How to keep business records without making a mess

The minimum useful system

Keep one place for sales, one for costs, and one bank feed or statement you can reconcile against. Record transactions consistently and attach evidence while you still remember what the purchase was for.

Weekly beats yearly

Set a recurring 20-minute admin slot. Check uncategorised transactions, missing receipts, unpaid invoices and anything that looks personal or unusual.

Back it up

Whether you use a spreadsheet or accounting software, make sure records are recoverable and accessible for the period the rules require.