Unlike this city in the desert, you only get a chance to set up best practices once.
Those going to Burning Man next week will be arriving to a city that did not exist a few weeks ago and will cease to exist in just a few days. It is one of the very few examples of its kind where everything is temporary, and can be re-done better next year when the entire city will raise again from nothing.
Unfortunately, startups do not have the flexibility to start over each year. The systems that are put in place early on form a foundation that will affect the company’s performance for the foreseeable future.
Here at Burkland, we help our startup clients set up scalable systems that not only minimize the friction from everyday accounting, but also ensure that the business runs smoothly over time. While supporting startups with on-demand bookkeeping and accounting services for many years, I’ve identified five important items that should be kept in mind when setting up your systems. Here are some of the details on these five set-up practices, so you can be mindful and avoid unnecessary pains as you grow.
- Select systems that scale
Quite often I find that many startups that are poised for fast growth choose bookkeeping systems that can’t keep up. Although Freshbooks, Bench.co, and Indinero seem like simple solutions to start, their automation and integration with outside apps and services are far inferior to other solutions such as Quickbooks Online and Xero. This ability to connect easily to outside services offers the flexibility to optimize accounting systems to each company’s specific needs. As for expense reimbursement software it’s best to choose one, such as Expensify and Abacus, that not only syncs with existing accounting software, but has the ability to structure multi-tier approval paths (although a young company may only have one approver at the moment, this almost certainly will change as the company grows). The same for bill payment solutions- chose one that syncs and scales such as Bill.com.
- Open a business bank account as soon as possible with a bank that specializes in Startups
Opening a bank account early on for your startup not only is the easiest way to begin organizing your company’s finances, but it also offers the opportunity to develop a relationship with an important business ally- your bank. Co-mingling personal finances with your company is a no-no, and the opening of a business account (along with appropriate debit and credit cards) has the added benefit of less expense reporting and reimbursement activity. So, avoid using your personal credit or your savings account as soon as possible. Also, be sure to select a bank who is supportive to the startup community. Here in Silicon Valley, several banks, such as SVB and Square 1, have developed special services for startups that result in lower costs and red tape for you, with the added benefit that they help their clients network. In addition, when you develop a relationship, there will be someone you know on the other end of the line when you need your bank to work with you.
- Don’t handle payroll on your own
With ever changing payroll tax laws, periodic filings, and the need to make sure your employees get paid on time, there is a lot that can go wrong during the payroll process. Make it easy on yourself and hire a low-cost payroll provider that will handle these responsibilities and more. Gusto, for instance, not only syncs automatically with QBO and Xero, it provides your employees easy onboarding, digital pay stubs and direct deposits right into their personal bank accounts.
- Introduce simple and appropriate policies and procedures
This is the time to set precedent. Take some time to think of best practices regarding issues that impact your bookkeeping and accounting systems such as credit card usage, expense reimbursement approvals and limits, collection of accounts receivables, client and vendor onboarding, etc. Document these policies and procedures then share and train you crew. Early adoption can help avoid bad habits and ensure that your team is singing from the same sheet of music.
- Gain basic accounting know-how
Your startup will begin generating tons of information regarding your finances. However, for this information to be meaningful, you need to become familiar with accounting principles that signal different aspects of the health and growth of your company. Sales, COGS, Gross Margin, Net Margin, Burn Rate, AP/AR, and Cash Flow are only as important as your understanding. Websites such as Accounting for Management, Accounting Coach, and books such as Financial Intelligence can help, but for a deeper understanding you might want to consult with an experienced CFO or Controller.
Although the five items listed above seem obvious, with hectic days of coding and acquiring your first customers, it is easy to ignore the accounting/bookkeeping function. Yet, you don’t want to; as an initial focus on setting up scalable and efficient accounting systems will save you time, money and energy in the future. And if you get stuck, there are several terrific and cost effective on-demand bookkeeping and accounting services (like ours!) that can help you get on track.
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