<![CDATA[Why Did We Start This?]]>a5e78d4e-83b6-5582-8e07-b0b8501ec550Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:30:17 +0000Captivate.fmPenny Armbrusterhttps://artwork.captivate.fm/fa39c3a2-c89a-46c8-a41e-bfca952381d9/why-did-we-start-this-cover-3000px-under-512kb-2.jpgWhy Did We Start This?Penny ArmbrusterPenny ArmbrusterYou started your business for freedom. So why does it feel like a trap? Most business owners start out wanting more time and more money, but end up working 80 hours a week for a boss they can't stand (themselves). They guess based on their bank balance, dread tax season, and have no idea what they can actually pay themselves this month. Why Did We Start This? is a daily reset for faith-driven business owners who are tired of the financial chaos. Hosted by Fractional CFO Penny Armbruster and operations expert Jonathan Armbruster, this livestream cuts through the hustle-culture noise to give you the plain-English financial systems you actually need. Every Monday through Saturday, we tackle the real issues your CPA isn't talking to you about. The problem isn't you. The problem is the absence of a financial system built for your business. Join us daily to stop guessing, start leading, and finally build a business that pays you. Ready to see where your numbers really stand? Book a free Financial Check-In at 1610consulting.com.https://1610consulting.com/falseepisodicf4e39980-94ee-11f1-af14-55aa37811218nopodcastThis Mistake Cost A Business More Than $800k | Real Finance StrugglesThis Mistake Cost A Business More Than $800k | Real Finance StrugglesA vendor email can look ordinary, arrive with a real invoice, and still send a business's money to a scammer. In a Justice Department case, an Iowa company paid more than $800,000 after a criminal impersonated vendors and redirected invoice payments. The government seized $372,583.77 from one account, and a court ordered roughly $375,000 forfeited to the United States. The DOJ does not say that forfeited money was returned to the business. I explain why a sudden payment change deserves a pause, why checking a sender's actual email address matters, and why calling a known vendor contact using a number you already trust is safer than replying to the message. I also share practical controls I want small business owners to consider, including clear approval thresholds and a verification step before funds move. Before the next payment goes out, build a callback into your process.

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Takeaways:

  • I verify any change to vendor payment instructions through a known contact and a phone number already on file.
  • I inspect the full sender address, but treat email clues as a warning rather than proof of identity.
  • I set payment approval thresholds and require a second authorized review for high-risk transfers.
  • I report suspected payment fraud promptly to my bank, law enforcement, and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

]]>A vendor email can look ordinary, arrive with a real invoice, and still send a business's money to a scammer. In a Justice Department case, an Iowa company paid more than $800,000 after a criminal impersonated vendors and redirected invoice payments. The government seized $372,583.77 from one account, and a court ordered roughly $375,000 forfeited to the United States. The DOJ does not say that forfeited money was returned to the business. I explain why a sudden payment change deserves a pause, why checking a sender's actual email address matters, and why calling a known vendor contact using a number you already trust is safer than replying to the message. I also share practical controls I want small business owners to consider, including clear approval thresholds and a verification step before funds move. Before the next payment goes out, build a callback into your process.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I verify any change to vendor payment instructions through a known contact and a phone number already on file.
  • I inspect the full sender address, but treat email clues as a warning rather than proof of identity.
  • I set payment approval thresholds and require a second authorized review for high-risk transfers.
  • I report suspected payment fraud promptly to my bank, law enforcement, and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

]]>e3e37058-261b-4f39-88cf-4963cc666bb0Thu, 15 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050018:24falsefull5757I explain how a vendor impersonation scam redirected more than $800,000 in business payments and share practical checks for verifying payment changes. Learn why a trusted callback, sender-address review, and clear approval steps matter.A Good Leader Can Say “I Don’t Know” | Wheel of WisdomA Good Leader Can Say “I Don’t Know” | Wheel of WisdomI do not believe a good leader has to know every answer. In this Wednesday Wheel of Wisdom, Jonathan and I test that claim alongside five other pieces of business advice: that being the boss means answering to no one, that a positive bank balance proves profitability, that cutting prices will always pay off in volume, that a bigger business gets easier to run, and that a CPA is automatically your day-to-day financial advisor. I share what I learned when a client asked about factoring and why asking a trusted expert for help can be a strength. We also talk about accountability, business cash, inventory, systems, and building a circle of people who can guide you in areas outside your expertise. Some advice depends on your business model, your margins, and the support around you. I want you to question the shortcuts, know what your numbers actually mean, and remember that you do not have to lead alone.

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Takeaways:

  • I believe strong leaders can acknowledge what they do not know and seek qualified, trusted advice.
  • I believe being the boss does not remove legal, ethical, or spiritual accountability.
  • I do not treat a positive bank balance alone as proof of profitability because that cash may be needed for taxes, vendors, or other obligations.
  • I weigh lower prices against costs, margins, demand, capacity, and inventory needs before treating volume as a sound strategy.
  • I look to systems and capable people, not company size alone, to make operations easier, and I do not assume a CPA is automatically engaged as a day-to-day financial advisor.

]]>I do not believe a good leader has to know every answer. In this Wednesday Wheel of Wisdom, Jonathan and I test that claim alongside five other pieces of business advice: that being the boss means answering to no one, that a positive bank balance proves profitability, that cutting prices will always pay off in volume, that a bigger business gets easier to run, and that a CPA is automatically your day-to-day financial advisor. I share what I learned when a client asked about factoring and why asking a trusted expert for help can be a strength. We also talk about accountability, business cash, inventory, systems, and building a circle of people who can guide you in areas outside your expertise. Some advice depends on your business model, your margins, and the support around you. I want you to question the shortcuts, know what your numbers actually mean, and remember that you do not have to lead alone.

