A small business can keep its own books if the system is set up once and a short routine is kept. This guide covers both: the five set-up decisions first, then the weekly to yearly routine, a worked month of transactions, and when it makes sense to hand the work over.
How to set up a bookkeeping system
Setting up a bookkeeping system takes five decisions, made once: a separate bank account, an accounting basis, a tool, a chart of accounts and a home for documents. Getting them right at the start saves hours of cleanup later.
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Open a separate business bank account
Run every business payment through an account used for nothing else, with its own card.
Done when: No personal spending sits in the business account. -
Choose cash or accrual basis
Cash basis records income and costs when money moves. Accrual basis records them when they are earned or incurred, whether paid yet or not.
Done when: The basis is written down and used monthly. -
Pick the tool
Use accounting software such as QuickBooks, Xero or Odoo, or a spreadsheet if the business has only a handful of transactions a month.
Done when: The bank account is connected, or statements are downloaded monthly. -
Set up a chart of accounts
The chart of accounts is the list of categories every transaction is sorted into: income, cost of sales, expenses, assets, liabilities and equity.
Done when: Each common transaction has one obvious category. -
Decide where documents live
Keep every invoice and receipt in one place, named by date and supplier, or attached to the transaction in the software.
Done when: Any transaction's document can be found in under a minute.
How to do bookkeeping for a small business, week by week
Bookkeeping for a small business is a weekly and monthly routine, not a once-a-year job. Recording weekly keeps receipts from going missing, and reconciling monthly catches errors while they are still easy to fix.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every week | Record sales and purchases, attach receipts, categorize new bank transactions, send invoices |
| Every month | Reconcile each bank and card account, chase unpaid invoices, pay bills, review the profit and loss statement, lock the month |
| Every quarter | Compare results with the budget, check sales tax or VAT figures if the business is registered |
| Every year | Close the year, record depreciation, prepare the annual statements for the tax return |
The same routine works for any business, from a freelancer to a company with staff; only the number of transactions changes.
How to do basic bookkeeping: a worked example
Basic bookkeeping comes down to a list of transactions with a category and a running balance. The example below is a one-person design studio's business bank account for March.
| Date | Description | Category | Money in | Money out | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 March | Opening balance | – | 5,000 | ||
| 3 March | Client payment, invoice 101 | Sales | 2,400 | 7,400 | |
| 5 March | Design software subscription | Software | 60 | 7,340 | |
| 12 March | Printer ink | Office supplies | 45 | 7,295 | |
| 20 March | Studio rent | Rent | 1,200 | 6,095 | |
| 28 March | Client payment, invoice 102 | Sales | 1,800 | 7,895 | |
| 30 March | Freelance illustrator | Contractors | 300 | 7,595 | |
| 31 March | Bank fee, found on the statement | Bank charges | 15 | 7,580 |
At month-end the books show 7,580 but the bank statement shows 7,880. The 300 difference is the illustrator's payment, sent on 30 March but not yet cleared by the bank, so nothing is wrong: it is noted and will clear in April. The 15 bank fee appeared only on the statement and was recorded during the check.
Reconciling is that check: matching every line in the books to the statement and explaining whatever is left. Excello's free bank reconciliation template lays it out step by step.
Grouping the month by category gives a simple profit and loss statement: sales of 4,200, less rent of 1,200, contractors of 300, software of 60, supplies of 45 and bank charges of 15, is a profit of 2,580.
How to do bookkeeping manually, or in accounting software
Bookkeeping can be done manually, in a paper ledger or spreadsheet, or in accounting software. Manual bookkeeping works for a handful of transactions a month; accounting software is quicker and less error-prone once there are more.
| Aspect | Manually, in a spreadsheet | In accounting software |
|---|---|---|
| Getting transactions in | Typed from bank statements | Imported daily from bank feeds |
| Categorizing | Chosen for every line | Rules suggest categories for repeat transactions |
| Double entry | Easy to get wrong | Applied automatically |
| Reports | Built with formulas | Profit and loss and balance sheet on demand |
| Best for | A few transactions a month | Any business with regular sales and costs |
How to do bookkeeping in accounting software
Connect the bank and card accounts, review each imported transaction, assign a category or match it to an invoice or bill, and attach the receipt. Double entry, recording each transaction as a debit in one account and a credit in another, happens in the background.
How to do my own bookkeeping, and when to hand it over
Doing your own bookkeeping is realistic while the business has few transactions and one bank account. Set aside a fixed hour each week for recording and receipts, and a longer session after each month ends to reconcile and review.
Signs that it is time to hand bookkeeping to someone else:
- The weekly hour keeps getting skipped, and receipts pile up.
- Reconciliations leave differences you cannot explain.
- You have staff, more than one currency or several bank accounts.
- A lender or investor asks for monthly statements you cannot produce quickly.
How to do good bookkeeping: five habits
Good bookkeeping is consistent bookkeeping: the same categories, the same schedule and a document for every entry. Five habits cover most of it.
- Record weekly. Small batches are faster and nothing is forgotten.
- Keep a document for every transaction. A receipt or invoice proves what each entry is.
- Reconcile every account monthly. Bank and card balances should match the books exactly.
- Use the same category every time. Consistent categories make months comparable.
- Lock each month once it is checked. Closed months stay closed unless a correction is logged.
How to do accounting on top of bookkeeping
Accounting starts where bookkeeping ends. Bookkeeping produces accurate, categorized records; accounting turns those records into financial statements, tax returns and decisions, such as pricing, hiring or raising money.
Doing accounting well needs the books closed first: the profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement are only as reliable as the transactions beneath them.
Common bookkeeping mistakes
The most common bookkeeping mistakes mix money together, skip checks or leave transactions unexplained.
- Mixing personal and business spending. It hides the real results. Use a separate business account and card.
- Waiting until tax time. A year of catching up is slow and error-prone. Record weekly and reconcile monthly.
- Treating the bank balance as profit. Unpaid bills and customer debts are missing from it. Read the profit and loss statement.
- Leaving an "uncategorized" pile. Those transactions stay out of the reports. Clear it before each month is closed.
- Not keeping receipts. An entry without a document is hard to defend. Save the document when the transaction happens.
Related reading
- What is a month-end close?, the monthly check that follows day-to-day bookkeeping
- Chart of accounts template, a ready list of categories to start from
- How to automate bookkeeping, the parts software can take over
Bookkeeping means recording, categorizing and reconciling every transaction, month by month. Excello does it for startups and small businesses as an outsourced bookkeeping service, inside your own QuickBooks, Xero or Odoo, closing each month within five business days as standard.