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.
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.
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.
How I Cleaned Up Two Years of Bookkeeping for a Yoga Studio
A real case study of cleaning up two years of bookkeeping backlog at a yoga studio: three common problems, the fixes, and what changed afterward.
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.
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.
3 Practical Tips for DIY Bookkeeping
If you're handling your own bookkeeping, these three tips will save you real time and prevent some of the most common DIY headaches.
6 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Bookkeeper
A discovery call with a bookkeeper is a lot more useful when you know what to ask. Here are six questions worth bringing to the conversation, what to listen for in the answers, and how I answer each one.
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 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.
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.
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.