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Takeaways:

  • I believe strong leaders can acknowledge what they do not know and seek qualified, trusted advice.
  • I believe being the boss does not remove legal, ethical, or spiritual accountability.
  • I do not treat a positive bank balance alone as proof of profitability because that cash may be needed for taxes, vendors, or other obligations.
  • I weigh lower prices against costs, margins, demand, capacity, and inventory needs before treating volume as a sound strategy.
  • I look to systems and capable people, not company size alone, to make operations easier, and I do not assume a CPA is automatically engaged as a day-to-day financial advisor.

]]>d06814f4-43fb-4c17-ba2d-63b39c613cecWed, 14 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050018:57falsefull5656I test common business advice with Jonathan, from whether a leader needs every answer to whether cash, pricing, and growth mean what owners assume. I explain why trusted expertise, accountability, and sound systems matter.A Payroll Tax Failure Led to Prison and $973K in Restitution | Real Finance StrugglesA Payroll Tax Failure Led to Prison and $973K in Restitution | Real Finance StrugglesI want every employer to understand that payroll taxes withheld from a paycheck are not available cash. Jonathan and I look at the Justice Department's case against Brenda Wymer, who owned and operated North Carolina's Haven Home Care Inc. The DOJ says the company withheld Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from employees' paychecks between 2015 and 2024 but did not account for or pay those funds to the IRS. Wymer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and $973,727.04 in restitution. I explain what withholding means, why owners should use a payroll provider to handle deposits and filings, how to check that payments were made, and why payroll records should be reconciled against tax deposits. Jonathan and I also talk about separating financial responsibilities so one person does not control every step. At the end, I connect an NF lyric about money and happiness to defining business success beyond revenue.

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Takeaways:

  • Payroll taxes withheld from employees' paychecks are not working capital and must be accounted for and remitted to the IRS.
  • A full-service payroll provider can handle filings and deposits, but an employer should still verify that payments are made.
  • Keep evidence of payroll tax deposits and reconcile payroll tax reports with the corresponding deposits.
  • Payroll rules can vary by state, so owners should seek qualified payroll help when their needs exceed their expertise.
  • Revenue is only one measure of business success, alongside owner pay, health, family, time, and purpose.

]]>I want every employer to understand that payroll taxes withheld from a paycheck are not available cash. Jonathan and I look at the Justice Department's case against Brenda Wymer, who owned and operated North Carolina's Haven Home Care Inc. The DOJ says the company withheld Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from employees' paychecks between 2015 and 2024 but did not account for or pay those funds to the IRS. Wymer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and $973,727.04 in restitution. I explain what withholding means, why owners should use a payroll provider to handle deposits and filings, how to check that payments were made, and why payroll records should be reconciled against tax deposits. Jonathan and I also talk about separating financial responsibilities so one person does not control every step. At the end, I connect an NF lyric about money and happiness to defining business success beyond revenue.

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Takeaways:

  • Payroll taxes withheld from employees' paychecks are not working capital and must be accounted for and remitted to the IRS.
  • A full-service payroll provider can handle filings and deposits, but an employer should still verify that payments are made.
  • Keep evidence of payroll tax deposits and reconcile payroll tax reports with the corresponding deposits.
  • Payroll rules can vary by state, so owners should seek qualified payroll help when their needs exceed their expertise.
  • Revenue is only one measure of business success, alongside owner pay, health, family, time, and purpose.

]]>8fa786a9-64ce-4341-a05b-105a3c7df49bTue, 13 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050015:38falsefull5555I explain what employers must do with withheld payroll taxes and what one $973,727 restitution case can teach owners about deposits, verification, and financial controls.Franchise Dreams Need More Than a Good Idea | Monday MindsetFranchise Dreams Need More Than a Good Idea | Monday MindsetI open with a Monday Mindset reflection from Proverbs 8:21, asking whether I am chasing wisdom or simply measuring myself by wealth. Then I look at the Chapter 7 filing by the operating company behind a St. Matthews, Kentucky, Crumbl Cookies location: it reported about $128,000 in gross revenue through September 15, roughly $10,000 in assets, more than $352,000 in liabilities, and a reported loss above $17,000. Those figures are a reminder that sales are not profit, cash, or a measure of whether a business can carry its obligations. I also share why we walked away from franchise ideas that did not fit us, and the questions we asked other franchise owners before deciding. I explain why location research, independent due diligence, and an honest assessment of your experience matter before committing savings or taking on debt. I want you to pursue wisdom before wealth and build a business that fits your values.

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Takeaways:

  • I can pursue wisdom rather than treating wealth as the only measure of how I am doing.
  • Gross revenue does not show profit, cash available, or whether a business can meet its obligations.
  • Before I buy into a franchise, I need to understand the fees, financing, personal obligations, and day-to-day work.
  • I can ask franchisees my own questions and investigate the local market instead of relying only on a franchisor's pitch.
  • A business should fit my experience, interests, and values, not just look like an attractive opportunity.

]]>I open with a Monday Mindset reflection from Proverbs 8:21, asking whether I am chasing wisdom or simply measuring myself by wealth. Then I look at the Chapter 7 filing by the operating company behind a St. Matthews, Kentucky, Crumbl Cookies location: it reported about $128,000 in gross revenue through September 15, roughly $10,000 in assets, more than $352,000 in liabilities, and a reported loss above $17,000. Those figures are a reminder that sales are not profit, cash, or a measure of whether a business can carry its obligations. I also share why we walked away from franchise ideas that did not fit us, and the questions we asked other franchise owners before deciding. I explain why location research, independent due diligence, and an honest assessment of your experience matter before committing savings or taking on debt. I want you to pursue wisdom before wealth and build a business that fits your values.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I can pursue wisdom rather than treating wealth as the only measure of how I am doing.
  • Gross revenue does not show profit, cash available, or whether a business can meet its obligations.
  • Before I buy into a franchise, I need to understand the fees, financing, personal obligations, and day-to-day work.
  • I can ask franchisees my own questions and investigate the local market instead of relying only on a franchisor's pitch.
  • A business should fit my experience, interests, and values, not just look like an attractive opportunity.

