...

5 Reasons Catch-Up Bookkeeping Can Propel Your Start-up or Small Business

/by

Managing finances can make a big difference in the success of start-ups and small businesses. Maintaining updated and accurate financial records is crucial for many financial management functions. Catch-up bookkeeping is a method for bringing your financial records up to date when they have become outdated. This catch-up bookkeeping is crucial for small business owners, especially those in the early stages, as it helps them achieve financial clarity, maximize tax deductions, and enhance financial management. This is where Xendoo.com is helpful, as it provides a wide range of services curated according to the needs of small- to medium-sized enterprises. This article will highlight the five essential reasons why catch-up bookkeeping can drive a start-up or small business forward, allowing the owners to make informed decisions for long-term success.

1. Gain Financial Clarity

Importance of Clear Financial Records
Clear financial records form the foundation of effective management, especially for start-ups and small businesses. By bringing your books up to date, you gain a clear picture of your business’s financial health, allowing you to make informed decisions about the future.

Visibility into Income, Expenses, and Cash Flow
Catch-up bookkeeping provides comprehensive visibility into your financial situation, including revenue sources, operational costs, and cash flow. This helps you maintain sufficient working capital and plan for future expenses.

Benefits of Informed Decision-Making
Accurate financial records are critical for making strategic decisions. With detailed insights into your income, expenses, and cash flow, you can identify areas to reduce costs, allocate resources more efficiently, and spot new opportunities. Xendoo.com supports you by ensuring your finances are current and organized.

Maximize Tax Deductions

Challenges of Tax Season for Entrepreneurs

Tax season is often a stressful time for business owners. Small businesses, especially those without a dedicated accounting team, struggle to track eligible deductions and rapid changes in tax laws add another layer of complexity.

How Catch-Up Bookkeeping Helps Capture All Eligible Expenses and Deductions

Catch-up bookkeeping meticulously tracks eligible expenses, maximizing deductions and reducing tax liabilities. Xendoo.com’s expert accountants ensure your records are accurate, compliant, and up-to-date, helping you capture all potential deductions.

Potential Cost Savings and Advantages of Organized Records During Tax Preparation

The tax benefits of using catch-up bookkeeping are an important factor to help save money when preparing returns. Simultaneously, by maintaining an orderly record of all the financial activity the business is involved in, business owners will benefit financially by saving time and money when submitting their annual taxes. These can enable them to provide accurate and detailed records to their tax preparer that can prevent errors if they are not claiming deserving deductions and credits. Accurate and organized record-keeping allows tax preparers to spot tax-saving opportunities, deferring some income and accelerating spending, potentially leading to great tax savings.

Spot Financial Trends

Value of Analyzing Historical Financial Data

Analyzing historical data reveals valuable trends that can guide your business decisions. Reviewing revenue, costs, and net profit patterns over time can uncover strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities, helping refine your business strategy.

How Catch-Up Bookkeeping Enables Businesses to Identify Trends and Patterns

Catch-up bookkeeping is the basis for examining the data to determine current and future trends and patterns. This can be done by upgrading financial documents, spotting the development of the business’s financial performance, and detecting periodic patterns and trends. For example, a drop in sales during winter or marketing activities triggers an increase in sales. This level of data allows organizations much-needed insight into making strategic decisions, such as targeting marketing or tapping into a new market to ride on trends and boost revenue.

Examples of Strategic Decision-Making Based on Financial Insights

Another way that financial intelligence impacts these tactical decisions is by tailoring price strategies according to consumer buying behaviors. Collecting past sales data can help one learn that some products are often consumed more at a particular time of the year or that customers are ready to pay a higher price only for a specific selection. Using the information obtained, small business owners will be able to invent a pricing strategy, which will allow them to increase their earnings.

Another example is identifying cost-saving opportunities based on the data collected from historical expenses. By analyzing past expenses, a business can locate where cost reductions are possible, such as canceling some contracts with suppliers or simplifying internal processes. These instances illustrate that analyzing historical financial data helps businesses make well-informed strategic decisions, boosting their efficiency and growth.

Enhance Investor Confidence

Importance of Transparent Financial Records for Attracting Investors

Transparency accounting is very important in attracting investors as it gives a clear picture of the business’s financial health and performance, which comes in handy in informing decisions about injections. The investors use financial reports to consult about the possibility of investing in the business. Also, these reports serve as a means of assessing the risks and return on investment that would come their way. The accounting records convince investors that the business is good in finance, stable, and sustainable enough to make a profit for them, which is good evidence of effective management.

