A simple month end bookkeeping routine for a small business

A supplier invoice is in your inbox. A receipt is in your bag. A subscription was paid from your personal card. None of these feels like a big job until you need to bring everything together.

A regular month end routine gives those loose ends somewhere to go. It also helps your bookkeeper spend less time asking where things are and more time checking the records.

Give your documents one home

Choose one place for the records your bookkeeper needs. That might be your accounting software, a shared folder or an agreed document collection system. The useful part is that everyone knows where to put things.

Gather sales invoices, supplier bills, receipts and the relevant bank and card statements. Include credit notes and payment provider statements where you use them. A receipt saved in a personal photo gallery is easy for the rest of the team to miss.

Agree who collects the records and when they should be ready. A routine is easier to maintain when it has an owner.

Check for gaps before handing things over

Look for documents you expected but have not received. This might be a supplier invoice for a purchase already made or the supporting receipt for a card payment.

Keep one short list of the gaps. Record what is missing, who is getting it and the next action. For example, “Replacement invoice requested from supplier on 2 December” is much more useful than “Invoice missing”.

Remember expenses paid personally

If you used your own money for a business purchase, it will not appear on the business bank statement. Keep the supporting receipt, explain the business purpose and tell your bookkeeper which account or card paid for it.

Also flag whether the business has reimbursed you. Your bookkeeper can then record the transaction appropriately and avoid treating the reimbursement as a second purchase. Recording an expense does not by itself establish its tax treatment.

Match the records to the accounts

Arrange for bank and card reconciliation as part of the routine. This means comparing the transactions in your bookkeeping records with the statements and investigating differences.

Ask your bookkeeper about unfamiliar payments, missing entries or amounts that do not match. Avoid guessing at a description simply to clear the list. Keep transfers between accounts clearly identified too.

Review what is still outstanding

Review customer invoices that remain unpaid and supplier bills that still need attention. Check that payments and credit notes have been recorded before deciding what needs a reminder or payment.

Keep any agreed payment arrangements or disputed amounts visible. An invoice awaiting a customer’s approval needs a different next step from one that has simply been overlooked.

Send one useful handover

Send your bookkeeper a short note with the records, outstanding documents and questions in one place. Mention unusual activity such as a new loan, a larger equipment purchase or a refund whose treatment needs checking.

You do not need to work out the accounting answer yourself. The aim is to give the person reviewing the books enough information to ask the right questions.

Make next month easier

Before you finish, choose one small improvement. You might ask a supplier to send invoices to a shared address, agree how the team submits receipts or keep a list of purchases paid personally.

The routine should fit your business and the support you already have. Start with a clear owner, a regular review and a reliable place for the records.

Straightaway VA provides bookkeeping and accounting support alongside everyday business administration. If collecting documents and keeping records current keeps falling back to you, contact us to discuss the support you need.