Freight brokers have a lot of responsibilities, from matching shippers and carriers to making sure each piece of cargo gets to the right place. Another essential task in this busy industry is bookkeeping. Freight brokers who don’t prioritize bookkeeping can end up losing money in the long run. Here are seven common bookkeeping mistakes freight brokers make and how to avoid them.
1. Attempting to DIY
In order to save money, many business owners insist on handling the books themselves or delegating the task to an inexperienced employee or family member. While you may initially save time and money, costly errors can result in higher bond premiums, more expensive financing terms, and other unforeseen expenses in the long-run.
Hiring a competent bookkeeper will save you money, because the job will be done quickly and efficiently, with fewer errors.
2. Postponing important tasks
Running any business is hard work. Many freight brokers find themselves too busy doing the day-to-day work to focus on important bookkeeping tasks such as reconciling bank and credit card accounts each month. Reconciling statements helps you catch errors and know how much cash or credit you actually have.
Although postponing this task may be tempting, you should reconcile your bank and credit card statements every month, preferably as soon as each statement is available. That way, you can identify any missing deposits, lost checks, or fraudulent charges and address these problems in a timely manner.
3. Not tracking invoices and receivables
If you’re not properly accounting for receivables, you can’t get paid. Getting paid equals cash, the lifeblood of every business.
Experienced freight brokers know that the delay between when you must pay your carriers and when you receive payment from your customers can strain your cash flow.
If tracking and collecting invoices takes too much time, consider invoice factoring. For a small fee, an invoice factoring company like Triumph Business Capital will purchase your invoices. You’ll get paid immediately without the time and expense of dealing with collections.