5 tips for accountancy

Accountancy: not the most fun job for most self-employed people, unless you are a self-employed accountant, of course. How can you keep accountancy fun? Five tips.

1. Start on time

When it comes to keeping your business records, the sooner you start, the better. Even in the preparatory phase, i.e. even if you haven't actually started your business or haven't secured any customers or investors yet, it is important to properly record all (expected) expenses and revenues. This way, you will have a better understanding of the efficiency of your revenue model from the very beginning. Based on this, you can then respond to developments and adjust your activities where necessary. Taking your time with your administration will make you a better entrepreneur.

2. Find the challenge

You will make your administration more fun if you start comparing your figures. For example, the figures from previous years. How are you performing? Do you have a new personal record? Make it a sport. Celebrate your goals and your wins. With a budget, for example, you can keep good track of whether you are achieving your goals. In a budget, you can incorporate your vision and name standards to measure your performance. For instance, turnover per employee or sales per square metre. And based on that, you can steer towards the goals you want to achieve next month, quarter or year.

3. Pull apart your turnover

Where is the revenue model? Measuring is knowing. Everyone wants to find out which activity generates the most profit? You can only make good decisions if you pull apart your turnover and know which activities contribute to the result and which do not. Turnover that does not contribute to profit is lost energy. Good administration contributes to your smartness.

4.Look for extra margin

You should go into the year with a good margin as your goal. How do you get more customers without doing anything about prices? When you start thinking about the future from your figures, you start thinking about your business differently. As a gardener, you can 'lay tiles per square metre', but you can also, for example, offer a 'completely new customised garden design'. Try to deepen your product which allows you to make more margin.

5. Be on top of the numbers

Forecasts should be measured periodically. Are you 'on target' or do you need to run a little faster? Having an overview of your performance and key figures gives you peace of mind. And anxiety when you have to guess at the size of your order and debtor portfolio and your outstanding liabilities.