LedgerBuddy User Guide

Your Complete Guide to Managing Sales, Inventory & Finances


Application	LedgerBuddy
Version	0.70.0
Publisher	Thrive IT Solutions
Platforms	Windows (Microsoft Store) · Android (Google Play)

1. Welcome to LedgerBuddy

LedgerBuddy is a simple yet powerful application that helps small businesses manage their day-to-day sales, inventory, customers, and finances — all from one place.

Whether you run a retail shop, a service business, or a small trading company, LedgerBuddy gives you the tools to:

Sell faster with a built-in Point of Sale and barcode scanning
Track inventory so you always know what's in stock
Manage customers & suppliers and keep tabs on who owes you — and who you owe
Generate professional invoices with your logo and signature
Record expenses & payments to keep your books in order
View reports to understand how your business is doing

TIP: LedgerBuddy works completely offline. You don't need an internet connection to make sales, add products, or manage your business. When you do connect, everything syncs automatically to the cloud.

2. Getting Started

2.1 Downloading the App

On Windows:

Open the Microsoft Store on your computer.
Search for LedgerBuddy.
Click Install and wait for the download to complete.
Once installed, open LedgerBuddy from your Start menu or desktop.

On Android:

Open the Google Play Store on your device.
Search for LedgerBuddy.
Tap Install to download and install the app.
Once installed, tap the LedgerBuddy icon to open the app.

2.2 Creating Your Account

When you open LedgerBuddy for the first time, you'll need to create an account:

Tap or click Create Account (or Sign Up).
Enter your email address.
Choose a password.
Confirm your password.
Tap Sign Up to create your account.

IMPORTANT: Use an email address you have access to. This email will be used to recover your account if you forget your password.

Once your account is created, LedgerBuddy automatically sets up a business profile for you. You can customize it in the next step.

2.3 Setting Up Your Business Profile

After signing up, take a moment to fill in your business details. This information appears on your invoices and quotations.

Go to Settings.
Fill in the following fields:

Field	Description	Example
Business Name	Your shop or company name	Sunshine Groceries
Phone	Business phone number	+1 555-123-4567
Email	Business email address	info@sunshinegroceries.com
Address	Your business address	12 Main Street, Kingston
Tax Number (TRN)	Your tax registration number	123-456-789
Currency	The currency you trade in	USD, JMD, EUR, etc.

Upload your business logo — this will appear at the top of your invoices.
Upload your authorized signature — this will appear at the bottom of your invoices.
Save your changes.

TIP: You can update your business details at any time from the Settings page. Take the time to add your logo and signature now — it makes your invoices look professional and trustworthy.

3. Navigating the App

LedgerBuddy is organized into easy-to-find sections. How you navigate depends on your device:

On Windows (Desktop):

A sidebar menu is displayed on the left side of the screen.
Click any section name to navigate to it.

On Android (Mobile):

A bottom navigation bar is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Tap any icon to navigate to that section.

Here are the main sections available:

Section	What It's For
Dashboard	Overview of your business at a glance
Products	Manage your product catalog and services
POS	Make sales using the Point of Sale
Sales	View sales history and invoices
Customers	Manage customers and suppliers
Payments	Record money received and paid
Inventory	Check stock levels and make adjustments
Purchases	Record purchases from suppliers
Expenses	Log business expenses
Quotations	Create and manage price quotes
Reports	View financial reports and charts
Settings	Configure your business profile and app preferences
Utilities	Import, export, barcode generation, and bulk updates

TIP: Quick Search: Press Ctrl+F on Windows to open a universal search. You can search across products, customers, and invoices all at once — it's the fastest way to find anything in the app.

4. Dashboard

The Dashboard is your home screen. It gives you a quick snapshot of how your business is doing today.

When you open LedgerBuddy, the Dashboard shows:

Metric	What It Means
Today's Sales	Total revenue from sales made today
Today's Orders	Number of sales transactions today
New Customers	Customers added today
Products in Stock	Total number of products currently in inventory
Receivables	Money that customers owe you (from credit sales)
Payables	Money that you owe to suppliers

Below the summary cards, you'll see a Recent Sales list showing your latest transactions.

NOTE: Each metric card also shows a percentage change indicator that compares today's performance with previous periods. A green arrow means things are trending up; red means they've dipped.

5. Products & Items

The Products section is where you manage everything you sell — whether it's a physical item on your shelf or a service you provide.

