Although a natural love of building inspires many carpenters to start their own companies, it is a forced marriage to bookkeeping and accounting that allows them to grow. I've seen more than a few excellent craftsmen bankrupted by their inability to comprehend financial statements. But anyone who can figure excavation quantities on a hillside site can easily calculate owner's equity or return on investment. All it takes is time and inclination, and either of the following books. Accounting and Financial Management for Builders, Remodelers, and Developers, published by NAHB and now in its third edition, is the simplest and easiest- to-read book on the subject I've found in five years of teaching construction accounting. While the second edition seemed more appropriate
