Get Comfy with Numbers | Making Bookkeeping & QuickBooks Easy for Female Entrepreneurs, Bookkeeping for Small Business

Do you have QuickBooks open in a tab right now that you haven't actually clicked on in two weeks? This episode is for you.

First things first: you're not lazy, you're not bad at business, and you are so not alone. Bookkeeping avoidance is one of the most common things I see, and today I'm breaking down exactly why it happens AND what to do about it.

In this episode, I cover:

The 3 real reasons you keep avoiding your QuickBooks (hint: it's not because you're bad at this)

Why avoidance is actually making the problem bigger, not smaller

How to start breaking the cycle without needing a full free afternoon to do it

Why you need to drop the shame spiral for good

The 3 reasons bookkeeping avoidance makes total sense:

1. It feels overwhelming before you even start
2. There's shame, guilt, or fear attached to what you might find
3. Nobody actually taught you how to do this

But here's the truth: the longer it sits, the heavier it gets. What would take 30 minutes today can turn into a 3-hour project next month. And without your numbers, you're making business decisions based on vibes... which is a different kind of stressful.

The good news? You don't need a perfect 3-hour block to get caught up. You just need a plan and a starting point.

Ready to stop dreading it and actually start doing it? Grab the free Cleanup Playlist Bundle in the link below. It walks you through how to clean up your QuickBooks, get caught up quickly, and figure out if you're missing anything.

https://erikamillard.com/podcast-playlist-bundles

Is Doing Your Own Books Actually Working for You? 4 Honest Signs Every Small Business Owner Needs to Hear

Be honest with yourself for a second... is your bookkeeping actually working? Not just kind of happening, but really working? There's a big difference between doing your own books and doing them well, and if you're a solopreneur or small business owner managing your own QuickBooks, this episode is for you.

Today we're breaking down four honest signs to help you figure out where you actually stand with your bookkeeping, and what to do about it no matter where you land.

Grab the free podcast playlist in the show notes — it's a curated starting point no matter where you are in your bookkeeping journey!

The 4 Signs We Cover:

Sign #1: Your Bookkeeping Isn't Getting Done Consistently Are your books only getting done when things slow down? Or is there a three-month pile of transactions waiting for you in QuickBooks? Consistency is the whole game with bookkeeping for small business owners, and if it's a struggle, it's usually a setup problem, not a you problem. We talk through some practical (and fun!) ways to actually make yourself sit down and do it.

Sign #2: You're Not Sure Your QuickBooks Numbers Are Actually Right Your transactions are in QuickBooks... but do you actually trust them? If you have a quiet little voice wondering whether your profit and loss report is accurate, or you've been avoiding your reports altogether, this one's for you. We talk about what to look for and where to get support so you can actually use your numbers to make real business decisions.

Sign #3: You've Been Avoiding QuickBooks Completely If QuickBooks is a tab you keep opening and closing without actually doing anything, that pit in your stomach is real information. Avoidance is almost never about laziness. For most small business owners doing their own bookkeeping, it's usually fear, shame, or confusion, and all of it is fixable.

Sign #4: Doing Your Own Bookkeeping Might Not Make Sense Anymore Your business is growing. You're good at what you do. And bookkeeping keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list. There's no shame in reaching the point where DIY bookkeeping just doesn't make sense anymore. Outsourcing your books isn't failure. It's a smart business decision.

Resources mentioned:

• Free Podcast Playlist: https://erikamillard.com/podcast-playlist-bundles
• Monthly Support Club (membership): https://erikamillard.com/monthlysupportclub

Happy Bookkeeping!

Not everyone needs QuickBooks right now. And some people who already have it? They're using it wrong. In this episode, I'm walking you through three real conversations I had with business owners all asking the same question: Is QuickBooks right for me? Each one got a different answer, and here's why.

What you'll hear in this episode:

The Spreadsheet Girly -- She had a perfectly fine system, low transaction volume, and zero urgency to switch. So why did I still nudge her toward QuickBooks? Because setting up your foundation before the busy season hits can save you from learning too many new things at once. Plus, if you don't have a way to invoice clients yet, you might as well have it all in one place.

