Accounting for the uninitiated #mci23things

Accounting can be frustrating, daunting and boring to the uninitiated. Particularly, the initial definitions and framing of the topic are less interesting than, say …., just about anything else.

And still, it has to be learned and likely reproduced in some kind of exam. This may be in school, at University or elsewhere.

Here, pictures can definitely be worth thousands of words (if you stick with accounting you can also learn how to count, document and book words and pictures properly ;).

So, here is a little guide to recognising and checking receipts and invoices!!

My daughter’s mother tongue is English but she has to learn accounting in German. Hence, the following flowchart is a mixture of both languages.

I have found the two images on Pixabay. If you click on the image, a link will take you there. The flowchart was created using Inkscape. I added the various colourful nodes, and worked on the pictures using two “Image Effects” filters – film grain and soft focus lens. Finally, I added text to all nodes and pictures and handed the finished product to my daughter. Just in time for her accounting exam on Monday.

I used Inkscape for the first time. It is great to make colourful nodes and edit images. However, you will not find any connectors or arrows in the picture and for good reason. I could not figure out within a reasonable timeframe how to use them for my purposes and therefore I omitted them. I had consulted the tutorials within Inkscape and also watched three tutorials on Youtube. The takeaway message was that it is counter-intuitive to use this function and a trial and error process. Not for me it was. I chose the omission approach which at the same time indicates correctly that there is no required order or sequence to the recognition and checking of invoices and receipts.