Accounting Article : Do you think that your workload is hampering your killer marketing activities?

by: Arun Tibrewal

You need an extra effort not the extra workload. Today when competition is high and consumers have many options to choose, an extra effort towards improvement of your product, managing your customers and taking care of other aspects of your business will give you advantage over your competition. You need to multiply your time may be you can keep your margin low, but will give you more volume and increase in your turnover.

Most SME’s start well during there initial stage of launching the business but looses its consistency do to pool of workloads on its day today life. It is often seen that hiring more employees gives extra load on limited earning resources resulting less revenue than expected. You need to put more efforts on Marketing and concentrate on your other activities so that you can do business with an ease. Outsourcing is one of the solutions for small and medium business entities too, that give them more opportunity to utilize there valuable time on marketing and other efforts. (Provided they get an honest an able outsourcing partner.)

Accounting Article : Managing Your Home Based Online Business – 2

by: Roy Thomsitt

In the first part of this series of articles, on managing your online business at home, I wrote about the many management responsibilities and functions you have rolled into one if you have your own sole proprietor business, with no staff. Your management task is perhaps the most difficult of all. You have to manage yourself, in all those different areas of your business such as finance, marketing, purchasing and computing.

I believe that if you think of your new home business as having different areas of management for you to concentrate on, you are more likely to succeed long term. If you can adopt some of the techniques of good management, you will end up with a more sound business that will stand the test of time. You will be a better decision maker, and it is decisions that dictate the progress or downfall of any business. Decision making needs to be unemotional and as scientific as possible, but as much as anything needs to be based on common sense. Good management is often a matter of common sense, and that is why I believe you, whatever your background, can run a successful business limited only by your ambitions.

Accounting Article : The Fun Of Starting A New Business

by: Sintilia Miecevole

So you had that fantastic business idea, the one that's going to be wildly successful and make you a fortune - even better, you actually did something about it and started your own business. Good for you! Not everyone gets that far. Most people sit and day dream about what they might do if only ....

"The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision" - W. Clement Stone

But you got over the biggest hurdle, that first step and you actually created something.

Well done - you did more than most. Now you have the day to day details of running your business so how do you keep going?

There are several things to look at here:

Accounting Article : How Nov. 15, 2004 Deadline for Sarbanes Oxley 404 Compliance Affects You

by: Chris Anderson

Public companies have 90 days from the end of their fiscal year to comply. For those with market capitalization of $75 million or more, this clock starts on Nov. 15, 2004; while all others with less than $75 million market capitalization begin July 15, 2005.

Fast Relief for Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 Compliance

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires management to confirm the effectiveness of their IT and financial controls in an "internal control report", which is contained within the annual report (10-K) issued to the public. But what exactly is an internal control report, and why is it important to you?

The Section 404 Internal Control Report

First, the internal control report must affirm management’s responsibility for controls and procedure, and second, it must contain an assessment of the effectiveness of the internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. Although both of these issues might at first appear difficult to solve, they are actually not as hard as you would think.

Accounting Article : Policies and Procedures Used as Management Key

by: Chris Anderson

Managers know the difficulty of getting people to do the right things the right way. And employees need their expertise and understanding of the way things should be done. But how do you get it across so it actually sticks? The answer is well-defined policies and procedures.

Quickly Convey What’s Right

Managers can convey the exact way things should be done with policies and procedures, and they can do it faster than ever with pre-written documents. This speeds an organization’s standard operating procedures project effectiveness to get results.

Create Strong Operating Procedures

Departmentally-focused manuals provide an excellent opportunity to create strong, consistent Standard Operating Procedures across multiple functions. This includes added savings of time and resources. Departments that benefit with improved results include:

Can You Play the Drums?

by: Erin Banister

When I was a child, all I wanted from life was to be able to play every instrument under the sun. Pretty lofty goal, right?

I spent a couple decades learning numerous instruments, a couple I mastered; with many of the instruments I considered myself an
average player, but that was ok – at least I could do it! Years went by, I kept learning new instruments, and I was very proud of myself.

