Thursday, September 8, 2016

I’ve spent all day at my computer and for the first time in a long time I feel like I’m getting somewhere with the Cranberry Hall accounts.

I started by making a new set of files – ones that I know what the titles mean and where everything is stored in the right place. I won’t bother sorting through the box of files I received when I took over this job because I can’t make any sense of how things were sorted or filed. I have a nice set of eight file folders that will fit in a portable file box and I’ll have everything at hand that I might need for meetings.

I had to make quite a few phone calls to regular renters to see if they wanted an invoice or if they had money for me. Several were saying they had money but didn’t know who to give it to. I’ve made arrangements with most of them to accept their money and, in most cases, pick it up. This will eliminate some of the problems I’ve had with money being deposited and no one remembering who paid or what it was for. In the past I think it was left up to the renters to pay whatever they thought they should whenever they wanted; I’m not quite as lenient!

The files I took the accountant were very messy (and frankly embarrassing) so I’ve put all the Cranberry Hall records into my accounting program. End of the month reconciliations will be much easier and I can make the entries as I receive money or write cheques. This has worked well to eliminate “crunch” issues with Pat’s accounting and I think it will work well for this group.

It took most of the day, but I’m quite pleased with myself. I like the accounting work; I just don’t like the mess I feel like I’ve been in since I started this job.