Can You Pass the Retail Math Test?

According to The Small Business Administration, only about half of new businesses make it to their fifth anniversary and beyond. Factors that contribute to the failure rate can range from indirect influences, such as poor location and poor customer experience, to direct financial components, such as lack of profits and poor fiscal management. While you can…

Read More

5 Tips to Help You Minimize Your Small Business Taxes

It’s safe to assume that everyone loves to save money. As a small business owner, the more capital you have, the easier it is to grow your business and generate more revenue. But when tax season creeps around the corner, an unexpectedly large portion of your hard-earned money could wind up in Uncle Sam’s pocket.…

Read More

True Story: Missing Assets Equal to a Year’s Sales

You don’t think finance and accounting matter in small business? Here’s a true story, and it’s about a small business like the ones I write about, in fact one I was involved in, not a large publicly traded company. $3 million worth of assets went missing, but nobody took them. Where do you think they…

Read More

Small Business Bookkeeping: What You Need to Know

In the rush and excitement of starting a new venture, it’s easy to overlook the importance of good small business bookkeeping in the early days and let things slide. When this happens, small business owners often get a rude awakening in the not-so-early days of the business. This can come in a variety of ways,…

Read More

Long-Term Debt on a Balance Sheet

What is Long-Term Debt on a Balance Sheet? The Long-Term Debt category appears as a long-term liability on a Balance Sheet. The balance represents the total outstanding balances of all bank loans, mortgages and financial contracts. Discussion: Long-Term Debt is expected to be payable in a period that is longer than one year. The current…

Read More

Common and Costly Bookkeeping Mistakes

Tax Question What are common and costly mistakes made in corporate bookkeeping during the year and how can these be avoided? Facts There are many simple checks and cross checks that can be done monthly to help find and correct common and costly bookkeeping mistakes. Discussion Bank accounts, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Sales Tax…

Read More

Business Plan Financials: Cash vs. Accrual Bookkeeping

I hate the buzzwords and general environment related to accounting and financial terms. No wonder business owners shy away from it. “Accrual accounting” sounds like something you do with thumb screws, rack, and chains. But—damn—it matters. If you run a business, you have huge incentive to understand this stuff. And there is some good news…

Read More

A Simple Cash Flow Spreadsheet Anybody Can Use

If there’s just one formal business skill every business owner should have, it’s understanding and forecasting cash flow. It’s not intuitive because it’s not the same as profits; but it’s vital. We spend cash, not profits. It’s one of the most important pieces of every lean business plan. Here’s my recommendation for a relatively simple way…

Read More

A CPA’s Real Job

CPAs think their important job is to complete and file clients’ taxes during tax season. If you’re a CPA or bookkeeper, the most important job is to help your clients build profitability, cash flow and terminal value. Most small businesses never get there. They sell a new client, do some work, get paid for it…

Read More