]]>4799c1e8-fe96-408c-86a8-bc3619e7b9adMon, 12 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050018:05falsefull5454I explain what one Crumbl franchise bankruptcy can teach owners about revenue, debt, due diligence, and choosing a business that fits.Can Nickel Simplify Bills and Invoices? | Software SaturdayCan Nickel Simplify Bills and Invoices? | Software SaturdaySending an invoice is not the same as having spendable cash in the bank. I walk through Nickel's invoicing and vendor-payment features, including payment links, standard ACH, card payments, recurring invoices, mailed checks, approval controls, and a QuickBooks connection. I show a $500 invoice from the customer's side, where the bank-payment and card-payment totals differ, and explain why ACH timing matters even when a payment is initiated. I also look at how the free and paid plans are presented and ask whether a separate receivables and payables tool can make the work easier. As I compare the workflows, I consider what to verify before relying on a new platform: current fees, funding times, sync behavior, data access, and security practices. I give Nickel five stars after the walkthrough, but the details that affect your costs and legal obligations deserve a closer check before you adopt it.

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Takeaways:

  • I separate sending an invoice from having cleared funds available in the bank.
  • I compare ACH and card costs, processing speed, and plan limits before choosing how a client can pay me.
  • I look for invoice links, recurring billing, approvals, vendor payments, and check mailing in a payables and receivables workflow.
  • I verify which records sync to QuickBooks and check them against my accounting records.
  • I review processing fees, transfer timing, and account protections before adding a payment platform.

]]>Sending an invoice is not the same as having spendable cash in the bank. I walk through Nickel's invoicing and vendor-payment features, including payment links, standard ACH, card payments, recurring invoices, mailed checks, approval controls, and a QuickBooks connection. I show a $500 invoice from the customer's side, where the bank-payment and card-payment totals differ, and explain why ACH timing matters even when a payment is initiated. I also look at how the free and paid plans are presented and ask whether a separate receivables and payables tool can make the work easier. As I compare the workflows, I consider what to verify before relying on a new platform: current fees, funding times, sync behavior, data access, and security practices. I give Nickel five stars after the walkthrough, but the details that affect your costs and legal obligations deserve a closer check before you adopt it.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I separate sending an invoice from having cleared funds available in the bank.
  • I compare ACH and card costs, processing speed, and plan limits before choosing how a client can pay me.
  • I look for invoice links, recurring billing, approvals, vendor payments, and check mailing in a payables and receivables workflow.
  • I verify which records sync to QuickBooks and check them against my accounting records.
  • I review processing fees, transfer timing, and account protections before adding a payment platform.

]]>2307c1c6-0c16-4736-af8f-a49ef208491eSat, 10 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050017:43falsefull5353I review Nickel for invoicing, ACH and card payments, vendor bills, recurring invoices, and QuickBooks syncing.Debt, Receivables, and the Story Behind Your P&L | Friday FundamentalsDebt, Receivables, and the Story Behind Your P&L | Friday FundamentalsI use a fictional QuickBooks company to show why a profit and loss statement cannot answer every question about the health of a business. I walk through assets, liabilities, and equity, then connect the balance sheet to net income and retained earnings. I look at cash and undeposited funds, current and long-term balances, fixed assets and depreciation, credit cards and loans, and the difference between loan principal and interest. I also share questions owners can ask: Does cash match the reconciled bank balance? Are receivables still collectible? Do bills and loan balances reflect what is actually owed, and do old accounts still belong on the report? You do not have to become an accountant to begin reading your statements, but clear numbers matter. If you want help understanding what your reports are showing, book a Financial Check-In with me using the link below.

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Takeaways:

  • A balance sheet shows assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in time, while a profit and loss statement covers a period.
  • Owners should review cash, undeposited funds, receivables, and payables against what the business actually holds, expects to collect, or owes.
  • Loan principal reduces the balance owed, while interest is recorded separately from principal.
  • Fixed assets, depreciation, and account balances should be reviewed with accurate records and appropriate tax guidance.
  • Owners can ask whether bank balances, loans, payroll and sales tax liabilities, owner activity, and old accounts are accurate and explainable.

]]>I use a fictional QuickBooks company to show why a profit and loss statement cannot answer every question about the health of a business. I walk through assets, liabilities, and equity, then connect the balance sheet to net income and retained earnings. I look at cash and undeposited funds, current and long-term balances, fixed assets and depreciation, credit cards and loans, and the difference between loan principal and interest. I also share questions owners can ask: Does cash match the reconciled bank balance? Are receivables still collectible? Do bills and loan balances reflect what is actually owed, and do old accounts still belong on the report? You do not have to become an accountant to begin reading your statements, but clear numbers matter. If you want help understanding what your reports are showing, book a Financial Check-In with me using the link below.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • A balance sheet shows assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in time, while a profit and loss statement covers a period.
  • Owners should review cash, undeposited funds, receivables, and payables against what the business actually holds, expects to collect, or owes.
  • Loan principal reduces the balance owed, while interest is recorded separately from principal.
  • Fixed assets, depreciation, and account balances should be reviewed with accurate records and appropriate tax guidance.
  • Owners can ask whether bank balances, loans, payroll and sales tax liabilities, owner activity, and old accounts are accurate and explainable.

