Guides for running the money side of your business
Written for the shop counter, not the exam hall. Every guide uses rupee examples and links to a free tool so you can act on it straight away.
Start here
What is a bahikhata?
How India's red ledger works, and what it still teaches a modern shop.
Most readGST for small businesses in 2026
Registration, the new slabs, composition and returns in one place.
ReferenceHindi–English glossary
Jama, naam, rokad, byaj, ITC, HSN and more, explained simply.
Basics
- Hindi–English accounting glossary: 70+ khata and GST terms explainedPlain meanings of traditional bahikhata words like jama, naam, rokad, baaki and byaj, alongside modern accounting and GST terms such as ITC, HSN, GSTR-3B and e-way bill.5 min read
- How to start a digital khata for your shop, step by stepA practical setup plan for moving customer and supplier accounts from a paper register to a free digital khata, including opening balances, daily habits and backups.5 min read
- What is a bahikhata? How India's red ledger book worksThe meaning of bahikhata, how merchants kept rokad and khata books with naam and jama columns, and what the tradition still teaches a modern shop.6 min read
Bookkeeping
- Double-entry bookkeeping with Indian examples: the golden rulesDebit and credit explained simply, with the three golden rules of accounting, the accounting equation and worked examples from a kirana shop.3 min read
- How to keep a daily cash book (rokad bahi) that always talliesThe single-column, double-column and petty cash books explained, with a daily closing routine, a worked example and the mistakes that stop your cash from tallying.3 min read
- Stock register basics: track inventory without expensive softwareHow to keep a simple stock register, set reorder levels, value closing stock, run a physical count and spot shrinkage in a small shop or godown.3 min read
Credit & collections
GST & tax
- GST for small businesses in 2026: registration, slabs and returnsWho must register for GST, the current 0, 5, 18 and 40 percent slabs after GST 2.0, the composition scheme, input tax credit and the returns a small business files.5 min read
- GST invoice format: every field your bill must haveThe mandatory details on a GST tax invoice, when to issue a bill of supply instead, numbering rules, HSN requirements and the copies you need, with a sample layout.4 min read
Reports
- Cash flow vs profit: why profitable shops still run out of moneyThe difference between profit and cash, the cash conversion cycle explained with a shop example, and practical ways to free up cash without cutting sales.3 min read
- Profit and loss account and balance sheet for shop ownersHow to work out gross profit, net profit and a simple balance sheet from your khata and cash book, with a full worked example for a small shop.3 min read
- Year-end closing checklist: from Diwali's new bahi to 31 MarchA practical checklist for closing your books, confirming balances, counting stock and carrying forward accounts, plus how the Diwali new-bahi tradition fits the April–March financial year.3 min read
Pricing
Loans & growth
- Small business loans in India: Mudra, CGTMSE and what lenders checkThe main loan options for small businesses in India, including PM Mudra Yojana categories and collateral-free guarantees, plus the documents and numbers lenders look at.3 min read
- Udyam (MSME) registration: who should register and why it paysHow Udyam registration works, the current micro, small and medium limits, the step-by-step process on the official portal and the benefits, including the 45-day payment protection.3 min read