As a CEO, my main job is, of course, to give direction to the company — that’s the running part of the organisation, the operations. So we are a company: what do we do as a business? How do we progress? How do we grow? How do we find new markets? All of that has to do with operations.

Who do I hire? How do I build my team? What direction do I give to my team? What are the products and services that we offer? How do I ensure that my company is running properly?

However, all of that is directly linked to money. Because, like I said in my editorial, we are in business because we want to make money. There is no other reason why we are in business.

That’s why itis essential that, as a CEO, I have a clear view — a monitoring eye — on the company’s financial performance. Every decision I take involves money. Whether I hire someone, travel, or run an event, everything is linked to money.

When we manage our company, every operation or activity we undertake is linked to money, in whatever way we manage it. I cannot make a decision — especially in today’s fast-moving business world — without having an overview or up-to-date knowledge of our finances and accounting.

For instance, I need to know:

1. How much money do we have in our accounts
2. How much savings do we have
3. How much money are we awaiting
4. How much expense is in the pipeline

I also need to ensure that our day-to-day operations generate the necessary revenue. But I cannot do that if I cannot see how the money is being made.

This is where Zoho Books is excellent.

Of course, we have CFOs and accountants, but we would continuously depend on them to send me reports to assess the company’s health — and in today’s world, that is no longer enough. We are still dependent on them, while business now requires split-second decisions, often while travelling or away from the office.

Personally, I believe that even for SMEs, it is essential to track our finances. Zoho Books allows me to do that.

Because everything in our accounting is managed there — estimates, invoices, sales orders, bills, expenses, all linked to our bank accounts. We have journals, statements — everything. It enables me to view the company’s financial health in real-time.

I can also see the pipeline — the expectations, the number of quotes linked to potential revenue, and the number of invoices issued — so I know what money is coming in. I can also see the bills and expenses we have to pay because we are a company that operates daily.

Zoho Books gives me that visibility. I simply log in to my Zoho account, and I have access to my dashboard, reports, and everything I need to run the company with a clear financial view.

Of course, my accounting team handles the synchronisation with the bank, uploads statements, and ensures that every transaction at the bank level is reflected in Zoho Books. At any moment, I can log in and see a precise, almost real-time picture — with one-day precision — of the company’s financial health.

This allows me to plan, predict, and make informed decisions. For instance, I can see if a customer is due to pay, if our invoicing is on track, or if our upcoming expenses will outweigh our income. This helps me adjust and make decisions accordingly.

Today, digital accounting is no longer optional — it’s essential. I have Zoho Books installed on my laptop, and I also have the mobile app. I can run various reports and analytics to assess the company’s financial and economic health.

I would recommend this to any CEO. We cannot afford not to know our company’s financial health. Every CEO must know it, because everything is about money. Without that visibility, we risk making decisions that can lead to cash flow issues — spending when nothing is coming in, and then facing a dire situation the next month.

Even if you are an SME or a solopreneur, the best option is to have an accounting software that clearly displays all of this information. Zoho Books gives you that power. You can run it from the web, tablet, or mobile — and have the monitoring of your company’s finances literally in the palm of your hand.