We have compiled a list of 12 of the best accounting blogs that can assist you with staying up-to-date on important accounting topics, learning accounting principles, and troubleshooting issues with your software.
1. Accounting for Management
Accounting for Management provides free education and instruction for those who are looking to increase their mastery of accounting. Using explanations, exercises, problems, quizzes, and calculators, the website offers clear and concise information for all types of accounting situations. Article topics include accounting principles and concepts, financial assets, stockholder’s equity, and job-order costing systems.
This website is valuable not only because it provides free instruction with no strings attached, but also because it lays out the topics in such a way that it’s easy to understand for even an accounting novice. Each section contains clear explanations of various financial and managerial accounting topics. The “Exercises” section, for instance, presents unique problems that an accountant may encounter and provides the appropriate solution. You can also take one or more of the 19 quizzes available to ensure that you have mastered the material.
This site also has usable calculators that are grouped into four categories: capital budgeting techniques, cost volume and profit (CVP) relationships, standard costing and variance analysis, and accounting ratios.
2. Bench
If you’re looking for assistance with your bookkeeping, Bench is a great resource. Although it mainly offers paid bookkeeping services, it also offers a variety of free resources for small business owners.
In the Bench blog, you’ll find articles with accounting, bookkeeping, and tax tips to help you understand your small business finances. There are articles about starting and operating a business, and stories from entrepreneurs about challenges they have faced and how they have overcome them. You can also download free bookkeeping guides, tax checklists, and accounting templates.
When you sign up for Bench, you’ll be granted access to its small business resources community. This includes a Facebook group that allows you to share information about bookkeeping and taxes. Bench also has a YouTube channel with videos about various small business topics, such as how to read a balance sheet or accounting basics for small business owners.
Are you interested in learning more about Bench’s bookkeeping services? Read our Bench review for more information about its pros and cons, pricing, and key features.
3. Accounting Coach
With his blog Accounting Coach, certified public accountant (CPA) Harold Averkamp has created an easily accessible resource for small business owners, bookkeepers, and accounting students. He has developed an entire curriculum to help them learn accounting topics in an easy-to-navigate course-like format. He presents accounting concepts alongside tutorials and an extensive Q&A about each topic and also includes practice quizzes and puzzles to reinforce your knowledge. A paid version includes flashcards, cheat sheets, and more formal tests for each topic.
One of the best features of this blog is the ability to search for specific accounting terms, and then sort them by various uses of each concept. It documents basic concepts, such as how to reconcile a bank account or read a financial statement, and also helps you understand the difference between concepts like accrual vs cash basis accounting or debits and credits.
4. Accounting Today
Accounting Today is a respected trade magazine that was started in 1987 and services the public accounting profession. While the print version still has strong distribution, the website provides valuable information on industry topics that can be useful for small business owners as well. Topics covered include tax law, technology, accounting standards, audit and assurance, and wealth management. Articles are written by a broad network of contributors, and comment forums often provide additional information.
The Accounting Today podcast allows you to listen to in-depth discussions on the latest issues with thought leaders who specialize in various aspects of the accounting industry. Recent topics include the value of financial literacy, innovations in employee benefits, and issues in cannabis accounting. A resources section also provides web seminars, white papers, and special reports about hot topics in the accounting industry.
5. 5 Minute Bookkeeping
Editor and CPA Veronica Masek of 5 Minute Bookkeeping knows the value of a small business owner’s time and, therefore, makes sure that the articles on her website are short and succinct. She can simplify even the most complex accounting topics, and she also provides tutorials that are straightforward and easy to follow, with the added bonus of screenshots and infographics.
Each article is accompanied by a video tutorial, and recent topics include how to find and hire the right bookkeeping or accounting professional, how and when to write off a bad debt, and how to close the books in QuickBooks Online. She has a whole section dedicated to the popular accounting software, with tips and tricks, tutorials, and articles about ecommerce accounting. The website is ideal for anyone looking to save time on their accounting processes or looking for tips on using QuickBooks.
6. Fit Small Business
Full of hundreds of editorial articles on topics including marketing, finance, retail, and real estate, Fit Small Business is an excellent resource for all aspects of small business. The Accounting section of Fit Small Business can be especially helpful in choosing your accounting software. You’ll not only find articles that focus on a particular industry—such as retail or construction—but also software reviews, buyer’s guides, and articles that compare one software to another. If you’re a QuickBooks Online subscriber, you’ll find their 46 Free QuickBooks Online Tutorials very helpful.
