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.
5 Things People Get Wrong About Business Travel Deductions
Business travel deductions are widely misunderstood, and getting them wrong can cost you real money. Here are five of the most common myths, plus what the IRS actually requires.
How to Calculate Revenue Growth Rate (and When It's Actually Useful)
Revenue Growth Rate is a popular metric in business advice, but it's more useful in some situations than others. Here's how to calculate it, when it's worth tracking, and when it's just creating false signals.
How to Build a Budget for Your Small Business
Building a budget for your small business doesn't have to be complicated. Here's a practical approach: what to include, how to handle irregular income, and how to use your budget without becoming a slave to it.
3 More QuickBooks Reports Worth Running Every Month
Your P&L and Balance Sheet do most of the monthly heavy lifting, but a few other reports earn their keep too. Here are three QuickBooks Online reports worth pulling each month, what they show, and how to use them.
Why You Should Reconcile Your Bank Accounts Every Month
If there's one bookkeeping habit I won't budge on, it's monthly reconciliation. Here's why, and what happens when people put it off.
How to Read Your P&L and Use It to Plan Your Year
Your Profit & Loss statement is the report you'll look at most often as a small business owner. Here's how to read it, what to actually look for, and how to use what you find to plan your year.
Monthly vs Annual Software Subscriptions: Which Should You Choose?
Annual software subscriptions usually advertise meaningful savings, but the right choice depends on more than the discount. Here's what to actually consider before committing.
3 Common Bookkeeping Mistakes Small Business Owners Make
The three bookkeeping mistakes I see most often, why they cause real headaches at tax time and beyond, and what to do instead.
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.
5 Financial Habits That Strengthen Your Small Business
The financial habits that actually strengthen a small business aren't flashy or motivational. Here are five concrete ones that consistently make a difference for the businesses I work with.
Spreadsheets vs QuickBooks: Which Does Your Small Business Actually Need?
Should you track your bookkeeping in a spreadsheet or move to bookkeeping software? An honest comparison, including the situations where each one is genuinely the right call.
How to Actually Take Time Off as a Small Business Owner
Most "self-care for business owners" advice skips the part that actually matters: the financial conditions that make rest possible. Here's what real time off requires, and how your books either support it or quietly prevent it.
When Should You Hire a Bookkeeper for Your Small Business?
Wondering if it's time to hire a bookkeeper? Here are three honest signals worth paying attention to, plus when DIY is still the right call.
How to Calculate ROI for Your Small Business
Return on investment is one of those concepts everyone name-drops, but rarely explains in a way that's useful for a small business. Here's how to calculate it, and when the math is actually worth doing.
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 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.