Frist Client - Help !!!!

System

Hi Guys,

My client runs a domestic cleaning business and wants me to do the bookeeping for her. I have just finished my technical exams this june and have never ventured out commercially b4.All I need is some guide lines and some excel templates as rough guides.

Currently she has loads of bank statements,invoices, and receipts laying on the floor in a room assigned to be the office.There is no filling system in existence and currently no bookeeping records. only incomplete records exist.

Guys, I need tips and excel templates to get the ball rolling.What filing system should I setup.
Can I use Sage or stick with excel.
saalliuk@yahoo.co.uk

System

Re:Frist Client - Help !!!!

Hi Solly

Only just seen your post - I hope it's not too late.
First - choose your software. is this client a sole trader or Ltd Co. If she is a sole trader a spreadsheet would be fine for recording all the transactions - set up the colums to match the analysis required on the SA tax return, plus additional columns for date, details and anything else the client wants show separately.
That said, if there is a high volume of transactions and you are going to do a bank rec, then I would recommend going for Sage Instant. Personally I would find it quicker.

Filing - I usually sort as follows

Sales invoices - in date / number order
Purchase invoices - in alphabetical order
Expenses receipts - eg petrol, till receipts - in date order by month, and kept in labelled envelopes. if you haven't got many purchase invoices, file them with the expenses receipts.
Bank statements - if the client uses a separate bank account, sort into date order and check the sheet numbers for missing pages.

You will also need the paying in books and cheque books to make sure everything is recorded.

Record everything of monetary value that has anything to do with the business.

Then you might have other relating documents - finance agreements, insurance certificates, customer remittances, supplier statments etc - keep them all and file them in a way that both you and the client are confortable with.