5.1 Adding a Product

Go to Products.
Click or tap the Add Product button (usually a + icon).
Fill in the product details:

Field	Required?	Description
Product Name	Yes	What you call this item (e.g., Rice 5kg)
Barcode	No	The barcode number on the product packaging
Category	No	Group similar items together (e.g., Groceries, Electronics)
Purchase Price	Yes	How much you pay to buy this item
Selling Price	Yes	How much you sell it for
Stock Quantity	Yes	How many units you currently have
Unit	No	How the item is measured (e.g., pcs, kg, litres, box)

Tap Save to add the product.

Your product is now ready to be sold through the Point of Sale.

5.2 Services (No Stock Tracking)

If you sell services (like repairs, consultations, or delivery charges), you can mark an item as a Service:

When adding or editing a product, look for the Service toggle or checkbox.
Turn it on.
LedgerBuddy will skip stock tracking for this item — you won't need to worry about stock quantities.

TIP: Use the Service option for anything that isn't a physical product: installation fees, labor charges, consultation services, and so on.

5.3 Editing & Deleting Products

To edit a product:

Go to Products.
Find and tap the product you want to change.
Make your changes.
Tap Save.

To delete a product:

Go to Products.
Find and tap the product.
Look for the Delete button or icon.
Confirm the deletion when prompted.

WARNING: Deleting a product is permanent. Past sales records that include this product will still be preserved, but you won't be able to sell it again unless you re-add it.

5.4 Searching & Filtering

When you have many products, use the search bar at the top of the Products screen:

Type a product name, barcode, or category to quickly find what you're looking for.
Use filters to narrow down results by category or other criteria.

5.5 Barcode Scanning

If a product has a barcode on its packaging, you can scan it instead of typing:

In the Products screen or POS screen, tap the barcode scanner icon.
Point your camera at the barcode.
LedgerBuddy will instantly find the matching product — or prompt you to add a new one if it doesn't exist yet.

TIP: Barcode scanning is a huge time-saver at checkout. If your products don't have barcodes, you can generate and print your own using the Barcode Generator in the Utilities section.

5.6 Importing Items from Excel

If you already have a product list in a spreadsheet, you can import it in bulk:

Go to Utilities → Import Items.
Select your Excel file.
Map the columns in your spreadsheet to LedgerBuddy fields (name, price, quantity, etc.).
Review the preview and confirm the import.

NOTE: Make sure your Excel file has clear column headers. Common columns include: Product Name, Purchase Price, Selling Price, Stock Quantity, Category, and Barcode.

5.7 Exporting Items to Excel

To export your product list:

Go to Utilities → Export Items.
Choose your export options.
The app will generate an Excel file you can save or share.

This is useful for backups, sharing your catalog with a partner, or making bulk changes in a spreadsheet before re-importing.

5.8 Bulk Price Updates

Need to raise prices across many products at once? Use Bulk Update:

Go to Utilities → Bulk Update.
Select the products you want to update.
Set the new prices or price adjustment (e.g., increase all by 10%).
Review and confirm the changes.

6. Point of Sale (POS)

The POS screen is where you make sales. It's designed to be fast and simple — perfect for busy checkout counters.

6.1 Making a Sale

Go to POS.
Add items to the cart using one of these methods:
- Browse the product catalog and tap items to add them.
- Scan a barcode using the scanner icon.
- Search by typing the product name.
Adjust quantities — tap the quantity next to any item in the cart to increase or decrease it. You can also adjust the price per item if needed (e.g., for a discount).
Select a customer (optional) — tap the customer field to assign this sale to a specific customer. This is especially important for credit sales.
Tap Checkout (or Proceed to Payment).
On the payment screen:
- Review the total amount.
- Enter the amount paid by the customer.
- Select the payment method (Cash, Mobile Banking, Cheque, Bank Transfer, or Credit).
Tap Complete Sale.

LedgerBuddy will generate an invoice with a unique invoice number. You can print or share it immediately.

6.2 Payment Methods & Statuses

Payment Methods:

Method	When to Use
Cash	Customer pays with physical cash
Mobile Banking	Customer pays via mobile money or banking app
Cheque	Customer pays with a cheque
Bank Transfer	Customer pays via direct bank transfer
Credit	Customer takes the goods now and will pay later

Payment Statuses:

After completing a sale, LedgerBuddy automatically sets the payment status based on how much was paid:

Status	What It Means
Paid	The customer paid the full amount
Partial	The customer paid some of the amount — the rest is owed
Unpaid	No payment was received — this is a credit sale

TIP: For credit sales, always select a customer so you can track how much they owe. You can collect the remaining payment later through the Payments section.

