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HOME · Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Training & Education
Learning Bookkeeping Basics
Tools are available to help emerchants improve their financial management skills
Poor financial management is one key contributor to why more than 50 percent of small businesses fail in the first five years of existence, according to the Small Business Administration.
Because ecommerce has such low barriers to entry — a few bucks for a hosted shopping cart and a few products are all one needs — entrepreneur-minded people frequently leap to launch a web-based businesses with little thought given to the financial backbone needed to operate a business.
Merchants often think they are going to be “free and independent” when self-employed, said John Day, owner of Real Life Accounting. “They may figure, ‘Since I have the knowledge and skill, I might as well set up my own business and keep all the profits.’ What they don't realize is that if not planned out properly, their dream can turn into their worst nightmare.”
Though marketing, inventory management and sales are all important factors to online success, if a merchant doesn't sufficiently manage his/her cash assets and fully account for sales and expenses, trouble is likely on the horizon.
Most local community colleges offer courses in basic bookkeeping or accounting. However, if you don't have time to attend a structured bookkeeping course at an educational institution, there are online opportunities available to ecommerce merchants.
Day offers a collection of resources a merchant can use 24/7 at Reallifeaccounting.com. His course is specifically built for “non-accountants” and requires no textbook or instructor. According to Day, as long as a merchant already has the skills to add, subtract, multiply and divide, he/she is ready to walk through his self-paced, six-phase course.
Day's course begins with the basics of establishing a business organization and moves through basic accounting principles and rules; outlines the basics of assets, liabilities and equity; includes instructions on various accounting “models;” teaches merchants to set up their chart of accounts; record journal entries; and prepare financial statements.
“What I am teaching is double-entry accounting,” Day said. “When you think of an event, a financial event that occurs in a business, like selling a good or depositing cash or any of those kinds of things that occur in a business, merchants should be able to think out and translate that financial event into an accounting transaction and use it in a general journal entry. The goal is to get them familiar with how the whole accounting cycle works.”
Day's online course costs $99. At his website, however, there are various free resources a merchant can use. He offers a free ebook entitled “Dream or Nightmare: Four must-dos before starting a small business.” He also features a blog where he answers accounting questions, and he offers a free newsletter.
At Dwmbeancounter.com, Dave Marshall offers a collection of six free tutorials that cover establishing a chart of accounts, special journals, cash management, payroll and inventory management. Marshall's courses also target “non-accountants,” and builds in quizzes throughout the tutorials to ensure the person taking the course is fully grasping each concept.
If merchants feel more comfortable working offline, a CD of the course is available for purchase.
Marshall encourages ecommerce business owners to complete the free course if, for no other reason, to have a better idea of what an employed bookkeeper should be doing.
“I have been in outfits in the older days where you hire this bookkeeper and owners just assume the bookkeeper knows everything,” Marshall said. “So, [the course] gives owners a good idea of what that bookkeeper should be doing for them.”
Other resources at Marshall's site include a collection of resources for small businesses and sole proprietorships, a collection of resources for improving Microsoft Word and Excel skills, and a “Newbie Center” that provides general resources to help run an online endeavor.
Both Marshall and Day warn businesses owners to keep in mind that learning accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Peachtree or KeepMore.net, is different than learning accounting. Though accounting software does "process" many of the accounting functions for a merchant, the software still needs quality data entered from a "thinking" human being.
“Accounting software does not know how to write journal entries,” Day said. “It cannot think. In every business there are always oddball transactions, such as correcting mistakes, selling assets, recording loans, etc., that require a thought process. At this time, an accounting software package does not have the capability to anticipate nuances and intent by itself. People who buy accounting software thinking no knowledge of accounting is necessary are in for a rude awakening. At minimum, a basic understanding of how debits and credits work is essential.”
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Published on Thursday, July 12, 2007
Comments:
I can't tell you how important that last paragraph is regarding accounting software knowledge and accounting knowledge. I do have an advantage to this because I have several years' experience with both accounting and software. I have trained several small businesses on accounting software, and you would be amazed at how many accounting clerks did not understand the accounting cycle but knew how to enter data. Very imperative you understand these concepts yourself.
Posted by: Andrea, President AM Expressions, Inc.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
These Newsletters have been a blessing. I have just joined up with my parents small business and of course I have to wear a many of hat. I have to learn accounting, purchasing, building circuit boards, administrative, and so on. Any and all advise on learning from the beginning is helpful. Thx.
Scott
Sales and Marketing Manager
Avcom SMT, Inc.
www.avcomsmt.com
Posted by: Scott Wiese
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I used to do my own accounting for my business. It is a time consuming task, either way, if it is done manual or by computer, because you have to document everything. The computer helps in the posting process and in generating reports, but unless you know how to make you own account chart and know where each amount goes to which account, computers will do you no good.
Some software comes with built-in inventory management and accounting, which I think is too much for a small business operator, especially if he is in retail, because it requires a POS program, too.
I realized to do this I have to understand every item on a balance sheet and the profit and loss statement.
Talal
operations manager
issuers-telecom.com
Posted by: talal
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Excellent article Mitch. It's been many years since I took Accounting courses in college and actively used that knowledge. I wise person said that in small business you need to understand and track accurately where your money comes from and where it goes. We use Quickbooks and this software package takes much of the work out of accounting, yet has rules built in and you sometime stumble to understand why it won't let you make certain entries. "Gosh darn it! It's my company and enter it the way I said to" just doesn't work. Those oddball transactions sometimes give us a headache. You have to know the accounting rules before you start or you can waste a lot of time correcting it. Tax time will really highlight just how well you did in handling your finances and accounting Thank goodness for companies like Allegro Accounting.
Bob
AdsValue President
www.adsvalue.com
Posted by: Bob, President AdsValue
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I would like more info on a basic bookkeeping course.
I live in Alberton is there any colleges in Alberton were I can use part time.
Posted by: Deveshni
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
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I offer custom Quickbooks setup and training to eBayers and e-commerce merchants. I am a Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor and have over 20 years of accounting experience. In addition I have 7+ years of experience selling on eBay and various websites so I can assist you with a unique perspective and I really understand your business!
www.web-bookkeeper.com
Posted by: Allegro Accounting
Tuesday, July 10, 2007