How Catch-Up Bookkeeping Demonstrates Commitment to Financial Integrity

Catch-up bookkeeping is proof of financial integrity because it ends the gaps between the books, provides the most accurate and up-to-date records, and complies with accounting standards and regulations. As a result, it indicates that you perform these duties responsibly and strive to provide them with faultless and notable financial information. This attitude of having confidence in your financial values will build trust among investors, and they will be certain that you meet their investment goals.

Benefits of Organized Financial Statements in Investor Relations

Properly prepared financial statements are a major stakeholder relationship enhancer, showing investors the cleaned and arranged version of your company’s financial performance. Structured financial statements make understanding your business’s investment prospects fairly simple. Investors can easily find out how your business is performing, identify trends and patterns, and make informed investment decisions as you always remain transparent. Another benefit is that you can create the statements of financial statements to communicate the results of financial performance to potential investors in the most efficient way, which leads to improved relationships and trust in your business.

Ensure Compliance and Avoid Penalties

Risks of Non-Compliance with Regulations and Tax Laws

Violation of regulations and tax laws can lead to punitive measures in the form of fines, lawsuits, and permanent harm to reputation. Regulatory agencies and tax authorities expect businesses to follow their laws, including those related, for instance, to financial reporting, taxation, and employment. Compliance with these laws may lead to penalties, sanctions, and business closure. Through catch-up bookkeeping service, Xendoo.com maintains your business on the right side of the law, making sure your business is compliant and safe from avoidable risk.

How Catch-Up Bookkeeping Helps Businesses Stay on the Right Side of the Law

Financial management must be done proactively to reduce the risks of non-compliance. By adopting a proactive approach to financial management, businesses may recognize compliance problems and remediate them promptly, such as adopting internal controls, performing regular audits, and being updated about the modifications in regulations and tax laws. Proactive financial management also includes the creation of a culture of compliance within the organization where employees know their responsibilities and are dedicated to following the laws.

 

Catch-up bookkeeping has a couple of extremely vital provisions for start-ups and small businesses: financial clarity and understanding through knowledge, maximizing deductibility of tax, detecting patterns, and developing the investors’ confidence. Implementing organized financial records will be as significant as making it possible for people to be well-informed about their business at any level. Asking for professional help is not a sign of weakness; instead, it will assist in understanding financial complexities and preparing your enterprise for business. Create the habit, starting today, and you will be able to manage the flow of cash transactions in your business while striving to accomplish your goals.

About Xendoo

We share your passion for small businesses and are inspired by your dedication to making your dreams a reality. Your dedication to making your dreams a reality inspires us. That’s why we’re committed to providing you with the financial visibility and support you need to thrive.

More Than Just Numbers

It’s more than simply crunching numbers. It’s about building meaningful relationships with our clients and understanding their needs. Our people-first mentality ensures you receive personalized attention and expert guidance throughout your financial journey.

A One-Stop Solution

Xendoo offers a comprehensive suite of services, including:

  • Full-service bookkeeping and accounting team to free up your time and resources.
  • Hassle-free tax preparation and filing
  • Fractional CFO Services to work with you on a roadmap of future growth
  • A dashboard that provides real-time financial insights

Passionate about your success? Xendoo is, too. We provide the financial visibility and support small businesses need to thrive and scale. Let us handle the financial burden so you can focus on what matters most – running your business and achieving your goals.

Contact Xendoo today and discover how we can give you time back to grow your business.

Financial Forecasting for Small Businesses: Gaining Control of Your Future

/in , , /by

In today’s business landscape, small business owners face the challenge of navigating through financial uncertainties to secure a prosperous future for their enterprises. At the heart of this challenge lies the need for adequate financial forecasting. This tool goes beyond mere prediction as a strategic compass guiding businesses toward stability and growth. Recognizing this, Xendoo strives to be an ally for small businesses, offering a comprehensive suite of financial tools and services designed to empower entrepreneurs. From advanced cloud-based accounting software and AI-driven analytics to personalized financial advisory services, Xendoo equips small business owners with the resources to create precise financial forecasts, manage cash flow efficiently, and make informed decisions.

Moreover, for small business management, gaining control of their financial future is necessary and an added advantage. Amid this crucial requirement, financial forecasting emerges as a beacon of guidance, empowering businesses to navigate uncertainty confidently. This is where the role of Fractional CFOs and comprehensive financial services like Xendoo become pivotal. This blog sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of how Xendoo’s solutions and expert guidance transform the financial forecasting landscape, enabling small businesses to envision and actively shape their financial future.

