Is Your Bookkeeping Up to Par? Evaluate with Our Quick Assessment

Try this insightful exercise to evaluate your financial health.

Take out a pen.
Compose yourself.
Answer these five essential questions to gauge your bookkeeping accuracy.

These few questions could uncover significant insights into your business's financial landscape — such as cashflow inefficiencies, pricing discrepancies, untapped tax advantages, and more strategic growth opportunities often overlooked until costly.

Interested? Let's dive in.

How the Scoring System Functions

Award yourself 0–5 points per question.

  • 0 = Not at all

  • 5 = Consistently, every month

Total potential score: 0–25 points.

It's all about gaining clarity, not criticism.

Question 1: Are your month-end financials accurately closed?

Consider monthly closings as an essential part of business management.
Missing one? Perhaps okay.
Missing two? You're relying on intuition rather than data.

A proper monthly closure ensures:

  • Clear financial statements

  • Dependable financial reports

  • Elimination of guesswork

  • Proactive issue identification before escalation

If you're lagging on catching up — or if bookkeeping feels enigmatic — a lower score might be warranted here.

Score yourself: 0–5.

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Question 2: Do you thoroughly understand your gross profit margin?

Your top-line revenue might cover expenses, but your gross profit margin sustains your earnings.

Operating without this knowledge means navigating without foresight — you can't reconcile pricing, staffing, or operational issues without clarity on each dollar's true impact.

Leading businesses not only know their margin but continuously enhance it.

Score yourself: 0–5.

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Question 3: Do you know your break-even point and available cash-on-hand days?

This is your financial resilience checkpoint.
It's the distinction between restful nights and sleepless ones.

If you can't specify:

  • The number of sales needed for break-even

  • The days your business can sustain with available cash

  • Your readiness for market slumps or unexpected costs

…then it might be time to reassess.

Score yourself: 0–5.

Question 4: Do your financial reports illustrate trends and KPIs, not just figures?

Simple expense reports provide utility.
But reports indicating patterns and insights offer transformative potential.

Trend analysis unveils patterns.
KPIs disclose fiscal health.
Together, they provide strategic control over your operations.

If your reports just state "what happened," instead of interpreting "what it means," consider adjusting your score.

Score yourself: 0–5.

Question 5: Do you establish a budget or cash flow forecast?

Forecasting transitions financial perspectives from reflective to anticipatory.

A comprehensive budget directs your financial allocation.
A cash flow forecast predicts sustainability.

Without these resources, you're steering reactively — an approach that's tiring and unpredictable.

Score yourself: 0–5.

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Your Total Score: Understanding the Implications

0–10 points: Financial Firefighting

You're managing to get by, but it's unnecessarily challenging.
You are responding more to impending issues than generating strategic initiatives.

The advantage: significant improvements usually stem from identifying gaps in this phase.

11–17 points: Stability with Room for Growth

Your position is secure, but further optimization is possible. 
Your financial frameworks could greatly benefit from intensified insights.

Companies in this bracket often feel comfortable until they realize potential missed efficiencies.

18–22 points: Strong, Yet Able to Advance

Foundational strength and effective structure are evident.
Fine-tuning can unlock additional profitability and streamline processes.

This is where intentional growth strategies are plausible, not merely accidental.

23–25 points: Optimal Financial Management

Your business mirrors a precision-engineered operation.

Achieving this level signifies a noteworthy milestone — maintain momentum.
This creates a pathway for genuine scalability.

Seeking Improvements? We're Here to Assist.

Business leaders often require less data volume, but more clarity.
Simpler processes.
Enhanced financial routines.
Guidance from financial experts to demystify the figures involved.

If enhancing your bookkeeping practices, refining reporting, establishing forecasts, or crafting a comprehensive dashboard is on your agenda, we’re always available.

Your financial records should fuel your growth strategy — not leave you guessing. Let us help you optimize them.

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