Set up a basic record-keeping system

To keep good control of your financial record-keeping, get into these good habits.

Hints and tips for record-keeping

4 S's of record-keeping

1. System - spend time setting up a system which you stick to. Allocate a regular time every week/month to deal with your financial administration, or make it a key task for a trusted employee. File your records logically - put receipts in date-marked envelopes or folders and file bank statements in order.

2. Separate - one of the biggest mistakes business owners make is to mix their personal and professional finances. It is best to treat the business as a separate person, from which you only take income in the form of wages, dividends and in claiming back business expenses against receipts. So keep it separate - and simple.

3. Security - the fewer people involved in your record-keeping, the fewer the errors that are likely to creep in. Make it very clear whose responsibility it is to maintain records. It is a good idea to password-protect your computer records, and only divulge the password to a small number of people.

4. Safe storage - even if you choose to keep all your records on a computer, it is vital that you keep a regular (weekly, if not nightly) electronic back-up, and a paper copy elsewhere. Store records that cannot be copied, such as chequebook stubs and paying-in books, in a fireproof box.