Cloud-Based Accounting Software:

Cloud-based accounting software, prominently featured in Xendoo’s suite of financial tools, revolutionizes how small businesses approach their finances. Platforms like QuickBooks Xero offer more than convenience; they provide a foundation for transformative financial management. By enabling real-time tracking and analysis, these software solutions ensure that businesses can keep a constant pulse on their financial health. Integrating expense tracking, invoicing, and detailed financial reporting streamlines the complex financial forecasting process. This not only demystifies the gathering and analysis of critical financial data but also enhances the accuracy and reliability of forecasts. For small businesses, this means the ability to anticipate financial challenges and opportunities with a new level of precision. By leveraging cloud-based accounting software, businesses can make informed decisions, plan strategically for the future, and maintain a competitive edge in their respective markets, all through the power of efficient and accessible financial management tools provided by Xendoo.

AI and Machine Learning Tools:

Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in financial forecasting represents a revolutionary leap forward. Xendoo harnesses these advanced technologies to offer small businesses a competitive edge in financial management. Our AI and ML algorithms are designed to delve deep into extensive datasets, extracting patterns and trends that might elude traditional analysis. This capability enables the prediction of future financial outcomes with high precision and furnishes businesses with actionable insights to guide strategic decision-making. Automating forecasting processes through these intelligent tools reduces the potential for human error, ensuring that the forecasts are reliable and robust. By embracing AI and ML, Xendoo elevates financial forecasting from a necessary chore to a strategic asset, empowering businesses to anticipate challenges, seize opportunities, and confidently navigate the future, thus markedly enhancing their forecasting accuracy and overall financial strategy.

Financial Dashboards and Analytics Platforms:

Consequently, Xendoo’s financial dashboards and analytics platforms are pivotal tools for small businesses, providing a consolidated view of financial data and valuable insights into financial health and forecasting metrics. By offering a comprehensive visualization of their financial data, our service enables small business owners to understand their current financial position and forecast future trends. This comprehensive view empowers proactive and strategic decision-making, allowing businesses to make informed choices to drive growth and success. With Xendoo’s dashboards, small business owners can efficiently monitor critical financial indicators, identify patterns, and anticipate future challenges and opportunities. Visualizing financial data in a single view enhances transparency, fosters better financial management, and equips businesses with the knowledge to navigate their financial landscape confidently and strategically.

Cash Flow Management Tools:

Xendoo recognizes that managing cash flow is crucial for the sustainability of small businesses. Our platform offers invaluable insights into cash flow patterns, empowering businesses to effectively manage their liquidity and prevent cash shortages. Through our cash flow management tools, entrepreneurs can understand their cash flow dynamics comprehensively, enabling them to maintain a healthy financial position and allocate resources optimally. By monitoring cash inflows and outflows, businesses can make informed decisions regarding expenditures, investments, and operational strategies. This proactive approach safeguards against liquidity challenges and facilitates the prudent allocation of funds toward growth initiatives. Ultimately, Xendoo’s cash flow management tools provide small businesses with the insight and control necessary to navigate their financial landscape confidently and financially.

Online Financial Advisory Services:

Xendoo’s commitment to facilitating the success of small businesses extends beyond providing software solutions. While fintech companies and online platforms offer personalized financial advice, Xendoo offers a comprehensive package with access to financial experts and cutting-edge software solutions. This unique integration enables small businesses to benefit from expert financial forecasting and risk management guidance while leveraging the latest financial technology. By combining the insights and expertise of financial experts with advanced software, Xendoo empowers businesses to make informed, strategic decisions while securing their financial future. This approach provides small businesses the resources and support to navigate complex financial landscapes confidently, ensuring sustainable growth and success.

In conclusion, small business owners face the crucial challenge of navigating financial uncertainties to secure a prosperous future in the competitive business world. Particularly in this context, the role of Fractional CFOs and comprehensive financial services like Xendoo becomes pivotal. Xendoo’s suite of financial tools and services, which includes cloud-based accounting software, AI and machine learning tools, financial dashboards, cash flow management tools, and online financial advisory services, equips small business owners with the resources they need to create precise financial forecasts, manage cash flow efficiently, and make informed decisions. Xendoo’s innovative solutions and expert guidance transform the financial forecasting landscape, enabling small businesses to envision and actively shape their financial future. By providing businesses with robust and reliable financial management tools, Xendoo empowers them to make informed decisions, strategically plan for the future, and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Through advanced technology and expert support, Xendoo ensures sustainable growth and success for small businesses. Visit Xendoo.com today to explore how our tailored financial solutions can unlock the full potential of financial forecasting for your small business, guiding you toward a successful journey.