7. Sales History & Invoices

7.1 Viewing Past Sales

Go to Sales.
You'll see a list of all your past sales, with the most recent at the top.
Use the filters to narrow down your view:
- By date — pick a date range to see sales from a specific period.
- By customer — view all sales made to a particular customer.
- By payment status — show only Paid, Partial, or Unpaid invoices.
Tap any sale to view its full details.

7.2 Previewing & Printing Invoices

Each sale generates a professional invoice. To view and print it:

Go to Sales.
Tap on the sale you want to view.
Tap Preview Invoice or the print/PDF icon.
The invoice opens as a PDF preview.
From the preview, you can Print or Share the invoice.

Your invoice includes:

Your business logo (top of the invoice)
Your business name, address, phone, email, and TRN
Customer details (name, address, phone)
Invoice number and date
Itemized list of products sold (with quantities and prices)
Subtotal, tax, and grand total
Your authorized signature (bottom of the invoice)

TIP: Make sure you've uploaded your logo and signature in Settings so your invoices look polished and professional.

8. Sale Returns & Refunds

Sometimes a customer needs to return an item. LedgerBuddy lets you process returns against the original invoice.

To process a return:

Go to Sales.
Find and open the original sale/invoice.
Tap Return or Process Return.
Select the items being returned and enter the quantities.
Confirm the return.

LedgerBuddy will track the refund status for each return:

Status	What It Means
Pending	The return has been recorded but the refund hasn't been issued yet
Partial	Part of the refund has been paid back to the customer
Refunded	The full refund has been completed

NOTE: Returned items are logged against the original invoice, making it easy to see the full history of a transaction.

9. Customers & Suppliers

The Customers section lets you keep track of everyone you do business with — both the people you sell to (customers) and the people you buy from (suppliers).

9.1 Adding a Customer

Go to Customers.
Tap the Add button (+ icon).
Make sure the party type is set to Customer.
Fill in the details:

Field	Description
Name	Customer's full name or business name
Phone	Phone number
Email	Email address
Address	Mailing or physical address

Tap Save.

9.2 Adding a Supplier

Adding a supplier follows the same process:

Go to Customers (this section manages both customers and suppliers).
Tap the Add button (+ icon).
Change the party type to Supplier.
Fill in the name, phone, email, and address.
Tap Save.

9.3 Tracking Balances

LedgerBuddy automatically tracks how much each customer or supplier owes (or is owed):

Customer balance — Shows how much a customer still owes you from credit sales.
Supplier balance — Shows how much you still owe a supplier for purchases.

To view a customer's or supplier's balance and transaction history:

Go to Customers.
Tap on the person's name.
You'll see their current balance and a full transaction history (all sales, payments, and returns involving them).

9.4 Import & Export

Importing from Excel:

Go to Utilities → Import Parties.
Select your Excel file containing customer or supplier data.
Map the columns and confirm the import.

Exporting to Excel:

From the Customers list, look for the Export option.
Your customer and supplier data will be saved as an Excel file.

10. Payments

The Payments section is where you record money coming in from customers and money going out to suppliers — especially for credit transactions.

10.1 Recording a Payment Received

When a customer pays you (for example, paying off a credit balance):

Go to Payments.
Tap the Add Payment button (+ icon).
Select the customer who is paying.
Enter the amount received.
Choose the payment method (Cash, Mobile Banking, Cheque, Bank Transfer, or Credit).
Optionally add a reference number (e.g., cheque number, transfer ID).
Add any notes if needed.
Tap Save.

The customer's outstanding balance will be updated automatically.

10.2 Recording a Payment Made

When you pay a supplier:

Go to Payments.
Tap the Add Payment button (+ icon).
Select the supplier you are paying.
Enter the amount paid.
Choose the payment method.
Add a reference number and notes as needed.
Tap Save.

TIP: Always add a reference number for cheque and bank transfer payments. This makes it much easier to trace payments later if there are any questions.

11. Quotations

Quotations let you send a price estimate to a customer before committing to a sale. This is great for larger orders, custom work, or when a customer wants to compare prices.

To create a quotation:

Go to Quotations.
Tap the Add button (+ icon).
Select a customer.
Add items to the quotation — choose products and set quantities and prices.
Set a validity period (how long this quote is good for).
Add any notes (e.g., terms and conditions, delivery details).
Tap Save.

