The Money Part

Books two years behind? You’re not behind as a person, your data entry is. In this Ask Barb episode, Barb Fisher and Juliana start with how to catch up without the shame, then get into the software side: the alternatives to QuickBooks worth knowing, including Mercury Books and Xero, and where accounting tools are headed with AI.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why being behind is so common, and how to get past the guilt and shame of it
• Where to actually start catching up (the most recent month, not the oldest) and how working with a bookkeeper goes
• When to keep doing it yourself and when to outsource, and how to make the switch
• Alternatives to QuickBooks worth a look: Mercury Books and Xero
• What Mercury Books offers, how it connects with your bank, and where it can save you money
• How AI is reshaping accounting software, and what to watch for

Your one move this week: Pick one month, the most recent, and start. And if QuickBooks isn’t working for you, put Mercury Books or Xero on your shortlist to test.

Resources and links:

Have a money question for a future episode? Send it here: [email protected]

Free Profit First assessment: https://lp.fisherbusiness.net/profit-first-instant-assessment-worksheet

Book a free consultation with Fisher Bookkeeping: https://fisherbookkeeping.com/schedule-your-consultation/

The most practical Profit First move there is happens to be the most boring: opening a few bank accounts. In this episode, Barb Fisher and Juliana get into how to actually set it up, how the money flows between accounts, and the small choices (like which bank you use) that make the whole system run itself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Profit First starts with multiple bank accounts, and how that changes your financial management
• How the income account and your holding and operating accounts work together to track expenses and profit
• How to allocate funds on a regular rhythm, ideally tied to payroll or another consistent activity
• Why choosing a bank that offers free accounts matters, and how tools like Relay can streamline allocations
• When to recalibrate your allocations as your business changes
• How a Profit First coach helps with the emotional side of money, and why clean money systems make your business more attractive to a future buyer

Your one move this week: Start small. Open one new account, even just for taxes, and begin allocating. Small savings habits add up to real change.

Resources and links:
Free Profit First assessment: https://lp.fisherbusiness.net/profit-first-instant-assessment-worksheet
Book a free consultation with Fisher Bookkeeping: https://fisherbookkeeping.com/schedule-your-consultation/

Mentioned: Relay (for automating allocations)
Related: Episode 3, Profit First in Plain English

Your October CPA meeting shouldn't be a panic session. It should be a strategy session. In this episode, Barb Fisher shows small business owners how a soft close in the fall buys you time to actually act on your numbers, while you still can, instead of just reporting what already happened.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-What a soft close is, and why October beats waiting for year-end
-The cleanup that pays off: reimbursements, stale checks, and missing expenses
-How to tell whether your tax account is actually on track
-How to decide if a big purchase should land this year or next
-What to bring your CPA (your P&L and balance sheet) and the questions to ask

Your one move this week: Get your P&L and balance sheet ready and book the meeting. If you don't have a CPA yet, start asking around now.

Not tax advice. Your CPA has the final word on your situation.

Resources and links:
Free Profit First assessment: https://lp.fisherbusiness.net/profit-first-instant-assessment-worksheet

Book a free consultation with Fisher Bookkeeping: https://fisherbookkeeping.com/schedule-your-consultation/

Profit First, explained the way you wish someone had explained it to you. Barb Fisher walks through what the Profit First method actually is, the simple flip at the heart of it, and, just as honestly, who it's not for. No hype, no magic, just a structure that makes paying yourself automatic.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Profit First is
• The flip that changes everything: profit first, expenses on what's left
• Why it's structure, not willpower, that makes it work
• Who Profit First is honestly not for, and the first tiny step if it is

Your one move this week: Just understand the idea. Change nothing yet.

Resources and links:

Free Profit First assessment: https://lp.fisherbusiness.net/profit-first-instant-assessment-worksheet

Book a free consultation with Fisher Bookkeeping: https://fisherbookkeeping.com/schedule-your-consultation/

Related: Ep 5, The Bank Account Setup That Changes Everything

Revenue feels good, but it can hide whether your business is actually surviving. In this episode, Barb Fisher breaks down the one number most small business owners ignore, why it tells the truth when revenue flatters, and how to find it in about five minutes. This one's for any owner who's had a big sales month and still couldn't cover rent.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why revenue is a vanity number and what to watch instead
• The difference between revenue and profit, in plain English
• How to find your real number in five minutes, no fancy tools
• What a healthy version looks like, and what an early warning sign looks like

Your one move this week: Go find your number, then check it again next week.

Resources and links:

Free Profit First Instant Assessment:  https://lp.fisherbusiness.net/profit-first-instant-assessment-worksheet

Book a free consultation with Fisher Bookkeeping: https://fisherbookkeeping.com/schedule-your-consultation/

Related: Ep 3, Profit First in Plain English

Welcome to The Money Part, the weekly show that makes the money side of running a small business make sense, without the jargon. In this first episode, Certified Profit First Professional Barb Fisher shares why she started the show, who it's for, and what to expect each week. If you're great at your craft but no one handed you a manual for cash flow, bookkeeping, taxes, and paying yourself, this is your show.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why so many successful owners are quietly uneasy about their own numbers, and why it's fixable
• Exactly who The Money Part is for, and who it's honestly not for
• How the four episode types each month work, plus the monthly Studio Series for dance studio owners
• What a weekly, plain-English money habit can do for your business

Your one move this week: Subscribe, and send this to one other business owner who'd feel less alone knowing this show exists.

Resources and links:

Free Profit First assessment: https://lp.fisherbusiness.net/profit-first-instant-assessment-worksheet

Book a free consultation with Fisher Bookkeeping: https://fisherbookkeeping.com/schedule-your-consultation/