The book-keeping.com project has a simple aim, which is to provide small business owners and novice book-keepers the easiest and fastest way to understanding book-keeping basics.

Following the fictitious Alex Baker as he grows his gardening business, the key concepts of book-keeping are introduced and explained. Each quarter of the year covered generates new types of transactions, starting with cash and then working through banking, debtors, creditors, and VAT. Learn the ropes 'on-the-job' and build an understanding of the dynamics that drive small business finances.

Book-keeping.com can be used with any book-keeping system. To help you get started an overview of book-keeping systems is provided along with fully referenced notes and instructions to accompany each stage and provide background information.

Book-keeping is not difficult to learn but getting started can be. Although there are plenty of books and courses on offer, most are aimed at educating the accounting professional rather than the part-time administrator or small business owner that already has the professional support of an accountant. The size and cost of the commitment is too much when all that's needed is a basic understanding.

Book-keeping.com kick-starts the learning process by providing an informal introduction to this key strategic skill.

There are no exams, no certificates or course fees - you assess yourself and if the results are correct then move on to the next level. If not then it's easier to see why and learn from your mistakes in a 'safe' environment.

Once you have worked your way through the simulations you can decide whether you know what you need to know or whether to continue studying using one of the formal training routes.

The simulations cover a year in the life of the business, broken down into four quarters. Each quarter starts with a narrative to provide the background story of the development of a fictional business known as Jewel Gardening. A series of simulated transactions are provided that provide examples of the relevant topic, and these should be processed into the software you are using.

Experienced book-keepers may also find the simulations useful as a way of evaluating new book-keeping software.

Processing and observation notes give guidance on how to process the transactions, and things to look out for. Once the transactions have been entered, the key reports can be run and used to cross-check against the ones provided.

Key Concepts Entities, transactions and accounts; how they inter-relate and the rules of double-entry are all explained in the Key Concepts section.		You can either read the Key Concepts and Glossary before you start processing, or use them as you go along if you come across a new term that you don't understand.
Glossary The whole lexicon of book-keeping is available for reference in the Glossary.
In the narrative and notes, words in blue cross reference to theKey Concepts and Glossary.

Accounting for VAT begins in simulation quarter 4. However, because VAT will be present even when a trader isn't registered, the notes accompanying each level include a VAT section which introduces the basics as they arise.