One day, I decided it was time to learn the drums. I started with the snare drum, and I was fair at playing that. Next, the
tri-toms, the bass drum, symbols, and so on. Being the overachiever that I am, I decided one day to get a drum set. I

Accounting Article : Issuing Warrants to Investors

by: Dave Lavinsky

When raising capital for a business venture, warrants are a common form of equity that is given to investors. A warrant is like an option – it gives the holder the right to buy a security at a fixed or formulaic price, which is known as the "exercise" or "strike" price.

Warrants are often confused with options. Options, as used in the venture capital space, are typically long term (up to 10 years). They are also typically issued to employees versus investors. Conversely, warrants act like short-term options and, unlike employee options, can be traded as an independent security.

In general, neither the issuance of warrants nor their exercise (at least by non-employees) is a taxable event. In fact, in 1984, Congress reversed the earlier position of the IRS that the expiration of a warrant is a taxable event for the issuer. However, whenever a debt security with warrants attached is issued as a package, original issue discount problems are invited.

Accounting Article : Resume Outline - Add Structure & Flow to Your Resume

by: Roger Clark

Building your resume, based on a resume outline will give it structure and flow... it provides an outline of all the things you should include in your resume.

A resume is one of the most important documents you will ever create

First you have to decide on a particular format for your resume. The two main formats in use today are chronological and functional format. Which one is best to use will depend greatly on your situation.

To build your resume you can use free resume forms located on the web. This can provide you with directions if you are having trouble building your resume. A sample resume outline would include the following sections:

Accounting Article : How to Start an Investment Club - Business Model

by: chris hickman

Your investment club will need to decide what type of entity you're going to adopt for business purposes. You'll have to decide whether you're going to be a corporation, a general partnership, or limited liability partnership.

Each of these business models has their own advantages and disadvantages.

· Corporation. Most investment clubs will avoid becoming a corporation. This is because corporations are taxable business entities that require knowledgeable accounting skills to make them run smoothly and in accord with government regulations. A corporation generally means a lot of paperwork. This paperwork can be avoided by choosing another business model for your purpose of running an investment club.

Accounting Article : Small Business 101: Deadly Ignorance

by: Daniel Sitter

American small business is again in transition. Many employees, now working from home, are no longer tied to a geographic office and the woes of commuting. This is a relatively new phenomenon with hints of explosive sector growth in the days ahead. As this turbulent economy has forced downsizing, offshore restructuring and closures in large companies, many new entrepreneurs have been born. These are people, who instead of tirelessly attempting to find new employment and possibly enduring the same fate as previously experienced, are now starting small businesses and enjoying the benefits and perils of self-employment.

There's an old story telling of an Admiral's decision to fight a battle against overwhelming odds. It seems that he was approaching the coast of an enemy land, with a larger naval force closing in from behind and a great army approaching from the land ahead. He prayed and then addressed his men. He announced that their

Accounting Article : Is Your Business Profitable?

by: Pam Newman

Copyright 2005 Pam Newman

What’s your job profitability? Do you know?

Many business owners are unsure of their profitability at a company or job level. They “think” they are making money because they have a few dollars in their checking account. Having money in your checking account doesn’t mean you are profitable. It might simply mean you haven’t paid all the bills yet, so you have a little cash. Cash and profit are two different concepts. If you don’t know your exact income and expenses for each job and your overall business, then how can you know whether you are making a profit? And, if you aren’t profitable, your business won’t last long.

Accounting Article : Here is the latest and accurate assistance relating to laptop bags.

by: Tom Brown

Here is the latest and accurate assistance relating to laptop bags. When you are on the lookout for excellent information relating to laptop bags, you'll find it's complex sorting out the best information from unprofessional laptop bags proposals and guidance so it is important to know how to judge the advice that is offered.

Here's a few tips which we sincerely believe you should use when you're searching for information about laptop bags. You need to understand that the advice we present is only relevant to web based information about laptop bags. We do not offer you any advice or guidance for conducting research offline.

Accounting Article : Resume Writing and Preparation is Free Online

by: Donna Monday

Creating a strong resume is a very important part of applying for a job, either online or off line. There are many resume writing services that will help you build an impressive resume for job interviews.

You can also learn how to write a resume for free by surfing the Internet for resume writing help. Many sites will show you tips and advice on choosing a resume style that works best for you.

You can also find samples of resumes, resume templates, resume software, and examples of resume cover sheets or letters.

