Small Business Bookkeeping¶
If you run a small business, your bank statements are the foundation of your bookkeeping. openstan imports your business bank statement PDFs, creates a searchable transaction database, and exports clean data for your accounting software — all without sending your financial data to the cloud.
The Challenge¶
PDF Statements Aren't Bookkeeping¶
Banks give you PDFs. Your accountant or bookkeeper needs structured data — dates, descriptions, amounts, categories. Bridging that gap manually takes hours every month.
Multiple Business Accounts¶
Many businesses run separate accounts for different purposes — operating, tax savings, payroll. Each needs tracking.
Making Tax Digital¶
From April 2026, sole traders earning over £50,000 must keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC. Your records need to be in a structured, digital format — not paper PDFs.
How openstan Helps¶
Import Business Statements¶
Drop your business bank statement PDFs into openstan. It parses every transaction and stores it in a local database.
Build a Transaction Database¶
Your transactions become a searchable, filterable database — not just a spreadsheet. Search by date range, amount, description, or account.
Export for Your Accountant¶
Export to Excel, CSV, or JSON. Use the flat table for simple needs, or the full star-schema dataset (accounts, dates, transactions, balances) for comprehensive bookkeeping.
Use Reports for Monthly Reviews¶
Build saved report configurations for your monthly bookkeeping routine — filter by date range, group by account, and calculate running totals.
Typical Workflow¶
- Install openstan on your computer
- Create a project for your business
- Download statement PDFs from your business bank account(s)
- Import monthly — it takes under a minute
- Export to CSV and pass to your bookkeeper, or import into your accounting software
- Build reports for monthly management reviews
What You'll Need¶
- Business bank statement PDFs (download from your online banking)
- openstan installed on your computer
Related Use Cases¶
- Self Assessment – Combine personal and business income at tax time
- Multi-Account Tracking – Track multiple business accounts
- Probate & Estate Admin – Manage business succession
- All use cases – Explore how openstan works for different scenarios
Next Steps¶
- Installation – Download and install openstan
- Quick Start – 5-minute setup guide
- Export Data – Export for your bookkeeper
- Run Reports – Build business reports and summaries