Category Archives: General Business Tips

Should You Fire Your Bookkeeper? Let’s Talk About It.

I got a call the other day from a business owner. He jumped right in and said, “I think I need to fire my bookkeeper.” I told him, “Hold on—let’s slow down a minute.” He started explaining that she charges one amount sometimes and then another amount other times. I asked him to tell me […]

Don’t Drain Your Business for Personal Stuff

  I want to talk about something small business owners face a lot—using their business money for personal stuff. It’s super easy to borrow from your company to pay for hobbies, a new house, or fun trips. But that can hurt your small business budget, business profits, and long-term growth. Why You Need a Personal Budget I’ve seen […]

What Are Intercompany Loans, and Why Should You Care?

If you own more than one business, this post is for you. Let’s say you have two or more companies. Maybe you run a gym, and you also own a real estate business or a marketing agency on the side. From time to time, you might move money between them to cover costs or help […]

From Jungle Lawns to Messy Books: What a YouTube Gardener Taught Me About Business Owners and Clarity

There’s something mesmerizing about watching someone clean up a mess. Especially when it’s one of those YouTube videos where a guy shows up to tackle an overgrown lawn that’s completely swallowed up a property—trees sprouting through the driveway, weeds taller than the windows, sidewalks buried beneath layers of neglect. It starts as chaos. But then, […]

Why Quality Control in Bookkeeping Should Be One of the Most Valued Parts of Your Business

There’s a quiet power in doing things the right way—even when no one’s watching. When it comes to bookkeeping, that power shows up in what we call quality control. It’s not flashy. It’s not loud. And most of the time, if it’s working well, you don’t even notice it. But behind every clean report, accurate […]

Clean Books, Clear Mind: The Confidence That Sparked My Business

  There’s a moment I’ll never forget—a turning point that reshaped everything for me. I had just finished cleaning up three years’ worth of financial records for a small-town automotive repair shop. The books were messy. The software was clunky. Nothing lined up. But I dug in, fixed the cost of goods sold, reconciled the […]

The Best Prompts to Use in ChatGPT When Seeking to Hire a Bookkeeper or Accountant

Finding the right bookkeeper or accountant can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack—especially if you’re not sure what to ask or where to start. Over the years, I’ve learned that the questions you ask are as important as the answers you get. And with tools like ChatGPT at your fingertips, you can […]

From Check Registers to QuickBooks: How Childhood Sparked My Passion for Numbers

From Check Registers to QuickBooks: How Childhood Sparked My Passion for Numbers There’s something magical about seeing order in the midst of chaos. Some kids play house. Others draw superheroes. But me? I was solving math problems during Sunday church sermons while sitting beside my grandma. I didn’t know it then, but that small act—her […]

Organizing The Chart Of Accounts – 6 Basic Tips

What is the chart of accounts inside QuickBooks? Why should it be organized? Does the chart matter?  The simple answer is that it completely matters, and organization is the key to using it effectively. The chart of accounts is a chart of categories and titles where money is organized into inside financial software. Without accurate […]

Being Organized Saves Your Small Business Money

It may not be obvious to most, but being organized and running an organized business saves you money. Much can be gained by added efficiencies and productivity to your business. In 2003 I started a professional organizing business in Chicago. I served customers for twenty years and most of the focus was on their residential […]