[Editor's note: This story is a composite based on real client experiences. Details have been adjusted to protect privacy, but the pattern is one I see repeatedly.] When Sarah came to me, she was exhausted. Her marketing agency had grown steadily over three years. She had two full-time employees and a handful of contractors. Revenue was up. Clients were happy. On paper, everything looked great. In reality, she was working 60-hour weeks. Her team was stretched thin. She was tu

Most small business owners have a bookkeeper. Or they do their own bookkeeping. Or they hand a shoebox to their tax preparer once a year and hope for the best. What most small business owners don't have is someone asking: "What does this mean for the business? And what should we do about it?" That's the difference between bookkeeping and CFO-level thinking. One records what happened. The other connects financial data to decisions. Backward-Looking vs. Forward-Thinking Bookkee

"How much cash should I keep in the business?" It's one of the most common questions I get. And the honest answer is: it depends. That's not a cop-out. The right cash reserve for a seasonal landscaping company is different from a marketing agency with retainer clients, which is different from a contractor who bids project by project. Your number depends on your business model, your risk tolerance, and what you're planning for. But "it depends" isn't helpful without a framewor