Chart of Accounts and Bookkeeping Setup.

Get your bookkeeping accurate and organized so the numbers become trustworthy, and set the routine that keeps them current.

Organize your accounts, get current, and set the upkeep routine. A qualified bookkeeper or accountant should set up or validate this, especially for anything tax-related. The test of a good chart of accounts is simple: can you read where money comes from and goes at a glance?

Your chart of accounts

Sort every dollar in and out into readable categories.

Account category	What it captures in your business
Income (by type)
Cost of goods or services
Operating expenses
Assets and liabilities

Account category

What it captures in your business

Income (by type)

Cost of goods or services

Operating expenses

Assets and liabilities

Getting and staying current

How far behind are the books, and what will it take to get current?

Are you bringing the books up to date yourself, or engaging help?

The upkeep routine

This is the part that keeps visibility alive; books built once and neglected are worthless within a quarter.

Who records transactions

How often

How it is reconciled to the bank, and by whom

Do you maintain this yourself, or delegate it?

Reading your result

A good chart of accounts is readable by you, not just by an accountant. The upkeep routine is what keeps the whole foundation from decaying. Decide honestly whether you own this or hand it off; the Financial Roles and Support tool in the last guide helps you make that call deliberately.

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Feeds the Financial Statements Builder. Back to the guide, or start over.