I have been tied up for the past couple of weeks working on the accounts for our business. With tax season upon us, it was time I finished putting things in order. It’s not that I don’t keep up with expenditures and such on a daily basis – I do! It is just that five years ago when we started the business and went into the construction of four houses, I didn’t know didly squat about accounting. I’m a writer – not a number person (thank goodness, some people are number people!) I did what comes naturally for me – used my common sense! That is how I set up our accounts. 

THEN, the accountant tells me that, “Oh, that will work for now, but once the houses are completed, it will need to be changed over to Fixed Assets.” Then, he proceeded NOT to explain Fixed Assets to me or how to do them. In fact, he did not seem to have any time to do anything I needed done. This is not an accountant I choose, but the one who handles the accounts for our business partners. 

So, I tried to figure out Fixed Assets on my own (remember – not a number person). I did the best I could and then things kinda got screwed up – big time. I had a different accountant “fix” things but that, in the end, turned out to be an even bigger mess. THEN, I found Lynn. She is an accountant that trained in Quickbooks and what she taught me in six hours helped me regain my sanity. I found out that I could do numbers. She set up Class Codes for me and explained them. So easy peasy. It is almost (I said ALMOST) a joy to sit down and do my accounting.

But, that also left me with the huge project of transferring all expenditures for the past five years into Class Codes so that we could have a true picture of the business. As all of you who follow me know, I have ZERO, let me repeat that – ZERO attention span and that is why it has taken me months to do this project. I had to go line by line, through every transaction, to put things to rights. It’s almost finished.

I am sure my regular accountant will have a coronary when he sees the accounts – and then again, maybe not. I’ve deleted General Journal (sounds too much like General Chicken at the Chinese buffet) entries – I have a call into Lynn to find out if that is good or bad – hopefully she won’t shoot me. And, I have deposits that do not belong anywhere. I hope that she will answer my SOS soon and put me out of my misery. Lynn has been such a blessing to me. I now understand Quickbooks (at least, much better than I did.) It is almost exciting – not quite.

Maybe now I can catch up on my reading and my writing. Today I am one of the featured writers in the Love of series that Terri Guiliano Long is having on her blog. My story is on the love of food. I hope you’ll all stop by and read it. It is so exciting to be invited as a guest author. Here’s the link:

http://www.tglong.com/blog/2012/02/for-the-love-of-love-19th-february-love-of-food/#comment-15753

On March 1st, I’ll be guesting on Southern Writer’s Magazine’s “Southern T” website.