]]>e057dba8-5988-49ab-ae1d-510345fa8c1aFri, 09 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050028:09falsefull5252I explain how a balance sheet reveals cash, receivables, debt, and owner activity that a profit and loss statement does not show.41% Use Personal Cards for Business | Deep Dive41% Use Personal Cards for Business | Deep DiveForty-one percent of surveyed business owners said they use a personal credit card for business expenses, and the conversation gets more urgent when financing is on the line. I explain why mixing personal and business spending makes it harder to see profitability, and why lenders may question missing card payments, negative balance sheet accounts, or financial statements that are out of date. I also share an example of a construction business that needed current numbers to pursue bonding for a major job. When cash is tight, a merchant cash advance can look like a quick fix, but the repayment structure and costs deserve careful scrutiny. I talk through the difference between reaching for expensive short-term money and preparing ahead with clean books, a financing plan, and lenders you have already spoken with. If your statements are not ready, I want you to know what to address before a cash crunch forces a rushed decision.

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Takeaways:

  • I recommend keeping business spending on a business card and making a plan to pay off personal-card balances used for business.
  • I want owners to separate personal and business expenses so they can see company profitability clearly.
  • I encourage you to keep financial statements current before applying for financing or bonding.
  • I urge you to examine repayment terms and total cost before considering a merchant cash advance.
  • I want you to prepare a financing plan and speak with lenders before an urgent cash need arises.

]]>Forty-one percent of surveyed business owners said they use a personal credit card for business expenses, and the conversation gets more urgent when financing is on the line. I explain why mixing personal and business spending makes it harder to see profitability, and why lenders may question missing card payments, negative balance sheet accounts, or financial statements that are out of date. I also share an example of a construction business that needed current numbers to pursue bonding for a major job. When cash is tight, a merchant cash advance can look like a quick fix, but the repayment structure and costs deserve careful scrutiny. I talk through the difference between reaching for expensive short-term money and preparing ahead with clean books, a financing plan, and lenders you have already spoken with. If your statements are not ready, I want you to know what to address before a cash crunch forces a rushed decision.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I recommend keeping business spending on a business card and making a plan to pay off personal-card balances used for business.
  • I want owners to separate personal and business expenses so they can see company profitability clearly.
  • I encourage you to keep financial statements current before applying for financing or bonding.
  • I urge you to examine repayment terms and total cost before considering a merchant cash advance.
  • I want you to prepare a financing plan and speak with lenders before an urgent cash need arises.

]]>bcfa78dd-4a64-4034-ab63-8ab518c53854Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050012:40falsefull5151I explain why mixing personal and business spending and letting financial statements go stale can complicate financing, and why merchant cash advances deserve extra scrutiny.We Tested 7 Pieces of Viral Business Advice | Wheel of WisdomWe Tested 7 Pieces of Viral Business Advice | Wheel of WisdomCan an owner take a vacation in the first three years? Is gas for your everyday car a business write-off? Does a new business idea have to be something nobody has tried? Jonathan and I test viral business advice on the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom, sorting useful guidance from claims that deserve a closer look. We talk about taking time off before burnout, separating business and personal vehicle use, and what it means to employ your child for real work. I also weigh passion against practical decisions, explain why a tax deduction does not make an expensive vehicle free, and unpack how a niche can sharpen your message without making you copy competitors. I share why I want to build our firm differently and why I am still working through our own ideal client profile. If your numbers need a clearer picture, book a Financial Check-In with me.

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Takeaways:

  • Taking time away does not have to mean planning an elaborate vacation.
  • Separate business and personal vehicle use, and keep support for business mileage.
  • Employing a child requires real work and documentation, not just a payroll entry.
  • A tax deduction does not make an expensive vehicle free, so evaluate the actual business use and costs.
  • A niche can sharpen messaging and improve efficiency without requiring you to copy competitors.

]]>Can an owner take a vacation in the first three years? Is gas for your everyday car a business write-off? Does a new business idea have to be something nobody has tried? Jonathan and I test viral business advice on the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom, sorting useful guidance from claims that deserve a closer look. We talk about taking time off before burnout, separating business and personal vehicle use, and what it means to employ your child for real work. I also weigh passion against practical decisions, explain why a tax deduction does not make an expensive vehicle free, and unpack how a niche can sharpen your message without making you copy competitors. I share why I want to build our firm differently and why I am still working through our own ideal client profile. If your numbers need a clearer picture, book a Financial Check-In with me.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Taking time away does not have to mean planning an elaborate vacation.
  • Separate business and personal vehicle use, and keep support for business mileage.
  • Employing a child requires real work and documentation, not just a payroll entry.
  • A tax deduction does not make an expensive vehicle free, so evaluate the actual business use and costs.
  • A niche can sharpen messaging and improve efficiency without requiring you to copy competitors.

]]>097d5fd6-7ae9-4dc7-813f-9b66291885f5Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050020:25falsefull5050I put common business advice to the test, from taking a vacation and claiming vehicle expenses to hiring your child, following your passion, and choosing a niche. I separate practical guidance from claims that need a closer look.Strong Sales, Low Profits, and an Alleged $1.3 Million Embezzlement | Real Finance StrugglesStrong Sales, Low Profits, and an Alleged $1.3 Million Embezzlement | Real Finance StrugglesI keep hearing from owners who see strong sales but cannot understand why the profit is missing. In this episode, Jonathan and I unpack a Chicago case in which prosecutors allege that a longtime bookkeeper took more than $1.3 million through unauthorized electronic transfers and purchases over four years. The business owner reportedly questioned low profits, was reassured that costs were simply high, and later saw the business close after a prospective buyer questioned its cash flow. I explain why one person should not control every financial process, why an outside tax CPA may not be looking for fraud, and how simple checks and balances can protect both the owner and the team. We cover payment approvals, read-only bank access, credit card review, and when a fractional controller can add another layer of oversight. I also share the business lesson I took from NF's Hope: success requires the courage to dream bigger.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • An outside tax CPA may not detect fraud unless a forensic review is specifically engaged.
  • Owners should separate bill entry and review from the authority to release payment.
  • A finance employee should not be the only person reviewing their own bank, credit card, or payment activity.
  • Read-only bank access and a fractional controller can add practical oversight as a company grows.
  • Healthy growth requires both stronger financial controls and the courage to dream bigger.

