Every business owner should not only have an accounts payable spreadsheet, they must study it and fully comprehend its implications.
As a business owner, knowing some accounting methods and procedures are important. Even if you solicit the services of a bookkeeper or accountant, understanding what they do and how they calculate your bottom line should be a priority. When keeping track of your financials, there are a few basic spreadsheets you should be familiar with: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Balance Sheet.
The Accounts Payable spreadsheet is one of the most important functions of your business. It documents your lines of credit, outstanding bills and your inventory. This spreadsheet is an easy, quick-to-read assessment of when you need to pay your bills and any accounts that may be in jeopardy of becoming past due or are already past due and need your attention.
Creating a simple accounts payable spreadsheet can be very easily done using software that you are already familiar with. Although some businesses prefer to use financial software specially designated for this purpose, there are ways to get what you need with standard applications like Microsoft Excel.
These directions are for using a program such as Microsoft Excel or an OpenOffice platform.
1.You want to begin by opening your document and creating a header. You can name it whatever is most useful, but “Accounts Payable – Month/Year” would be very helpful once they start accumulating.
2.Once you do this, save your document. You may want to create a folder labeled Accounts Payable and then save the document by month and year.
3.The column headings in your accounts payable spreadsheet are important. They delineate your categories. You should have the following headings at a minimum. If you need additional headings for your own purposes, you can add them as you go:
4. Format all date categories to reflect a numeric and date format. You can do this by locating the Number section on the ribbon. You will see a drop down box that says “General.” There are five visible icons located after the dropdown. Select the “Number Format” key to specify your numeric preferences. Then, click the dropdown box and select “Short Date” to select your preferred date format.
5. Once this is complete, use the Number section on the ribbon to click the $ icon to select your currency format for the rows that require monetary calculations.
6. Your calculations should reflect accurate numbers. For those past due accounts, you should be entering your amount paid minus the amount due numbers.
7. Once all your calculations and formatting is completed, you can format your document as a table. You do this by selecting the “Format as Table” icon, which will give you a diverse selection to choose from. Once you have selected which one you like, the choice will be applied to your document.
Once you have this document in place, you will be able to see where you need to make changes, and how much cash flow you really have. This is also a good indicator of whether or not you may need to seek bookkeeping services from a professional bookkeeper. Maintaining good records is vital to the longevity of your business. Staying on top of your accounts payable will help build credibility with your vendors and enhance your standing as a reputable company that does good business.
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