Being in debt is one of the most stressful situations that anyone can face at any point in their life. Once someone takes a loan, it is mandatory and obligatory for them to repay the loan, sometimes with interest, despite any life-changing situation you could face during the loan repayment time. Repaying the loan is a must, even if you lose your job, get into a terrible accident, or experience a significant increase in your expenses due to being a new parent.
Reasons for Being in Debt
When you are in debt, there could be several reasons for it. It could be that you spent more than you intended on a birthday party or a wedding. Another reason could be purchasing an expensive car, and you had to take a loan to cover the payments. Some people spend a lot more than they are intended on a lavish holiday.
Getting out of debt is not impossible. All you need to do is plan out your income, expenditure, and debt payments. Many people can get out of debt by curbing their spending and looking for ways to have extra income every week. With careful planning, it’s possible to get out of debt quickly. Here are five simple steps to help you get out of debt.
Don’t Borrow More Money
The best way to get out of debt is to stop borrowing money repeatedly. After some time, it may become habitual to borrow money to make ends meet in the short term. Over time, the amount of debt keeps increasing and, before you know it, you could be under a mountain of debt.
To reduce debt and make your way out of it, it’s essential to refrain from financing extra expenses, stop signing up for credit cards, and spend any extra money on things you do not need. Avoiding these activities will help you to keep the focus on the debt that you want to repay.
Have an Emergency Fund
Another way to get out of debt is to have an emergency fund ready at all times. Having an emergency fund is to keep some money in the bank for serious, unavoidable emergencies. Avoid using a credit card for emergencies if you can. They will add to the massive pile of debt you already owe to creditors. Having an emergency fund can act as the primary buffer between your ever-creasing debt and your expenses.
Make a Budget and Stick to It
To reduce debt and manage your expenses, it is good to have a budget that includes all inevitable expenses. Having a budget will allow you to prioritize your expenses and avoid taking on more debt. Another benefit of having a budget is to save up your money and collect enough to repay your loans.
Trim Your Expenses
Another way to help in loan repayment is to reduce your expenses. Do not buy any more luxury items if you don’t have the money left for them. It’s easy to use a credit card to buy yourself that shirt you’ve been eyeing, but you are only adding up more debt by doing so.
Another money-saving tip is to unsubscribe from your Netflix subscription (or other similar types of subscriptions) until you have your finances straightened out. Avoid eating out at fancy restaurants more frequently if you are in debt. It’s essential to stay committed to the goal of trimming your expenses to save up for that long-due loan repayment.
The more committed you are to reducing your expenses, the better your chances of getting out of debt quickly. It’s helpful to get rid of the extra amenities you use in your life to get out of debt.
Proper Organization of your Debts
Properly organizing your debt repayment is an essential step in repaying loans. It’s possible to organize your debt by two different methods. In the first method, make a list of all of the debt that you owe. Start from the smallest debt first and include each debt that needs to be paid according to its respective amount. With this method, people successfully loan repayment of almost $60,000 in a short amount of time.
The second method for debt repayment is called laddering. This method is the most effective method for saving money for repaying your debts. The method works by allowing you to make a list of all debts and begin with the highest interest rate. Now that you have a list add the money you save to the debt with the most effective interest rate. Once paid off, move ahead and similarly pay each debt until all the pending debts are cleared away, and you are debt-free.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Businesses are increasingly shifting towards the virtual trend, as most business operations are now conducted online. Bookkeeping and budgeting are also often performed through popular online apps and tools. The low setup costs and environmental concerns have driven businesses to adopt the paperless office trend.
One of the major obstacles that a business owner faces when running a virtual company is the effective engagement of employees to boost productivity levels. According to Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days, “Communication on virtual teams is often less frequent and always is less rich than face-to-face interaction, which provides more contextual cues and information about emotional states — such as engagement or lack thereof. The only way to avoid the pitfalls is to be extremely clear and disciplined about how the team will communicate.”
Fortunately, technological advancements have eliminated various communication barriers that halt a company’s growth. We have compiled the best communication tools and messaging programs available online to help businesses establish strong Communication with their employees. Effective messaging programs allow you to keep all your communication with the team in one place.
Slack
Slack is one of the most popular team chat apps online. It was launched in 2013 by the same team that created Flikr. Since its launch, it has become one of the most popular group chat apps.
Slack offers exceptional chatting facilities and a unique tool known as Slackbot, which acts as a reminder. You can set any reminder on Slackbot. It provides users with customizability and flexibility so they can select their personalized themes. It hosts powerful emoticonsthat will add a lively feel to your conversations.
The Slackbot tool has led to bots popularity over the past few years. It allows users to start projects, approve invoices, and crunch numbers. Slack has recently introduced an option to turn an ordinary message into a mini-channel relating to one topic.
You can form multiple teams to separate office, reading, and other groups.
Furthermore, it allows you to invent your chatbots through its integrations. It works on iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and Mac and costs around $8 per month.
HipChat
HipChat is a popular messaging program that offers incredible features to its users. It allows easy and fast access to your group chats, enabling you to remain in touch with your teams wherever you go. You can form separate chat rooms on HipChat, which can be public or private. If you want to invite a contact into a particular chat room, you can send them a link.
If you are looking for an app that offers fast messaging, HipChat is an ideal option. HipChat offers Trello and JIRA integrations, enabling you to turn your message into a Trello card or share updates regarding JIRA projects in your conversations.