Whether you’re looking to create a business resume, marketing resume, military resume, electronic resume, accounting resume, nursing resume, acting resume, sales resume, teacher resume, executive resume, student resume or a customer service resume, you can find great advice online with a little research.

Accounting Article : Company/Employee Handbook as Organisational Improvement Tool

by: Stephan Szugat

A business is only able to grow as fast as the internal organisation is able to process higher volumes of sales. But how to get an optimal internal organisation? Well, you will need to adapt your internal organisation over and over again. It’s a never ending story. However, a Company/Employee Handbook could assist you to achieve the best internal business organisation.

This brings up the question, What has to be included in a Company/Employee Handbook? Everything what has influence to your business operation. First of all, it has to be outlined which areas the Company/Employee Handbook will cover. As it has to do with internal operation, here is a list of items you should include:

Accounting Article : 10 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales

by: Wesley Atkins

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that have the same objective. You can trade leads, share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.

2. Brand your name and business. You can easily do this by just writing articles and submitting them to e-zines or web sites for republishing.

3. Start an auction on your web site. The type of auction could be related to the theme of your site. You'll draw traffic from auctioneers and bidders.

Accounting Article : An introduction to point of sale software

by: Jakob Jelling

Point of sale software gives business owners a convenient way of checking out customers and of recording sales. It can keep a record of the store inventory, updating it when an order is processed. It can also print out receipts, carry out credit card processing, track customers, etc. Point of sale software eases the flow at checkout terminals, while recording all the information that can help you make better business decisions.

Point of sale software allows users to input via keyboard or mouse, and some even have a touch screen interface. You can install the software on your checkout register.

When checking out a customer you can either input the sales item yourself or use a bar code scanner. The point of sale software will look up the item in the inventory and bring up the price. It can also calculate tax on the item and change for the customer.

Accounting Article : Bottleneck-oriented Business Management

by: Stephan Szugat

Simple and effective Business Management

In every enterprise there are, at every time, one or more bottlenecks, which have influence to the commercial situation. Bottleneck-oriented business management has the purpose to early track the bottlenecks and to remove them, to allow an optimum of commercial development. To know at any time, what a business lacks of and to be able to add the missing things, is today a determining competition advantage. Bottlenecks can be, e.g.:

low sales proceeds
high due or overdue accounts receivables
low liquidity (Cash on Hand, etc.)
high amount of liabilities

Accounting Article : Why Online Presence Is Essential For Small Business Success

by: Srinivasan R.G.

If you are any kind of small business or home operated business, online presence is essential. Majority of web site visitors are from the English speaking population due to the high levels of internet penetration in that category, online presence for all small enterprises cannot be overemphasized. The research data in the US about online connectivity reveals the following facts which may help to understand the importance of the web presence for businesses especially the small enterprise.

70 % of the US households have web connectivity.

In 2004 worldwide online population was 801 million worldwide.

Accounting Article : Starting An Online Business From Home

by: J. Elisha Burke

Many people believe that starting an online business from home is difficult. In fact it is quite easy. If you are already familiar with what product you will sell you will need to create or hire someone to produce an online website for you. This website should list the product or products you have available. If you will be selling your own products, make sure that your online business has a name that reflects you and what you offer.

After this has been completed, you should inquire in your local state to learn the guidelines necessary for you to run a business from your home. Many states require that even an online business register with them and receive a business license. You will have to get the necessary forms to request this license.

Accounting Article : 9 things you must do to maximize your chances of obtaining a small business loan

by: Neil Best

To get approval for your small business loan application, you must be able to meet the lending criteria set down. Some organisations are more risk averse than others, and will therefore have more stringent criteria.

To vastly increase your chances of a successful funding application, you will need to present the following information:

1. The reason for the loan. The lender will be looking for something that fits within the normal range and expertise of your business. The amount may cover a number of items, so you will need to cover each.

2. The amount required, and the repayment term of the small business loan you want. (e.g. $10,000 term 5 years, payable quarterly).

Accounting Article : Taxing Overseas Firms for SOX Compliance

by: Neil More

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also called the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 was signed into law on July 30, 2002 by President Bush. In the aftermath of Enron, Arthur Andersen, Global Crossing, and WorldCom, SOX promises greater corporate accountability and transparency. Named after Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael G. Oxley, SOX focuses on the importance of ethical behavior in corporate governance-across the United States and now…overseas.