To obtain the most accurate results, Fit Small Business uses a case study method that evaluates the fitness of particular software in small business accounting. Emphasizing key areas in accounting that are essential for small businesses, the case study reveals the true pros and cons of each software. You can also sign up for the company’s newsletter, which offers articles that are based on topics of interest to you.
7. Hector Garcia, CPA
Hector Garcia is a CPA and Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and his website offers an array of both free and paid resources for anyone looking to increase their knowledge of QuickBooks. We ranked his Advanced Webinar Series as the best QuickBooks training with live webinars. He also has a YouTube channel that highlights specific QuickBooks and tax topics, such as business tax deductions and red flags. The YouTube channel currently has over 180,000 subscribers, and the videos are offered free of charge.
Garcia is the principal accountant at Quick Bookkeeping & Accounting LLC, an accounting firm based in Miami. His videos are always thorough, engaging, and presented in an easily understandable manner. Also on the website are QuickBooks-related articles that delve further into the software itself, with topics, such as the future of QuickBooks or the real pros and cons of QuickBooks Online.
8. 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy
360 Degrees of Financial Literacy is a free public service that’s made available by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants with the goal of helping individuals to better understand their finances and develop money management skills. While this website isn’t specifically geared towards small business owners, it’s nonetheless useful because many of the topics it covers can apply to them. For example, there are sections on retirement planning, investor education, and working with a CPA.
The site also offers calculators, personal finance videos, and “Ask the Money Doctor,” which gives you the opportunity to submit a question. There’s even a section in Spanish, which has translations of many of the articles that are available. If you’re interested in creating a plan for paying off debt, planning for retirement, or improving your credit score, 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy can help you with that too. It makes each topic easy to understand, even for the most inexperienced.
9. Evergreen Small Business
Founded by Stephen and Elizabeth Nelson, two Seattle-based CPAs, Evergreen Small Business offers an abundance of information for small business owners. While their specialties are tax concerns of S Corporations, foreign tax issues, and small business consulting, they also provide financial planning services.
Evergreen Small Business also offers free limited liability company (LLC) formation kits for every state and S Corporation kits for $37.95. A selection of monographs is also available for sale, including “Small Business Tax Deduction Secrets, Business Planning Workbook, and Sample Corporate Bylaws.”
The “Small Business FAQ” section of the blog contains answers to questions related to tax accounting, financial planning, and small business management. Recent articles include “How Corporations Are Taxed,” “How Does a Corporation Pay Its Shareholders?” and “How Does a Corporation Dissolve or Discontinue Operations?” There are also informative pieces on subjects related to managing a business, such as challenges associated with entrepreneurship.
10. Insightful Accountant
Small business owners seeking insightful information, especially as it relates to the latest accounting trends, will want to bookmark Insightful Accountant. While it may be specifically geared toward accountants, the website contains the latest updates on accounting software, such as QuickBooks or Xero, as well as articles on workforce management. A “Niche Markets” section provides information on construction, field services, inventory, not-for-profit organizations, and restaurants. You can also subscribe to their free digital magazine.
Perhaps the most useful section of the website is the “Education Hub,” which contains information about live events, training courses, and educational webinars. The “IA en Español” section contains Spanish translations of many of the articles on the website. Insightful Accountant also features a directory of productivity apps that can help to streamline your business, such as SmartVault or Aero Workflow.
11. Small Business Taxes & Management
Focusing specifically on small businesses, Small Business Taxes & Management is a no-nonsense resource that’s ideal for readers who just want the facts. Updated daily from Monday through Friday, the website features a tip of the day, editorial information, and several references with links to special forms and withholding tables. Readers can also write in with specific questions, which may be answered directly via email or in a future issue.
We recommend this website because of its uncluttered layout and helpful tax information for small business owners. There’s an “IRS quick links” section that includes links to special filing season alerts and a priority guidance plan. It has been providing tax and management guidance since 1980 and aims to provide accurate and authoritative information to its users.
12. Main Street Practitioner
Main Street Practitioner is a blog of the National Society of Accountants (NSA), and it’s a free resource that covers everything, from IRS updates to subjects related to business optimization. The articles provide a balance between soft skill advice and industry insight. The NSA Learning Center provides professional education for accounting and tax professionals in a virtual format. These include both live and on-demand webinars on topics, such as ethics and compliance.
Members of NSA have the added benefit of access to a member roundtable and the ability to earn credentials with the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation. There’s also a directory of tax and accounting professionals that’s searchable by location.
Bottom Line
Small business websites and blogs can be invaluable resources for staying abreast of accounting trends and increasing your knowledge of accounting in general. Whether it’s tax topics, accounting software reviews, or information related to a specific industry, the websites we have featured address these topics in a clear and comprehensive manner.