Running a small or medium-sized business is exciting, but it comes with a lot of challenges. One of the biggest headaches for many business owners is bookkeeping. It might not be the most thrilling part of your day, but if it is not done right, it can cause serious trouble. From tax problems to cash flow issues, bad bookkeeping makes life difficult. Many MSMEs make the same mistakes over and over. The good news is that these mistakes are simple to fix once you know what to look for and how to fix them.
1. Mixing Personal and Business Finances – A Big No!
When you start your business, you might think, “Why open a new bank account? I will just use my personal one.” It sounds easier, right?
But here is the thing: mixing personal and business money can cause big problems down the road.
Imagine you have one bank account. Your salary goes in, business payments come in, you pay for groceries, and you also buy business supplies from the same account. After a while, it becomes impossible to know where your business stands financially. This confusion makes tax time a nightmare. You won’t know which expenses are business-related and which are personal. That means you could miss out on tax deductions or worse, face trouble if the tax department asks for details.
Solution: Open a separate business bank account. Keep all business income and expenses flowing through this account only. It might seem like extra work initially, but this separation makes bookkeeping much simpler and cleaner. It also looks professional when clients or vendors see you paying from a business account.
2. Not Recording Every Transaction – Big or Small
Many business owners say, “The small expenses don’t matter much,” or “I’ll record big sales and big expenses, and ignore the rest.” But that is where they are making the big mistake.
Every single rupee counts in bookkeeping. Whether it is ₹20 spent on a tea for your staff, or ₹5,000 on new stock, you need to record it all. Missing small expenses adds up over time and skews your understanding of profits and losses.
Plus, those small expenses often qualify as deductions during tax calculations. Skipping them means you’re paying more tax than necessary.
How to fix this: Get into the habit of noting every transaction. Use simple tools like a notebook or a mobile app. You don’t need anything fancy – even a spreadsheet works fine. The key is consistency. Whenever you spend or receive money, record it as soon as possible.
Keep all your receipts too. This is proof of your spending and helps you stay organized.
3. Skipping Bank Reconciliation
If you are not familiar, bank reconciliation is just checking that your bookkeeping records match what the bank says. Think of it like checking your homework to make sure you didn’t make mistakes. Many business owners skip this because it seems boring or time-consuming. But it’s one of the most important steps in keeping your accounts accurate.
Why? Because banks sometimes make mistakes or charge fees you didn’t expect. Or maybe you accidentally recorded a payment twice. If you don’t check regularly, these small errors can pile up and cause big confusion.
Imagine thinking you have ₹1,00,000 in your account, but after unnoticed bank fees and errors, you actually have ₹80,000. If you’re unaware, you might overspend and face bounced payments.
Solution: Take 30-60 minutes every month to compare your bank statement with your bookkeeping records. If you use accounting software, it might help automate this process.
Doing this monthly helps catch errors early and keeps your cash flow clear.
Not Keeping Receipts and Supporting Documents
Here’s something many entrepreneurs don’t realise: Receipts are your proof. They back up your expense claims during tax time. If you don’t keep receipts, you can’t prove what you spent. This can lead to denied tax deductions or problems if you get audited by the tax department. When businesses throw away or lose receipts, they regret it when tax season arrives.
How to stay on top of this: Create a system for saving your receipts. You can keep a simple folder or box where you put all physical receipts.
Or better yet, take photos of receipts with your phone and save them in a folder or app. There are many free apps that help organise receipts digitally, making it easy to find them later. Make it a daily or weekly habit to file your receipts – don’t wait until the end of the year.
Ignoring Financial Reports
Many small business owners think bookkeeping is just about recording expenses and income. But it’s also about understanding your business’s financial health.
Your profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement are like a report card for your business. You cannot ignore them, as it can gravely impact your business. If you don’t regularly check your financial reports, you might miss signs that costs are rising or sales are dropping and this can lead to bad decisions, like spending too much or missing chances to grow.
How to change this: Set aside time once a month to look at your financial reports. Sit with your bookkeeper and accountant to help you out with the records.
Bookkeeping doesn’t have to be tough and nerve-wrenching. There are simple tools available that make it easier. Apps like GBooks, QuickBooks, or even basic Excel spreadsheets can help you stay organized without needing deep accounting knowledge.
Final Thoughts
Bookkeeping might not be your favorite task, but it is one of the most important parts of running a successful business.
- Don’t mix personal and business finances.
- Record every transaction, big or small.
- Reconcile your bank account monthly.
- Keep all receipts and documents safe.
- Regularly review your financial reports.
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