All countries have government-required laws like Sarbanes Oxley. In the UK, it’s the "Combined Code on Corporate Governance," in The Netherlands it’s the "Code Tabaksblatt," Germany has a "Bilanz Reform" and a "Bilanz Kontroll Gesetz." But then, why do we need SOX overseas since we already have the required laws? It’s because companies with U.S. headquarters must ensure that all foreign outposts meet federal

Accounting Article : Top 7 Strategies for Writing Accounting Procedures

by: Chris Anderson

You have permission to publish this article free of charge, as long as the resource box is included with the article. If you do run my article, a courtesy reply to sean@bizmanualz.com would be greatly appreciated. This article is 909 words long including the resource box. Thanks for your interest.

Part Two of Cash to Cash Cycle Series

Part One: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-05-05_inventory_procedures.html/?ART78

Next Week: Sales

We’ve already found $250,000…so let’s find another $250,000…

Laying the Foundation

Accounting Article : material Values in Business Management

by: Stephan Szugat

Article Title: I
Author: Stephan Szugat
Word Count: 915

material Values in Business Management

Maybe you have already heard that in some ways immaterial values are important for business management. But you might not found how to bring them into your management processes or into your reporting packages. However, first of all we should be clear, what immaterial values are? Well, this includes the balance sheet information about intangible assets, but is going far behind it.
As we all know, decisions are mostly based on feelings or emotions, than on logical judgement. A feeling is an energy. Energy is not material, it is immaterial. The overall emotions or motivation of employees in a business is a immaterial value, it could have positive and negative impact on the business development. Does sound very esoterical for you? Might be, but today we know that our emotions drive a lot of our life.
Not only the feelings of the emplyoees have an impact on the business development, also the feelings of

Accounting Article : HOW TO STAY FOCUSSED AND BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

by: Matt Bacak

You have a detailed business plan, which showed the overall intent of your company. You presented the business plan to your bank before start-up and they submitted funding in the amount that you both deemed acceptable. The original business plan contained the basis of the procedures that will help you stay focussed while the company grows. Let's examine some of these processes that you will use to give your business the focus it needs to grow and succeed.

1. A marketing plan. If sales are a part of your operation (and it seems that some form of selling is always a big part of every company), then, you will need to have your sales group focussed on a marketing plan. Short term and longer-term analysis should be a part of this planning and will likely contain an analysis of your competition, market potential and sales projections. Be careful not to fall into the trap of letting “the business take care of itself”, stay focussed at all times and be sure your managers are tuned into this market monitoring regularly, nothing is more defeating to the general manager/owner than to be told by a sales manager…I didn't see that coming! YIKES!

Accounting Article : Outside The Box

by: Phillip A. Ross

Outside The Box

Thinking "outside the box" or as it is sometimes called, "coloring outside the lines" is a popular idea in the business world today. People and organizations are told to think outside the box or color outside the lines as a way to stimulate creativity when they need to solve problems like streamlining production, establishing a new product, or developing a new process. And it's true that creativity and innovation often arise from unexpected and unconventional thinking.

But there is a serious problem with trying to apply such thinking too broadly.

For instance, creativity is valued in art and advertising, but not in banking and accounting. An accounting firm recently ran an ad suggesting that it could think "outside the box." Do you really want your business to be associated with creative accounting? Aren't accountants supposed to put the numbers in the right box? Wasn't creative accounting a serious problem for Enron?

Accounting Article : 3 Essential Tools for Starting and Maintaining a Small Business

by: Ryan Hough

We believe that there are 3 factors that drive the success of small businesses.


1) Acquiring start-up capital
2) Finding customers
3) Accounting for, budgeting and controlling sales and expenses



The following resources will help your small business achieve these success factors.

