Clutter Begone!

Let’s say you’re a business owner, and—at least where accounting is concerned—you realize you need professional help. Don’t worry, there’s no shame in that!

You make a few inquiries and find a numbers person who seems a good fit for you and your business. But your office is a jumble and you’re afraid you might be beyond help. What do you do? Throw everything in sight into a couple of bankers boxes and lug in the whole thing for your new accountant to figure it out?

Only if you want to get off on the wrong foot. Instead, try these tips.

If you’re wallowing in a mess and don’t know where to start, ask your accountant what she’ll need to get started. Then, wade in. Sort those papers into piles. If they’re not needed (ads and other junk mail), throw them in the recycle bin. If you’re not sure, file them away in a “just in case I need it” folder. Put the things your accountant asked for in three envelopes: one for assets, one for income, and one for expenses, and take them with you for your first face-to-face.

After you and your accountant have established what you expect from one another, you’ll have to continue to provide her with the ongoing information she’ll need to help you most effectively. That should give you an incentive to keep that paperwork from getting out of hand again.

Here’s a practical way to keep the clutter in check: Get yourself a couple attractive containers—pretty baskets, boxes, bins, or whatever appeals to your style and décor. Put them in a handy place that’s easy to access. One is for receipts (documentation of money you’ve spent) and the other for income (sales invoices and bank deposit receipts). 

Now, whenever either of these comes into your hands, don’t just toss it aside – put it in the appropriate container! Make sure every deposit receipt is stapled to the appropriate sales invoice(s) or other record of where the payment came from.

Do this religiously. It only takes a few seconds each day, but saves a ton of frustration later on.

At the end of the month, slip the contents of those bins into two envelopes and drop them off with your accountant. She’ll take care of the rest—and you’re on your way to the No Drama Zone!