Читать книгу Xero For Dummies - Heather Smith - Страница 48

Say I had a customer who needed to define a suitable chart of accounts for her catering business. I ask to look at her business card and work out the business involves the following services (in order of income generated):

 Full-service caterer

 Dinnerware and linens

 Chef and wait staff

 DJ

Of course, if she didn’t have a business card, I could ask to look at her website or other advertising material, but typically the back of a business card sums up the business — and, if it doesn’t, the conversation probably becomes about designing business cards to promote what the business does! Back on track, in this example the caterer clearly has four main streams of sales income, each with associated direct costs. These four income streams, and the direct costs associated with each stream, need to be reflected in the account types created within Xero (and so also reflected on Xero’s Chart of Accounts).

If, for example, the caterer wanted to understand the gross profit generated by offering the services of a DJ, in her chart of accounts she would allocate an account showing DJ sale income to account type Sale, and an account showing DJ direct cost to account type Direct Cost. To identify the gross profit, she can then deduct the direct cost of employing the DJ from the sales income generated through hiring the DJ.

Setting up a meaningful chart of accounts and ensuring data is allocated correctly means useful reports can be produced and analysed. Take the time to understand what your business does, and how allocating account types can affect your reports and enhance business decisions.