Welcome to the Boomtown blog. Most posts here are about bookkeeping, QuickBooks, and the parts of running a small business that nobody warned you about. I write for self-employed folks who want their books to make sense without becoming an accountant in the process.
How to Give Your Bookkeeper Access to QuickBooks Online
When you hire a bookkeeper, one of the first things they'll ask for is access to your QuickBooks Online file. Here's how to set that up, and the security concerns worth knowing about first.
How to Use the Audit Log in QuickBooks Online
The QuickBooks Online Audit Log is one of the most useful features most users never look at. Here's how to find it, what it shows, and the real situations where it'll save you.
A Step-by-Step Month-End Bookkeeping Routine for Small Businesses
Closing out your books each month is one of the highest-leverage habits in a small business. Here's a step-by-step routine you can actually follow, plus what to do if you've fallen behind.
Year-End Bookkeeping Checklist for Small Business Owners
A practical year-end bookkeeping checklist for small business owners, with notes on what to skip if it doesn't apply to you.
How to Read a Balance Sheet for Your Small Business
A balance sheet is one of the two financial reports every small business owner should be able to read. Here's what it actually shows you, with a real example.
How to Create and Send Client Invoices in QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online's invoicing is solid if you need it, but it's not automatically the right tool for every business. Here's how to create and send invoices in QBO, plus when it's the right fit.
How to Use Bank Rules in QuickBooks Online (Without Messing Up Your Books)
Bank rules are one of the biggest time-savers in QuickBooks Online, and also one of the most common places I see DIY bookkeeping go sideways. Here's how to set them up in a way that actually helps.
5 QuickBooks Online Features You're Probably Not Using
QuickBooks Online has features most small business owners never turn on because nobody told them they exist. Here are five that are genuinely worth using, plus honest notes on when each one is worth the effort.
How Bookkeeping Protects Your Small Business from Fraud
Most small business fraud slips through because no one's looking at the books until something obvious is wrong. Routine bookkeeping review is how you catch it early. Here's what to watch for.
How to Set Up QuickBooks Online: A Step-by-Step Guide
You paid for your QuickBooks Online subscription, you logged in, and now you're staring at an empty file. Here's the order I'd set things up in, and what each step actually involves.
How to Track Unpaid Invoices in QuickBooks Online
If you invoice clients, knowing who owes you what (and how long they've owed it) is one of the simpler things QuickBooks can do for you. Here's how to run the report and what to do with what you find.
How to Reconcile Your Bank Accounts in QuickBooks Online
Reconciling your bank accounts in QuickBooks Online is how you know your books actually match reality. Here's how to do it, and what to do if you're months behind.
How to Clean Up Your Chart of Accounts
If you're doing your own bookkeeping, your Chart of Accounts is the foundation everything else rests on. Here's how to set yours up in QuickBooks Online so running a report stops feeling like a chore.