Things you should do when you start your business from a bookkeepers Point of View

So you decided to go into business for yourself.  Congratulations!!  Best thing to do is set your office up immediately.  One the expensive mistakes business owner do is not set up there office immediately. They usually set up a desk where they basically drop their mail until it piles up and then waste hours cleaning it up and organize as they go.  Wasting time digging through the pile to find things every time they need something until they finally have to organize it.

            To give you a great head start here is a basic shopping list that you can tailor to your business:

1. A Desk or a designated area where you will keep all of your records, supplies, and computer
2. A 2 draw filing cabinet or if your desk is equipped with a draws that can hold hanging file folders you can use that.
3. A computer desktop or laptop
4. Some kind of computer software to keep your books like quicken, QuickBooks (desktop or online version), xero,…..(these are very good programs for people starting out and they all have online tutorials to get your started, or you can hire a bookkeeper to train you.
5. Printer
6. Multipurpose copy paper
7. Pens
8. Paperclips
9. Stapler and staples
10. Tape dispenser rolls of tape
11. Manila file folders letter size ( letter size is considered 8 1/2”x11”)
12. Hanging file folders letter size
13. Tabs for the Hanging File folders if they didn’t come with the folders
14. Small box of business size envelopes #10 envelope
15. Black thin flare markers – to label your files

This is just a get you started shopping list.  This will help you to be organized from the beginning.

Another best practice I try to encourage my clients to do is as soon as you get the mail open all of it, throw away the junk mail and the envelopes that you don’t need (the only reason you would keep an envelope is for the return address or evidence of the post mark for example from the IRS letters) other than that throw away the extra paper laying around.  If you are someone who spends a lot of time in their car and accumulate a lot of receipts get a plastic folder to put anything that you would need to keep for your records.  Here are some examples of what I mean:

You can find all these items online or your local office supply store.  Leave an envelope in your car and fill it with stuff you need to keep for your records, e.g.. receipts, mail that you picked up from a PO Box (if you have one), and anything else you can think of that you need to keep for your business.  Then it’s very transportable to bring into your office.

            Here is what you should be filing in your filing cabinate:

Accounting and bookkeeping records

Bank statements

Contracts

Permits & licenses

Employee / Outsourcing records

Vendor records

Tax papers

Corporation papers (If you are incorporated)

If you stay focused and take care of all of this stuff from the beginning it will save you time and money.  Remember your time is worth money.

Happy Organizing!!