Quotation Status Workflow:

Every quotation goes through a lifecycle:

graph LR
    A["Draft"] --> B["Sent"]
    B --> C["Accepted"]
    B --> D["Rejected"]
    C --> E["Converted to Sale"]

Status	What It Means
Draft	You've created the quote but haven't sent it yet
Sent	The quotation has been sent to the customer
Accepted	The customer agreed to the quoted prices
Rejected	The customer declined the quote
Converted	The accepted quote has been turned into an actual sale

TIP: Once a quotation is accepted, you can convert it directly into a sale — all the items and prices carry over, so you don't have to re-enter anything.

12. Inventory Management

12.1 Viewing Stock Levels

Go to Inventory.
You'll see a list of all your products along with their current stock quantities.
Use the search bar to find a specific product quickly.

NOTE: Stock levels are updated automatically whenever you make a sale, process a return, or record a purchase. You don't need to manually adjust stock for everyday transactions.

12.2 Making Stock Adjustments

Sometimes you need to manually adjust stock — for example, after a stock count, if items are damaged, or when you receive goods outside of a formal purchase order.

Go to Inventory.
Select the product you want to adjust.
Tap Adjust Stock (or the adjustment option).
Choose whether you are adding or removing stock.
Enter the quantity.
Select or type a reason (e.g., Damaged goods, Stock count correction, Received donation).
Tap Save.

Every adjustment is recorded in the adjustment history (audit log), so you always have a clear record of what changed, when, and why.

IMPORTANT: Always provide a reason for stock adjustments. This creates a clear audit trail and helps you identify patterns like frequent damage or shrinkage.

13. Purchases

The Purchases section helps you record what you buy from your suppliers.

To record a purchase:

Go to Purchases.
Tap the Add Purchase button (+ icon).
Select the supplier you purchased from.
Add items — select products and enter the quantities and cost prices.
Review the total.
Tap Save.

The purchase is recorded and your stock levels are updated accordingly.

You can view your full purchase history at any time from the Purchases screen.

TIP: Tracking purchases helps you understand your true costs and makes it easier to calculate profit margins.

14. Expenses

Not every cost is a purchase of inventory. Rent, electricity, transport, salaries — these are all business expenses. LedgerBuddy helps you track them too.

To log an expense:

Go to Expenses.
Tap the Add Expense button (+ icon).
Enter the amount.
Select or create a category (e.g., Rent, Transport, Utilities, Salaries).
Add a description (e.g., June electricity bill).
Set the date.
Tap Save.

You can view your expense history to see where your money is going and how much you're spending in each category.

TIP: Categorize your expenses consistently. This makes your financial reports much more useful and helps you spot areas where you can cut costs.

15. Reports

The Reports section gives you a visual overview of your business performance with financial reports and interactive charts.

Go to Reports.
Browse the available reports.
Tap on a report to view it.
Use date filters and other controls to adjust the data shown.

Reports help you answer questions like:

How much revenue did I make this month?
What are my best-selling products?
How much do customers owe me in total?
How do my expenses compare to my income?

TIP: Check your reports regularly — at least once a week. This helps you stay on top of your finances and make better business decisions.

16. Utilities

The Utilities section contains powerful tools for managing your data in bulk.

Utility	What It Does
Import Items	Upload a product list from an Excel spreadsheet
Import Parties	Upload a customer/supplier list from an Excel spreadsheet
Export Transactions	Download your sales and transaction data as a file
Export Items	Download your full product list as an Excel file
Barcode Generator	Generate and print barcode labels for your products
Bulk Update	Update selling prices or purchase prices across many products at once

Generating Barcodes

If your products don't have barcodes, you can create your own:

Go to Utilities → Barcode Generator.
Select the products you want barcodes for.
The app generates printable barcode labels.
Print them and stick them on your products or shelves.

TIP: Printed barcodes speed up your checkout process dramatically. Even if you run a small shop, scanning is faster and more accurate than typing product names.

17. Settings

17.1 Business Settings

Go to Settings.
Update any of the following:
- Business Name
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Address
- Tax Registration Number (TRN)
- Currency
Save your changes.

These details appear on your invoices, quotations, and other printed documents.

17.2 Logo & Signature

Uploading your business logo:

Go to Settings.
Find the Logo section.
Tap Upload and select an image file from your device.
Your logo will now appear at the top of all invoices and quotations.

Uploading your authorized signature:

In the same Settings page, find the Signature section.
Tap Upload and select an image of your signature.
Your signature will now appear at the bottom of all invoices.

TIP: Use a clean, high-quality image for your logo. A transparent background (PNG format) works best.

