QuickBooks job costing can make a profitable-looking job look better than it really is. QuickBooks can only report the costs that make it into the job. When labor, change orders, or indirect costs are missing or handled inconsistently, the margin you see may tell only part of the story. Here’s how to find what’s missing…
Quick answer: QuickBooks cleanup cost can range from several hundred dollars for a relatively minor problem to several thousand dollars for a complicated cleanup or financial reconstruction. For many small businesses, professional cleanup may fall somewhere in the $1,000 to $5,000 range, but the condition and complexity of the books matter much more than simply…
Distance doesn’t have to get in the way of good financial support. A remote bookkeeper or CFO works with your business through reliable access to financial information, a consistent process for exchanging documents and answering questions, and regular communication with the business owner. The accounting system provides the numbers. The business owner provides the context….
Bookkeeper or CFO—which does your growing business need? If your biggest challenge is keeping accurate books, reconciling accounts, and producing reliable financial reports, you probably need a bookkeeper. If your books are already reliable but you need help with cash flow, profitability, forecasting, hiring, pricing, or other financial decisions, you may be ready for CFO-level…
Executive Brief ROI for small business investments doesn’t need to be complicated. A business investment can fit comfortably into the monthly budget and still be the wrong financial decision. In this edition of Project Lighthouse, we use one $40,000 investment to look at Return, Payback, and Cash—three simple questions that help determine what an investment…
Project Lighthouse · Lesson 007 Your Bank Balance Looks Fine. But What Happens Seven Weeks From Now? How a simple 13-week cash-flow forecast can help you spot problems, protect opportunities, and make better decisions before cash gets tight. Executive Brief A healthy bank balance today does not necessarily mean there will be enough cash for…
Executive Brief Good financial reporting should not merely tell you what happened. It should help you decide what happens next. This is where financial decision making for business owners stops being theoretical. Whether you are considering another employee, a truck, a machine, or better software, the real question is not simply whether there is money…
Executive Brief “We’ve never been busier.” The calendar is full. Your crews are booked weeks in advance. The phones keep ringing. Trucks are leaving the yard before sunrise, and everyone seems to be moving at full speed. From the outside, it looks exactly like success. Yet many owners eventually find themselves asking: “If we’re this…
Executive Brief The phones are ringing. Your crews are busy. Revenue is climbing. So why does it still feel like you are working harder without making more money? More sales do not automatically create more profit. They create more opportunity—but only when each sale leaves enough behind after the work is delivered. Those remaining dollars…
Executive Brief Your Profit & Loss statement says you’re making money. Your bank account says you’re not. As strange as it sounds, both can be completely correct. Every year, profitable businesses struggle to make payroll, delay equipment purchases, postpone growth opportunities, or lose sleep wondering how a company that appears successful on paper can feel…