Just as a personal budget can help ensure enough money is saved for retirement, a business budget can help ensure the company can succeed long into the future. Budgets also help start-ups step off on the right foot. Even without historical expenses data, taking the time to forecast income and expenses for the month, quarter and year(s) ahead will help keep your business lean, efficient and open for business.
We decided to analyze our client’s financial performance for the last two years. (There's no denying it -- we are a bit nerdy!) Not surprisingly, we found that most small businesses had a difficult 2020 year. We noticed a few things when reviewing the data, such as:
It's time to close the books on 2020, but before you close the year in QuickBooks, you need to ensure a few things are done.
We aren’t talking about peanut butter and chocolate (although that is good); we are talking about a part-time bookkeeper and a part-time CFO. That combination lets you do what you do best – create new products and services for your small business.
Accountants love it when they get a clean set of books. The ultimate prize is when the Net Assets with Donor Restrictions account is up to date. A critical step in getting there is a good grant balance tracking system maintained throughout the year. Here are three ways we track restricted grant balances using QuickBooks Online:
The Pandemic has brought to light the importance of financial management at nonprofit organizations. Many organizations are overwhelmed with demand and short on resources. A crisis always highlights weaknesses, but it can also identify opportunities. As a board member, what financial information do you need to guide the organization though the ever-changing community the nonprofit serves?
For several decades non-employee employee compensation was reported using a 1099-MISC. The IRS has changed that for the 2020 tax filing year and is requiring those wages to be reported on a 1099-NEC.
For most of us, driving to the office has been replaced by remote work environments. Fortunately, at BudgetEase we did a lot of remote work before the pandemic. For many small businesses, however, this has been a challenging adjustment period.
Despite the time of year, I chose to head to Aurora Outlets to pick up a few holiday gifts this week. I recall saying last year that I would spare myself the misery of trying to find a parking spot and waiting in line. Knowing the annoyance lying ahead, I went anyway.
It’s not too late to get organized for year-end. A lot of small business owners wait too long to get their financials in order. Closing the books for the year doesn’t have to be a race to the finish; it can be a jog. Below are a few things you can do now.
