Getting Your Financial Data Ready
Before we analyze anything, you need to know what you're working with. Most business owners I talk with have their numbers scattered across spreadsheets, receipts, and sometimes just memory. That makes it hard to see patterns or make decisions.
The cleaner your data is when you start, the more accurate and useful your analysis will be. And honestly, preparing your information properly saves everyone time. You'll spend less hours going back and forth, and we can focus on what actually matters to your business.
This isn't about making everything perfect. It's about organizing what you have so we can work with it effectively. Some clients come with years of records, others bring three months of bank statements. Both are fine starting points as long as the information is readable and organized in a way that tells a story.
What We Need to See
Different businesses track different things. But there are some fundamentals that help us understand your financial position and where you might improve.
Transaction History
Your bank statements or accounting software exports. We need to see money coming in and going out over at least three months, though six to twelve months gives us better context.
- Bank account statements
- Payment processor records
- Credit card transactions
- Cash flow summaries
Revenue Sources
Where your income comes from matters. Some businesses have one main client, others have hundreds of small transactions. Both models work, but they need different strategies.
- Sales records by product or service
- Client or customer breakdowns
- Seasonal patterns if applicable
- Payment terms you typically use
Operating Expenses
What it costs to keep your business running. This includes everything from rent and salaries to software subscriptions and coffee for the office.
- Fixed monthly costs
- Variable expenses tied to sales
- One-time or irregular payments
- Vendor and supplier information
Outstanding Obligations
Money you owe or money owed to you. These affect your cash position even if they haven't hit your bank account yet.
- Unpaid invoices to clients
- Bills waiting to be paid
- Loan balances and terms
- Tax obligations coming up
Asset Information
What your business owns that has value. Equipment, inventory, intellectual property. Sometimes these are obvious, sometimes they're overlooked.
- Equipment and machinery
- Inventory levels and values
- Property or long-term leases
- Digital assets or software
Context and Goals
Numbers alone don't tell the full story. We need to understand what you're trying to accomplish and what constraints you're working within.
- Growth plans for next 12 months
- Known changes coming up
- Concerns about current situation
- Questions you want answered
How to Organize Everything
You don't need fancy software or accounting degrees. Most clients send us Excel files, PDFs from their bookkeeper, or exports from QuickBooks or Xero. The format matters less than having complete information.
Start by gathering your bank statements for the past six months. Then pull any invoicing records, whether that's from your accounting software or a folder of PDFs. If you use payment processors like PayPal or Stripe, export those transaction histories too.
One client last year sent me photos of handwritten ledgers from their market stall business. Another sent a massive spreadsheet with five years of data across 40 tabs. Both worked fine because the information was complete and we could trace where the numbers came from.
Create a simple folder structure on your computer. One folder for income records, one for expenses, one for bank statements. Name files with dates so you can find things later. If you're working with an accountant already, ask them for the reports they've been generating.
The goal isn't perfection. It's having enough clean data that we can spot patterns, identify problems, and find opportunities you might be missing right now.
Quick Readiness Assessment
Before scheduling your analysis session, check whether you have these basics covered. If you're missing one or two items, that's okay. We can work around gaps. But the more complete your information, the more valuable insights we can provide.
Financial Access
You can export or download your business transactions from at least one bank account or payment system covering recent months.
Revenue Clarity
You know approximately how much money your business brought in last month and can identify your main income sources.
Expense Awareness
You can list your major monthly costs and have some record of where money typically goes each month.
Time Period
You have at least three months of financial activity to review, preferably six months or more for better pattern recognition.
Format Flexibility
Your records exist in some digital format, even if that's just scanned receipts or basic spreadsheets you've maintained.
Clear Questions
You have specific concerns or goals you want to address, whether that's reducing costs, improving cash flow, or planning for growth.
What Others Learned from This Process
Kittipong Rattanaporn
Restaurant Owner, Chiang Mai
I thought I needed more customers. Turns out my real problem was timing – paying suppliers before customer payments arrived. Just shifting some payment schedules gave me breathing room without changing anything else about the business.
Antti Korhonen
Online Retailer, Bangkok
Three subscriptions I'd forgotten about were costing me 15,000 baht monthly. Small amounts individually, but they added up. The analysis also showed which product categories actually made money versus which ones just looked busy.
Ready to See What Your Numbers Say?
Start gathering your financial information using the guidelines above. When you're ready, we'll schedule a session to walk through everything together and identify the opportunities hiding in your data.