The balance sheet is the financial statement that shows what a business owns, what it owes, and what is left for the owner, at a single point in time.
Of the three core financial statements, the balance sheet is the one most business owners spend the least time with. That is a mistake. The income statement indicates whether the business made money. The balance sheet indicates whether it is financially healthy: whether assets are productive, liabilities are manageable, and equity is building over time.
Three things the balance sheet answers that the income statement cannot: whether the business has enough liquidity to meet its near-term obligations, whether accumulated profits are actually accessible or tied up in assets, and whether the debt load is proportionate to what the business owns and earns. A lender’s first instinct when reviewing financials is to open the balance sheet, not the income statement.
See also: Financial Statements · Owner’s Equity · Retained Earnings vs CashUnderstanding the balance sheet is where financial literacy for business owners actually starts. See how Wefinx approaches accounting.