Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business [Paperback]

E. James Burton (Author), Steven M. Bragg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471323608 | ISBN-13: 978-0471323600 | Publication Date: December 15, 2000 | Edition: 2

Based on the authors' extensive experience as successful business owners, consultants, and teachers, these books guide small business owners, managers, accountants, and consultants through the complex maze of critical business issues. E. James Burton and Steven M. Bragg use numerous real-world examples and detailed, step-by-step guidance to coach readers in proven strategies and techniques for refining key aspects of a new entrepreneurial venture.
In Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business readers learn everything they need to know about tracking cash flows; conducting analyses; analyzing key financial information; determining insurance requirements; compiling tax liabilities; and more.
Must reading for new and established small business owners, operators, managers, accountants, and consultants, these guides feature:
o Ready-to-use forms, checklists, and spreadsheets
o Step-by-step procedures for incorporating theories discussed into day-to-day business practices
o Chapter-end case studies featuring entrepreneurial problems and solutions

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Thorough in its coverage without overwhelming the reader, this book methodically explains each of the financial procedures and techniques vital for establishing and maintaining a profitable small business. Its clear presentation of concepts makes it an effective reference source easily consulted for a particular issue or concern.

Authors Steven Bragg and E. James Burton provide you with tips to maximize your efforts in:

• Budgeting for operations
• Tracking cash flows
• Understanding performance measurement systems
• Investing in long-term assets and capital budgeting
• Conducting analyses
• Analyzing key financial information
• Determining insurance requirements
• And more!

An essential resource, the Second Edition equips you to "read and do" with numerous real-world examples; detailed, step-by-step guidance; and proven strategies and techniques to improve, implement, and benefit from your decisions toward a financially healthy small business. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Here is must reading for business owners, operators, managers, and advisors to clients who are starting a new small business or who want to refine the financial and accounting operations of their existing businesses. Filled with proven techniques and strategies, Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business guides you through the complex maze of critical business accounting and finance issues by providing detailed information and step-by-step procedures on how to track cash flows, conduct analyses, analyze key information, determine insurance requirements, compile tax liabilities, and much more, including:
* Numerous ready-to-use forms, checklists, sample spreadsheets, and calculations showing practical applications of real-world examples
* Effective operational analysis tools
* Simple operational budgeting techniques for expectations and measurement
* Special tips on controlling taxes and insurance as well as external reporting requirements

Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business is an invaluable reference and refresher for both new and established entrepreneurs and those who work with them.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (December 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471323608
• ISBN-13: 978-0471323600
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Small Business "Stuff You Need To Know" Book, January 18, 2001

By 

Bungalow Details Robert Snare (Broomfield, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business (Paperback)

Here is a "must read" for anyone owning or starting a small business. This is not a "Small Business for Dummies" book, and not a business school MBA text. This book is "Just Right", filled with proven techniques and sound strategies to guide you through the complex maze of critical accounting and financial issues.

These are things you must know or at least understand, for your business to survive and prosper. For example; CASH FLOW: probably the most important concept for the small business owner to understand. You have to plan for growth or it will kill you. TAX LIABILITIES: taxing authorities can be brutal. Be Prepared! INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: what you need to know and some helpful tips. BUDGETING: It's not that hard. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Plan for it and it's easy. RISK MANAGEMENT, COST-VOLUME-PROFIT-RELATIONSHIP, STAFFING and INVENTORY LEVELS, CAPITAL ACQUISITIONS, FINANCING SOURCES, PERFORMANCE TRACKING. These are all covered in sufficient detail to understand and put into practice.

As a past owner of a small businesses, I was unprepared for the level of sophistication required to run a small business. This book is be an invaluable reference to have available, if you own a business or are thinking about starting one from scratch. The key to business health is "no surprises".

There are also many ready-to-use forms, checklists, sample spreadsheets and calculations showing practical applications of real-world examples. These are not the dreaded debit/credit type stuff in accounting texts. These are easy to understand examples. After all, that's the whole point of the process. Enough information to manage your growing business.

Even if you are turning over these functions to your staff, you should understand what's going on, what's coming up and how to prepare for the future. Highly recommended, 5 stars for this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Really Dry - Not an Easy Read, June 2, 2006

By 

S. Sloan (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business (Paperback)

My husband and I are starting a small business and need to learn the basics of non-personal financial planning and budgeting. Maybe this book will be useful to you if you have these after your name (like the authors); Ph.D., CPA, CFE, CMA, CIA, CDP, CSP, CPM, and CPIM. I don't even know what half of those stand for!

I found their use of jargon and vocabulary posturing (gee, how many big words can we fit in one sentence?) hard to read. I was so busy just trying to figure out what they were saying (in simple terms), that I couldn't absorb the lessons they were trying to teach. The books is filled with things like, "Another strategic issue involving production capacity is the anticipation of changes in the corporate break-even point as the result of adding extra capacity". Ugh.

I forced myself to read the entire first chapter and part of the second, but could go no further. I scanned other sections of the book to see if it ever got any better, but it didn't.

If you have some financial background and need to know more, then this may be the book for you. If you are trying to find simple step-by-step instructions and general information about setting up a small business budget, and you don't have a financial background, I would advise you to look elsewhere.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good accounting and finance book. But probably best as a follow-on tome rather than as a starter guide., October 27, 2007

By 

Jeff Lippincott "JLIPPIN" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Accounting and Finance for Your Small Business (Hardcover)

I liked this book. But I didn't think it was a page-turner. It was full of great content, and covers accounting and finance topics related to the starting and operating of small businesses. It is comprised of 9 chapters, and is split into the following three parts:

1. Preparing to operate the business
2. Operating the business
3. Evaluating the operations of the business

Early in the book it is stated that the book was written for business owners and managers who want to REFINE the accounting and financial operations of their companies. The keyword in the last sentence is "refine." The reader is assumed to be somewhat competent with regard to accounting and finance for a small business, and by reading this book they are supposed to be able to refine their existing accounting and finance functions. If this assumption is accurate, then this book will prove to be well worth its purchase price. If this assumption is inaccurate, then the book will not be well received.

I found the book rather dry. It tended to jump right in and make its points in each chapter rather than easing the reader into what the subject matter was and then providing comments, solutions or whatever regarding that subject matter. I recently read a book called The It Factor (ISBN: 0814474373) which stresses the importance of communicators to make a connection with their audience in order to effectively communicate with them. I think the authors of this book could improve their writing style if they were to incorporate the message of The It Factor into how they write.

Earlier this morning I read a book titled Financial Intelligence (ISBN: 9781591397649) which discusses the basics of accounting and finance to help small business owners or managers "manage by the numbers." I think the instant book being reviewed would be a wonderful follow-on book to Financial Intelligence. And anybody who is not well versed with accounting and finance would do themselves a great service by reading both books.

Accounting and finance are jargon-filled subjects. The terminology used in both is uncommon and pretentious to many people. Authors that write in these subjects should be cognizant of this fact and pay special attention to writing so they connect with their readers. This book in many ways is fairly well written. But in my humble opinion it could have been a lot better if the authors had worked harder at connecting with the reader. 4 stars!