The Guy Who Wasn't Sure It Was Set Up Right -- He had QuickBooks. He clicked through all the setup prompts. But something felt off. Sound familiar? Having QuickBooks and having QuickBooks set up correctly are two very different things. We did a full review of his chart of accounts, settings, and categorization, and now he's working through the course with a lot more confidence.

The Paper Ledger Lady -- She had discipline, she had a system, and she had been doing her own books for years. The problem wasn't her capability; it was the language barrier. QuickBooks uses accounting terminology that can feel like a foreign language if you don't have a background in it. The good news? You don't need an accounting degree. You just need someone to show you what to do.

The thing all three had in common? They weren't lost. They just needed someone to point them toward what actually made sense for their situation.

If you heard yourself in any of these stories, your next step is the free podcast playlist. It will help you figure out exactly where you are in your bookkeeping journey and which episodes to start with, so you're not sifting through 100+ episodes wondering where to begin.

Grab the free playlist here: https://erikamillard.com/podcast-playlist-bundles

Topics covered:

• When a spreadsheet is actually fine (and when it's not)
• Signs your QuickBooks setup might have gaps
• Why the language of accounting feels so overwhelming
• How to go from "I don't know what I don't know" to feeling confident
• The mindset shift that helps you stop overthinking and start taking action

Are you Googling "how to do bookkeeping for my small business" and getting results that are either way too basic or way over your head? You're not alone, friend. In this episode, we're breaking down the three bookkeeping eras so you can figure out exactly where you are right now and what to do next.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The 3 bookkeeping eras every small business owner moves through
• How to identify which stage you're in right now
• The most common mistakes people make at each stage (and how to avoid them)
• What you actually need to move forward with confidence

The 3 Bookkeeping Eras:

Era 1: I Just Need to Get Started You're asking questions like: Is a spreadsheet good enough, or do I need QuickBooks? Which QuickBooks subscription do I need? Do I need a separate business bank account? This stage comes with a lot of fear, especially around making the "wrong" decision. The good news? You don't need to learn everything at once. You just need a clear plan to get started.

Era 2: Things Got a Little Away from Me You've been doing bookkeeping for a while, but something feels off. Maybe you've been avoiding looking at the numbers, or you've Googled a QuickBooks problem and just... couldn't find the answer. This is super common. Most people are actually doing better than they think, but the overwhelm keeps them from finding out.

Era 3: I Am So Done Doing This Myself Your time is better spent in your zone of genius, and bookkeeping just isn't it. If you keep waiting for the "perfect" time to outsource, this era is a sign that it's time to stop waiting and hand it off.

Grab your free curated podcast playlist based on your bookkeeping era here:https://erikamillard.com/podcast-playlist-bundles

With 115+ episodes in the Get Comfy with Numbers library, the playlists are designed to cut through the overwhelm and give you the exact episodes you need for where you are right now.

Today I'm sharing the mic with Lisa Avila a Non-Profit Strategist so we can cover everything you'd need to know if you wanted to start a non-profit business. The big vision, the money, the organization, avoiding burnout and everything in between!

Here are the ways we can connect:

Take Home Target

https://erikamillard.com/takehometarget

Free QuickBooks Next Steps Session call

https://portal.erikamillard.com/public/appointment-scheduler/6814fec8e03a2f003a29c5f1/schedule

Happy Bookkeeping!

Women Podcasters Awards Vote Here! https://www.womenpodcasters.com/erika-millard

Most people think they need to feel ready before they start.

But what if that's the very thing keeping you stuck?

In this episode, I share a personal moment—how I almost didn't start this podcast because I didn't feel "ready"… and why that had nothing to do with readiness and everything to do with fear.

We talk about:

• The real reason you keep putting things off
• How "waiting until you're ready" shows up in your business (especially your bookkeeping)
• Why confidence doesn't come before action
• A simple, doable way to start—without overwhelm

If you've been avoiding something because you don't feel ready yet, this episode will help you take that first step.

Here are the ways we can connect:

Take Home Target

https://erikamillard.com/takehometarget

Free QuickBooks Next Steps Session call

https://portal.erikamillard.com/public/appointment-scheduler/6814fec8e03a2f003a29c5f1/schedule

Happy Bookkeeping!