It offers a simple user interface, making it easier for users to adapt to the application. The team that invented HipChat also launched Stride, which allows you to conduct video and audio calls and screen sharing to manage remote teams easily.
Twist
If you are looking for an app that offers threaded conversations, Twist is an ideal option. It is often effortless to miss messages that pop up in a general chat session, and that is precisely why Twist turns the conversations into a thread, allowing you to track each message. This ensures that you do not miss out on any vital information.
If you want to say something, you must post your comment on an existing thread or make a new one. It also offers a traditional chat experience through the ‘Messages’ tab. This allows you to send direct messages to your contacts. It comes at a price of around $6 per month. Plus, you can utilize the integrations to create your chatbots.
These are the top 3 messaging programs for managing remote teams effectively. Other famous team chat apps include Microsoft Teams, Flock, Discord, Cisco Spark, Mattermost, ChatWork, Ryver, Zoho Chat, and Google Hangouts Chat.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Companies that use cloud hosting are facing a multitude of issues. Most of these issues are related to security threats and data breaches within the cloud network. The threat of a data breach is so high that 53% of companies believe that cloud hosting poses many general securityrisks. The risks are the essential barriers to cloud hosting.
Because of these risks and potential barriers, it is essential to understand them and determine if you are at risk with security threats if you use cloud services. Once these risks are determined, companies need to follow the best practices in cloud hosting to avoid the risks as highlighted below.
Services Accessible by Cloud Hosting
Before selecting a cloud hosting service, make sure that the company and IT officers are aware of the services they are getting. An important point in selecting a suitable cloud hosting service for business is software (SaaS). Most cloud hosting companies provide access through the web. Cloud hosting provides different services such as:
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
SaaS (Software as a Service)
Platform-based services or Platform as a Service (PaaS)
SaaS is a well-known service and consists of making software applications accessible through web sources. Infrastructure-as-a-service refers to remote access to servers or storage capabilities. At the same time, Platform-as-a-service is a software-based computing platform that enables developers to design and deploy web applications on a hosted infrastructure.
Applications Included in Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting allows companies to put an application onto the cloud. Each application can be charged differently depending on the sources it uses. Businesses should put the applications on the cloud that they frequently need. More importantly, regulatory and compliance issues prevent companies from putting specific applications into the cloud, especially those that involve sensitive user data. IDC surveys show that the primary uses of Clouds are:
IT management
Collaboration
Personal or enterprise applications
Application development
Server and storage capabilities
Transferability of Applications
An essential aspect of a cloud hosting service is allowing easy access and transfer of different applications. Application transfer services from one cloud platform to another, and in-house cloud data centers must be easy and quick.
Cloud hosting services will have to adapt standard technologies to ensure true interoperability. The recent “Open Cloud Manifesto” supports the interoperability of data and applications. The Open Cloud Consortium advocates for frameworks that allow different companies that provide cloud-hosting services to work seamlessly between them. The goal is to move an application from one cloud to another without having to rewrite it.
Security Offered by Cloud Hosting Providers
The cloud-hosting provider must offer adequate security measures to protect the sensitive data of the client. In the past, there have been several data breaches. These breaches resulted in the loss of sensitive data and loss of millions of dollars. While keeping data on a cloud has its risks, many hosting companies offer proper security measures to keep your data safe.
Before choosing a cloud hosting service, be careful when reviewing the SLA. It is essential to understand all the concepts discussed before making a final decision. The terms and conditions must be easy to understand. Reading through all publicly available data is essential. Amazon, for example, maintains a dashboard that shows the state of operation of the various services and history.
There will always be latencies on the network with a cloud service, making applications slower than running on your own data center. Many third-party vendors, such as RightScale, are developing additional services to the cloud to ensure that applications evolve and work well.
Companies that need cloud hosting services must make sure that the company is ready to adopt the principles of cloud computing. The service must have open data centers.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
In the US, farming was once considered a significant occupation. Statistics show that, in 2012, not more than 1% of the American population were professional farmers. Farmers of today face many challenges that the general public is oblivious to.
Most of the general public have an obsolete view when one thinks of a farm. They consider it a small parcel of land owned and run by family members, where cattle are raised and crops are harvested. In reality, present-day farms must overhaul their operations to cater to the demands and stay competitively priced while adjusting to new technology.
The Top 3 Challenges Faced by the Farming Industry
Technology
Rural farming communities of today are expected to consider integrating modern technology into their farming industry.
As easy as it may sound, it is not. To make such a shift in rural areas is quite a challenge. The communications systems are not as up-to-date compared to urban areas. Combined, these factors make it difficult for the farming industry to make the switch and become accustomed to ever-changing technological trends.
Technology is also an opportunity in the farming industry. Research shows that the farmers who made the shift and involved modern technology in their business noticed increased production. It also had a substantial effect on the labor supply.
Decline in Farming as a Profession
Very few Americans claim the farming industry as their primary occupation. In our country, most farmers are now above 55 years of age. Most young adults don’t consider the farming industry as one of their aspired professions.
Environmental Apprehensions
Many farmers are held responsible for how the farming business affects the environment. These days, the emphasis is placed on conservation and sustainability. It has resulted in public protests against some farmer’s certain practices. These practices refer to water pollution, raising livestock, use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, etc.
