Purchasing Resources for Financial Statements

Using Financial Statements

Get your business financial statements done right
By Andrea Townsley Financial statements include the balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flow and statement of retained earnings. As a business owner, you're responsible for making sure these reports get done, especially if you own an LLC or corporation or if your company is publicly traded. These reports can also help you understand where your business stands.
 

The balance sheet will help you figure out exactly what assets and liabilities you have. The income statement shows your net income. The statement of cash flow shows where your money is going, and the statement of retained earnings shows how much you pay out in dividends. There are a few ways to go about creating and using financial statements:

1. Download templates from the Internet if you're certain you know how to make an accurate corporate financial statement.

2. Consider buying financial statement software to help you out. These programs are easy to use and are great for owners on any budget.

3. Hire an accountant if you have no idea what you're doing. You can be sure these professionals will provide you with accurate financial reports.

Find online financial statement forms to use as templates

If you need a little bit of guidance but aren't quite sure how to create your own financial statements, there are quite a few sources of templates you can use. You can either download a template and use it as a guide to make your own statements, or you can just find one that suits your needs, fill it out and print it up.
Try: Check out the large selection of free templates available from Microsoft. Docstoc also has a nice variety. These are good if your company uses Microsoft Excel.

Take a more high-tech approach with financial statement software

If you want to use a software program to help manage your finances, look for one that has financial statements included. Many of these software programs will generate statements for you if you keep up with inputting your financial information.
Try: Compare Peachtree accounting products at Sage Software, which offers solutions for every budget. Intuit also offers great software with its QuickBooks line.

Delegate annual financial report creation to a third party

Accountants are great for keeping up your books year round, but at the end of your fiscal year, these professionals can help you immensely, especially if your business is incorporated. There is lots of paperwork to be done at the end of the year, including creating all your financial statements and submitting them to the proper places.
Try: Locate an accountant in your area using AccountantsWorld or CPAWeb.net.

• If you're fairly confident in making your own financial statements but want some reassurance, take them to an accountant and have him or her perform a financial statement analysis. This will ensure that your statements are ready for investors, creditors or shareholders to view.