If you have a small business, bookkeeping services might not yet be needed. But, the bookkeeping still needs to be done. If you don’t have any idea what to do to keep your business on track, we are here to help. This article will present to you some of the advice that bookkeepers in Houston offer to entrepreneurs. You will learn that in around 20 minutes per day, you can do the most important bookkeeping tasks. Let’s take a look at some of the things that you might want to do. And as a beginning tip, don’t say that you have time tomorrow, because it’s better to fix problems as they come.
Scientific American tells us that it can take anywhere from 18 to 66 days to make a habit. The myth says that it takes 21 days, but that can differ from one person to another. But, if you want to make a habit out of doing your bookkeeping services, you need to organize yourself. Choose a time of the day that is most convenient for you. Most people prefer the end of the day, right before going home. So, if you are usually leaving the office at 5 p.m., set an alarm at 4.30 p.m. to remind you that you have something to do. This gives you time to get everything that you need, to the task and still leave at 5.
Start by recording every transaction that happened that day. Professional Houston bookkeeping services use different software programs, like QuickBooks, to easily record everything. You could use a similar program, or just a piece of paper. Make sure to make two distinct categories: received and spent. Log every detail, the name of the client, the amount, what was it that you paid for or sold, and so on. Keep it as simple and clear as possible.
The next thing that Houston bookkeepers are doing is to check what they wrote. This offers you the chance to catch any mistake early on. Bookkeeping needs to be accurate in order to be efficient. A missed comma or a missed 0 could mess up your records. Not writing down enough detail could lead to not being able to track down that transaction later. So, if anything was missed on the first step, this is your chance to fix the mistake. You could write the information both in a program and on a piece of paper. This ensures that if one of them is lost, you have a backup.
Now, what do we mean by snap? Snap a picture of the receipts! Houston bookkeepers know that it’s essential that you have proof of everything. It’s also wise to keep all of the receipts that you have in physical format. Put them in a drawer where you know they are safe. You could also put them in an envelope on which you can write the month and year. You need to do the same for the pictures of the receipts. Create a folder and name it something like “August 2025” and upload all of the photos in that folder. It might seem like a lot of work, but you need to set up everything only once, and then you just add to it every day.
Now that more than 10 minutes have passed, you need to review your cash flow. You have all of the information available, you just need to analyze it. Take notes on everything that you can see. If more money is coming in than going out, that’s good. If more money is going out than in, you need to see what you can do to change that. Keep in mind that some bills are probably coming soon, can you cover those? This is the step that allows you to fix any small problem before it becomes an emergency.
In case you need a loan, you can organize how much to take and when to do so. Maybe there’s been an opportunity on the table that you haven’t been sure of. This is the time when you review it. This whole step could take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes on itself, depending on how many problems there are, and how many solutions you are finding. But, if things are going smoothly, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. This article by NerdWallet presents some more information that is valuable for those doing their own Houston bookkeeping services.
In Houston, every bookkeeping session ends with some brainstorming and putting together the to-do list for tomorrow. Even if brainstorming is usually done with a group of people, you can come up with some ideas yourself. Maybe you’ve been thinking of doing something new. Write it down so that you can research it tomorrow. Give yourself some time to browse the internet for inspiration. No matter what industry you are in, you can always do new things. See what your competitors are doing, and spot their weaknesses. You can do it better than they can! As for the to-do list for tomorrow can contain everything that you know you need to do. As an example:
The advice of bookkeepers is to not leave today’s work for tomorrow. Recording transactions as they come ensures that you are recording everything. The more you let them pile up, the harder it will be to achieve accuracy. This method also helps you make sure that you spot any small mistakes in the beginning stage. Review your cash flow, then write your to-do list for tomorrow. You could be doing all of this in a maximum of 20 minutes, but it’s nothing wrong if it’s taking you a little longer. But just imagine the relief you’d feel leaving the office knowing that everything is in order!