On the other hand, many farmers have changed their methods and practices to be more self-sustainable and environmentally friendly in the process.
This is not the only environmental issue that farmers face in their industry. Climate and weather changes are also ecological issues that farmers must deal with. Severe droughts and intense storms have made the farming industry even more demanding and complex.
Opportunities in the Farming Industry
Despite all of the challenges, there are still opportunities in the farming industry. The NSAC (National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition) works hard to provide farming opportunities to all of the independent family farmers of America. New federal programs and policies are coming out to support the young adults in the farming industry.
Every few years or so, Congress reauthorizes the state farm bill in which legislative decisions about funding and policies provide opportunities for women, beginning, veteran, and minority farmers.
The government also considers the funding and monetary aspect of supporting the young adults entering the farming business.
They will also support and fund any farmers involved in the yearly appropriations process and deliver guide program applications.
Conclusion
The one constant in the farming industry is changing. Skillfully navigating the changes, many of which represent profit margin compression in producing several commodities will continue to succeed in farming operations. To survive changes in the economy, the farming industry has to embrace change.
A farmer’s business decisions are complicated by global economic factors, like fluctuating commodity prices and trade issues. A harvest can be affected by weather, insects, or disease.
There’s also the question: who is going to farm in the future? As millions of people from rural areas migrate to cities each year, farmers need to inspire enough of them to remain and build a career in agriculture.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Credit scores and credit reports are a reflection of how well or poorly you have managed your finances. If your credit report shows negative information, it becomes critical for you to get rid of any unpaid debt. Otherwise, you may be charged with an exuberant amount of interest.
If your credit report shows terrible reviews of your financial behavior, it will be difficult for you to obtain credit from other creditors. You may still get some credit, if and only if you collateralize it with a property or an asset. But, if you don’t own any valuable assets to use as collateral, you will not be eligible to get any form of credit, leading to a worse financial situation.
To get rid of bad credit scores, you are left with the only option to start rebuilding your credit. Improving your credit score will help you get approved for loans or credit cards, and, as a result, you will be rewarded with better interest rates. A bad credit score is equal to or below 619 per the FICO score. Follow the mentioned steps below to get your credit score back on track.
Review your Credit Report
Make sure to review your credit file so that you know your financial position. By doing so, you will get a better idea of what points need improvement. Do you have late or missing payments? Is your credit file showing that you have a higher rate of debt utilization? Reviewing such information will help you formulatea plan on where to start to improve your credit score.
You also need to check your scores to know whether there are any errors or inaccurate payment details present without your knowledge. If yes, then dispute the problem and get those debts removed, automatically improving your score. In case of any dispute, FTC offers some great rewards which will help you rebuild yourcredit score.
Catch your Payments
Your payment history has a significant effect on your credit report. If you fail to meet your payment deadlines, it will not improve your credit score. You will only be making it much worse.
If you find it challenging to make your payments on time, you should contact your creditors to get a more suitable payment plan. Make sure to be up-front when contacting your creditors and explain your whole scenario. Let them know that you still want to pay for your responsibilities. You can also ask for services from a credit counseling agency to make a proper payment plan.
Pay your Bills on Time
You can slowly rebuild your credit by paying your bills on time. This also includes paying non-credit card bills such as utility, phone, internet, etc. Late rent and missed utility payments are reported directly to credit bureaus. Payment history helps you to establish a reliable pattern to improve your score. Make sure that you are not falling into the bad habit of making late payments. If you can make automatic payments from your bank account, utilize this not to miss any more future payments.
Avoid Closing Credit Card Accounts
Try to avoid closing your credit card accounts, whether you use them or not. The longer the history of your credit, the better it is for your score. However, if you are far behind on your payment deadlines, the only option you are left with is to get a payment plan. A payment plan is required to cancel your credit card account. But, make sure to track the history of your credit score to rebuild it.
Pay Down Debt
Credit utilization is another factor to consider to improve your credit score. Credit utilization is a way to measure how much debt you have, and it is expressed as a fraction of the available credit that you use. For instance, you have an available credit of $10,000, and you only use $7,500; the amount of your credit utilization is 75%. You need to make a plan to pay off your debt more rapidly by using credit utilization. Reducing your debt will help you to improve your credit score.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Inventory vs. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): Key Basics Every Business Owner Should Master
Inventory and cost of goods sold are two sides of the same financial coin: inventory is the value of products you still have on hand (a balance sheet asset), while cost of goods sold (COGS) is the cost of the products you actually sold during the period (an income statement expense). Tracking both accurately is the only way to see your true gross profit, set smart prices, and know whether your business is genuinely making money or just moving cash around.
After more than 20 years building Complete Controller and reviewing thousands of small-business books across nearly every industry imaginable, I can tell you the most common profit “mystery” I see isn’t about sales—it’s about sloppy handling of inventory and COGS. In this article, I’ll walk you through how these two numbers connect, the formulas and valuation methods that drive them, a real-world example of hidden profit, and the practical steps my team uses to clean up inventory accounting so you can price confidently, protect margins, and stop flying blind.
What are inventory and cost of goods sold, and how do they work together?
Inventory is the cost of unsold goods you own (a current asset), COGS is the cost of goods you actually sold (an expense), and together they determine gross profit.
Inventory sits on your balance sheet until items sell—then their cost moves into COGS on your income statement.
