Understanding your company’s balance sheet is one of the most powerful ways to improve your financial literacy and make smarter business decisions. Yet many small business owners glance at it once a year—if at all—when meeting with their accountant. Let’s fix that.

A General Ledger is the central record of all your business’s financial transactions. Think of it as the “master book” where every dollar that comes in or goes out is recorded. It summarizes information from invoices, receipts, bank statements, and payroll, and organizes it into categories like income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. In short: the General Ledger is the backbone of your financial records.

The most important financial reports you should review every month are your Profit and Loss Statement (P&L), Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. Together, these reports provide a complete picture of your business’s revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and cash position. In addition, reviewing Accounts Receivable Aging, Accounts Payable Aging, and Bank Reconciliation Reports helps you keep track of money owed to you, money you owe, and the accuracy of your bookkeeping o