Records from the first day

A business you cannot measure is a business you cannot improve. Five lists are enough.

The five lists

Money in: date, who, what for, amount, how paid.
Money out: date, to whom, what for, amount, bill kept.
Who owes you: names and amounts, with dates.
What you owe: suppliers and loans with due dates.
Stock: what you hold and what you reorder.

Keep business and personal money apart

Use a separate account or at least a separate notebook for the business. Pay yourself a fixed amount and write it down.

A weekly review

Every week spend half an hour: add up money in and out, check who owes you, check stock, and compare with your plan. This is where problems appear while they are small.

Tools

A notebook is enough at first. When you have more than you can hold in your head, use a register: the free ones on this family (business registers, service desk) keep dates and dues, and Nivesh Sahayak has free bill, receipt and khata makers. Rules on bills, tax records and how long to keep them differ by place; ask an accountant.

Common questions

Do I need accounting software?

Not at the start. A clear notebook or sheet kept every day is better than software used rarely.

What should I keep as proof?

Bills and receipts for what you buy and what you sell. How long to keep them depends on local rules.

Keep going

This site states no profit figure, start-up cost, licence requirement or loan scheme: you type your own numbers, and the idea pages list questions to ask and things to measure. Interest rates in the worksheets are typed by you. It is not financial, tax or legal advice. Checked 14 November 2026.