Account/book keeping - I've searched, I promise!

[geekling]

Hi all!
Just wondering if anyone can enlighten me on how you all do your account and book keeping? Im going to be mobile doing beauty, iv read through alot of threads some people use the SIMPLEX D accounts book, some excel spread sheets and some systems on the computer?

Which do you prefer?

Also, what do you do for receipts? How do you keep them all?
Do you give clients receipts? Also, what about on-line receipts do you print them off?

Newbie! Sorry, I know most of you have answered these kinds of questions but I couldn't find answers to what I was looking for in the search section, and was confusing myself even more!

Thank you in advance

 

[ShannonJo]

Personally, I don't know about program's and things but

Big book = portable can't loose it

Laptop = crashes gets viruses backing up USB sticks = hassle

 

[geekling]

Sorry, am I being thick but bigbook? Do you mean accounts book? Lol xx

 

[Zo Zo]

Search yellow accounts book on Amazon. Perfect. Keep all your outgoing receipts. I personally don't think you need to issue clients with a receipt unless they want one.

 

[geekling]

Thanx for your reply, that's the one I was thinking of getting, but wasn't sure if it would be too complicated! Lol! Thanx!

 

[Pinkpants]

Hi I have been researching this for months!
Just can't make up my mind, came across a excel spreadsheet like simplex d book on e bay made by an accountant called Barry, and he does difference ones for different businesses
E.g hair & beauty fr £9.99 to 14.99 I might try this first, got nothing to loose !
Also like look of arithmo accounts, £50 yr for me with vat registered company, I like this because it works with my I pad . As for receipts I use clear plastic folders with each month wrote on them ! Hope this helps you or someone cos my heads battered deciding

 

[sarah123110]

Baggybear recommended bright book on a different thread and I thought I would try it out and as all Baggybears suggestions it's great.

It's free and on line so you can access it from any computer. You can add pictures of the receipt to the expense if you want.

 

[geekling]

Thanx for your replies! I thought of speed sheets but wasn't too sure on how I would get along with them if I'm honest! And great idea for the receipts! xx

 

[geekling]

I tried with brightbooks but if I'm honest, I didn't really understand it! Lol! Xx

 

[persianista]

Bright books has a serious limitation in that you cannot just record "takings". You would have to raise an invoice for each client then record it as paid, which is a faff.

I use excell spreadsheets to record takings and expenses.

 

[blossom]

Well I must be living in the dark ages!

I have a cash book where I enter everything I earn

and everything I spend

and keep the receipts in date order in a paperclip

and write with my quill pen and ink

 

[pure]

Well I must be living in the dark ages!

I have a cash book where I enter everything I earn

and everything I spend

and keep the receipts in date order in a paperclip

and write with my quill pen and ink

Me too

When I had the salon I had it all computerised but now it's just little ole me I keep it as simple as I can! I have upgraded from quill and ink to a biro tho :lick:

 

[geekling]

Haha! I'm pretty old fashioned! I like it in paper infrount of me!! I may have studied computers, but they still confuse me! Haha!
Can I ask what kind of cash book you use? I can't find a simple one? Apart from the one mentioned! Xx

 

[pure]

I bought mine from WHSmith, it has 2 accounting columns and cost me about £3!!! Any stationers should sell them. Cheap and cheerful but its simple and does the job

I use a double page per month, one side for income and the other for expenses. I keep the book and my supplier receipts in a paper folder.

 

[geekling]

Excellent Thankyou! xx

 

[Lynne Baker]

I use sage.

 

[MrsHBeauty]

I use a simplex d spreadsheet in excel. Print if off every week, and back it up in 2 different places, plus email it to myself every month. I also do the same for my dads business.

If I did make so many mistakes adding up I'd still be using a paper simplex d book.

 

[geekling]

Thankyou for your replies, iv bought a account book from WHS, so will check that out and if all else fails i think it will have to be a spread sheet!

 

[pure]

Thankyou for your replies, iv bought a account book from WHS, so will check that out and if all else fails i think it will have to be a spread sheet!

Good luck but tbh you can't go wrong, it's simple and easy, it'll only be complicated if you make it so lol

 

[busy-bee]

Can I jump in and ask a stupid question please?
In your accounts book, for outgoings do you write down exactly what you buy per item? As in 1 blow dry lotion, box of gloves etc. Or just put £xx spent at wholesalers eg?
Newbie here too lol