Managing Financial Risk in Small Business

/in , , , /by

As a small business owner, understanding that financial risk management is essential to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the business well into the future is paramount. By understanding and actively mitigating financial risks, businesses can safeguard their assets, maintain stability during economic fluctuations, and seize growth opportunities. Examples of financial risks, such as economic downturns and unexpected customer behaviors, among many others, can be most detrimental to the operation of a small business if not managed accordingly. Other necessities of financial risk management for a small business include its broader view concerning the potential dangers it may face in operation, particularly the threat of economic uncertainty, market volatility, natural disasters, operational risks, and unpredicted changes in customer demand.

Business Risk Assessment

Building a successful small business requires strategic foresight and the ability to mitigate potential threats. This is where business risk assessment becomes crucial. It’s a comprehensive process that identifies, analyzes, and evaluates potential risks that could impact your financial stability and operational continuity.

This assessment goes beyond generic factors, delving into market trends, economic indicators, operational vulnerabilities, and external threats. By integrating this process into your financial risk management strategy, you gain valuable insights into the broader business environment and, more importantly, the unique risks specific to your company.

This proactive approach empowers you to fortify your business against the inherent uncertainties of the market. It’s the foundation for cultivating a robust risk management culture, leading to long-term stability and growth.

You can minimize potential financial disruptions by leveraging sound risk assessment principles and implementing effective risk management strategies. This allows you to navigate a dynamic business landscape confidently, build financial resilience, and achieve sustainable growth.

In essence, a proactive business risk assessment empowers you to take control of your future and steer your small business toward long-term success.

Small Business Risk Strategies

1. Diversification of Revenue Streams

Diversification of the revenue stream is one critical strategy a small business should pursue in financial risk management. Depending on one product or service is a great risk, as it may expose the business to great risks, market fluctuations, or changes in consumer demand. This could be further expanded by offering another or a new segment of customers. Business risk assessment and business risk strategies in place should include revenue diversification. This will go a long way to ensure these small enterprises enjoy financial stability and continuity.

2. Building Emergency Funds and Contingency Plans

Small business owners seeking to better their financial risk management would do well in that area to reach emergency funds and contingency plans. Reserving money to get through unexpected financial challenges while trying to hedge off the possibilities of incidents ranging from economic downturns to natural disasters is part and parcel of such a process. Consequently, having a clear contingency in place enables businesses to respond in the best and quickest way to minimize potential financial risks better. would be necessary to make a strong assessment of business risks and make strategies for small business risks, like making an emergency fund and making the contingency plan compulsory for small enterprises to strengthen their financial stability. By doing this, the small business owner would be better prepared for different financial risk possibilities and have a better resistance level in the changing business environment.

3. Strategic Financial Planning and Forecasting

Small businesses need to be strategic about their financial planning and forecasting. Proper planning and forecasting of small businesses can get huge benefits since this allows owners to project future cash flow and simultaneously make proactive decisions in managing financial challenges within robust business risk assessment and small business risk strategies. Moreover, effective financial planning will allow the business to allocate resources wisely, creating an approach toward prioritizing practical risk management initiatives. When these risk management small business strategies are integrated with the main financial planning process, the business may build more resiliency to deal with uncertainties more effectively and strategically. This will enable small businesses to lay a good foundation to strengthen their financial stability and develop their long-term success amidst the cutthroat business competition, thus emphasizing the needs of financial planning and forecasting for small business risk management.

4. Insurance and Risk Transfer

The other aspect of financial risk management for small businesses is suitable coverage through insurance. From the various types of property insurance to different liability covers and business interruption insurance, the purchase of appropriate types of insurance can be a major strategy for risk management. Small businesses can thus manage well by covering possible financial burdens through insurance they possess, per the identified risk profiles in business risk assessments and small business risk strategies. This will enable small business owners to strengthen their enterprises against unforeseen financial adversities through insurance and transfer incorporated as a tool for risk management strategies. Proactive management of potential risks in business with comprehensive insurance demonstrates how to apply the principles of financial risk management in reality—bringing back to life the potentialities of small businesses amid many uncertainties prevailing in the business environment.

Conclusion

Effective financial risk management for small businesses is an all-inclusive effort of business risk assessment that merges tailor-made risk management strategies. In their quest for long-term success, which significantly hinges on effective financial risk management, small business owners are bound to adapt to numerous potential threats by being proactive. By conducting effective business risk assessments, small enterprises can gain valuable insights and develop targeted risk management strategies that help strengthen the enterprise against uncertainties through resilience.

How to Outsource Bookkeeping – A Guide

/in , , /by
A man in an oxford shirt looks at his bookkeeping on his laptop

Since starting your business, you’ve likely filled multiple roles–from product and customer service to bookkeeping and sales–at some point. However, as your business has grown, you may have felt like you don’t want to spend your time doing some of those tasks. 

