Merchant cash advances can fund your business in 24 hours—but at effective APRs often exceeding 100%. Learn how factor rates work, how to calculate your true cost, when MCAs make sense, and what cheaper alternatives to consider first.
A step-by-step guide to the month-end close process for small businesses—covering bank reconciliation, accrual recording, and financial statement review, with benchmarks showing most businesses close in 5–10 days.
A 10-step month-end close checklist covering revenue recording, bank reconciliation, AR/AP updates, depreciation, and financial statement review—designed to help small businesses close their books in five days or fewer.
A practical guide to 15 high-value questions every small business owner should ask their accountant — covering tax deductions, business structure, cash flow forecasting, and record-keeping, with guidance on what good answers look like.
A plain-English breakdown of what a general ledger is, how double-entry bookkeeping keeps it balanced, and how to set up and maintain GL records—including common mistakes, a step-by-step setup guide, and software options for small business owners.
A merchant account is the intermediary that holds card payment funds before they reach your business bank account. Learn how merchant accounts work, what fees to expect (interchange, assessment, processor markup), when to use a PSP like Stripe instead, and what to watch out for in contracts.
Commingling personal and business funds can void your LLC's liability protection, trigger IRS scrutiny, and obscure true cash flow. Seven concrete steps to separate your finances and protect your assets.
A plain-English breakdown of accounting for small business owners—how the accounting cycle works, when to use cash vs. accrual basis, the three core financial statements, and the most common bookkeeping mistakes that derail otherwise healthy businesses.
Your books say $18,450. Your bank says $16,200. Which is right? Bank reconciliation closes that gap—and it's the most effective way small businesses catch fraud before it compounds.
Eleven concrete bookkeeping habits that reduce tax-season stress for small business owners — from separating accounts and categorizing expenses correctly to automating bank feeds and reviewing monthly financial reports.
Take control of your finances with our open-source double-entry accounting system. Start your ledger today.
© 2019 - 2026 Beancount.io