The cost of goods sold formula (beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory) directly links inventory changes to COGS.
Inventory valuation methods like FIFO, LIFO, and weighted average shift costs between ending inventory and COGS, changing reported profit.
Accurate inventory management and COGS calculation drive pricing, cash flow, tax strategy, and honest profitability analysis.
The Core Difference Between Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold
Inventory and COGS are deeply connected but serve very different roles in your financials. One shows what you still own; the other shows what it cost you to earn revenue.
Inventory is recorded as a current asset on the balance sheet—goods you purchased or produced but haven’t yet sold. Cost of goods sold is the direct cost of the inventory you sold during the period and lands on the income statement, often as your largest single expense.
Inventory in the financial statements
For retailers and wholesalers, inventory is simply merchandise purchased for resale. For manufacturers, it’s broken into three buckets:
Direct materials (raw materials waiting to be used)
Work in process (partially completed goods)
Finished goods (ready to sell)
Strong inventory management ensures quantities and unit costs are accurate—because if inventory is wrong, COGS will be wrong too.
COGS in the financial Sstatements
COGS includes the direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead needed to produce or acquire what you sold. It’s matched against revenue to calculate gross profit:
Gross Profit = Sales − COGS
Get this number right, and you can evaluate product profitability, pricing power, and operational efficiency with real confidence. For a deeper dive into structuring your books for clarity, our bookkeeping services team handles this daily.
How Inventory Moves Into Cost of Goods Sold
Understanding the cost flow from inventory to COGS is where most owners finally have their “aha” moment.
The Cost of Goods Sold formula
The standard cost of goods sold formula used by virtually every small and mid-sized business is:
Beginning inventory: value on hand at the start of the period
Purchases / production costs: what you bought or made during the period (including freight and duties)
Ending inventory: value of unsold goods at period end, at cost
Unit cost determination in practice
For retailers, unit cost includes purchase price plus freight, duties, and any directly allocable acquisition costs. For manufacturers, you’ll layer in direct labor and an allocation of manufacturing overhead (factory rent, utilities, machine depreciation). When a unit sells, you credit Inventory and debit Cost of Goods Sold—simple in theory, messy in practice if your tracking is loose.
Know your margins. Grow with confidence. See how Complete Controller helps businesses track inventory, COGS, and profitability.
Inventory Valuation Methods: FIFO, LIFO, and Weighted Average
How you value inventory determines which costs hit COGS and which stay on the shelf. According to Deloitte’s IAS 2 guidance, inventory must be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value—and your valuation method drives the numbers behind that rule.
How inventory valuation impacts COGS
FIFO (First-In, First-Out): Oldest costs flow into COGS first; newest costs stay in ending inventory. In a rising-price environment, FIFO produces lower COGS and higher reported profit.
LIFO (Last-In, First-Out): Newest costs flow into COGS first. In inflationary periods, LIFO yields higher COGS and lower taxable profit (where U.S. tax law allows it; not permitted under IFRS).
Weighted Average Cost Method: One blended unit cost is applied across all units. The formula:
Average Unit Cost = Cost of Goods Available for Sale ÷ Total Units Available
Choosing a method from a founder’s perspective
FIFO is intuitive and great for external optics. LIFO can save tax dollars when costs rise. Weighted average smooths volatility for high-volume, low-margin operations. Whatever you choose, document it, apply it consistently, and make sure your accounting software is configured to match.
How Inventory and COGS Reveal Real Profitability
Sales alone won’t tell you if you’re winning. You need to see how fast inventory converts to profit—and that’s where ratios earn their keep.
Inventory turnover ratio
Inventory Turnover = COGS ÷ Average Inventory
A high turnover signals strong demand and lean operations. A low turnover means cash is trapped on shelves, with rising risk of obsolescence and markdowns. According to CSIMarket’s retail sector data, U.S. retailers’ median inventory turnover fell from 9.07 in 2021 to 8.30 in 2022—a clear signal that more cash got tied up in stock, often surfacing later as heavier markdowns that squeezed gross profit.
Gross profit and pricing decisions
If COGS is overstated, gross profit looks worse than reality. If COGS is understated, you might celebrate phantom profits while quietly bleeding cash. Accurate COGS isn’t a bookkeeping nicety—it’s the foundation of honest pricing and margin analysis.
A Real-World Example: How Fixing Inventory and COGS Unlocked Hidden Profit
A small multi-location retailer (modeled from Lightspeed’s retailer COGS guide) kept seeing “good sales, low profit.” When they finally audited inventory, they found miscounts, untracked shrinkage, and outdated unit costs in their system. Once they implemented consistent counts, refreshed unit cost determination, and tightened purchasing, their COGS became accurate and gross margin stabilized. The big reveal? They were more profitable than they thought—and several SKUs they’d been protecting were actually loss leaders that needed to be dropped.
The lesson: you can’t rely on bank balance and sales reports alone. Inaccurate inventory creates phantom losses or phantom profits, both of which lead to bad decisions.
Practical Steps to Get Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold Right
Definitions are easy. Here’s what to actually do Monday morning.
Map your inventory flows. Identify raw materials, WIP, finished goods, and resale items. Choose perpetual (real-time) or periodic (count-based) tracking and assign clear ownership.
Define your direct costs. Standardize how you record direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. This is the backbone of clean cost accounting.
