Financial Statement Preparation

As top-tier accounting professionals in San Diego, we generate in-depth and accurate financial statements for businesses of all sizes so that they can leverage their successes into continued growth. Ready to learn what we can do for you? Contact us online to learn more.

As an entrepreneur, you know that actions speak louder than words. When it comes time to demonstrate that your business’s worth to a potential investor, market analyst, or creditor, claims alone won’t cut it — you need professionally prepared financial statements.

Whether it’s a balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, or statement of changes in equity, your financial statement needs to be comprehensive, accurate, and complete. It needs to present a full, clear picture of where your company has been and where it’s headed. While you may be able to generate these essential financial documents without professional help, the vast majority of business owners benefit from hiring an accounting professional.

If you’re struggling with financial statement preparation, don’t worry — Gildark Financial Solutions Group is here to help. This article will explain everything you need to know about these business financial statements, including essential types, how to prepare them, and the benefits of enlisting financial statement preparation services.

4 Essential Types of Business Financial Statements

Whether you’re a small business owner, a shareholder in a large company, or one-half of a partnership, you know that documentation plays a critical role in presenting your organization to the outside world. The following four are essential types of business financial statements:

  1. Balance sheet. This statement illuminates a company’s financial position, including assets, liabilities, and equity, at a particular point in time.
  2. Income statement. Also called a profit and loss statement, an income statement acts as a report that shows a business’s financial performance over a set period of time. It includes data on revenues, expenses, profits, and losses.
  3. Cash flow statement. This statement is particularly useful for highlighting a company’s liquidity and cash management, revealing the inflows and outflows of cash over a specific period.
  4. Statement of changes in equity. Also called a statement of retained earnings, this report reveals the changes in a company’s equity over a specific period of time, including additions and deductions from the start to the end of a period.

Each of these four statements offers essential and valuable insights about a business’s financial performance and potential. When poorly executed, they can result in an incomplete picture that damages your ability to fully leverage your company’s potential.

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The solutions, insights, and guidance you need to achieve your financial goals are at your fingertips — but you have to make the call. Contact us online or call our office today to explore our full range of services with a knowledgeable financial professional.

Financial Statement Preparation Services

As a leading financial solutions group in San Diego, Gildark Financial Solutions Group offers a range of invaluable financial statement preparation, bookkeeping, and accounting services. These offerings include the following:

  • Collecting financial data. Our professional accountants will collect and organize financial data from bank statements, invoices, accounting systems, and more to ensure all relevant data is included.
  • Preparing balance sheets. We’ll organize and present your company’s assets, liabilities, and equity to demonstrate its financial standing over a given period, providing a clear and accurate picture to stakeholders.
  • Generating income statements. Our accountants will generate income statements that include your company’s revenues and expenses, profits, and losses within a specific time frame to shed light on its operational and financial performance.
  • Creating cash flow statements. We will prepare cash flow statements that include the inflow and outflow of investing, financing, and operating activities to highlight your company’s liquidity, as well as cash management capabilities.
  • Preparing statements of changes in equity. We will generate statements that document changes in your company’s equity through retained earnings, paid dividends, and investments to demonstrate how the owners’ equity has changed over time.
  • Ensuring compliance with accounting standards. We prepare all financial statements in compliance with guidelines laid down by the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and other regulatory bodies to ensure credibility and accuracy.
  • Reviewing and analyzing financial statements. Our professional accountants can help identify trends, vulnerabilities, and leverage points through a thorough analysis and review of your prepared financial statements, providing you with actionable information.
  • Creating financial reports. We will create customized reports that are tailored to the needs of your investors, management, and other stakeholders so that you have everything you need to enhance decision-making and strategic business planning.

Although not an exhaustive list, these services highlight the many ways that professional financial statement preparation can take your company to the next level and, ultimately, help you achieve your financial goals.

How to Prepare Financial Statements

As professional accountants in San Diego, we follow a systematic approach to preparing top-tier financial statements. Here are a few of the key steps in that process:

  1. Gathering financial information, collecting relevant documents such as bank statements, invoices and receipts, payroll records, accounting records, and loan statements
  2. Recording transactions into the appropriate accounting software or ledger to ensure each entry is properly dated and categorized
  3. Adjusting entries, making end-of-period adjustments to accruals and deferrals, calculating and recording depreciation and amortization, adjusting for changes in inventory levels, etc.
  4. Preparing the trial balance, checking for accuracy to ensure debits equal credits, and searching for and correcting any discrepancies
  5. Preparing financial statements, creating accurate and complete balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, statements of changes in equity.
  6. Reviewing and finalizing statements, ensuring accounts are reconciled with bank statements and other key documents, conducting a thorough search for errors and inconsistencies
  7. Presenting financial statements to management for review and approval, preparing copies for external stakeholders, and providing them to investors, regulatory bodies, and creditors

By following these essential steps, we ensure that every prepared financial statement is accurate, compliant, and comprehensive in the financial picture it paints.

Financial Statement Preparation FAQs

If this is your first time considering professional financial statement preparation, you probably have a lot of questions. Don’t worry — Gildark Financial Solutions Group is here to help. The best way to find answers is by reaching out to our accounting firm, but in the meantime, check out the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

Who typically requests financial statements?
In most cases, a company’s financial statements are requested by stakeholders. These could include management, regulatory authorities, creditors, investors, and any stakeholder who may need to assess a company’s financial performance, health, or compliance status.

How can financial statements improve my company’s efficiency?
Financial statements can be insightful in various ways. Not only do they shed light on resource allocation and financial performance, but they also help stakeholders identify potential areas for cost reduction or operational changes. Ultimately, these statements support strategic planning, better decision-making, and more effective budgeting.

Which type of financial statement do I need?
The type of financial statement you need depends on the type of information you’re trying to convey. A balance sheet can provide a glimpse into a company’s financial position; an income statement conveys profitability over a specific period; a cash flow statement reveals a company’s cash movement. Lastly, a statement of changes in equity establishes a company’s changes in equity. If you’re still unsure which type of statement you need, your best option is to speak with a professional accountant.

GFS Group: Top-Quality Financial Statement Services in San Diego

At GFS Group, we understand that navigating financial statement preparation can be difficult — especially without guidance from a professional accounting team. Fortunately, you don’t have to look too far for professional services. When you’re ready to explore how GFS Group can take your company’s efficiency to the next level, contact us online to schedule an appointment.

Contact us now

The solutions, insights, and guidance you need to achieve your financial goals are at your fingertips — but you have to make the call. Contact us online or call our office today to explore our full range of services with a knowledgeable financial professional.