New start up sole trader REALLY struggling w/ bookkeeping

joshclem

I am just starting up as a sole trader, not sure it will even be a success yet but I will obviously keep my books incase it does and I need to tell mr.taxman.

The problem is I am really struggling to keep accurate books.

What i do is buy whatevers "in" - then i rent space in shops or pay others commission to sell for me.

I.e - I just bought shamballa bracelets and have 2 people trying to sell for me and they get £4 per sale.

So i wrote down my cost per item, there were 5 different types of bracelets, so 5 different costs per item, 5 different selling prices, different profits, and then I need a seperate book for every person who is selling on my behalf, then to work out the profits minus their comission, still have to calculate delivery charges into my cost per item... etc .. etc.

but by next week i plan to be selling something else?

To make a successfull book for just 50 shamballa bracelets i need a 4 page spreadsheet

where do i start!?

What can i do!?

help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

joshclem

Its like if i sell one for not my standard price of £15 - say if i include a discount to sell for £12 - there is no way my spreadsheet can implement this... no idea what to do please help

Shezz

why wont your spread sheet do that

you using excell

glasgowdan

Perhaps you can account for them in batches. Batch of bracelets, cost price £x, sale price £x.

joshclem

its just i would have to add an extra column saying i sold one for 12 - then if another one for 13 another colum. etc. etc. it seems impossible, the sheet is already huge

Shezz

I've just done a mock spread sheet in excell with what i think is the information your after and only used a page

and it calculates price paid, price paid to sellers, column for your profitand column show sellers and there commission

joshclem

yes shezz i know what u mean but then if someone says oh i want it for £13 not for £15 then you have a whole new column just for one sale glasgow dan that is a good idea as long as taxman would be happy with that

glasgowdan

Josh as long as you have receipts filed away to refer to it shouldn't be a problem, though I'm not a tax expert and my business does not sell things in this manner, but from what I know and from speaking to others who do the same I think it's fine.

Murtle

joshclem wrote: »

its just i would have to add an extra column saying i sold one for 12 - then if another one for 13 another colum. etc. etc. it seems impossible, the sheet is already huge

both these figures should be in the same column....sales or whatever you want to call it

Shezz

I still dont think there is a problem as Murtle says the figures will be in the same column, will need to know calculations in excel to do it and would'nt need as many columns as you think


Put in row A titles
Rob B the calculations
I listed in names of sellers using 3 columns to calculate earnings and amount sold then done a calculation back to row B showing total sales


The trick is not to show each sale separate but as a whole per seller e.g sold 15 received X amount of pound for the 15
rather then sold 1 @ xx amount then sold 1 @ x amount
lol does that make sense

Murtle

Product.. Seller ........Cost to buy... Costs incurred Commisison ...Total cost Price sold for Profit
a......... 1........ 10............ ........2................. 4 ...........16................ 20............. 4
b......... 1........ 12............ ........3................. 5 ...........20................ 25............. 5
a......... 3........ 10............ ........2................. 4 ...........16................ 20............. 4

(grr hope you can line up the columns!)

are you recording each sale by each seller?

or just overall sales by product for each seller?