Everyone tells you to work on your business instead of in it. Nobody hands you the agenda for what that time is actually supposed to look like.

In this episode, I walk you through the exact 90-minute midyear CEO session I have run on my own business every year for 11 years. This is a step-by-step financial review for small business owners who want to check in on their numbers before the second half of the year. I cover how the session changes depending on your financial stage, what to review on your profit and loss statement and balance sheet, how to check your tax reserve against what you have actually paid, and how to reforecast your budget for the next six months. Whether your books need a cleanup or you are casting a 10-year vision, this episode gives you the full agenda.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break the session down by financial stage: foundation, empowered, and visionary.

You will learn how to review your P&L and balance sheet like a CFO, how to check your payroll, owner pay, contractor W-9s, and tax reserve, and how to reforecast the back half of the year against your long-term goals.

If you have ever blocked time to work on your business and ended up answering emails instead, this episode gives you the exact agenda to make those 90 minutes count.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can guide you through your midyear review: here

👉 Download the Mid-Year Checklist: kickstartaccountinginc.com/checklist

Key Takeaways

00:00 What "work on your business" actually means

00:58 Block 90 minutes. Become the CEO.

01:33 The three financial tiers explained

01:38 Foundation stage: clean books first

03:35 Empowered stage: review your P&L like a CFO

05:00 Payroll, owner pay, and contractor W-9s

07:33 The 25% tax reserve and mid-year check

08:24 Balance sheet: cash, debt, owner's draws

10:43 Visionary stage: 10-year, 3-year, 1-year

12:19 Reforecast the back half with your money team

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next

👉 Why You're Stuck: The Three Phases Of Financial Support

👉 Building a Business Worth Selling: The 7-Step Framework

How do you know if your business is actually building wealth, or just keeping you busy? The answer lives on a report most small business owners ignore: the balance sheet.

I break down how to read it as a CEO, what assets, liabilities, and equity actually mean for your company, how much cash a healthy business should keep on hand, how to use debt strategically, and why owner's draws can drain long-term value. I also explain why minimizing taxes as your only financial strategy is one of the biggest mistakes I see, and what that does to your company's worth.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I share the four principles I use with our CFO clients to evaluate financial health.

You will learn how to spot the trends that signal whether your business is gaining strength or losing it.

If you have ever wondered why your business looks profitable on paper but does not feel valuable, this episode will give you the clarity you have been missing.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you build real long-term value: here

Key Takeaways

00:00 The Report You're Ignoring

02:45 Equity Is Your Wealth Score

03:15 The Tax Minimizing Mistake

04:43 Build a Cash Cushion

06:06 Protect Your Equity

08:24 Evaluate Every Decision

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next

👉 Why You're Stuck: The Three Phases Of Financial Support

👉 Building a Business Worth Selling: The 7-Step Framework

You're not stuck because you're lazy. You're stuck because the support you picked doesn't match the stage you're actually in.

In this episode, I walk through the three financial phases I've watched business owners move through over 11 years at Kickstart: Foundation (where you need clean books and visibility), Empowered (where you start using your numbers to lead), and Elevation (where you bring in forecasting and strategy). The phases aren't tied to revenue, they're tied to how you lead and how you make decisions. Once you know which phase you're actually in, you can stop chasing random financial advice and finally get the support that fits.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down what each phase looks like in real life, the signs that tell you which one you're in, and the kind of support that makes sense at each stage.

You will learn how to spot the phase you're in, why DIYing the wrong solution keeps you stuck, and what financial leadership looks like once your books are no longer the bottleneck.

If you have ever followed financial advice that worked for someone else but didn't move the needle for you, this episode will explain why and give you a clearer path forward.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can match the right support to the stage you're in: here

Key Takeaways

00:00 The Wrong Support Is Costing You

01:47 Phase One: Foundation, Trust Your Numbers

03:21 Phase Two: Empowered, Lead With Numbers

04:34 Phase Three: Elevation, Reports to Strategy

06:04 Find the Right Support for Your Stage

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next

👉 Building a Business Worth Selling: The 7-Step Framework

👉 Why You're Profitable But Have No Cash

You look at your financials and the numbers show a profit. You look at your bank account and the balance doesn't match. You start wondering what you're missing.

Most small business owners don't realize how much their accounting method is shaping what they see on their financial statements. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down the difference between cash basis and accrual basis accounting in plain language. I explain how each method reports revenue and expenses, why that gap between profit and cash exists, and how to tell which method actually fits your business right now. I also share a recent client story about a tax accountant's well-intentioned switch to accrual that created bigger problems a year later.

