71 guides · 357 minutes of reading
Plain answers for people who run a business
GST, getting paid, stock, staff and the running of a growing business, with worked examples. Each guide is checked against official sources and shows the date it was last checked.
Factory and operationsBills of materials, product costing, job work, production planning, maintenance and quality checks.GST and taxInvoices, returns, input tax credit, e-invoicing, e-way bills, TDS and the dates that matter.Getting paidCredit limits, advances, dealer networks, the MSME 45-day rule and getting customers to pay on time.Stock and buyingReorder levels, stock counts, dead stock, purchase orders, pricing and three-way matching.Staff and payrollHiring, attendance, leave, minimum wages, PF and ESI, and salary slips.Running the businessCash flow, working capital, month-end close, approval limits, branches and groups of companies.AI and dataChoosing software, leaving Tally or Excel, the DPDP Act and using AI safely.
Factory and operations
Bills of materials, product costing, job work, production planning, maintenance and quality checks.
- Bill of materials: the recipe every factory needsWhat a bill of materials is, how to write one with scrap and process loss, and how it drives purchase, costing and stock in a factory.
- How to cost a product: material, labour and overheadsA practical method to work out the real cost of one unit in a factory, including labour, power and overheads, and how to use it for pricing.
- Job work under GST: challans, time limits and ITC-04How to send material to a job worker without paying GST: the challan, the one and three year return limits, ITC-04 and the records to keep.
- Moving stock between plants, godowns and branchesWhen a stock transfer between your own locations needs a tax invoice and when a challan is enough, how to value it, and how to keep stock right at both ends.
- Preventive maintenance: a schedule that keeps machines runningHow to set up preventive maintenance for factory machines: a machine list, daily and periodic checks, spares, and the records that cut breakdowns.
- Production planning for a small or medium factoryA simple weekly production planning method for factories: orders, stock, capacity and material, with a daily check that keeps the plan honest.
- Quality checks in a factory: incoming, in-process and finalHow to set up quality checks at three points in a factory, what to record, how to handle rejections, and when BIS certification applies.
GST and tax
Invoices, returns, input tax credit, e-invoicing, e-way bills, TDS and the dates that matter.
- Bill of supply: when you issue one in place of a tax invoiceWho issues a bill of supply under GST, what Rule 49 asks it to show, the wording composition dealers must print, and when an invoice-cum-bill of supply is used.
- CGST, SGST and IGST: which one to chargeWhen an invoice carries CGST and SGST and when it carries IGST, where UTGST fits, the order in which credit is used, and fixing tax under the wrong head.
- Credit notes and debit notes under GSTWhen to issue a GST credit note or debit note, what Rule 53 asks them to show, the 30 November time limit and how the buyer's IMS action affects you.
- Delivery challans under GST: when goods move without an invoiceWhen a delivery challan can replace a tax invoice under Rule 55, what it must show, how it works for job work and goods on approval, and the e-way bill link.
- E-invoicing under GST: who needs it and how it worksWhich businesses must e-invoice under GST, the documents covered, how the IRN and QR code work, the 30-day reporting limit and which businesses are exempt.
- E-invoicing: who needs it and how to stay inside the rulesWhich businesses must issue GST e-invoices, how the IRN and QR code work, the 30 day reporting limit, and how to fit e-invoicing into daily billing.
- E-way bill basics: when you need one and how long it lastsWhen an e-way bill is needed for moving goods, the ₹50,000 limit, what goes in Part A and Part B, how long it is valid, and the 180-day and 360-day limits.
- Exporting without paying IGST under a Letter of UndertakingHow exporters of goods and services supply without IGST under a Letter of Undertaking: filing RFD-11, the invoice wording, time limits and refunds.
- GST for service businesses: a working guideWhat GST means for consultants, agencies, CA firms and IT firms: the ₹20 lakh limit, invoicing within 30 days, retainers, place of supply and exports.
- GST late fee and interest: how much a late return costsThe late fee for GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-4 and GSTR-9, the caps by turnover, how 18% interest is worked out on late tax, and what else a late return sets off.
- GST on advances: goods, services and receipt vouchersWhen GST is payable on an advance, why goods and services are treated differently, how to issue a receipt voucher and adjust the tax against the final invoice.
- GSTR-1 due dates for monthly and quarterly filersWhen GSTR-1 is due for monthly and QRMP filers, what goes into it, how IFF works, and what a late or wrong GSTR-1 means for you and your buyers.
