For small business owners, the end of the year can be a hectic time. After all, the end of the year means one thing — tax season is around the corner. To ensure that your return is accurate, your books need to be in order. However, if you've been careless with your record-keeping all year long, it may seem impossible to get organized at this point, but it's not. Learn how to get your books in order in a short amount of time.

Start a Money Box

As soon as you realize that your books are disorganized, it's time to create a money box. A money box isn't anything fancy and can be something as simple as a cardboard box. Within this box, you want to toss all the financial documents that you've found lying around your desk or anywhere else in the office. Invoices, receipts, and other financial records should all be put in this container.

Check Accounts Online

The internet is a great tool for accessing financial information you no longer have paper documents for and to organize your transactions. Access your business bank accounts and credit card accounts online and visit the statement section. Print out all the statements for the current year. You can then use this information found on the statements to make sense of the receipts and invoices you have compiled in the box.

Set a Schedule

Whenever you have a lot on your plate, you probably create a schedule to ensure you're able to get everything done. Make sure you also create a schedule to get your books in order. For instance, set aside a certain amount of time each day to sort all the documents in your money box and set another time for reconciling the information with your statements. If you don't set a schedule, the end of the year will arrive, and you won't have made any progress. 

Prepare for Next Year

Commit to never find yourself in this type of disorganized state again by preparing for the future now. If your books are not current, it's likely because you no longer have the time to manage them. This lack of time means that you should probably rely on a professional to handle the matter for you. A business bookkeeping professional can track and rectify your financial information so that you don't have to. In the end, you'll have faster access to the information you need and confidence that it's accurate.

If maintaining your books has become unmanageable, it might be time to consider partnering with a business bookkeeping professional. 

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