Understanding Business Accounting For Dummies (eBook)

John A. Tracy is a former staff accountant at Ernst &Young. Colin Barrow was the Head of the Enterprise Group atCranfield School of Management and is the author of more than 30books including Starting a Business For Dummies, BusinessPlans For Dummies and Business Plans Kit ForDummies.

Introduction 1

Part I: Accounting Basics 9

Chapter 1: Introducing Accounting to Non-Accountants 11

Chapter 2: Bookkeeping 101: From Shoe Boxes to Computers 33

Chapter 3: Taxes, Taxes and More Taxes 51

Chapter 4: Accounting and Your Personal Finances 67

Part II: Getting a Grip on Financial Statements 85

Chapter 5: Profit Mechanics 87

Chapter 6: The Balance Sheet from the Profit and Loss AccountViewpoint 109

Chapter 7: Cash Flows and the Cash Flow Statement 131

Chapter 8: Getting a Financial Report Ready for Prime Time153

Part III: Accounting in Managing a Business 173

Chapter 9: Managing Profit Performance 175

Chapter 10: Business Budgeting 197

Chapter 11: Choosing the Right Ownership Structure 219

Chapter 12: Cost Conundrums 241

Chapter 13: Choosing Accounting Methods 261

Part IV: Financial Reports in the Outside World 285

Chapter 14: How Investors Read a Financial Report 287

Chapter 15: Professional Auditors and Advisers 313

Part V: The Part of Tens 329

Chapter 16: Ten Ways Savvy Business Managers Use Accounting331

Chapter 17: Ten Places a Business Gets Money From 345

Chapter 18: Ten (Plus One) Questions Investors Should Ask WhenReading a Financial Report 355

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Get a Better Handle on the FinancialFuture 367

Part VI: Appendixes 377

Appendix A: Glossary: Slashing through the Accounting JargonJungle 379

Appendix B: Accounting Software and Other Ways to Get the Booksin Good Order 395

Index 399