For instance, you’ve probably asked yourself: Should I outsource bookkeeping?

Whether or not to outsource is a common question many small business owners face. Tasks like bookkeeping are ideal to hire outside help. Others like sales may be better to manage in-house. There are a few ways that you can hire a bookkeeper. Primarily, businesses choose virtual bookkeepers or local bookkeepers.

In this guide, we’ll dive into everything related to outsourced bookkeeping from what it costs to how to outsource it. You can click to go to a particular section below or scroll down to start from the top. 

When should I outsource my bookkeeping?

If your business is new and you don’t have significant revenue or budget to hire outside help, you’ll probably try DIY bookkeeping first.

However, most businesses prefer to outsource their bookkeeping, especially as they grow. These are some of the top signs that it is time to outsource your bookkeeping:

  • You’re spending several hours each week doing accounting and bookkeeping tasks yourself.
  • You plan to get funding through investors or business loans and need accurate financial statements.
  • Your books are behind, and you need to catch up.
  • You’re spending a lot of money hiring full-time, in-house bookkeepers or a local bookkeeper.
  • You aren’t sure about your current cash flow or financial health.
  • Tax season is coming up, and you don’t feel prepared to file your taxes.
  • You simply have no desire to learn bookkeeping or to do it yourself.

Why should I outsource my bookkeeping?

At first, you might be hesitant to trust an outside bookkeeper with your financial data. There are so many benefits to outsourcing your bookkeeping, as long as you choose a trustworthy CPA or bookkeeper. The top benefits of outsourcing your bookkeeping include:

Up-to-date books and more time for business

Small business owners are notorious for spending a large amount of time on administrative work, like employee scheduling, preparing payroll, and bookkeeping. It is estimated that small business owners spend 120 working days per year on administrative tasks like bookkeeping. Still, nearly 25% of businesses are behind on their books. 

Hiring a bookkeeper allows you to free up more time. With the time saved, you can focus on the tasks that excite you most as a business owner. Although bookkeeping it’s extremely important to the health and success of a business, it is not necessarily a task that most entrepreneurs enjoy doing.

Cost-effective bookkeeping

If you’ve attempted to do small business bookkeeping on your own, you already know that it can take a lot of time and money. Even if you utilize programs like Quickbooks or Xero, you can’t automate all your bookkeeping needs.

If you’ve hired an hourly bookkeeper or accountant, the cost per hour adds up fast. Xendoo offers pricing plans with a flat-rate monthly fee, so you can easily budget for your bookkeeping each month.

Business loan and funding preparation

As your business grows, your bookkeeping and accounting needs grow too. If you want to take out a loan or open a line of credit, your lender will want accurate financial statements. It can take hours to do this on your own, and it might not be accurate.

Bookkeepers have experience doing this for multiple clients, so they can put financial statements together quickly in a way that’s presentable for your potential lender.

Experienced bookkeepers can also help you by:

  • Advising you on tax savings. You’ll have a better idea of what you can deduct and how to reduce your taxes.
  • Providing answers to your financial questions. Bookkeepers can help you learn about financial reports, cash flow, depreciation, and more.
  • Identifying opportunities to improve profitability. They’ll have a clear picture of where you improve your business finances.
  • Keeping you tax-compliant and secure. Bookkeepers are familiar with tax laws and other legal considerations, so you won’t miss deadlines or have noncompliance penalties.

How do you outsource bookkeeping?

There are two primary options to outsource bookkeeping–virtual bookkeepers or local bookkeepers.

Virtual bookkeepers

If you hire a bookkeeper online then that would be considered a virtual bookkeeper.  Xendoo, for example, is a virtual bookkeeping service. Our team of bookkeepers works with you virtually, no matter where you a located in the United States. 

However, there are some differences between Xendoo’s bookkeeping services and other virtual bookkeepers. For instance, you might hire a freelance virtual bookkeeper that performs the same tasks that a regular bookkeeper would–they just do them online. 

The drawback of hiring an individual freelance bookkeeper is that they tend to be more expensive. Like an in-person, local bookkeeper, freelancers usually charge an hourly rate vs a set monthly payment.

They also may not have as many resources as a bookkeeping firm or company. For instance, when you get a Xendoo plan you also get perks like access to accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero. 

Another advantage of virtual bookkeepers is that because they work online, they tend to be familiar with different eCommerce platforms, payment processors, and other online financial services. Therefore, they can help you integrate your business banking account, expenses, and other financial data into a secure accounting system. With that, you can view your financial health, prepare for taxes, or plan for your business future at any time. 

Local bookkeepers

If you hire a bookkeeper that has an office or business location near you, that would be considered a local bookkeeper. Local bookkeepers usually charge by the hour and it tends to be expensive.

