You're looking at your POS report. Then your spreadsheet. Then your bank account. They're all telling you something different.

So which one do you believe?

In this episode, Matt and Mike talk through what your point of sale system is actually built to do, where it falls short, and what happens when your sales data, labor scheduling, and inventory management aren't talking to each other.

We get into:

• Why POS systems are great for revenue but limited for profitability
• What it looks like when all your restaurant data actually connects
• Why that "something feels off" feeling usually means something is off
• How apathy and gut-based decisions keep the problem going

More resources for restaurant owners → https://hubs.la/Q041Rrn_0

It looks like you’re winning from the outside, but your bank account tells a different story.

In this episode, Matt and Mike share what they've seen across hundreds of restaurant P&Ls: consistent patterns, missed opportunities, and small changes that add up to real profit.

There’s no secret formula to profitability, but there are three financial levers that actually move the needle in restaurants: revenue per customer, food costs, and labor costs.

What to listen for:
* How to raise revenue without raising prices
* What your theoretical food cost should tell you
* How fear-based scheduling is hurting your bottom line
* Why your best people deserve a better system 

There are 7 consistent cash drains we see killing restaurant profits…Do you know which one is hurting you most right now?

Check the full list → https://hubs.la/Q040KT7P0

Subscribe for weekly episodes on money, operations, and everything in between for small business owners.

Your accountant says an expense is "non-deductible" and you're confused because you paid for it with your business card. Doesn't that reduce your taxes?Nope. Just because you used your business card doesn't make it deductible.Join us for Part 2 of simplifying accounting terms that confuse business owners. This time: balance sheets, tax credits vs. deductions, and why your accountant keeps asking if things are "material."

*Haven't listened to Part 1 yet? Start there first!

Grab your copy of the 'Accounting Terms Glossary' and you walk into your next financial meeting with confidence: https://hubs.la/Q03-_tRN0

Your accountant just asked, “Have you looked at your P&L lately?” And you’re sitting there wondering if that’s the same thing as your profit & loss statement. Or your income statement. Or… are those different things?

So, we asked our accounting team to list every word they use that clients probably don't understand. They sent back 30+ terms.

This episode is Part 1 of us breaking down that list. Starting with the basics:

• Net income
• Gross profit margin
• What a P&L actually is
• Why EBITDA has five letters
• And how tax brackets really work

Subscribe for Part 2 where we’ll keep going down the list of terms that confuse the heck out of business owners. Don’t want to keep Googling accounting terms? Download our free glossary of confusing accounting terms: ⁠https://hubs.la/Q03-_tRN0⁠

Do you know if your business made money last month?
Not "Did you make sales?" Did you actually make PROFIT?

Most business owners track revenue religiously, but can't answer this without doing mental math.

Your P&L is your scorecard. But most small business owners don't actually understand what it is. If you don't know your revenue, don't track your costs, don't check your margins, you'll never get excited about your business or focus on the number that really matters.

In this episode of the One Step Better Business Podcast, Matt and Mike break down the 5 numbers that tell you if you're winning or losing each month.

Highlights include:
- Why sales is an "ego stat" that keeps you in the dark
- The 5 numbers to track: Cash, Revenue, Margin, Profit, Net Profit to Owner
- How to set real targets (not just track random numbers)
- The "buckets" method for your cash
- Industry reality: restaurant vs. construction vs. retail margins
- Net profit before owner vs. after owner (they're different)

Now go build your scorecard! Track your five numbers. Figure out if you're actually winning.

And if this got you even a little bit excited about looking at your P&L for once, give us a follow. We do this every week and promise to keep the accounting talk as painless as possible :)

Most small business owners say they want to grow, but their habits tell a different story.
From spending money out of boredom, to hiring reactively, to holding on to tasks that should’ve been off your plate months ago… these are the mindsets, systems, and habits that quietly slow you down.

In this episode of the One Step Better Business Podcast, Matt and Mike get real about what accountability actually looks like and how honest reflection can be the difference between spinning your wheels and making real progress.

Highlights include:

• The power of starting from "no" to protect your time
• Why therapy spending costs more than you realize
• How to hire with intention instead of panic
• Why delegation is about focus, not control
• How to stop tolerating the problems draining your energy

 Subscribe for weekly episodes on leadership, growth, and building a business you’re proud of.

If you’re trying to grow a healthy business, you already know it’s not just about hitting revenue goals. It’s about getting clarity, leading people well, fixing what’s not working, and still finding the energy to show up again tomorrow.

And if you're anything like us, you probably haven’t stopped to take a breath, let alone look back at what actually worked this year.

In this episode, we talk through what really happened inside our business in 2025: the wins we’re proud of, the stuff we blew it on, and the lessons we’re taking into 2026. Not because we nailed it, but because we’ve got the bruises to prove it.

We’re pulling back the curtain on:

• What finally clicked with our team and client journey (after years of wrestling with it)
• How giving real feedback (even when it was awkward) changed everything
• The offhand survey comment that rewired how we hand off responsibility
• The marketing experiments that flopped  and what we learned from them
• What our team actually wants from us and how we found out
• What we’re carrying into 2026

 Subscribe for weekly convos on running a better business: team, leadership, finances, and everything in between.

Do your financials feel off, confusing, or just plain useless for making decisions? You might be using the wrong accounting method for what you're trying to accomplish.

In this episode, Matt and Mike walk through what cash basis and accrual accounting actually mean, why it affects your decision-making (not just your tax bill), and how to know if you're on the right method.

Learn why your numbers might swing wildly month to month, how to get financial statements that actually help you make decisions, and why reporting one way for insights and another way for taxes is perfectly legal (and smart). 

👀 Learn which method fits you: https://hubs.la/Q03XzYtd0

Think you can write off your vacation, your dog, or that new truck with the wrap on it because it’s “technically” a moving billboard?

A lot of business owners do! And that’s exactly what gets them in hot water.

In this episode, Mike and Matt break down the 7 most common write-offs business owners think are legal, but usually aren’t.

If you’re running a business and want to make smart tax decisions without flying too close to the sun, this episode will help you understand where the real boundaries are, what the IRS actually expects, and how to avoid the kind of write-offs that lead to penalties, audits, or unwanted attention.

Download the Deduction Cheat Sheet: https://hubs.la/Q03WxLcV0

Most restaurant owners don’t get into the business for the spreadsheets. But ignoring the math is exactly how good places go under.

In this episode of the One Step Better Podcast, Mike and Matt unpack what really causes margin problems in restaurants. From portion control to overstaffing out of fear, they walk through the hard choices owners have to make to actually turn a profit.

Here’s what we get into:

• The #1 labor mistake that’s blowing your payroll
• What your POS data should be telling you about portion control and price creep
• Why “menu engineering” isn’t just a buzzword but the difference between breaking even and going broke
• How third-party delivery apps can destroy your margins if you’re not careful
• The truth about food inventory tracking
• The emotional decisions owners make that hurt the business most

If you want to stop guessing why your bank account isn’t matching your sales, and start running your restaurant like a business, this episode will give you the clarity and the tools to move ahead.

Subscribe so you never miss the insights, mindset shifts, and real numbers that help you build a more profitable business.

Keep learning → https://patrickaccounting.com/learning-center