]]>I keep hearing from owners who see strong sales but cannot understand why the profit is missing. In this episode, Jonathan and I unpack a Chicago case in which prosecutors allege that a longtime bookkeeper took more than $1.3 million through unauthorized electronic transfers and purchases over four years. The business owner reportedly questioned low profits, was reassured that costs were simply high, and later saw the business close after a prospective buyer questioned its cash flow. I explain why one person should not control every financial process, why an outside tax CPA may not be looking for fraud, and how simple checks and balances can protect both the owner and the team. We cover payment approvals, read-only bank access, credit card review, and when a fractional controller can add another layer of oversight. I also share the business lesson I took from NF's Hope: success requires the courage to dream bigger.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • An outside tax CPA may not detect fraud unless a forensic review is specifically engaged.
  • Owners should separate bill entry and review from the authority to release payment.
  • A finance employee should not be the only person reviewing their own bank, credit card, or payment activity.
  • Read-only bank access and a fractional controller can add practical oversight as a company grows.
  • Healthy growth requires both stronger financial controls and the courage to dream bigger.

]]>9fd5c123-3048-48bf-8672-3ec6b4c51d3dTue, 06 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050020:46falsefull4949I explain the financial controls that can help business owners detect unauthorized payments and reduce the risk of one person controlling every part of the books.$300,000 Bakery Investment, $40,000 Owner Pay | Monday Mindset$300,000 Bakery Investment, $40,000 Owner Pay | Monday MindsetA San Francisco baklava bakery has a seven-person team, a handmade product, and an owner who says he took home around $40,000 last year after investing about $300,000 to launch. I look at what those numbers can and cannot tell us, then pull out three questions any owner can use: what does each product actually cost to make, is staffing matched to production and demand, and is there protected time to work on the business instead of only in it? We also talk about pricing a premium product, tracking recipe-level ingredients and spoilage, and building a pro forma before taking on a bigger kitchen. More sales or more space may help, but only if the numbers and demand support the move. I want you to look at your own pricing and expansion plans before assuming more volume will solve a thin-margin problem.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I want you to refuse to treat a discouraging belief about your ability to lead or succeed as a settled fact.
  • I recommend calculating recipe-level ingredient costs and tracking spoilage before deciding whether a product is priced profitably.
  • I encourage you to match staffing and production plans to the actual workload, customer demand, and your desired role.
  • I would price a labor-intensive product to reflect its real costs and positioning instead of automatically undercutting competitors.
  • I would build a pro forma and test demand before committing to a larger space or assuming more volume will fix thin margins.

]]>A San Francisco baklava bakery has a seven-person team, a handmade product, and an owner who says he took home around $40,000 last year after investing about $300,000 to launch. I look at what those numbers can and cannot tell us, then pull out three questions any owner can use: what does each product actually cost to make, is staffing matched to production and demand, and is there protected time to work on the business instead of only in it? We also talk about pricing a premium product, tracking recipe-level ingredients and spoilage, and building a pro forma before taking on a bigger kitchen. More sales or more space may help, but only if the numbers and demand support the move. I want you to look at your own pricing and expansion plans before assuming more volume will solve a thin-margin problem.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I want you to refuse to treat a discouraging belief about your ability to lead or succeed as a settled fact.
  • I recommend calculating recipe-level ingredient costs and tracking spoilage before deciding whether a product is priced profitably.
  • I encourage you to match staffing and production plans to the actual workload, customer demand, and your desired role.
  • I would price a labor-intensive product to reflect its real costs and positioning instead of automatically undercutting competitors.
  • I would build a pro forma and test demand before committing to a larger space or assuming more volume will fix thin margins.

]]>afafe016-fd9f-48a1-8144-d54ae1ef7d67Mon, 05 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050018:22falsefull4848I explain what a bakery owner should check in pricing, staffing, product costs, and demand before expanding a thin-margin business.Why Spreadsheets Fail Your Business | Software SaturdayWhy Spreadsheets Fail Your Business | Software SaturdayI love a good spreadsheet for a quick calculation, but I hate relying on one to run the financial side of a business. In this Software Saturday episode, Jonathan and I look at Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and locally stored files, then explain where each one helps and where it creates risk. We talk about a cash flow workbook with twenty five worksheets, duplicate data entry, broken formulas, outdated emailed copies, and the false confidence that comes from a file nobody trusts enough to use. We also look at contractors and house flippers who enter the same job costs into a spreadsheet, QuickBooks, and job costing software. My goal is simple: enter information once, keep one source of truth, and use software that supports the work instead of creating another job. If your team is maintaining a complicated spreadsheet for ongoing financial decisions, this conversation will help you decide what should be replaced and what can stay.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Cloud spreadsheets make collaboration and revision history easier than files stored on one hard drive.
  • A complicated workbook can create duplicate work, hide broken formulas, and make people distrust the information.
  • Entering job costs into a spreadsheet, QuickBooks, and job costing software creates unnecessary work and increases the chance of missing the full picture.
  • Purpose built software can often replace an ongoing financial spreadsheet while giving the team support and a more dependable source of truth.
  • Spreadsheets can still help with temporary calculations or custom analysis, but they should not be the system for ongoing financial tracking.