Acquiring Start-Up Capital


An adequate supply of capital is essential as many profitable businesses fail because they don’t have enough cash to pay their employees and suppliers. But what is an adequate supply of capital? The only way to tell is by doing a significant amount of research on your potential market and formally documenting this in a business plan. I’m sure you know that a business plan is a very important document that is crucial to

Accounting Article : Understanding Depreciation: It May Be More Simple Than You Think

by: John Day

Depreciation is defined as a portion of the cost that reflects the use of a fixed asset during an accounting period. A fixed asset is an item that has a useful life of over one year. An accounting period is usually a month, quarter, six months or one year. Let’s say you bought a desk for your office on January 1, for $1000 and it was determined that the desk had a useful life of seven years. Using a one year accounting period and the “straight-line” method of depreciation, the portion of the cost to be depreciated would be one-seventh of $1000, or $142.86.

Most non-accountants roll their eyes and shudder when the topic of “depreciation” comes up. This is where the line in the sand is drawn. Depreciation is far too complicated to try and figure out, or so it seems to many. But is it really? Surely the definition of depreciation mentioned above is not that difficult to comprehend. If you look closely you will see that there are five pieces of information you must have in order to determine the amount of depreciation you can deduct in one year. They are:

-The nature of the item purchased (the desk).

-The date the item was placed in service (Jan 1).

-The cost of the item ($1000).

-The useful life of the item (seven years).

-The method of depreciation to be used (straight-line)

The first three are easy to figure out, the second two are also easy but require a little research. How do you figure out the useful life of an item? Let me regress for a moment. There is “book depreciation” which is based on the real useful life of an item, and there is the IRS version of what constitutes the useful life of an item. A business that is concerned with accurately allocating its costs so that it can get a true picture of net profit will use book depreciation on its financial statements.

However, for tax purposes the business is required to use the IRS method. The IRS may have shorter or longer useful lives for fixed assets causing a higher or lower depreciation write-off. The higher the write-off, the less tax a business pays. The long and short of it is that you end up having to create a book financial statement and a tax financial statement. So, most small businesses that aren’t concerned with a precise measurement of their net profit use the IRS method on their books. This means that all you have to do is look in IRS Publication 946 to find the useful life of a particular item.

The last piece of information you need is found by determining the method of depreciation to use. Most often it will be one of two methods: the “straight-line” method or an accelerated method called the “double-declining balance” method. Let’s briefly discuss these two methods:

Straight-line

This is the simple method mentioned in the definition above. Just take the cost of the item, divide it by the useful life and you’ve got the answer. Yes, you will have to adjust the depreciation for the first year you placed the item in service and for the last year when you removed the item from service. For instance, if your depreciation for one year was $150 and you placed the item in service on April 1 then divide $150 by 12 (months) and multiply $12.50 by 9 (months) to get $112.50. If you removed the item on February 28 then your deduction will only be $25.00 (2 x $12.50).

Double-declining balance

The idea behind this method is that when an item is purchased new, you will use up more of it in the earlier years of its life, therefore, justifying a higher depreciation deduction in the earlier years. With this method, simply divide the cost of the item by the useful life years as in the straight-line method. Then, multiply that result by 2 (double) in the first year. The second year, take the cost of the item and subtract the accumulated depreciation. Next, divide that result by the useful life and multiply that result by 2, and so on for each remaining year.

But, wait! You don’t have to do this. The IRS provides tables that have the percentages worked out for each year of the two different methods. Not only that, they have set up special first year “conventions” that assume you purchased your depreciable fixed assets on June 30. This is called the one-half year convention. The idea behind this is that you may have bought some items earlier than June 30 and some after that date. So, to make it easy to figure out, they assume the higher and lower depreciation amounts will all average out.

Actually, the IRS doesn’t even call it depreciation anymore. They call it “cost recovery”. Let’s face it. This is a political tool. Congress giveth and taketh away. They have been playing with this system for years. If they want to stimulate growth in business they will shorten the useful life of assets so businesses can attain a higher write-off. If they are not in the mood, they will extend the useful life of an item. A good example is the 39 years set for the useful life of commercial property. This means that if you lease a building for your business and make improvements, those improvements have to be depreciated over 39 years. Now congress is working on a bill to drop that down to 15 years for leasehold improvements.

Before December 31, 1986 we had ACRS or Accelerated Cost Recovery System. Currently, we have MACRS or Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System. Every time congress tweaks the rules they give it a different name.