- GSTR-2B and matching your input tax creditWhat GSTR-2B is, when it is generated, how the Invoice Management System affects it, and a step-by-step way to match purchase bills before GSTR-3B.
- GSTR-3B explained, table by tableWhat each table of GSTR-3B asks for, how input tax credit is set off against tax, due dates for monthly and quarterly filers, and checks before you file.
- HSN codes on GST invoices: how many digits you needHow many HSN digits your GST invoices must show at your turnover, how SAC codes work for services, and how to report the HSN summary in GSTR-1 without errors.
- Input tax credit: when you can claim it and when you cannotThe conditions for claiming input tax credit under section 16, the credits section 17(5) blocks, the 180-day payment rule and the 30 November deadline.
- Place of supply under GST, with examplesHow the place of supply is decided for goods and services under the IGST Act, why it decides CGST and SGST or IGST, and worked cases from Indian trades.
- Reverse charge under GST: when the buyer pays the taxWhich purchases put GST on the buyer under reverse charge, such as legal fees, transport and rent from unregistered landlords, and how to pay and claim it.
- TDS basics for small businesses under the Income-tax Act, 2025Who must deduct TDS, the common rates and limits for contractors, professional fees and rent, and the deposit and statement dates under the 2025 Act.
- TDS on purchase of goods: the 0.1% rule for large buyersWhen a buyer must deduct 0.1% TDS on purchases of goods above ₹50 lakh from one seller, the ₹10 crore turnover test, advances and the April 2026 change.
- The GST composition scheme for small businessesWho can join the GST composition scheme, the ₹1.5 crore limit, rates for traders, makers and restaurants, CMP-08 and GSTR-4, and the trade-offs of opting in.
- The QRMP scheme: quarterly returns, monthly taxHow the QRMP scheme works for businesses with turnover up to ₹5 crore: quarterly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B, monthly PMT-06 payments, IFF and when to opt in or out.
- Udyam registration: MSME limits, how to register and what it gives youThe micro, small and medium limits for investment and turnover from 1 April 2025, how to register free on the Udyam portal, and what the certificate is for.
- What a GST tax invoice must show under Rule 46What every GST tax invoice must carry under Rule 46 of the CGST Rules, with a worked example from a Morbi tile maker and the errors that cost buyers credit.
- When you must register for GST: turnover limits and exceptionsThe GST registration limits for goods and services, how aggregate turnover is counted, the cases that need registration from the first rupee, and how to apply.
- Year-end GST checklist for Indian businessesA GST checklist for the financial year end: what to do before 31 March, the 30 November cut-off for credit and corrections, and the annual return.
Getting paid
Credit limits, advances, dealer networks, the MSME 45-day rule and getting customers to pay on time.
- How to collect and track customer advancesWhen to ask customers for an advance, how much to take, how to give a receipt voucher and how to set the advance against the final invoice without confusion.
- How to get customers to pay on timePractical ways for Indian traders, makers and service firms to get paid on time: clear terms, invoices the same day, a weekly follow-up routine and firm limits.
- How to set credit limits for customersHow to decide how much credit to give each customer: a simple method, the numbers to look at, how to review limits and what to do when a dealer goes over.
- Managing a dealer and distributor networkHow manufacturers and brands run a dealer network: territories, credit limits, schemes, order taking, secondary sales and dealer health.
- Moving a handwritten udhaar book to a customer ledgerHow shops and small traders can replace a handwritten udhaar khata with a customer ledger that shows each balance, each payment and who owes how much today.
- MSME payments and the 45 day ruleHow the MSMED Act 45 day limit and the income-tax rule on late payments to micro and small enterprises work, with rupee examples, as of October 2026.
- UPI payments for business: what owners should knowHow Indian businesses should accept and record UPI payments: business QR codes, merchant charges, daily limits and matching receipts to invoices.
- Using WhatsApp with business customersHow Indian businesses can use WhatsApp for orders, invoices and follow-ups without losing records: business numbers, consent and what to keep in your books.
Stock and buying
Reorder levels, stock counts, dead stock, purchase orders, pricing and three-way matching.
- Dead stock: how to find it and what to do with itHow to find dead and slow-moving stock, what it costs, and practical ways to clear it, with examples from tiles, garments, hardware and phones.
- How to choose and review suppliersHow Indian businesses can choose suppliers on more than price: quality, delivery, credit and GST compliance, with a simple scorecard for yearly review.
- How to count stock: a practical method for shops and godownsA step by step method for counting stock in a shop, godown or factory store: when to count, how to prepare, cycle counts and what to do with the differences.