]]>I love a good spreadsheet for a quick calculation, but I hate relying on one to run the financial side of a business. In this Software Saturday episode, Jonathan and I look at Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and locally stored files, then explain where each one helps and where it creates risk. We talk about a cash flow workbook with twenty five worksheets, duplicate data entry, broken formulas, outdated emailed copies, and the false confidence that comes from a file nobody trusts enough to use. We also look at contractors and house flippers who enter the same job costs into a spreadsheet, QuickBooks, and job costing software. My goal is simple: enter information once, keep one source of truth, and use software that supports the work instead of creating another job. If your team is maintaining a complicated spreadsheet for ongoing financial decisions, this conversation will help you decide what should be replaced and what can stay.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Cloud spreadsheets make collaboration and revision history easier than files stored on one hard drive.
  • A complicated workbook can create duplicate work, hide broken formulas, and make people distrust the information.
  • Entering job costs into a spreadsheet, QuickBooks, and job costing software creates unnecessary work and increases the chance of missing the full picture.
  • Purpose built software can often replace an ongoing financial spreadsheet while giving the team support and a more dependable source of truth.
  • Spreadsheets can still help with temporary calculations or custom analysis, but they should not be the system for ongoing financial tracking.

]]>3a3c1473-b046-4102-944e-ca948f56a8e2Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050016:09falsefull4747I explain when spreadsheets help and when they create duplicate work, broken formulas, and unreliable financial information for a business.$40,000 Tax Bill, No Reserve: Start Before It Is Due | Friday Fundamentals$40,000 Tax Bill, No Reserve: Start Before It Is Due | Friday FundamentalsTax money can disappear before you ever see the bill when it sits beside payroll, software, and everyday spending. I have seen owners reach tax time facing a $40,000 bill with no reserve because every dollar looked available. Jonathan and I walk through a practical system: open a separate tax savings account, ask your tax professional whether and when you need estimated payments, set a reserve percentage based on your own numbers, and automate transfers so saving does not depend on remembering. We also talk about reviewing last year's return for penalties or interest, checking your reserve at least quarterly, and adjusting the plan when revenue or profit changes. One client's target was 4% of revenue, but that figure came from that client's numbers and is not a rate to copy. Tax obligations vary by entity and circumstances, so use this conversation to start a planning discussion with your tax professional and keep money ready when payments come due.

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Takeaways:

  • Keep tax money in a separate savings account so it is not treated like operating cash.
  • Ask a tax professional whether estimated payments apply to your situation and when they are due.
  • Choose a reserve rate using your business's own tax picture, not another owner's percentage.
  • Automate recurring transfers and review the balance with your tax professional at least quarterly.
  • Check your last return for penalties or interest, then adjust your plan when profits change.

]]>Tax money can disappear before you ever see the bill when it sits beside payroll, software, and everyday spending. I have seen owners reach tax time facing a $40,000 bill with no reserve because every dollar looked available. Jonathan and I walk through a practical system: open a separate tax savings account, ask your tax professional whether and when you need estimated payments, set a reserve percentage based on your own numbers, and automate transfers so saving does not depend on remembering. We also talk about reviewing last year's return for penalties or interest, checking your reserve at least quarterly, and adjusting the plan when revenue or profit changes. One client's target was 4% of revenue, but that figure came from that client's numbers and is not a rate to copy. Tax obligations vary by entity and circumstances, so use this conversation to start a planning discussion with your tax professional and keep money ready when payments come due.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Keep tax money in a separate savings account so it is not treated like operating cash.
  • Ask a tax professional whether estimated payments apply to your situation and when they are due.
  • Choose a reserve rate using your business's own tax picture, not another owner's percentage.
  • Automate recurring transfers and review the balance with your tax professional at least quarterly.
  • Check your last return for penalties or interest, then adjust your plan when profits change.

]]>a95089d4-fefe-419e-9ec5-1def58cda3f9Fri, 02 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050013:59falsefull4646I explain how to build a separate tax reserve, choose a target with a tax professional, and keep the money ready before payments come due.Why $10,000 in Bookkeeping Can Save You MoreWhy $10,000 in Bookkeeping Can Save You MoreA million-dollar business with five employees was still relying on the owner to keep up with the bookkeeping, and the delay ended in tax penalties. I have seen this pattern over and over: the owner thinks avoiding a monthly bookkeeping cost means saving money, but the work does not disappear. It gets postponed until tax time, when the cleanup becomes an emergency and the numbers may still be wrong. Jonathan and I walk through what that $10,000 annual investment can actually buy: fewer overstated-income mistakes, monthly clarity about profitability, and the freedom to get out of receipts and reconciliations so I can focus on growing the business. I also explain where QuickBooks balances can hide problems, including undeposited funds and unreconciled transactions. If I am running a million-dollar company, I cannot keep treating bookkeeping as my job. I need accurate numbers, a repeatable system, and room to lead.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Delaying bookkeeping does not eliminate the work, it turns routine work into an expensive tax-time emergency.
  • Overstated income can make a business appear more profitable than it is and lead to paying more tax than necessary.
  • Monthly financial reports give an owner time to adjust pricing, staffing, and other decisions before the year is over.
  • A business owner running a million-dollar company should not remain trapped in receipts, deposits, and reconciliations.
  • A simple weekly process for answering questions and reviewing reports can make outsourced bookkeeping manageable.