For instance, it is not cost-effective if you need to book more than one or two hours a month. This might make sense if you are booking an hour for a bookkeeping consultation a month. However, in this case, you would still be responsible for doing your own books.

If a local bookkeeper is managing your books and you have a complex business with many employees and revenue streams, it’s probably going to take more than a few hours a month. Those hours can get expensive.

In most cases, you don’t need a local bookkeeper unless:

  • You want to meet with your bookkeeper in person on a regular basis.
  • You keep your financial information in physical records only. 

Whether or not you use a local bookkeeper is based on your preference. Today, most accounting and bookkeeping tasks are performed online anyway. Therefore, the majority of businesses prefer online bookkeeping, because it’s more accurate, cost-effective, and easier.

How much does outsourced bookkeeping cost?

The size of your business and the number of monthly expenses you incur play a large role in the pricing for outsourced bookkeeping services. To get a better idea of how much outsourced bookkeeping costs, let’s compare it with some other bookkeeper options.

In-house bookkeeper cost

An in-house bookkeeper is usually considered a full-time employee, which means they would get a salary and benefits package. According to Salary.com, the cost to hire a full-time entry-level bookkeeper is $45,446. That is just the base salary and doesn’t include benefits or bonuses.

Of course, the cost rises in cities that have a high cost of living. It also increases when hiring bookkeepers with more years of experience. For example, in San Francisco, the living wage is higher. The average annual salary for business and finance professionals is $84,198, according to MIT. 

Most small businesses don’t have enough bookkeeping needs to justify paying a bookkeeper year-round for their services. They may consider a freelance bookkeeper or an hourly bookkeeper, however, that might be just as costly.

Local or freelance bookkeeper cost

If you look at any freelance marketplace you’ll find that the cost for freelance bookkeepers ranges widely.

It’s not unusual for the hourly rate for freelance bookkeepers to range from $21 per hour to $60 per hour.  However, more experienced freelance bookkeepers will charge upwards of $75 or more per hour, especially if they are doing complex bookkeeping or accounting tasks.

If your business has a lot of bookkeeping needs, a local or freelance bookkeeper who charges by the hour usually is not cost-effective. When you only get an hour of their time, you probably won’t get all your bookkeeping questions or concerns answered.

Outsourced bookkeeper cost

Of all the bookkeeping options, outsourcing tends to be the most cost-effective for small businesses. This is because you’re not hiring a full-time staff member or being charged an hourly rate.

Outsourced bookkeeping services usually charge a set monthly fee. These are popular with small businesses because the bookkeeping services come in packages based on your needs. 

It’s easier to budget for a monthly cost that’s the same each month. Plus, it costs half of what you could end up paying for an hourly bookkeeper. That’s why Xendoo offers this pricing structure with a variety of package options to fit your specific company’s needs. 

How does outsourcing with Xendoo work?

If you choose to go the outsourced bookkeeping route, you’ll be paired with a dedicated bookkeeper. Plus, because we are a team of financial experts, you’ll also get access to a CPA and an accountant. 

Your expert bookkeeper will set up a digital accounting system for you if you don’t already have one. This means that we’ll take your sales and revenue data, expenses, payroll, etc, and put it all together in one financial dashboard. You’ll be able to access it anytime–desktop or mobile–and get monthly reporting with balance sheets and profit-loss statements. If you’d like to learn more, you can schedule a consultation with our team here.

 

Business Lessons from a Breast Cancer Survivor: An Interview with Xendoo COO, Julia Aquino

/in , , /by
A group of breast cancer survivors hugging and smiling at each other
Julia Aquino, Xendoo COO, poses with the Breast Cancer Awareness Month pink ribbon.

Julia Aquino, Xendoo COO, recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As we begin Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Xendoo COO and breast cancer survivor, Julia Aquino. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. She knew that she needed a deep understanding of the disease in order to make the best decisions for her health, while also running a successful business. 

 

Armed with knowledge and clear goals for recovery, she survived and thrived through treatment. In today’s post, she shares what her experience with breast cancer taught her about business. 

Make a Plan

When Julia was first diagnosed with breast cancer, she dove into researching the disease. She learned how cancer was typed, what the terminology meant, and how the medication worked. She understood her family history, and the stage she was in. This knowledge helped her to coordinate with her doctor to create an effective plan for care and survival. It kept her focused and determined as she fought the disease. 

 

Having a business plan provides the same focus and determination to meet your goals. When you pair that determination with knowledge of your industry, audience, and competition, you can reduce your competitive risks and navigate difficulty with confidence. Your business plan is your roadmap that helps you take focused action and make informed decisions as your business grows.