- How to price your products for a healthy marginHow to set prices that cover all your costs and leave a healthy margin: working out true cost, choosing a margin, handling GST, discounts and dealer schemes.
- How to set reorder levels so you stop running outHow to work out a reorder level, safety stock and order quantity for each item from your own sales and supplier lead times, with examples from Indian trades.
- Markup and margin: the difference and why it mattersMarkup and margin explained with rupee examples: the formulas, a conversion table, and how confusing the two leads small businesses to underprice their goods.
- Purchase orders: why a small business needs themWhat a purchase order is, what it should contain, who should approve it and how it protects a small business from wrong rates, short supply and disputed bills.
- Three-way matching: check every supplier bill before you payHow three-way matching of purchase order, goods received and supplier bill works, what it catches, and how a small business can do it every week.
Staff and payroll
Hiring, attendance, leave, minimum wages, PF and ESI, and salary slips.
- A leave policy for a small businessHow to write a simple leave policy for a small Indian business: annual leave under the OSH Code, sick and casual leave, maternity and encashment.
- Hiring your first employee: a checklist for Indian businessesWhat a small Indian business must do when it hires its first staff: appointment letters, wages, registers, wage slips, and PF and ESI thresholds.
- Minimum wages in India: what employers need to knowHow minimum wages work under the Code on Wages, 2019: who fixes them, the floor wage, what counts as wages and how to check you comply.
- PF and ESI basics for small employersWhen PF and ESI apply to a small business, the contribution rates, wage ceilings and due dates, including the EPF wage ceiling change of September 2026.
- Salary slips: what to include and why they matterWhat a wage slip should show, when it must be given under the Code on Wages, a sample format with rupee figures, and common mistakes to avoid.
- Staff attendance: how to track it properlyHow small businesses can record staff attendance, overtime and leave accurately, link it to wages, and keep the registers the labour codes expect.
Running the business
Cash flow, working capital, month-end close, approval limits, branches and groups of companies.
- Approval limits: who can sign for whatHow a growing business sets approval limits for purchase, payments, discounts and hiring, so the owner signs less and control gets stronger.
- Cash flow for small business: why profit is not cashWhy a profitable business can run short of cash, how to build a simple 13 week cash forecast, and the levers that bring money in sooner and send it out later.
- How to read a profit and loss statementA plain guide to reading your profit and loss statement: what each line means, the ratios worth watching and the questions to ask your CA each month or year.
- Month-end closing checklist for a small businessA practical month-end checklist for Indian small businesses: sales, purchases, bank and cash, stock, GST, staff costs and the reports to read.
- Opening a second branch: what to plan before you sign the leaseWhat to work out before opening a second shop, godown or office: the numbers, GST registration, stock between branches, staff, control and reporting.
- Reports for a group of companiesHow a business group with several companies or registrations gets one view of sales, cash, dues and stock, and handles transactions between its own companies.
- Roles and access: who should see what in your business softwareHow to decide which staff can see and change what in your business software: common roles, approvals, and what to do when someone joins or leaves.
- Roles in a family business: who decides whatHow Indian family businesses can set clear roles, decision rights, salaries and access for family members, and bring in professional staff without friction.
- Running an online store alongside your shopWhat a shop or small brand needs to sell from its own online store: products, photos, delivery charges by pincode, policies, payments and the rules.
- Working capital: how much money your business needs to runWhat working capital is, how to work out your cash cycle in days, and practical ways to need less of it, with rupee examples from Indian trades.
AI and data
Choosing software, leaving Tally or Excel, the DPDP Act and using AI safely.
- How to choose business software for an Indian SMEHow to choose business software for billing, GST, stock, purchase and staff: what to check, questions to ask, total cost and how to test it with your own work.
- Leaving Tally: what to plan before you switchHow to plan a move off Tally onto other business software: what data to take, the cut-off date, opening balances, open invoices, stock and keeping old records.
- Moving Excel sheets into business softwareWhen a business has outgrown Excel, how to clean the sheets, what to move, how to set a cut-off date, and how to stop the sheets coming back.
- Moving paper registers to business softwareA practical plan for moving paper registers, bill books and khatas into software: what to move, a cut-off date, training staff and the first month.
- The DPDP Act for small business: what to do nowWhat the DPDP Act, 2023 and the DPDP Rules, 2025 mean for a small Indian business: duties, timelines, rights, breaches and the first steps to take.
- Using AI safely in your businessHow a small business can use AI for billing, records and questions without costly mistakes: where AI helps, where it errs, approvals and customer data.
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