Choose and document your valuation method. FIFO, LIFO, or weighted average—pick one, write it into your accounting policy, and configure your software to match.
Tighten your ending inventory calculation. Run physical counts at least annually (quarterly or monthly for fast movers). Investigate variances—shrinkage, errors, misposted returns.
Review COGS and gross profit monthly. Track margin by product category and calculate the inventory turnover ratio quarterly to catch slow movers before they become write-downs.
Over two decades, I see the same errors over and over.
Misclassifying expenses
Lumping office rent, admin salaries, or general marketing into COGS inflates it artificially. Leaving out freight-in, packaging, or duties understates it. Either way, your margin story gets warped. Fix it in your chart of accounts.
Ignoring inventory adjustments
Damaged, obsolete, or stolen goods overstate inventory and understate COGS. Under IFRS rules, inventory must be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value—when prices fall or goods become obsolete, that write-down hits expenses before you ever sell the items. Schedule quarterly reviews of aging inventory and document write-down approvals.
No COGS reconciliation
In 2014, Reuters reported that Tesco’s profit overstatement ballooned to £263 million—tied in part to how it recognized costs and income related to inventory and supplier arrangements. The fallout included executive turnover and legal actions. It’s a stark reminder that inventory and COGS errors can escalate from accounting headaches into full-blown reputational crises. Reconcile beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory against recorded COGS at least quarterly. When it doesn’t tie, dig until you find the cause.
Final Thoughts: How I Coach Founders to Think About Inventory and COGS
When I review a set of books, I never just ask, “What were sales?” I ask, “What did it cost you—exactly—to earn those sales, and how much of your cash is still sitting on shelves?” That’s the story inventory and cost of goods sold tell together.
Understand the formulas. Choose your valuation method intentionally. Stay disciplined on counts and cost tracking. Review gross profit and turnover regularly. Do those four things and you’ll see exactly where your business is making money—and where it’s quietly bleeding.
If you’d like help tightening your inventory and COGS processes, my team at Complete Controller does this every day for product-based businesses. Visit Complete Controller to see how we can support your bookkeeping and inventory accounting from end to end.
Frequently Asked Questions About Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold
How do you calculate inventory and cost of goods sold?
Use the formula COGS = beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory. Inventory itself is the cost of all unsold items on hand at period end, valued using your chosen method—FIFO, LIFO, or weighted average cost.
Is inventory included in cost of goods sold?
Not directly. Inventory sits on the balance sheet as an asset until items are sold. When a sale happens, that item’s cost moves out of inventory and into COGS as an expense.
How does inventory affect cost of goods sold?
Higher ending inventory lowers COGS (you subtract it in the formula), which raises gross profit. Lower ending inventory raises COGS and reduces gross profit—which is why accurate counts matter so much.
What type of account is cost of goods sold?
COGS is an expense account on the income statement representing the direct cost of goods or services sold during the period.
What costs are included in COGS?
Direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead or other direct costs required to produce or acquire the goods sold. It does not include indirect costs like office salaries, general rent, or selling and marketing expenses.
Sources
AccountingCoach. “What Is the Difference Between Inventory and the Cost of Goods Sold?” AccountingCoach. https://www.accountingcoach.com
Ambrook. “Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): Definition, Formulas and Examples.” Ambrook. https://ambrook.com
Bill.com. “Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): What It Is and How to Calculate It.” BILL. https://www.bill.com
Boise State University. “3.1 Inventory and COGS – Accounting, The Language of Business.” Boise State University Pressbooks. https://boisestate.pressbooks.pub
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Jennifer BrazerFounder/CEO
Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.
Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.
Accounting information is the collected and stored particulars of the financial and accounting data of a business. It is used and processed by internal users. An accounting system is generally computer-based data. Accounting data usually comprises much more than the financial statements, balance sheets, and cash flow charts.
It contains revenue, expenses, bookkeeping, customer information, data related to tax paid and due, and employee information. It also includes sales orders, purchase receipts, requisitions, invoices, ledgers, and such financial statements of this type. Inventory is up to date in an accounting information system. Check registers previously made on old-fashioned registers of paper are now maintained in computerized systems by installing detailed accounting data using specific software. Using this software makes data interpretation much easier to access and report.
As this accounting data is for company use only and consists of customer and employee information and other sensitive data, they are highly secured. Security checks are maintained in the accounting information system, and hackers and other external sources are prevented from accessing the data.
The data that accounting information comprises is critical, and it must be interpreted correctly. In the case of wrong interpretation, the company can go into loss. Because of this, entrepreneurs must know the basics of accounting data and its elements. They must fully understand their financial statements.
While they can segregate the job to accountants and other personnel, the entrepreneurs must still understand the accounting information on their own. They should access, interpret, and account for the information in internal meetings and outside sources.
Financial mistakes pose an adverse risk to business growth, and they can damage the reputation of the customers and suppliers.
Common Mistakes made in Interpretation of Accounting Information and How to Avoid Them
Business owners often mix their finances with business expenses. Keeping these two finances separate is of utmost importance. If these two finances (personal and business) are not segregated, it is impossible to know what was intended for business and what was used personally. The amount of profit generated out of invested capital cannot be estimated correctly if the two are intertwined.