Know Your Numbers

There are many numbers associated with cancer. Your staging, your white blood count (WBC), tumor marker levels, hormone levels, and FISH levels, to name a few. It can be very intimidating. Taking the time to understand your numbers and their significance will provide you with factual information so you can understand where you are, and what options you have. It reduces fear-based decision making, and brings clarity to an otherwise overwhelming situation.

 

The same idea applies to business. When you know your numbers, you can make better decisions, based on facts. Sometimes we don’t want to look at our financials because we do not understand them, or because they show we are not as profitable as we would like to be. However, there is always information that can guide our actions, and help us find solutions. Take the time to understand your key metrics and trends, measure the outcomes of the actions you take, and adjust behaviors when needed. The financial insight gained from this review can be used to effectively address issues and strategize for long-term success.

Find a Support System

Those who are battling breast cancer have a lot on their shoulders; they balance work, their lives, their hopes and fears, and their health. It can be physically and emotionally draining. The right medical team, supportive friends and family, and a healing environment can provide comfort in the most difficult moments. Finding a support system that encourages them to keep moving forward makes all the difference in the world. 

 

Likewise, business owners juggle multiple roles, including leader, sales, customer service, and even bookkeeper. Shouldering all of those responsibilities can become overwhelming and exhausting. Business owners need a supportive team who complements what they lack experience in, and takes the stress off of their plates. 

 

You do not have to do it all on your own. Build a supportive team that covers all the bases, so you can do what you do best – growing your business. In discouraging moments, your team will push you to dust yourself off and refocus on your business goals. In moments that you need to step back, they will be happy to step up to keep the business running. When you are ready to jump back in, remember the true power you have, rely on the support you are surrounded with, and keep moving forward. 

Celebrate Your Victories 

To all who are battling breast cancer, we support you and are amazed by you. You work hard every day and fight the good fight, so take time this month to remember your strength, honor your courage, and celebrate every victory, no matter the size! Every step you take moves you further into the mindset of “I can and I will”.

Watch the full interview with Julia below:

How to Do Catch-Up Bookkeeping Services for Small Businesses

/in , , /by
A blue notebook with numbers onthe cover rest on table near a laptop

Author’s Note: This was updated on Dec 13, 2021, with new information and resources for small business owners. 

Nearly 25% of businesses are behind on their books and nearly 41% of business owners try to do their bookkeeping themselves. It happens easily— you fall a month or two behind, then by the time you look up, an entire quarter has gone by, and your books haven’t been updated. With inaccurate and out-of-date books, you might have late invoices, end up over-extending your small business, and not be able to dial in your operating cash flow. You might even be in danger of being non-compliant with the IRS. Perhaps nothing bad has happened yet, but you know it’s time to catch up on bookkeeping. For more guidance, explore these bookkeeping tips for small businesses which can help you stay on top of your financials more effectively.

One of the most essential services a bookkeeper can provide for a business owner is to keep the company’s books accurate and up-to-date. Being able to quickly and easily review the status of your finances is crucial to short and long-term success for any business owner. When you know the health of your finances, you can make quicker decisions concerning everything from who to hire next to what marketing strategy recently worked best.

Reasons to catch up/reconcile

Besides being a smart business practice, catch-up bookkeeping provides additional benefits grow growing companies. Such as:

  • Smart/quick decisions: A bookkeeper will review vendor payments and record expenses to manage your spending, helping you manage your cash flow. A bookkeeper will track your sales, so you know what’s most profitable and can focus on what works.
  • Tax compliant: With up-to-date, accurate records, a bookkeeper can assist you during tax season – helping you maximize deductions and stay compliant. 
  • Loan: As you grow, you may want to borrow money or open a line of credit. Your lender will want accurate financial statements, and ideally, you aren’t scrambling to create them right then and there.

What is catch-up bookkeeping?

A bookkeeper will review source documents such as your monthly bank and credit card statements, invoices, payroll, receipts, and record basic accounting information for you, such as your monthly reconciliations, in your company’s books.

 

Finacial documents in a assorted colored folder fan across a table.

The end goal is to bring your financial records fully up-to-date. Outdated books only create problems when it comes to long-range business strategy and tax preparation. 

In the worst-case scenario, your outdated books can leave you in the dark when it comes to your cash flow, jeopardizing your ability to cover expenses, payroll, and more.

Catch-up bookkeeping isn’t just for those who neglect their books. Anytime you migrate data or need to reconcile your accounts, it’s helpful to give yourself an audit to ensure you’re working with the latest data. Catch-up bookkeeping therefore offers peace of mind and the confidence you need to focus on your company’s future.

