A trader who takes cash and card across six markets a month is running six small businesses that all report to the same tax return.
Count at the end of the day, not the end of the week
The float at the start, the takings at the end, and the difference. Five minutes on the day is worth more than an hour on Sunday, because on Sunday you are reconstructing rather than recording.
Keep the card takings separate in your head
Card money arrives two or three days later and often net of fees, so a market day looks worse in the bank than it was on the stall. Recording the takings on the day of the market instead of the day of the payout is what keeps the two from drifting apart.
One number per market, per day
Not per item. A trader who tries to record every sale gives up in six weeks. Totals by day, with expenses attached to the same day, will answer every question you will actually ask.
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