A Bilanz is a snapshot of your company’s financial standing at one point in time. It shows what the business owns (its assets), what it owes (its liabilities), and the total amount of owner’s equity invested in the company. The equation underlying the balance sheet is Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity.
The balance sheet is the foundation of all other financial reports. It shows the company’s performance since inception, including every dollar raised, every debt incurred, and the value of all purchased and sold assets. It also includes a summary of current and future cash flows. The balance sheet is a fundamental reporting tool used to analyze the profitability and liquidity of a company, as well as to calculate a variety of financial ratios.
Creating a balanced sheet can be confusing, especially for beginners. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help. For example, Toggl offers a balanced sheet template that has pre-set items for current assets, fixed assets, and current liabilities so you don’t have to add them in yourself. Hovering over the individual columns gives you instructions on how to input the correct data. A balanced sheet is an important tool for any small business, as it helps you analyze your financial health and identify issues. It’s also a critical tool for prospective investors and lenders, who will use it to determine whether your business is worthy of their investment dollars.
To create a balance sheet, start by listing your company’s assets on the left side of the page. Then list the company’s liabilities on the right side of the page. Then add the sum of both sides to get the total value of the company. Then compare this number to the number from the previous reporting period to see if the company has improved its finances or deteriorated.
Once you’ve completed your balance sheet, review it for errors. Errors may be caused by inaccurate or incomplete data, a mismatched currency pair, a discrepancy in inventory levels, an unaccounted receivable, or an improper calculation of depreciation and amortization. If you notice an error, correct it before submitting your final balance sheet to your accountant or lender.
A well-prepared balance sheet should contain a clear description of all line items, with the asset and liability sections showing the corresponding numbers in both columns so that they match up. The assets section should be sorted by liquidity, with the most liquid assets (cash and marketable securities) appearing first. Then the less liquid assets should be listed in descending order from most to least liquid. The same logic should be applied to the liabilities and owner’s equity sections, so that the most pressing financial obligations appear towards the top of the column.
In addition to the two main sections, most balance sheets also include a third section for other long-term assets, which are accounted for at cost and reported as noncurrent assets on the balance sheet. This section usually includes property and equipment that will be in service for longer than one year, as well as intangible assets like trademarks, copyrights, and patents.