Record Keeping and the Bottom Line: Exploring the Relationship between Record Keeping and Business Performance among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana

Abstract

This paper explores the relationships between record keeping and business performance among SMEs in Ghana. Relying on a sample of 100 SMEs in the Tamale Metropolis, and employing simple regression analyses and Pearson Correlation Coefficient, we found a positive correlation between record keeping and business performance. In particular, we show that the two variables are linearly related. After swapping both the dependent and independent variables in the estimated models, we found a more robust impact on record keeping when it depends on business performance than when the latter depends on the former. We however could not show which variable causes changes in the other, necessitating further research efforts in this direction. While recognising the impact of record keeping on business performance, we conclude that at least in our study area, other performance metrics such as improved customer relations, access to sustainable finance, technology diffusion, and expanding the frontiers of access to internal and international markets are equally critical drivers of SME performance. This calls for conscious and coordinates efforts aimed at enhancing the performance of SMEs in Ghana.

Keywords: SMEs, Record Keeping, Business Performance, Entrepreneurship