Keeping records

[Maggiem]

Some friends have recently sold their very successful gite/B&B complex near Le Mans, it was bought as a going concern. My friend is quite meticulous about record-keeping, and could probably tell you what things cost 12 years ago, when they started. She was amazed to find that, of the 12 couples who visited the complex with a view to buying, none of them asked to look at her accounts, they all took what she said at face value. Several of these couples intended taking loans to finance the purchase, although the eventual buyers were funding it through the sale of their UK property. I know the property quite well, it's beautifully maintained and has many repeat bookings, but even I would have wanted to check the books.
My own record keeping is fairly basic, I use a spreadsheet which works everything out for me, and have a database where I store contact details. I wondered what other people did? I keep mine as simple as I possibly can, but ensure that it's easy to extract the relevant information when necessary e.g.when filling in a tax form.
Maggie

[Darren]

I do the accounting for my parents home and I use Sage www.sage.co.uk but I only use this because I'm self employed and do the accounts for this business too.

If I was just completing accounts for my parents place I'd recommend a simple spreadsheet, backed up on floppy disk or CD and put in a fireproof box, along with all the papers, receipts and invoices.

Darren

[paolo]

She was amazed to find that, of the 12 couples who visited the complex with a view to buying, none of them asked to look at her accounts

That is mind-boggling, and yet, when you see the people featured on the many TV shows devoted to this sort of thing, not entirely surprising.

Not speaking a word of the language yet expecting to find work seems to be another common trait.

For accounts I use a simple Excel spreadsheet.

[BungleBob]

I hang my head in despair when I hear stories like this.

There's one born every minute - and thousands born every time "A place in the sun" is on TV...

Rich