17.3 Invoice Settings

LedgerBuddy allows you to fully customize the look and content of your printed and PDF invoices.

Go to Settings and find the Invoice Settings section.
Configure the following options:
- Invoice Theme: Choose between the standard "Default Theme" or the "International Theme" (which features a more modern, tabular layout).
- Invoice Theme Color: Select a primary color (e.g., Blue, Green, Red, Purple) that matches your brand. This color will be applied to the headers and accents of your invoices.
- Terms & Conditions: Add your standard business terms, return policies, or warranties. These will automatically print at the bottom of every invoice.
- Notes / Bank Details: Add your bank account information or custom thank-you notes for your customers to see.
Save your changes. All new and existing invoices will instantly reflect these updated settings when previewed or printed.

17.4 Themes

Personalize the look of LedgerBuddy by choosing a theme:

Go to Settings.
Find the Theme option.
Choose from the available themes:

Theme	Description
Light	Clean, bright white background
Dark	Easy on the eyes — dark background with light text
Dark Blue	A deep blue dark theme
NeoFintech	A modern fintech-inspired look
Neon Obsidian	Bold neon accents on a dark background
Dark Glass	A premium translucent glassmorphism design
System	Automatically matches your device's light/dark setting

17.5 Subscription

Manage your LedgerBuddy subscription from the Settings page:

Go to Settings.
Find the Subscription section.
View your current plan, renewal date, and upgrade options.

18. Offline Mode & Cloud Sync

One of LedgerBuddy's most important features is that it works completely offline. You don't need the internet to run your business.

How It Works

All your data is saved locally on your device. Sales, products, customers, payments — everything is stored on your phone or computer first.
When you connect to the internet, LedgerBuddy automatically syncs your data to the cloud in the background.
Sync happens every 5 minutes and also in real time when connectivity allows.
If you use LedgerBuddy on multiple devices (e.g., your phone and your computer), your data will stay in sync across all of them.

What This Means for You

Scenario	What Happens
You make a sale with no internet	The sale is saved locally. It will sync when you're back online.
You add a product on your phone	It appears on your computer once both devices sync.
Your internet goes down mid-day	No problem. Keep working. Everything syncs later.
You use two devices at the same time	Both devices will sync and show the same data.

NOTE: You never need to manually trigger a sync. It happens automatically. Just make sure you connect to the internet periodically so your cloud backup stays up to date.

19. Keyboard Shortcuts

LedgerBuddy supports keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster on Windows:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + F	Open universal search — find products, customers, or invoices instantly

TIP: Universal search is one of the fastest ways to navigate. Press Ctrl+F, start typing, and results from products, customers, and invoices appear together.

20. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need the internet to use LedgerBuddy? No. LedgerBuddy works entirely offline. You only need the internet to sync your data to the cloud and across devices.

Q: Can I use LedgerBuddy on both my phone and computer? Yes. Install the app on both devices and sign in with the same account. Your data will sync automatically when both are online.

Q: How do I handle a credit sale? During checkout, set the payment amount to zero (or less than the total) and select a customer. The invoice will be marked as Unpaid or Partial. You can record the payment later in the Payments section.

Q: Can I customize what appears on my invoices? Yes. Go to Settings to add your business logo, signature, custom terms & conditions, and bank details. You can also select a custom Invoice Theme and Invoice Color to match your branding.

Q: How do I track how much a customer owes me? Go to Customers, tap on the customer's name, and you'll see their outstanding balance along with their full transaction history.

Q: Can I import my existing product list? Yes. Prepare your products in an Excel spreadsheet and use Utilities → Import Items to bring them into LedgerBuddy.

Q: What if I accidentally delete a product? Deleted products are removed from your catalog, but any past sales involving that product are preserved. You'll need to re-add the product manually if you want to sell it again.

Q: How do I give a refund? Go to Sales, open the original invoice, and tap Return. Select the items being returned, and LedgerBuddy will process the return and track the refund status.

Q: Is my data safe? Yes. Your data is stored locally on your device and backed up to the cloud when synced. Using the app on multiple devices provides additional redundancy.

Q: How do I change the app's appearance? Go to Settings → Theme and choose from Light, Dark, Dark Blue, NeoFintech, Neon Obsidian, Dark Glass, or System.

NOTE: Need help? If you run into any issues or have questions not covered in this guide, reach out to Thrive IT Solutions for support.

LedgerBuddy v0.42.0 — Published by Thrive IT Solutions User Guide last updated: June 2026