]]>A million-dollar business with five employees was still relying on the owner to keep up with the bookkeeping, and the delay ended in tax penalties. I have seen this pattern over and over: the owner thinks avoiding a monthly bookkeeping cost means saving money, but the work does not disappear. It gets postponed until tax time, when the cleanup becomes an emergency and the numbers may still be wrong. Jonathan and I walk through what that $10,000 annual investment can actually buy: fewer overstated-income mistakes, monthly clarity about profitability, and the freedom to get out of receipts and reconciliations so I can focus on growing the business. I also explain where QuickBooks balances can hide problems, including undeposited funds and unreconciled transactions. If I am running a million-dollar company, I cannot keep treating bookkeeping as my job. I need accurate numbers, a repeatable system, and room to lead.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Delaying bookkeeping does not eliminate the work, it turns routine work into an expensive tax-time emergency.
  • Overstated income can make a business appear more profitable than it is and lead to paying more tax than necessary.
  • Monthly financial reports give an owner time to adjust pricing, staffing, and other decisions before the year is over.
  • A business owner running a million-dollar company should not remain trapped in receipts, deposits, and reconciliations.
  • A simple weekly process for answering questions and reviewing reports can make outsourced bookkeeping manageable.

]]>0aa623cd-ece6-427f-9645-591329790b92Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:30:00 -050012:30falsefull4545I explain why reliable bookkeeping can save a growing business money, restore monthly clarity, and give the owner room to lead.Spend, Give, Grow, or Wait? | Wheel of WisdomSpend, Give, Grow, or Wait? | Wheel of WisdomI love putting popular business advice to the test, because a catchy sentence can still lead your business in the wrong direction. In this episode, Jonathan and I spin the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom and challenge advice about growth, sales, personality, spending, giving, and visibility. We talk about why more revenue does not automatically mean better profit margins, how to build relationships without treating every person like a prospect, and why an outgoing personality is not a requirement for business ownership. We also tackle the dangerous idea that you can write off your cat, the wisdom and risk in spending money to make money, and the hard truth that building something does not mean people will automatically find it. I share why faith filled generosity still needs a plan, a budget, and clear knowledge of your numbers. Listen with me and decide which advice is true, false, or somewhere in between.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • More sales and more growth do not automatically create better profit margins.
  • Business owners can build genuine relationships while still following up and closing appropriate opportunities.
  • An outgoing personality is not required for success, but every owner should know their strengths and staff or partner around their weaknesses.
  • Business spending should connect to a clear purpose, plan, or potential return instead of becoming uncontrolled spending.
  • Generosity can be planned as a percentage of revenue so faith based giving does not destabilize the business.

]]>I love putting popular business advice to the test, because a catchy sentence can still lead your business in the wrong direction. In this episode, Jonathan and I spin the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom and challenge advice about growth, sales, personality, spending, giving, and visibility. We talk about why more revenue does not automatically mean better profit margins, how to build relationships without treating every person like a prospect, and why an outgoing personality is not a requirement for business ownership. We also tackle the dangerous idea that you can write off your cat, the wisdom and risk in spending money to make money, and the hard truth that building something does not mean people will automatically find it. I share why faith filled generosity still needs a plan, a budget, and clear knowledge of your numbers. Listen with me and decide which advice is true, false, or somewhere in between.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • More sales and more growth do not automatically create better profit margins.
  • Business owners can build genuine relationships while still following up and closing appropriate opportunities.
  • An outgoing personality is not required for success, but every owner should know their strengths and staff or partner around their weaknesses.
  • Business spending should connect to a clear purpose, plan, or potential return instead of becoming uncontrolled spending.
  • Generosity can be planned as a percentage of revenue so faith based giving does not destabilize the business.

]]>3d8087cb-4225-491b-a964-e36fc35bc269Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:30:00 -050015:27falsefull4444I test popular business advice about growth, sales, spending, giving, and visibility to separate useful wisdom from risky shortcuts.$400 Million of Growth, Then Chapter 11$400 Million of Growth, Then Chapter 11I have seen business owners celebrate rising revenue while wondering why the bank account still feels empty. In this episode, Jonathan and I look at Restaurant Dive's reporting on Meritage Hospitality Group, a major Wendy's franchisee that received a growth award, spent about $400 million expanding to more than 370 restaurants, and later filed for Chapter 11 after sales weakened, restaurant profitability fell, and required fees kept piling up. I explain why more locations, employees, equipment, or debt do not automatically create a healthier business. We also talk about watching revenue and net income together, building systems before growth makes them urgent, and remembering that loan payments do not shrink when sales slow down. Then Jonathan introduces The NF Business Remix, connecting a line from NF's song “Oh Lord” to the changes business owners may resist while asking for better cash flow. What result do I say I want while resisting the change it requires?

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • More locations and higher revenue do not automatically mean a business is financially healthier.
  • Growth can require cash before the new revenue arrives, while debt payments and other obligations continue when sales weaken.
  • Comparing revenue and net income on a chart can show whether profitability is keeping pace with growth.
  • Building documented systems early helps prevent desperation hiring and makes a growing business easier to operate.
  • Better cash flow usually requires the owner to make the changes the desired result demands.

]]>I have seen business owners celebrate rising revenue while wondering why the bank account still feels empty. In this episode, Jonathan and I look at Restaurant Dive's reporting on Meritage Hospitality Group, a major Wendy's franchisee that received a growth award, spent about $400 million expanding to more than 370 restaurants, and later filed for Chapter 11 after sales weakened, restaurant profitability fell, and required fees kept piling up. I explain why more locations, employees, equipment, or debt do not automatically create a healthier business. We also talk about watching revenue and net income together, building systems before growth makes them urgent, and remembering that loan payments do not shrink when sales slow down. Then Jonathan introduces The NF Business Remix, connecting a line from NF's song “Oh Lord” to the changes business owners may resist while asking for better cash flow. What result do I say I want while resisting the change it requires?

