Blog
You Don't Need More Customers, But You Might Need Better Suited Ones
Trying to please everyone sometimes backfires more than trying to please the perfect someone.
Three Money Mistakes Almost Every New Business Makes
Most small businesses aren't run by accountants. Money mistakes happen, but here's some of the most common ones I see to help you get ahead.
Why Successful Entrepreneurs Ask More Questions Than They Answer
Asking questions isn't a weakness. If anything, it shows you care.
Five Signs It's Time to Ask for Business Advice
Many entrepreneurs wait until something goes wrong before asking for help. By then, the stress has already set in. The reality is, getting advice early is one of the smartest investments you can make.
Busy Doesn't Always Mean Profitable
Profit isn't determined by how much work you do. It's determined by how well your business is managed.
Two Heads are Better than One
Being your own boss has a lot of advantages. But it also means you're often making every important decision on your own. Having a trusted sounding board doesn't mean someone else makes your decisions. It means you have someone who asks the questions you may not have thought to ask.
What do you do When Your Business Isn’t Growing Like You Expected
You launched with excitement. You worked hard. You expected steady growth. But, somehow things aren't moving as quickly as you imagined.
The Questions to Ask Before You Take on a New Client
Not every client is the right client for you. It's tempting to say yes to every opportunity, especially when you're starting out. But, every new client requires your time, energy, and resources.
How To Know if Your Business Idea Is Actually Different Enough to Stand Out
One of the biggest questions new entrepreneurs ask is: "What if someone is already doing this?" The truth is, they probably are. But, that doesn't mean your business can't succeed. Standing out isn't always about inventing something completely new. It's about giving customers a reason to choose you.
How to Stop Running Your Business Reactively and Start Running it Intentionally
Does your business feel like you're constantly putting out fires? One day, you’re chasing invoices. The next, you’re scrambling to find new clients. Then, you’re trying to finish projects, while answering emails, and wondering where the week went. That's reactive business ownership.
What Building a Financial Foundation Actually Means for a Brand New Business
Many people think building a financial foundation means hiring an accountant. That's only part of the picture. A strong financial foundation starts long before tax season. It starts with understanding how money moves through your business.
What a Sanity Check Actually Means for a Brand New Business
Starting a business comes with excitement. It also comes with uncertainty. Every week, you're making decisions you've never had to make before, and sometimes it's hard to know whether you're making the right one. That's where a business sanity check comes in.
What Fleshing Out Ideas Actually Means for a Brand New Business
One of the biggest mistakes new business owners make is jumping straight into designing a logo, building a website, or posting on social media before they've fully explored whether their idea actually works. When I talk about fleshing out ideas, I don't mean making them sound better. I mean taking the time to ask the questions that transform a good idea into a business that has a chance to succeed.
Done is Better than Perfect
Fellow over-thinkers and over-planners unite! You know who you are and I know you have been “almost ready” to launch your business for months, years, or even decades, because there is always just one more thing to figure out. I see you, I was you, until I signed up for a workshop and was told “done is better than perfect”, which has stuck with me since. Boy oh boy, did I need to hear that. KCS would not be a thing if I hadn’t heard that. I would still be a corporate girly if I hadn’t been told that. Hear me out, you are more ready to take the leap than you think you are. The thing holding you back isn’t a gap in your business. It’s a universal belief that everything needs to be perfect before you can begin. These were my non-negotiables that had to be in place, and what I found could wait.
Will This Business Idea Actually Make Money?
You’ve got an idea. Maybe you’ve had it for awhile and keep tinkering with it in the shower or when you talk with friends. Something in you just keeps coming back to it, but there’s a nagging question underneath all the excitement… will this actually work?
Are You Charging Enough?
If you’ve ever looked at your prices and thought “Maybe I should charge less to get more clients”, this post is for you. Undercharging is one of the most common mistakes small business owners make. It makes total sense why: you’re small, you’re not sure what you’re worth, and a lower price feels like the safest way to get people to say yes.
The Hidden Costs of Running a Business
When most people think of starting a business, they think about the revenue potential, the ability to be their own boss, and make their own decisions, that leads directly to how much money they’ll take home. What seems to take up a lot less bandwidth is what it will actually cost. That gap is where a lot of new business owners get caught off guard. Not because they make bad decisions, but because nobody ever sat down with them and said “here’s what running a business actually costs”, beyond the obvious stuff.
Why Your Business Feels Broke, Even with Money Flowing In
You have sales. You have money coming in to your account. However, your bank account is screaming at you to keep working, since its looking a little …bleak. And then the million dollar question pops into your head where did it all go? If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone, and you aren’t doing anything wrong. This is one of the most common situations new business owners can find themselves in, but also one of the most stressful, until you understand why this is occurring.
The Real Cost of Winging It: What Skipping a Business Plan Actually Costs You
Be honest… did you start your business by creating a business plan, or did you just start? If you answered the second one, you’re in good company. A lot of small business owners jump into business with an idea, tons of energy, and the best intentions, all while knowing deep down that they can figure out details along the way.
Analysis Paralysis, Anxiety, and Making Those Big Business Decisions
Every small business owner knows the feeling. A big decision is sitting in front of you: hire someone, raise your prices, invest in a new tool, take on a new client, pivot your offering. And, instead of feeling excited, you just feel nauseous, nervous, and stressed beyond belief.
Five Financial Documents that are Must Haves
Every single business owner has a vision when they start. However, vision alone won’t tell you if you can afford that new hire, or that fancy software, or even whether your business will still be standing in 6 months.
So You Got Your First Payment… Party, Panic, or No Problem?
You just received your first payment - holy ****, congratulations!! Someone out there believes in you, believes in your product or service, and paid you to make their life better. That’s a heck of a feeling. You celebrate a little (or a lot, no judgement here) and then, as you come down from the high, questions and panic takes over. What do I do with this? Should I have a full accounting system prepped and ready? Do I need to take into account taxes or any other items out of this payment?
Five Numbers You Need to Look at Every Month (and What they Actually Mean)
While it can be tempting to just glance at your bank account balance each month and tell yourself that everything is fine, the truth is that your bank account does not even come close to telling you the full story. To know if your business is actually heading in the right direction, you need to not only look at five key numbers, but also understand them. And the best part, no accounting degree required! Below is your no-nonsense guide to the financial metrics that actually matter for your small business.
Mistakes or Milestones? Three Learning Opportunities You May Encounter as a Small Business Owner
Starting a business is an overwhelming mix of excitement, nervous energy, and constantly second guessing every single decision you make. Learning on the fly is a critical part of every new business owner’s journey, as is making mistakes. However, there are some mistakes that are more common among new business owners and can be relatively easy to avoid with knowledge and preparation. Truthfully, every mistake is really just a learning opportunity.
You Started a Business, Not an Accounting Firm… But Budgeting Should Still be a Priority.
Most small business owners don’t start their companies to become accountants. You go into business to do what you love. Even as someone who studied accounting in university and has her Chartered Accountant designation, there are some parts of owning my own business that I unintentionally put on the back burner (looking at you business taxes), as they don’t seem as fun to me. For a lot of owners though, budgeting is that afterthought.