Entries are not done in time. Getting behind in bookkeeping and submitting entries of expenses or sales will not yield an up-to-date picture of the business and will not allow you to make timely decisions. It can lead to a negative balance if the expenses are entered, but the income statement is not updated.
Invoices to be paid by the company may go unnoticed, and it can lead to a bad reputation of the company. It can even end terms with suppliers. Business growth is halted or significantly reduced when you do not enter data in a proper amount of time.
Not setting up the proper software that the company needs leads to faulty decision-making. Furthermore, installing the wrong (more complicated than required or lacking crucial functions) software can lead to inappropriate data entry. Sound decisions are hard to make when your company lacks the proper accounting software that it needs.
Failure to double-check the reports and statements and, instead, just relying on checking the amount of net profit may lead to many errors or malfunctions in business. Accounting information software is just a tool to use. Decisions must be made after thoroughly checking the reports and interpreting the data. Data interpretation is made by comparing financial statements with the cash flow statements and the balance sheets.
Keeping all receipts until all taxes are paid and an audit is conducted must. Even after that period, receipts are significant for matching data entries in registers or software.
After a long day of work, there is more chance of mathematical or data entry mistakes. Stay focused. One mistake can lead to significant errors.
Entrepreneurs and business owners must focus on the long-term consequences of the decisions they make after getting a complete picture of their accounting information. Short-term decisions after the interpretation of accounts data do not set the business up for long-term benefits. Always focus on the future and the bigger picture.
Conclusion
The correct interpretation of accounting information is the backbone of any business. Specifically, focus on accurate bookkeeping practices and be sure to pay attention to every little detail so that you can take that information and make wise decisions for your company.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
The decisions we make on a day-to-day basis can have severe impacts, good and bad, on our marital life. Financial disagreements can harm your relationship and ruin the beautiful bond that you share as a married couple. According to a recent study, the leading cause of divorce has been identified as financial disagreements.
While it is impossible to expect two parties to agree with each other all the time, married couples must realize that harmony and peace can be maintained, even during disagreements. Marital harmony can only be achieved when the two people make sound decisions and work together to improve their current circumstances.
If money has been the leading cause of arguments between you and your loved one, it is time to fix this issue once and for all. Start by creating an appropriate budget, as it will help you avoid countless money-related issues in the long run. You need to think and plan strategically, as money issues can soon turn into emotional issues that have the potential to ruin your marriage for good.
Define Clear Goals and Share the Same Vision
The first step towards achieving marital harmony is defining clear goals so both partners can communicate with each other. Sharing the same goals for the future will allow you to set your priorities straight and begin saving to achieve those targets that you have in mind.
The absolute path to fulfillment lies in sharing a similar vision for a prosperous future. Therefore, you need to align your views, beliefs, and values to work towards a common purpose. Without a good vision in place, how do you even expect to follow a familiar path?
Not having a good vision in place leads you to a state where you want ‘more’ of everything, which keeps you from feeling content.
You cannot expect to build a harmonious relationship together if you do not feel at peace. Following a common goal or purpose will clarify that you need to make appropriate financial decisions.
Create an Appropriate Budget and Stick to it
Seeing how financial issues have affected marital relationships, there is absolutely no doubt that budgeting is a key to marital harmony. Just like bookkeeping, budgeting can now also be done online. Even if you don’t know the specifics of budgeting, there are various apps and tools available online that you can use to form an accurate budget that is easy to follow. Here is a list of all of the top budgeting apps of the year:
Mint
PocketGuard
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Good Budget
Mvelopes
Home Budget
Wally
Level Money
Spendee
Budgeting will allow you to identify the areas where you are overspending, enabling you to limit those unnecessary expenses. It enables you to form the proper habits that will benefit you in the long run. Once you have formed a unified vision and share common goals, it will be easier for you to work in coherence with your partner and cultivate better spending habits to accommodate that vision.
Moreover, you will be able to hold yourself accountable for your spending and make conscious purchasing decisions.
Learn to Live Within Your Means
No matter how practical your strategy is, it will remain ineffective if you do not learn to live within your means. Your primary goal should be to plan your financial management strategy according to your means. Going overboard or reckless spending is only going to harm you in the long run.
Therefore, you need to allocate your finances better and adopt a balanced approach if you want to achieve marital harmony. Both parties need to stick to the budget and refrain from overspending or spending on useless things.
If either person is spending recklessly, you need to sit down and discuss the issue to find an appropriate solution. It might not be an easy topic to tackle, but it will benefit your relationship in the long run.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Labor Allocation Architecture is the structured system for assigning people, hours, and skills to work so your organization can optimize workforce planning, sharpen scheduling, cut waste, and keep labor aligned with real demand. It connects three moving parts—workforce planning, labor forecasting, and daily scheduling—into one repeatable operating rhythm that supports both profitability and service levels.
After more than two decades leading Complete Controller and partnering with businesses across nearly every sector imaginable, I can tell you the biggest labor problems rarely start with “not enough people.” They start with poor visibility into capacity, weak prioritization, and schedules that ignore how workload actually shifts week to week. Consider this: U.S. employers made 5.1 million hires in May 2024 while 8.1 million job openings remained unfilled. That gap tells me most teams have to do more with the people they already have—and that’s exactly what a smart labor allocation system delivers. In this article, I’ll walk you through the framework I’ve watched transform staffing accuracy, protect margins, and build the kind of operational calm every founder wants.