Keep in mind there are different schedules for different properties. For instance, residential real property is depreciated over twenty-seven and one-half years and non-residential real property is depreciated over thirty-nine years. In addition, if more than forty percent of your total fixed asset purchases occurred in the last quarter of the year, then, you must use a mid-quarter convention. This convention assumes that your purchases made in the last quarter of the year were made on November 15. This prevents you from buying a big expensive piece of equipment on December 31 and treating it as though it were purchased on June 30 and gaining a larger depreciation expense.

Understanding how basic depreciation works can be valuable to the small business owner because it helps to know the tax implications when planning for capital equipment purchases.

About the author:
John W. Day, MBA is the author of two courses in accounting basics for non-accountants. Visit his website at http://www.reallifeaccounting.comto download for FREE his 3 e-books pertaining to small business accounting and his monthly newsletter on accounting issues. Ask John questions directly on his Accounting for Non-Accountants blog .

Accounting Article : Explode Your Consulting Income

by: J. Stephen Pope

Here are just a few ways to increase and diversify your
income from your consulting business.


1. Sell More Services to Your Existing Clients


Instead of spending all that time and money trying to get
new business, why not try to sell more services to your
existing client base?

If you are an accounting and tax consulting firm, for
example, you likely have clients who need some assistance
in their record keeping and documentation. In addition to
your year-end tax services, could you provide monthly

Accounting Article : What Software Do You Need For Your Small Business

by: Jeff Schuman

When running a small business there can be several jobs and
tasks to take care of. Obviously knowing where the money is
coming from and going is essential to running your business.
That's why it is good to find out which small business
accounting software is best for you to help you run a well
organized and efficient small business.

There are hundreds to thousands of small business accounting
software out there to help you with reports and tools needed to
use your financial data. Depending on the one you go with will
depend on how much you're going to pay for it. The more you
pay, the more accessories and programs there will be that come
with it. Some come with a billing and time module, various
amounts of financial and management reports, and more. You can
choose to get it in different editions from basic, online, pro,
or premier for your computer.

Accounting Article : Internal Control: A Preventive Maintenance Program

by: John Day

You read about this in every newspaper in every town in the entire country: Some bookkeeper, trusted by the owner of a small business, embezzles thousands of dollars. If the theft doesn’t put owner out of business, it certainly causes a major headache.

The reason we hear of these cases so often is that, in a small business, there may only be the owner and a bookkeeper. The owner doesn’t like doing the books, doesn’t understand them, and relies on this one person to take care of things. The bookkeeper, who is usually having personal financial difficulties, takes a small amount of money intending to pay it back. No one seems to notice, so more is taken. Over a period of time, it starts to mount up to a lot of money.

This is where the concept of “internal control” comes in. Essentially, every business should have, at some level, an internal control system in place to protect against losses, both intentional and unintentional. This is because “internal control” systems will: 1) protect cash and other assets; 2) promote efficiency in processing transactions; and, 3) ensure reliability of financial records. An internal control system consists primarily of policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that these three objectives will be achieved. The size and complexity of the business will determine the extent of the internal control system.

Accounting Article : How to Stop Waste, Fraud and Abuse

by: Chris Anderson

Each year, businesses write-off six percent of revenue to waste, fraud and abuse. But why would managers throw all that hard-earned money away when there is a reliable way to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse using accounting policies & procedures to create internal controls. Internal controls eliminate uncollectible receivables; prevent theft or embezzlement; optimize inventory; and stop waste, fraud, and abuse. Utilizing just a single control will add real money to your bottom line each month.

Look for Easily Customizable MS-WORD files to Save Time

Accounting Article : Press ReleaseUCLA Alumni Association Retains the Accounting Firm of Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein, LLP

by:

The UCLA Alumni Association today announced that they have selected the accounting firm of Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein, LLP (SLGG) as its new independent auditor.


Los Angeles, CA July 17, 2004 -- The UCLA Alumni Association today announced that they have selected the accounting firm of Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein, LLP (SLGG) as its new independent auditor. SLGG, a leading regional CPA & Management Consulting firm, provides accounting, tax and management consultant services for a broad range of clients including individuals, family-owned businesses, private and public companies as well as nonprofit organizations.

Accounting Article : Non-Profit Organizations - What Are They?

by: John Day

Definition of Fund; Assets; and Fund Balance

According to the “Financial and Accounting Guide for Not-For-Profit Organizations” written by CPAs Gross, Larkin, Bruttomesso, and McNalley, (fifth edition, pg 25) the definition of a these three terms is as follows:

- A fund is any part of an organization for which separate account records are kept.

