More businesses fail in their first year or two because of insufficient financial control than for any other reason. This book provides the new business owner with an understanding of the fundamental principles of book-keeping, showing how to set up accounts and explaining how to benefit from the information they contain. 

Most people who are in business for the first time wrongly believe that setting up a set of books is an unnecessary and unpleasant chore that they must undertake simply for the taxman. However, there are benefits to it, as a skilled accountant will be able to use them to minimise the tax liability for your business and your paperwork should give you an accurate gauge of its financial health.

Written from the point of view of a businessman and not a qualified accountant, this book not only shows you how to simply and easily set up accounting records and explains the jargon used in the profession but it also demonstrates the practical uses to which a go-ahead businessperson can put the information stored within the accounts of a business. Topics covered include double-entry book-keeping, reconciliation, VAT, ledgers, budgets, cash flow forecasts, payroll and final accounts.

1. Book-keeping & accounting explained
2. Keeping records for the small business
3. Reconciliation & VAT
4. Accounting for growing businesses
5. Final accounts
6. Budgets & cash flow forecasts
7. Payroll
8. Putting accounting data to work
9. Partnership accounts & tax cutting tips