Link4Business

Accounts Demystified

by James Green on 19/04/09 at 10:11 pm

Accounting is viewed by most non accountants as a complicated and highly technical matter, and this is a view that is encouranged by the accountancy profession. But the truth is that it is based on a very simple principal which once understood allows business owners and managers to understand the financial state of their business without the need of a costly accountant.

OK. That’s a bit of a sweeping statement “without the need of a costly accountant” but the fact is that much of what an accountant does for a business could easily be done by business owners themselves. Of course they may not have the time to do the basic bookkeeping (and sometimes it’s better if they don’t in case they mess it up and force an accountant to need to do more work sorting it out) and they may need some help in completing their tax return, but the fact remains that even if you decide that you want all your bookkeeping, accountancy and tax work to be done by an accountant – you still need to be able to understand the figures they give you!

There is no doubt in my mind that Accounts Demystified: The Astonishingly Simple Guide to Accounting is the definitive, user-friendly guide to the fundamental principles of accounting which should be on the book shelves of every business owner, accounting student, and probably also those of company directors and accountants themselves!

The author, Anthony Rice, is not an accountant but having struggled to keep the accounts of his own company he came to realise that it was all so much simpler than he had thought. So, whether all you want to understand is how to draw up a profit and loss account, or a balance sheet, or if you want to be able to read and understand the accounts of your own or any other company – including listed companies – you will find this book ideal, informative , and reaally easy to read.

You won’t find a better explanation of the fundamentals of accounting than this. No other book makes the subject so simple and clear.

Related articles:

Finding the Right Accountant

Accounting & Taxation for Small Businesses