You will learn why your profit and your cash rarely match, how large inventory purchases can cause big monthly swings in your numbers, and why a tax saving strategy that just pushes an expense to next year isn't actually a strategy.

If you have ever looked at your books and thought "wait, how am I profitable but I have no cash?", this episode will give you the clarity to understand what your financials are actually telling you.

👉 Discover how our bookkeeping services can help you choose the right accounting method for your business: here.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Profitable But Broke? Here's Why

00:19 The Accounting Lens Shaping Your Decisions

01:30 Cash Basis Accounting, Explained Simply

01:54 Why Your Sales Don't Match Your POS

02:39 How Expenses Hit on Cash Basis

02:57 Accrual Accounting and Matching Revenue

04:37 Cash vs Accrual: How to Choose

05:23 The Real Pros and Cons of Cash Basis

07:04 What You Need Before Switching to Accrual

09:23 The Tax "Strategy" That Backfires Next Year

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next:

👉 The Write-Offs That Are Devaluing Your Business👉 Building a Business Worth Selling: The 7-Step Framework

Most small businesses can't be sold, even when they're profitable. The reason is that they were built around the owner instead of built for value.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I share a real client story about a business owner who came to me ready to sell and found out her business had no resale value. She had been minimizing profit for years to lower her taxes and running personal expenses through the company, and the strategies that felt smart while she was building it were the exact things blocking her exit. I walk through the 7-step framework I use with my CFO clients to shift from operating a business to owning an asset that can run without you.

You will learn what makes a business valuable to a buyer, why tax-minimization strategies can backfire when it's time to sell, how to standardize your offers, how to build recurring revenue, and how clean financials drive the kind of value that gives you options 3 to 5 years from now.

If you have ever wondered why your profitable business still feels like a trap, or how to position your company so you have the option to sell, scale, or step back, this episode will show you exactly where to start.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you build a business with long-term value: here

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Why Most Small Businesses Aren't Sellable

01:30 How Tax Strategy Destroys Business Value

02:31 Operator vs. Owner Mindset Shift

06:23 Focus on One Core Offer

07:25 Build a Repeatable Process

08:35 Build a Team That Runs Without You

09:10 Build a Sales Engine

10:03 Standardize Your Offers

10:57 Recurring Revenue Drives Business Value

11:36 Create a CEO Vision and Plan

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next:

👉 The Write-Offs That Are Devaluing Your Business

👉 The CEO Response to a Losing Month

Most business owners are doing one of two things at tax time, and both are costing them. Either they are leaving real deductions on the table, or they are chasing every write-off they see online and putting their business at risk.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I walk through the tax strategy mindset shift that separates business owners who feel ready at tax time from the ones who scramble. I share the story of a client whose previous accountant told her to spend down her cash to lower her tax bill, which left her taking on massive debt right before opening a new store. I cover what actually counts as a deduction, the categories most owners forget, and the strategies that get abused online. You will walk away with a clear filter for every business expense and a better understanding of how tax decisions impact the long-term value of your business.

You will learn what makes a business expense ordinary and necessary, how to spot the tax advice that puts your business at risk, and the strategic deductions most owners overlook.

If you have ever felt unsure about what you can deduct, worried you are missing something, or pressured to spend money just to lower your tax bill, this episode will help you take ownership of your tax strategy and build a business that holds its value.

👉 Stop guessing at deductions. Build a tax strategy aligned with your real business goals: here.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 The Tax Deduction Mistake

00:55 What You're Actually Taxed On

02:00 The Ordinary And Necessary Rule

02:56 Spending To Save Backfires

04:52 Align Strategy With Business Goals

05:31 The Deduction Checklist

06:42 Separate Business And Personal

10:56 The Travel Write-Off Trap

13:48 The Augusta Rule Truth

16:45 Deduct More Or Show Profit

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next:

👉 Can You Hire Your Children? How to Pay Your Kids, Get Tax Advantages, and Create Generational Wealth

👉 Beyond the Business: Preparing for a Secure Retirement

You sat down to review your numbers and your business is losing money. Before you start cutting everything and questioning your worth, there is a better way to respond.

In this episode, I walk through the exact framework my team uses inside Kickstart Accounting when a client's business is losing money. I cover how to identify whether a loss is short term, seasonal, or long term, how to find the real root cause, and how to build a strategy that does not overhaul your entire business at once. The episode is for small business owners who have opened their P&L, seen red, and need a clear process for what to do next instead of reacting out of fear.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down my five-step framework for responding to a losing month with clarity instead of panic.