- Assets are valuable things owned or controlled by the organization. Types of assets include cash, investments, property, and amounts owed to the organization.

- Fund balance is the mathematical number obtained by subtracting total liabilities from total assets; it is a numerical representation of the net worth of the organization, but has no other significance. Fund balances do not exist except on paper; unlike assets, they have no intrinsic value and cannot be spent. Both assets and fund balances (as well as liabilities, revenues, and expenses) are part of the accounting records of a fund.

Accounting Article : Accounting Methods – Cash and Accrual

by: Richard A. Chapo

When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.

Cash Method

If you are looking for simplicity, the cash method is probably your best accounting choice. Generally, income and deductions can be claimed when payment is actually received or made. This is best shown with an example.

I open a small business and have to order business cards and stationary. I receive the products and pay the invoice on November 18, 2005. Under the cash method, I can deduct the cost on my 2005 tax return.

Accounting Article : 7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software

by: William Siebler

The world of small business accounting software can be a minefield for any business owner. However choosing the right package is one of the most critical business decisions you will make.

Here are the seven things you must consider before making a purchase that will help you achieve your businesses goals.

1. Scalability

Businesses change over time so it's critical that the small business accounting software you choose can change too. Some things that often change are the number of products and services offered and the number of employees. When you choose your package try and imaging the business in 5 years or 10 years time and how different it will be. Use this information to guide your purchase decision. It may well be better to pay a little more now for the software knowing that it can be easily
upgraded when needed with minimum disruption and cost to your business.

Accounting Article : Asset and liability basics

by: Mansi gupta

Knowledge of accounts can make life much easy. If you are to invest in a new business or joining your forefather’s business, planning to take some loan, looking for job in any marketing company, desire to be the manager of a multinational company or have the onus to manage your own assets and liabilities, knowing some basics of accounts becomes mandatory.


Broadly, accounting is bifurcated into two categories-

Cash Bases Accounting

Accrual Accounting

Accounting Article : After the latest and accurate help in relation to accountancy.

by: Tom

When you are looking for high-class advice concerning accountancy, it will be hard sorting out the best information from foolish accountancy proposals and guidance so it's best to know ways of moderating the information offered to you.

NetSuite: Small Business Accounting
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Now we would like to offer you some advice which we advise you to use when you are searching for information about accountancy. You need to realize the guidance we put forward is only pertinent to internet based information concerning accountancy. We don't really offer any direction or assistance when you are also conducting research in books or magazines.

Accounting Article : Do You Need Accounting Software For Your Small Business?

by: Jakki Francis
If you’re anything like me then you dislike with a vengeance doing your accounts and taxes.

So how can you make this process easier, less painful and cut your accountancy fees?

Well buying an accounting software package is one way.

First of all you need to decide whether you are going to keep your accounting records manually, that is using pen and paper, or whether you are going to computerize the process.

If you decide that computerizing the process is the way to go then you need to decide whether to buy an accounting software package, for example Sage or Quicken, or whether a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel will suit your needs better.

Accounting Article : Surprise! Accounting is the Hot New Major

by: Donna Monday
There was a time when accounting was the boring college major that many people regretted signing up for. A constant barrage of numbers, statistics and spreadsheets was none too interesting.

Boy, have times changed! Thanks to recent accounting scandals by companies like Enron, there is a high demand for accountants and auditors.

According to the Job Outlook 2005 survey, accounting comes out on top as the most in-demand major on college campuses. Forget dot com start ups. Cleaning up a company’s accounting books is what’s in.

But can accounting be sexy?

How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business

How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business

by: Brandon Hall
With any good luck and a good amount of hard work, you're having the same problem many business owners today are facing. Your business is growing rapidly and you're having problems controlling your finances. Time and time again, that Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you've been using just isn't getting the job done for you.

So, you’ve decided that you’re ready to take the next step, and buy a full-featured accounting software program. Many options are available to choose from, but I believe the best solutions to be Quicken Premier Home and Business by Intuit, QuickBooks Pro also by Intuit, and Peachtree Accounting by Sage. In order to decide on the right package for you, you need define the type of business that you operate.