What is labor allocation architecture and how does it optimize workforce planning?
Labor Allocation Architecture is the framework for matching labor supply to demand across roles, shifts, projects, and departments so work gets staffed efficiently and cost-effectively.
It strengthens workforce planning by turning headcount, skills, availability, and labor cost into an actionable model.
It sharpens scheduling by aligning assignments with demand forecasts and real-time changes.
It optimizes labor use by reducing overstaffing, understaffing, idle time, and preventable overtime.
It works best when paired with labor analytics, scenario planning, and continuous re-planning—not static spreadsheets.
Start With Demand, Capacity, and Constraints
Labor allocation succeeds when leaders clearly define the work needed, the labor available, and the limits shaping execution. That means mapping demand drivers, usable labor hours, skill coverage, labor costs, and scheduling constraints before assigning a single shift or project.
Workforce capacity planning
Capacity is not the same as headcount. Once you subtract PTO, meetings, admin work, and non-billable time, usable labor shrinks fast. Solid workforce capacity planning gives you an honest view of what your team can actually deliver, which is where smarterefficient business finance management begins.
Demand forecasting
Demand forecasting predicts labor needs using historical volume, project pipelines, seasonality, and service drivers. With today’s tight labor market, better forecasting reduces last-minute scrambling and stops overtime from eating your margins.
Operational planning
Operational planning converts workforce data into executable assignments—shift plans, project maps, weekly staffing forecasts. Allocation only pays off when it’s tied to real operational rhythms like weekly reviews and phase planning.
Shift Scheduling and Labor Optimization in Action
Strategy is only as valuable as its translation into daily choices. This is where Labor Allocation Architecture supports shift scheduling, labor optimization, and quick adjustments when demand shifts.
Shift scheduling
Great scheduling assigns the right people to the right time blocks based on skill, labor rules, and demand peaks—not just filling open slots. That protects service quality and prevents burnout.
Labor optimization
Here’s proof this matters: Best Buy tested a data-driven staffing approach and found a 0.1% increase in labor hours lifted store performance by roughly $7 in revenue per hour, according to Harvard Business Review. Better staffing doesn’t just cut cost—it grows revenue.
Labor productivity metrics
Track the numbers that reveal whether you’re truly improving:
Billable utilization
Forecast accuracy
Over-allocation rate
Time-to-staff
Task effort variance
Let Complete Controller strengthen your financial visibility so you can make smarter labor allocation decisions, control costs, and protect your margins.
Job Costing, Staffing Models, and Resource Management
Most articles skim allocation at a high level. The deeper truth is that Labor Allocation Architecture directly shapes project margins, department costs, and long-term staffing decisions.
Job costing
Job costing assigns labor to specific projects or service lines so managers see the true cost of work. For U.S. state and local governments, wages made up 26.2% of total expenditures in FY2021, with benefits adding another 10.1%, per the Urban Institute. Labor is almost always your largest controllable expense—allocation errors quickly become margin problems.
Staffing models
Staffing models define how you structure full-time, part-time, contract, and contingent roles. Choosing between fixed, flexible, and hybrid models depends on your service volatility and budget pressure.
Resource management
Strong resource management keeps hard and soft allocations balanced—so you plan for both confirmed and probable work without setting your team up for impossible weeks.
The Framework That Turns Planning Into Execution
A repeatable framework beats a one-time staffing exercise every time, because labor conditions change constantly. Here’s what belongs inside yours.
Labor allocation framework
Your labor allocation framework should include:
Demand inputs
Capacity inputs
Assignment rules
Approval steps
Weekly review cadences
Scheduling software and workforce analytics
Scheduling software centralizes demand, availability, staffing rules, and forecast updates. When paired with workforce analytics, you get a live view of where demand is concentrated and where labor is underused. Moving from spreadsheets to CRMs or purpose-built platforms is often the single biggest visibility win for a growing business.
Real-World Example: Architecture and A/E Firms
Project-based businesses show clearly how labor allocation drives outcomes. Guidance from Monograph tells A/E firms to break projects into phases and tasks, estimate hours at the task level, and reserve about 10% of project budgets for project management. Base Builders recommends forecasting capacity week by week and holding Monday-morning allocation reviews to catch overload early. The pattern is clear: plan from the task level up, review often, and tie labor decisions to project economics.
Where Human Judgment Still Matters
No allocation model runs itself. Managers still make the calls that protect team morale and handle exceptions gracefully.
Contingency staffing
Contingency staffing builds buffer capacity for absences, demand spikes, and delayed projects. No plan is complete without one.
Long-term workforce planning
Long-term workforce planning answers when to hire, outsource, cross-train, or reorganize—which is where thoughtful HRM practices meet strategy.
Dynamic labor leveling
Dynamic labor leveling for operations smooths workloads so teams aren’t crushed during spikes or idle during lulls. Rebalancing regularly beats chasing a “perfect” initial schedule.
Build a Labor Allocation System in 90 Days
You don’t need to rebuild everything at once. Here’s a phased rollout that works:
Audit current allocations, utilization, overtime, and forecast accuracy.
Map demand drivers, starting with your most volatile work.
Define staffing rules, skill requirements, and approval thresholds.
Pilot in one team, site, or service line.
Review actual versus planned labor weekly and adjust continuously.
Enterprise labor allocation architecture works when it standardizes rules, shares data across departments, and holds consistent review cycles.