How do I catch up on my bookkeeping?

In fact, the more you can prepare and organize before you start the process, the smoother things will go. Don’t limit your timeframe to when your books started to unravel. Many business owners discover that their books decline in accuracy over the course of time. You’ll therefore want to make sure your catch-up process covers a sufficient number of weeks to ensure total financial accuracy.

Understandably, many business owners want to catch up on their books themselves. We can’t blame anyone for wanting to cut costs, but isn’t that what got you into this situation to begin with?

Busy entrepreneurs often get behind in their books because they’re trying to handle their administrative tasks, as well as their core business. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to find the time to perform catch-up duties, at least not with the speed and accuracy your business deserves.

That’s why you should seek out an accounting team that specializes in catch-up bookkeeping. Admittedly, this will cost your company money, but most small businesses discover the cost is negligible compared to the peace of mind that comes from having a team of experts to bring their books up to date.

During the catch-up bookkeeping process, a skilled accountant will help you do the following:

Gather your paperwork

Some of the paperwork and documents you will need to gather for your bookkeeper are:

  • Receipts
  • Bank and credit card statements
  • Invoices
  • Debt collections
  • Business expenses
  • Vendor accounts

This is an important part of the process, as it will provide a clear record of all of the income and expenses that apply to your business.

The first benefit will be immediate. You’ll discover whether your business has any outstanding invoices that your customers have yet to pay, which can later be used to track down delinquent accounts and make arrangements to write off bad debt. It can also let you know whether you have any outstanding debts you need to pay.

These receipts will also be useful during tax season, providing a record of any business expenses that can be used as tax deductions.

Reconcile your bank accounts

  • Each month you need to reconcile all of your bank and credit card accounts. First, make sure all transactions for the month have been entered. Using your bank statements, you can make sure all of the transactions in your books match the transactions in your statements. This allows you to find any errors in your books and ensure your records are accurate.
  • It’s easy to fall behind on reconciliation, especially if you come across reconciliation errors that need fixing. If you are too far behind on your monthly reconciliations, the bookkeeping team at Xendoo can help you get organized, reconciled, and caught up.

Collect W-9s, 1099s, and W-2s

  • W-9s are IRS forms that all business owners must keep on file for any self-employed workers (such as freelancers and independent contractors), to keep track of their external team members. If you employ subcontractors, you’ll need to make sure you are collecting these important forms.
  • When a small business pays an independent contractor $600 or more in a given year, they must report these payments to the IRS using a 1099 form for the contractor. 
  • A W-2 form shows the amount of money an employee made, and the amount of taxes that were withheld from paychecks throughout a calendar year.

Go digital

  • Reduce the amount of paperwork you have to keep up with by choosing to have paperless bills and bank statements. 
  • A good choice for the environment, too.

 

Tow colleagues discuss as they sit at a table with their laptops open

Your smartphone can easily be used to scan receipts, allowing you to maintain a digital archive of your business transactions.

The best accounting firms also integrate with the latest software, which can streamline the catch-up process and ensure that your books are brought up-to-date — and that they can stay that way.

At Xendoo, for example, we can sync with such popular software as Gusto, Stripe, Intuit QuickBooks, and more. Relying on these digital solutions can make it easier to maintain your books, reconcile your accounts, and ensure precision and accuracy for all of your financial processes.

Best of all, cloud-based technology makes your financial data accessible from anywhere in the world, giving you maximum flexibility and control over your company’s finances.

How much does catch-up bookkeeping cost?

Starting at just $150, your dedicated Xendoo team will catch you up and set you up for success with a solid bookkeeping system, or you can utilize our ongoing bookkeeping services. Once you know how good that feels, you’ll want to sign on for a monthly bookkeeping service package that fits your business needs. 

You’ll never worry about falling behind again, knowing your dedicated financial team is on it, your up-to-date records are always available, and there’s an expert at your fingertips to answer any questions. You can count on using your books to make quick, smart decisions – leaving you with a healthy, growing business.

Leave catch-up bookkeeping to the professionals

It’s overwhelming to discover a pile of late invoices and frustrating when you can’t dial in your operating cash flow or realize you’ve over-extended your business expenses because of inaccurate books. Then tax time sneaks up, and you realize you’re non-compliant with the IRS and need someone to organize your financial data quickly. If you’re time-starved and neglecting your bookkeeping, it’s time to enlist Xendoo for your catch-up bookkeeping service. 

Let a professional sort your books for you and develop a bookkeeping system that will serve you well now and for the future. Xendoo can quickly and accurately catch you up, setting you up for success.

Always know your company’s financial status and sleep soundly at night with Xendoo’s expert support.