When you're hunting on YouTube for an answer to your bookkeeping question or problem, minutes can turn to hours. It seems the clarity you need is burried and hidden deep somewhere in these videos, it's just hard to know how to find it. Today we're talking about a real life example of this so I can teach you how to get the help you're looking for!

Here are the ways we can connect:

Take Home Target

https://erikamillard.com/takehometarget

Free QuickBooks Next Steps Session call

https://portal.erikamillard.com/public/appointment-scheduler/6814fec8e03a2f003a29c5f1/schedule

Happy Bookkeeping!

Welp… it happened to me. My business card got hacked.

And before you panic…everything is okay. But it definitely made me realize there were a few things I thought were 'fine'…that maybe weren't as safe as I thought.

And honestly? It helped me tighten up a few things on the security side that I probably wouldn't have thought twice about before. I already had a lot of the right things in place, but this was one of those moments that made me want to make sure everything is as solid as possible.

We're covering public wifi, Quickbooks, card protection, email, and passwords. Let's go over these security steps together!

Here are the ways we can connect:

Take Home Target

https://erikamillard.com/takehometarget

Free QuickBooks Next Steps Session call

https://portal.erikamillard.com/public/appointment-scheduler/6814fec8e03a2f003a29c5f1/schedule

Happy Bookkeeping!

Feeling overwhelmed by all the QuickBooks options? You're not alone. In this episode, we break it all down in a simple, no-stress way so you can confidently choose the right plan—without overpaying or overcomplicating your bookkeeping.

✨ What You'll Learn:

• The real first decision: QuickBooks Online vs Desktop
• Why QuickBooks Online is the best choice for most small business owners
• When Desktop actually makes sense (and when it doesn't)
• 🚫 Why you should avoid QuickBooks Self-Employed
• A simple breakdown of each QuickBooks Online plan:
  • Simple Start (best place to begin)
  • Essentials (when you need bill tracking)
  • Plus (for deeper insights + budgeting)
  • Advanced (for larger teams)
• 💡 The truth about recurring invoices (and why you probably don't need to upgrade for them anymore)
• 💡 The truth about budgeting features (and when they actually matter)

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Start simpler than you think
• More features ≠ easier bookkeeping
• Most service-based businesses will do great with Simple Start
• Upgrade only when your business actually needs it—not "just in case"

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Choosing a higher plan too soon
• Starting with Self-Employed
• Sticking with Desktop just because it feels familiar
• Expecting software to fix messy books

💗 Bestie Truth:

QuickBooks has made its lower-tier plans more powerful—don't let all the options pressure you into overcomplicating things.

📩 Next Steps:

Not sure which plan fits your business? That's exactly what I help with. Send me a DM or book a free "Next Steps" session to get personalized guidance.

Here are the ways we can connect:

Take Home Target

https://erikamillard.com/takehometarget

Free QuickBooks Next Steps Session call

https://portal.erikamillard.com/public/appointment-scheduler/6814fec8e03a2f003a29c5f1/schedule

Happy Bookkeeping!

Today I'm bringing Madelyn Furlong on the pod to talk about marketing on social media as a service provider. We cover how to avoid burnout, smart ways to use AI, and what "introvert-friendly marketing" actually looks like in real life. Have you been wondering how to create connection on Instagram without being on social 24/7? I ask Madelyn what she would recommend focusing on if you only had 20 minutes a day or even 1 hour a week. She talks about consistencey, she debunks visibility myths, and she shares her favorite "low-effort, high-impact" post to create when you're in a slump! Listen in if you: If you have low engagement, because we talk about the most important things you can troubleshoot If you want ideas for new ways to repurpose content, because we teach you how to create mulitple posts If you feel like you're behind or inconsistent, because we share tips that will help you stick to the plan Website: https://madelynvictoriaco.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madelynvictoriaco/ Contact email: [email protected] Freebie: The 20-Minute Content Kit: https://madelynvictoriaco.com/content-kit Special offer: 2 custom sales emails to send to your list to go with your first month of social media management (normally a $250 offer!)