Why This Improves Financial Performance
When labor is assigned accurately, project costs get easier to track and margins get easier to defend. Operational efficiency climbs as handoffs, delays, and rework fall. And resource management stops being about full calendars—it becomes about smart use of your team’s time.
Final Thoughts
Labor Allocation Architecture gives you a structured way to align labor supply with real demand, sharpen scheduling accuracy, and protect both productivity and margins. From my seat at Complete Controller, the biggest gains show up when leaders stop treating labor planning as a static spreadsheet exercise and start managing it as a living system—reviewed, measured, and adjusted regularly.
Start with one department. Define capacity honestly. Track the right metrics. Build from there. For expert support in building stronger financial visibility and operational systems around your labor strategy, visit Complete Controller and let my team help you take the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions About Labor Allocation Architecture
What is Labor Allocation Architecture?
It’s the framework for assigning labor, time, and skills to work so your workforce planning and scheduling stay aligned with actual demand.
How does labor allocation improve workforce planning?
It gives leaders a clearer view of demand, available capacity, and staffing constraints so decisions rest on real data, not gut feel.
What metrics should I track?
Focus on utilization rate, forecast accuracy, over-allocation rate, task effort variance, and labor cost efficiency.
What role does scheduling software play?
It centralizes staffing data, automates assignments, and supports scenario planning so leaders can rebalance quickly.
Is labor allocation useful for small businesses?
Absolutely. Small businesses often benefit most because better allocation reduces waste, curbs overtime, and stretches limited labor further.
Sources
Base Builders. “Resource Scheduling for A/E Firms: Plan Capacity & Avoid Overload.” Base Builders. https://www.basebuilders.com
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Jennifer BrazerFounder/CEO
Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.
Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.
In the thrilling world of entrepreneurship, where dreams take flight amidst challenges and opportunities, lies the less glamorous yet indispensable realm of accounting. Yes, the mere mention of ‘accounting’ might not quicken the pulsein the way that ‘innovation’ or ‘growth hacking’ does, but underestimate its power at your peril. Proper accounting is the unsung hero of successful small businesses, ensuring yourfinancial narrative is as compelling and victorious as your business vision. So, buckle up as we embark on an adventure through the numbers, offering nine essential tips and tricks for small business bookkeeping that every entrepreneur should have in their toolkit.
Why Proper Accounting is Your Business’s Superpower
Imagine sailing a ship without a map, compass, or stars to guide you. That’s what running a business without proper accounting is like. You might feel the wind in your sails, but you’re essentially navigating blind, risking the perils of financial mismanagement, legal complications, and missed opportunities for growth. Proper accounting shines a light on your financial performance, empowers strategic decision-making, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements. It turns data into actionable insights, helping you steer your business towards success with confidence.
9 Key Tips and Tricks for Small Business Bookkeeping
Embrace technology
Gone are the days of manual ledger books. Leverage accounting software to automate and streamline your bookkeeping processes. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors. Tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks offer user-friendly interfaces and powerful features tailored for small businesses.
Stay on top of your expenses
Keep meticulous records of all business expenses. This practice not only aids in financial management but also maximizes potential tax deductions. Categorize expenses accurately and keep receipts organized digitally or in a traditional filing system.
Reconcile bank statements regularly
Make it a habit to reconcile your business bank accounts monthly.
This helps catch discrepancies early and ensures that your financial records accurately reflect reality. It’s like a monthly health check-up for your business finances.
Understand your cash flow
Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. Develop a keen understanding of your cash inflow and outflow patterns. Use cash flow forecasts to anticipate future financial positions and make informed decisions about investments, expenses, and growth strategies.
Separate personal and business finances
Open a business bank account and use it exclusively for business transactions. Mixing personal and business finances muddies the waters, complicating bookkeeping and tax preparation. It also undermines the legal distinction between you and your business.
Stay diligent with invoicing
Invoicing might not be the most exciting task, but prompt and professional invoicing is crucial for maintaining a healthy cash flow. Use invoicing software to create, send, and track invoices efficiently. Don’t shy away from following up on late payments.
Plan for taxes all year round
Tax preparation shouldn’t be a frantic scramble at the end of the fiscal year. Keep tax obligations in mind throughout the year. Set aside a portion of your income for taxes and stay informed about tax deductions and credits relevant to your business.
Invest in financial education
As an entrepreneur, you don’t need to be a CPA, but a solid understanding of financial principles and bookkeeping basics goes a long way. Invest time in learning about accounting practices relevant to your industry. Attend workshops, take online courses, and consult with financial advisors.
Don’t hesitate to get professional help
While DIY bookkeeping is feasible in the early stages of your business, there comes a point when professional help is invaluable. Hiring an accountant or bookkeeper ensures expert oversight of your financial processes, freeing you to focus on what you do best—growing your business.
In the grand scheme of entrepreneurship, accounting might seem like a backstage player, but its impact on your business’s success story cannot be understated. Proper accounting practices keep the gears of your business well-oiled and operational, enabling you to navigate the entrepreneurial seas with precision and confidence. By implementing these nine key tips and tricks, you’re not just crunching numbers but crafting a financial framework supporting sustainable growth and long-term success. So, here’s to turning the page to a new chapter in your entrepreneurial journey, one where accounting is no longer a chore but a powerful ally in your quest for success.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.