Call Today: (202) 789 - 8898
3_Financial_Statements.jpg
Posted by: Charles P Myrick CPA Posted on: Jan 06 2015 Posted in: small business accounting services, cash flow management

Accounting Simplified: 3 Basic Financial Statements

 

Many small business owners pay too little attention to their financial statements. Unfortunately, these owners don’t understand just what the statements have to offer. Small business owners should become familiar with three basic financial statements – Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement.

Balance Sheet vs. Income Statement

When it comes to accounting, simplified is always better than complicated. If you are a small business owner  who is unsure of the difference between the balance sheet and the income statement you are not alone. Here’s a way to distinguish them:

Balance Sheet. A balance sheet is a snapshot statement of financial position. This financial statement shows where your company is at on a particular date which is usually at the end of the accounting period (month, quarter, year). It is a listing of your assets and debts on the given date. Balance sheets that are a year apart offer a comparison of your financial position from one year to the next.

Income Statement. The job of the income statement is to show how your financial position changed from year one to year two. It reveals how many sales and how much expense was involved to accomplish the change.

Download our Free Guide to Cashflow Management for Businesses

Cash Flow Statement

Small business owners use a cash flow management process to monitor, analyze, and make adjustments to their company’s cash flow. For any small business,  cash flow management can help avoid extended cash shortages caused by a significant gap between cash inflows and outflows.

Cash Flow Statement. A monthly cash flow analysis tells if the income generated produces sufficient money to pay for obligations. The cash flow statement reports the changes from one balance sheet date to another.  

 

If you have any trouble making sense of your financial statements, contact your accountant. Any unanswered questions may prevent your complete understanding of your company’s financial situation. When you understand the numbers, financial statements become very useful. Accounting is like a foreign language. Learn to speak a little of it. 

 

 Free Business Process Improvement Tools: Download Our Checklist for Business Record Keeping Now

Myrick CPA provides our small business clients with professional, personalized services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Contact us today.