It's old fashioned now but Dome makes some good bookkeeping record books that organize everything really well. It's pen and paper but for some that may be their preferred method and it definitely keeps everything ready for an accountant or an audit at any time, provided of course that the user stays current.
I agree. A one-truck expediting business is relatively simple compared to many other business types. Dome is a straightforward bookkeeping system that requires no computer.
The instruction manual for a bookkeeping program like Quicken or QuickBooks can be 300 to 500 pages. The Dome system consists of a 128 page, wire-bound workbook (and many of the pages do not apply if you do not have employees in your business). The instructions are included in the first few pages of the workbook. The book costs about $15. If you want to know more, you can spend another $6 and buy the book:
Dome Bookkeeping Self-Taught.
Unlike an electronic bookkeeping system, the Dome system does not require a computer or a way of backing up your data in case the computer fails or is lost. With Dome, data backup is as simple as making a copy of the completed page in the book and storing it someplace different than where the Dome book is kept.
In other words, when you complete a page in Dome, make a copy of it and send it home. Or, if you have a computer, scan the page and store it in the cloud. Or, use your phone to photograph or scan the page and store that file someplace safe.
The Dome system is based on the same bookkeeping best practices the electronic systems are. In the event of an IRS audit, the book itself is all you need, along with the supporting documents (receipts, log books, statements, tax returns, etc.).
Whether you use Dome or an electronic system, you still have the challenge of organizing and storing your receipts and statements for future reference. A variety of solutions have been proposed for that here in the Open Forum.
With any system, it is best to enter your transactions immediately or soon after they happen, when they are fresh in mind. With Dome that is especially easy because you simply open the book, write in the transaction and tuck the receipt or statement away. You don't have to wait for a computer to boot up. There is nothing to turn on, set up, log into, or do anything else to get started. With Dome, setup means picking up the book and a pencil.
This ease means you are more likely to do the task instead of putting it off for later. It also means that you are free of the temptations a computer provides. When it comes time to do your Dome bookkeeping, it is the book you are looking at, not a computer where the temptation to play a game, check the news, update Facebook or read the latest EO posts is strong.
Another advantage of Dome is you get to see how the numbers actually work in your business. As you use Dome, you will see how numbers flow from one category to another and how they feed into various reports.
Because the information is stored in one easy place and because you can gain an overview simply by paging through the business record that you yourself created, your understanding of business bookkeeping principles will automatically grow. In an instant, you can know your monthly profit and loss and your business net worth.
Electronic systems show one screen at a time. While they can produce the same reports (and many more that can be confusing beyond benefit), they do not provide the same familiarity and intimacy with your business numbers as using the Dome system will. In that regard, and for the money, the Dome system is vastly superior.
With Dome, you do not have to be a master bookkeeper to use the system. But if you take the time to learn this system and meanings of certain words and concepts the system uses, you will be well on your way to becoming one.
Learn more:
Dome Books
See also the Dome
customer reviews on the Amazon web site.
For those who want the advantages technology can provide, an electronic version of Dome is available:
Dome Simplified Bookkeeping 2014 for PC, Mac and iPad
