipts and steer clear of physical files altogether

4. Review Unpaid Expenses from Vendors

Every business should have an “unpaid vendors” folder. Keep a record of each of your vendors that includes billing dates, amounts due and payment due date. If vendors offer discounts for early payment, you may want to take advantage of that if you have the cash available.

5. Pay Vendors, Sign Checks

Track your accounts payable and have funds earmarked to cover your suppliers on time in order to avoid any late fees and keep maintaining favorable relationships with them. If you are able to extend payment dates to net 60 or net 90, the better. Whether you make payments on the net or drop a check in the mail, keep copies of invoices sent and received using accounting application.