Meet your most trusted adviser Most businesses fail because they run out of money. Garry Carter of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers explains how the right bookkeeper will keep track of your cashflow T oo many good businesses get to the end of the year with a bit of money in the bank only to find out it isn't enough to cover their taxes. It's a waste of time to work your socks off for a whole year before handing your books to an accountant, only to be told halfway through the next financial year that things aren't quite as good as you thought or you've been doing something fundamentally wrong. Your business changes hour by hour, day by day and can't be left to a once-a-year meeting. You look at your bank account online when you need to know what's going on; you should look at your accounts in the same way. You need to know what's going on to make sure you make the right decisions at the right time, to enable you to plan your business properly and strategically. Every business has its ups and downs, but with proper planning you can prepare it for what lies ahead. Get it right from the start Every business needs someone who "looks after the books"; who makes sure the invoices go out and the payments come back in and that the margins are right. This person shouldn't be you. In many businesses, it's