A simple month-end admin routine your accountant will thank you for

A good month-end routine means four jobs, done every month: send and chase invoices, capture every receipt, match your bank transactions, and file the paperwork where your accountant expects it. Done monthly, it's about two hours. Left until year-end, it's days, and it shows up in your accountant's bill.

One thing first. We're not accountants, and nothing here is tax advice. This is the organised layer between you and your accountant, the bit that saves their time and your fees.

Week by week, or all at once?

Little and often is easier. If you can spare 30 minutes a week, do it weekly. If not, block one two-hour slot at the start of each month. The steps are the same either way.

Step 1: Invoices out, payments chased

• Raise invoices for everything finished last month. Late invoices get paid late.
• Check what's overdue and send polite chasers. A friendly reminder at 7 days and a firmer one at 14 does most of the work.
• Note anything disputed so it doesn't get forgotten.

Chasing money is the job most owners hate. It's also one of the easiest to delegate, because a polite, consistent process works better than an awkward call three months late.

Step 2: Capture every receipt

Snap paper receipts as you go and forward email receipts to one place. Most accounting software has a receipt inbox or app for this. At month end, check that every card payment has a receipt attached. Missing receipts are what turn a quick reconciliation into an afternoon of digging.

Step 3: Reconcile the bank

Match every bank transaction to an invoice, bill or receipt in your software. Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage all suggest matches automatically, so this is mostly checking and approving. Anything you can't match goes on a short list of questions for your accountant, rather than being guessed.

Step 4: File it properly

Agree a simple folder structure once and stick to it. For example: year, then month, then sales, purchases, bank and payroll. Contracts and supplier documents get their own folder. When your accountant asks for something, it should take seconds to find.

Step 5: A one-page summary

Finish with a short note: money in, money out, what's overdue, and any questions for your accountant. It takes ten minutes and it means you always know where you stand, not just at year-end.

What to hand over, and what to keep

You can delegate nearly all of this: invoicing, chasing, receipt capture, reconciliation prep, filing and the summary. Keep the decisions: approving payments, signing off accounts and anything that's genuinely tax advice, which belongs with your accountant.

This is exactly what our financial admin service does, working alongside your existing accountant rather than replacing them. For businesses in Malawi that need the accounting itself (bookkeeping, financial statements, tax returns and audit), our sister company Helping Hand Accounts handles that side. There's more on how the companies fit together in One group, three teams.

If you're wondering whether it's time to get help with admin generally, these eight signs are a good gut check.

Quick answers

What should I do at month end as a small business?

Send and chase invoices, capture all receipts, reconcile your bank account in your accounting software, file documents consistently and write a short summary of money in, money out and anything overdue.

How long does month-end admin take?

For most small businesses, about two hours a month if it's done regularly. It takes far longer when it's left until year-end.

Can a virtual assistant do bookkeeping?

A trained assistant can do the admin side: invoicing, receipts, reconciliation prep and filing. Final accounts, tax returns and advice should stay with a qualified accountant.