Small Business Accounting

I’d forgotten that the beginning of the new year brings with it a heap of accounting chores. I do the book keeping for our family and two small businesses. Today I tackled the 1099 forms for Blank Label Comics. Tomorrow I’ll do w-2 forms for Tayler Corporation. I’ll also have to file the quarterly 941 form, two sales tax forms, a state withholding form, a federal worker’s comp form, and a state worker’s comp form. The short description of all of that has probably made some eyes glaze over or triggered a pre-tax season mini-panic. I see it all the time when someone comes to me and asks about accounting or health insurance for a small business. I start talking and before I’m done they’ve got piles of new information, only half of which they’ll remember, and a firm belief that it is all very complicated and scary.

It isn’t. Honest.

Have you ever tried to describe to someone, who has never done it before, exactly how to ride a bike? You get bogged down in detailed descriptions of how to pick a bike that is the correct size. How to pick which kind of bike is best for their needs. How to lift one leg over to get on the seat. How to push against the ground to get the bike moving. How to push down on one pedal and let the other foot get pushed up. How to make hundreds of tiny weight shifts to keep the bike in balance. How to rotate the handle bars with your hands to steer the bike. How to squeeze the brakes to make the bike stop Oh and it all works better if you go faster, really.

Like bike riding, small business account sounds complicated and scary when described, but if you just get started it all begins to make sense and in no time you’re on a roll.