Bookkeepers On Fire with Deb & Donna

✨ Feeling like throwing in the towel as a solo bookkeeper? You’re not alone — but you are in the right place.

In this episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, Debra and Donna tackle one of the most honest questions we’ve received, and we’re dishing out real talk and support. 🙌

👩‍💻 Here are a few 🔥 takeaways for every discouraged bookkeeper out there:

📺 YouTube is your free mentor – 5 Minute Bookkeeping & Hector Garcia’s channels are goldmines for QBO help (watch from your car, we won’t judge).  

💼 Get paid to learn – Find a job with a firm that uses QBO and grow your skills on their dime 💰

🎧 Conferences change everything – Attending just one event could help you find your people, your mentors, and your motivation (plus, people who get excited about a good bank rec 👀).

🤝 Support groups > solo stress – Being alone in business doesn’t mean you have to feel alone. A strong community can be the difference between burnout and breakthrough.  

💬 Been there? Going through it now? Listen in and Let’s support each other in the comments!

Drop your favorite tip or just a 🙋‍♀️ if you’ve ever questioned your career during a client call. You’re not crazy — just a bookkeeper on fire. 🔥

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.

Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community   Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent.

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#BookkeepersOnFire #QBO #BookkeepingCommunity #MentorshipMatters #YouGotThis #QuickBooksOnline

Ever had a discovery call turn into a 50-minute TED Talk that had nothing to do with your services? Yeah, same.   In this episode of Bookkeepers On Fire, Debra & Donna explore a real life situation sent in by a listener.

 We're getting real about those consultations that waste your time and energy.
💼 Key Takeaways:

 🚫 Not every inquiry is a potential client — and that’s okay. 

⏳ Set boundaries upfront to protect your time (and sanity).

🧛‍♀️ Spot the time vampires early — and politely close the curtain.

🎧 Listen now and reclaim your consultation power!

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth. Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community

Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥

 #BookkeepersOnFire #ClientBoundaries #BookkeepingBusiness #TimeManagement #ConsultationTips

🎧 "Do You Offer Fractional CFO Services? and What Do Those Include?"

Bookkeepers On Fire - Debra & Donna recorded a quick audio sharing their thoughts, what they have learned so far, and still figuring out.

 👉 What does that really include?

 👉 How is it different from bookkeeping or tax work?

 👉 Am I ready for that next level? 

If you’re a bookkeeper, accountant, or business owner who's been curious about CFO services—this one’s for you.

🎙️ Listen in and let us know what you think.

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.  

Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community

Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥 

#FractionalCFO #BookkeeperToCFO #SmallBusinessFinance #FinanceStrategy #LearningInPublic #CFOsForRent #MoneyTalks

🔥 Should You Add “No Assurance Provided” to Financial Reports? 🔥

 On this episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, we tackled one of those “wait… should I be doing this?” questions. 
Here’s what you need to know: 
📄 “For management use only” is out. SSARS 21 says to use “No assurance is provided.”

🧾 If you’re compiling monthly financials, adding that line (on every page) keeps you compliant and crystal clear.

🚫 Never sign a client’s financials for loan purposes — that’s called a comfort letter, and it’s a legal and ethical no-go. 
💥 Whether you send monthly packets or let QBO do the talking, make sure you’re covered — and keep a PDF copy for your records. 
🎧 Listen in for more fire, facts, and a few sarcastic jabs at tax preparers who just “adjust to make it work.”   

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.

Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community

Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥

Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥

🔥 Are you still tracking time like it's 1985?

 On the latest episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, Debbie Kilsheimer and Donna Reade say ⛔ to the tyranny of the timesheet. Here's why: 
🧠 Time tracking = employee mindset. Owners focus on outcomes, not minutes.

💰 Flat rates > hourly rates. Scope the work, set the price, and adjust when things change.

⚙️ Processes = profit. Invest time upfront in systems, then reap the rewards monthly. 
⏳ Stop micromanaging your minutes and start mastering your model. 
🎙️ Tune in as Donna and Debbie explain why "tracking time is the dumbest thing"—and how they price, deliver, and adapt without the clock ruling their day.   

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.

Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community

Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥

Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥

🔥 Bookkeepers, Let’s Talk About That “Personal” Credit Card Used for Business 🧾💳

 In this sizzling episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, we tackle a classic hot mess:

A client uses personal credit cards mainly for business expenses—and pays them from the business bank account. Sound familiar? 😅
Here’s what we covered:
📌 Don't Call It Owner’s Draw – If it’s a business expense, treat it like one. The credit card payment should reduce the liability, not become an equity withdrawal.

🧠 Track It Like Business – Set up the card as a liability in your chart of accounts. Call it “Personal - AMEX” if that helps, but treat it like any other business card.

 📊 Debits & Credits Rule – A little T-account action never hurt anybody. Follow the trail: Expense → Liability → Payment. That’s how you avoid the mess.

 💥 If you’re sweating over how to categorize payments like these, this episode is your fire extinguisher.

 📬 Drop your burning bookkeeping questions in the comments!

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.

Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community  

Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥  

#BookkeepersOnFire #SmallBusinessAccounting #OwnerDraw #QuickBooksTips #BookkeepingHumor #CreditCardChaos #AccountingTips #DebitsAndCredits

"What are your thoughts on the QB Ledger option? I was thinking it might be worth trying for couple lasting clients who are still in desktop (my old version as I don't pay for it anymore). For both these clients, I only work on their files 1 or 2x a year.... nothing live, no bill paying etc. Just enter, reconcile, get a report to their CPA’s. So I was thinking QB Ledger might be sufficient for them."

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Please submit your questions: Ask Debbie & Donna

You can email us at: [email protected]

Produced by: James Reade

🔥 Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s ethical…

 In this episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, we tackled a spicy situation involving QuickBooks Online subscriptions, client accounts, and a little too much “creativity” in saving money.

 Here’s what we covered:

🚫 Why moving a client file into a QBO Accountant account is a no-go

💥 How skirting QBO rules could shut down your account

🔐 The importance of integrity and investing in the right tools

 Just because you're good at bookkeeping doesn’t mean you should moonlight as a magician. 🧙‍♀️
 
Let’s keep it honest, people. ✨

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.
Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community   Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥   #BookkeepersOnFire #QuickBooksOnline #EthicalAccounting #BookkeepingTips #SmallBusinessSupport

🔥 Hiring Help Without Losing Control 🔥

 In this episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, Debbie & Donna share the real behind-the-scenes of bringing on help in a solo bookkeeping business.

From lessons learned the hard way to must-have tools, they cover it all — with humor, of course!

 👩‍💻 Employees vs. Contractors
Hiring employees gives you control over process and quality — but be ready to train, equip, and manage (even if you don’t want to).

 🔒 Security and Oversight
Invest in tools like Practice Protect and always review your team’s work — checklists are only helpful if they’re followed!

 📣 Be Transparent with Clients
Introduce your team early on. If they’re working on your clients' books, your clients should know and trust them too.

 💡 Thinking about hiring? Know yourself first — and build the business you want to run.

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.
Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community   Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent. 🔥Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥   #BookkeepingBusiness #HiringHelp #TeamBuilding #BookkeepersOnFire #SmallBusinessTips #AccountingLife

On this episode of Bookkeepers on Fire, we tackled a common headache: clients who think their books magically do themselves.

 📌 Uncat and Keeper don't fail—clients do. Automation only works when clients participate. No app can fix silence.

📌 Deadlines are your friend. Clear expectations + firm boundaries = less chaos. Be the bookkeeper, not the babysitter.

📌 Your process matters. If you bend for one client, you’ll break your system. Standardize or stay stuck.

✨ If your client wants magic, send them a wand. Otherwise, tune in for tools, tips, and the tough love your bookkeeping biz needs.

🔥 Join our Bookkeepers On Fire Community to connect 🤝, collaborate 💬, and thrive 🚀 with like-minded professionals who are passionate about bookkeeping, accounting and business growth.  

Join us here: Bookkeepers On Fire Community  

Bookkeepers On Fire is proudly ad-free and 100% listener-supported, so we can bring you unfiltered conversations without outside agendas. If you enjoy the show, consider donating to help keep our mics hot and our mission independent.

🔥Donate with Venmo🔥    🔥Donate with PayPal🔥    

#BookkeepersOnFire #ClientFail #BookkeepingHumor #ProcessMatters #MindReadingNotIncluded