#accounting
Accounting
Master accounting fundamentals and best practices for plain-text bookkeeping
Gross vs. Net: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know About Income, Profit, and Pay
Understand the difference between gross and net across income, profit, pay, and revenue. Includes formulas, real-world examples, industry benchmarks, and common mistakes to avoid when analyzing your business finances.
How to Pay Yourself from an LLC: Owner's Draw vs. Salary Explained
Learn how to pay yourself from an LLC, including owner's draws, salary, and guaranteed payments. Compare tax implications across LLC structures, understand IRS reasonable compensation rules, and find the best compensation strategy for your business.
Invoice Templates: How to Create and Send Professional Invoices
A complete guide to creating professional invoices. Learn about the 13 essential elements of an invoice, common mistakes, payment terms, and tips to get paid faster.
Invoice Template: How to Create Professional Invoices for Your Business
Learn how to create professional invoices that get paid on time. This guide covers essential invoice elements, payment terms like Net 30 and 2/10 Net 30, common invoicing mistakes, types of invoices, template formats, and proven tips to accelerate payment collection for your business.
Liabilities in Accounting: What They Are, Types, and How to Manage Them
Learn what liabilities are in accounting, the difference between current, non-current, and contingent liabilities, key financial ratios for analyzing debt, and practical strategies to manage your business obligations effectively.
LIFO Inventory Method: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It
Learn how the LIFO (Last In, First Out) inventory method works, compare LIFO vs FIFO with examples, understand the tax advantages, LIFO reserve, liquidation risks, and when LIFO is the right choice for your business.
The Most Important Financial Ratios Every Business Owner Should Track
Learn the most important financial ratios every business owner should track, including liquidity, leverage, profitability, and efficiency ratios—with formulas, examples, benchmarks, and practical tips for using them effectively.
Operating Expenses: What They Are, How to Calculate, and How to Reduce Them
Learn what operating expenses are, how to calculate the operating expense ratio, the difference between OpEx and CapEx, where operating expenses appear on financial statements, tax implications, and eight practical strategies to reduce your operating costs.
Profit and Loss Statement: What It Is, How to Read and Create One
Learn what a profit and loss statement is, how to read and create one for your small business, understand the difference between single-step and multi-step formats, calculate key profitability ratios, and avoid common P&L mistakes that could be costing you money.
Return on Assets (ROA): What It Is, How to Calculate It, and How to Improve It
Learn what Return on Assets (ROA) is, how to calculate it step by step, what constitutes a good ROA by industry, how ROA compares to ROE and ROIC, and six proven strategies to improve your ROA.
SG&A Expenses: What They Are, How to Calculate Them, and Why They Matter
Learn what SG&A (Selling, General & Administrative) expenses are, how to calculate the SG&A ratio, industry benchmarks, and practical strategies to reduce overhead and improve profitability.
Startup Accounting: The Founder's Guide to Getting Your Finances Right from Day One
A practical guide to startup accounting covering entity setup, cash vs. accrual methods, financial statements, tax essentials, and how to prepare your books for fundraising—so you can avoid costly mistakes and make better decisions from day one.