You will learn how to categorize the type of loss you are facing, how to identify what actually caused it, and how to pick one focused change that moves your business forward.

If you have ever opened your income statement, seen a loss, and felt your stomach drop, this episode will give you the language and the process to respond like a CEO instead of spiraling.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you respond to a losing month with data instead of panic: here

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Why Panicking Over a Loss Costs You More Than the Loss Itself

01:37 How to Identify Short Term, Seasonal, and Long Term Losses

03:11 The Questions to Ask When You're Diagnosing the Root Cause

05:34 Why You Should Treat This Like a Board Meeting Presentation

06:48 The One Rule That Stops a Losing Month from Spiraling

08:08 How Your Energy as a CEO Sets the Tone for Your Team

10:15 The Difference Between Coaching and Consulting

10:34 Why You're Not Failing, You're Missing Clarity

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next:

👉 10 Profit Strategies Every CEO Should Be Using Right Now

👉 The Problem with Profit First And What to Do Instead

I'm recording this on April 15th, the tax deadline, and I just got a surprise tax bill from my own accountant with almost no communication leading up to it. That experience reminded me exactly why we built KSA Tax Partners the way we did, because there's a real difference between a tax preparer and a tax partner, and most business owners don't know which one they actually have until something goes wrong.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I get raw about what worked this tax season, what didn't, and the real story behind a December tax strategy that left a client unable to fund her second location. I share why your money team should include four separate people for checks and balances, why your financials need to reflect the actual cost of running your business, and why I'm pushing back on the tax influencer advice telling you to write off your entire life.

You will learn how to tell the difference between a tax preparer and a true tax partner, the four roles every business owner needs on their money team, and how to spot a December tax strategy that will create a cash flow problem in January.

If you have ever followed tax advice that felt smart in December and broke your business in January, this episode will reframe how you think about tax strategy entirely and help you build a plan that protects your cash instead of draining it.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you build a tax strategy that protects your cash and supports your growth here

Key Takeaways

00:35 The 4-person money team every business owner needs

01:17 Why your bookkeeper should not be your tax accountant

02:09 The tax deadline email that changed everything

03:51 Why KSA files extensions on purpose

04:54 How a tax week actually works

07:21 The truth about tax influencers

08:52 Why your tax strategy should match your core values

10:08 The December bonus strategy that backfired

11:11 Why writing off all your profit is the wrong move

12:32 What worked this tax season and what did not

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next:

👉 The Problem with Profit First And What to Do Instead

👉 10 Profit Strategies Every CEO Should Be Using Right Now

Something new is coming, and if you're a small business owner who's tired of making financial decisions on gut feeling, you'll want to be here for it.

CEO Numbers Network launches tomorrow. Hosted by Danielle Hayden, former corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., this is the show that brings boardroom-level financial strategy to small business owners who are ready to lead with their numbers.

Expect real conversations about profit, cash flow, decision-making, and what it actually takes to run a business like a CEO. Just the financial clarity you've been looking for.

If running your business has ever felt more like guessing than leading, come back tomorrow. The first episode drops soon and it starts here.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you lead your business with better numbers: here

Resources:

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

If Profit First is supposed to reduce financial stress, why do so many business owners feel more overwhelmed after setting it up? Multiple accounts, confusing percentages, and overdraft fees were not part of the pitch.

In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, Danielle Hayden cuts through the noise around Profit First and explains what a simpler, proven cash management system actually looks like for small business owners.

You will learn how to build financial clarity using four core accounts, how to set aside the right amount for taxes based on net income, and how to stop moving money weekly and start making CEO-level decisions monthly.

If you have ever felt behind on your cash flow or unsure whether your money system is helping or hurting, this episode will give you a straightforward path forward.

👉 Discover how our CFO services can simplify your cash management and help you lead with clearer numbers: here

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Why Profit First sounds shiny but gets complicated

00:45 How the Profit First envelope system works

01:42 The hidden cost of moving money weekly

02:32 The four bank accounts every business owner needs

02:54 Why tax reserves should be based on net income

03:56 How to build a rainy day fund you touch quarterly

04:47 Why you don't save for profit, you create it

05:33 Never wait to save up before investing

05:59 The budget tool that replaces Profit First

06:48 Your real CEO job isn't transferring cash

Resources:

✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here

📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here

👉 Check your books here

👉 Visit the Kickstart website

👉 Follow us on Instagram

Listen next:

👉 10 Profit Strategies Every CEO Should Be Using Right Now

👉 When Your Numbers and Your Instincts Tell Different Stories