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • More locations and higher revenue do not automatically mean a business is financially healthier.
  • Growth can require cash before the new revenue arrives, while debt payments and other obligations continue when sales weaken.
  • Comparing revenue and net income on a chart can show whether profitability is keeping pace with growth.
  • Building documented systems early helps prevent desperation hiring and makes a growing business easier to operate.
  • Better cash flow usually requires the owner to make the changes the desired result demands.

]]>e6c31e4d-a443-4374-b64b-bb1c20860aaaTue, 29 Sep 2026 05:30:00 -050016:29falsefull4343I explain how rapid growth, debt, fees, and missing systems can leave a business financially weaker even as revenue rises.Your Best Quarter Can Still Leave You Broke | Monday MindsetYour Best Quarter Can Still Leave You BrokeA business can have its best sales quarter ever and still struggle to cover payroll when customers have not paid their invoices. In this Monday Mindset episode, I start with a personal reminder about staying in my lane instead of chasing every technical problem, then Jonathan and I unpack a 12 person service company's $180,000 cash gap. We talk about slow paying contracts, factoring and lines of credit, why financing costs belong in your pricing, and why gross and net profit margins matter before you borrow. We also explain why service businesses need to watch both cash basis and accrual basis reports, put payment terms in writing, collect something upfront, and set up payment methods before the work is delivered. If your revenue looks strong but your bank account feels empty, this conversation will help you find the mismatch and build a plan that protects your cash.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue can rise while cash stays tight when completed work has not been collected.
  • Financing fees belong in your pricing if you use factoring or another cash advance strategy.
  • Gross and net profit margins must be clear before you rely on a line of credit.
  • Service companies should review both cash basis and accrual basis reports to see the full picture.
  • Written payment terms, an upfront amount, and a payment method on file can reduce collection delays.

]]>A business can have its best sales quarter ever and still struggle to cover payroll when customers have not paid their invoices. In this Monday Mindset episode, I start with a personal reminder about staying in my lane instead of chasing every technical problem, then Jonathan and I unpack a 12 person service company's $180,000 cash gap. We talk about slow paying contracts, factoring and lines of credit, why financing costs belong in your pricing, and why gross and net profit margins matter before you borrow. We also explain why service businesses need to watch both cash basis and accrual basis reports, put payment terms in writing, collect something upfront, and set up payment methods before the work is delivered. If your revenue looks strong but your bank account feels empty, this conversation will help you find the mismatch and build a plan that protects your cash.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue can rise while cash stays tight when completed work has not been collected.
  • Financing fees belong in your pricing if you use factoring or another cash advance strategy.
  • Gross and net profit margins must be clear before you rely on a line of credit.
  • Service companies should review both cash basis and accrual basis reports to see the full picture.
  • Written payment terms, an upfront amount, and a payment method on file can reduce collection delays.

]]>7e9ec4c4-72fe-46fa-b818-ecf35db0751aMon, 28 Sep 2026 05:30:00 -050015:18falsefull4242I explain why strong sales can still leave a growing service business short on cash and what to fix before borrowing.Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll: My Pick for a Small Team | Software SaturdayGusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll: My Pick for a Small TeamOne missed payroll notice can turn into a cash-flow headache, and choosing payroll software does not make payroll risk-free. I open with a small-business owner's $25,000 tax-payment surprise, then Jonathan and I walk through how Gusto handles payroll reviews, time off, reimbursements, tax payments, onboarding, and its QuickBooks Online connection. I explain why I see Gusto as payroll software rather than a payroll service, when a small team may be able to run it themselves, and why a growing team may want a provider to handle the work. A clarification on tips: tips remain subject to reporting rules, while eligible workers may separately claim a federal income-tax deduction of up to $25,000 for qualified tips, subject to current eligibility and income limits. I also share what to check during setup and why a clear workflow matters before payday. Book a Financial Check-In with me if you want help seeing how payroll fits into your business's financial systems.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I distinguish self-managed payroll software from hiring a provider to run payroll for my business.
  • I evaluate how much hands-on payroll work a small team can reliably manage before choosing a system.
  • I check time-off requests, hours, bonuses, tips, and reimbursements before submitting payroll.
  • I confirm setup and account mapping before relying on payroll data to flow into QuickBooks Online.
  • I look for benefits and HR support beyond payroll when a team's needs grow.

]]>One missed payroll notice can turn into a cash-flow headache, and choosing payroll software does not make payroll risk-free. I open with a small-business owner's $25,000 tax-payment surprise, then Jonathan and I walk through how Gusto handles payroll reviews, time off, reimbursements, tax payments, onboarding, and its QuickBooks Online connection. I explain why I see Gusto as payroll software rather than a payroll service, when a small team may be able to run it themselves, and why a growing team may want a provider to handle the work. A clarification on tips: tips remain subject to reporting rules, while eligible workers may separately claim a federal income-tax deduction of up to $25,000 for qualified tips, subject to current eligibility and income limits. I also share what to check during setup and why a clear workflow matters before payday. Book a Financial Check-In with me if you want help seeing how payroll fits into your business's financial systems.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I distinguish self-managed payroll software from hiring a provider to run payroll for my business.
  • I evaluate how much hands-on payroll work a small team can reliably manage before choosing a system.
  • I check time-off requests, hours, bonuses, tips, and reimbursements before submitting payroll.
  • I confirm setup and account mapping before relying on payroll data to flow into QuickBooks Online.
  • I look for benefits and HR support beyond payroll when a team's needs grow.

]]>1c9df890-4b98-40e5-afa9-917779136fa4Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:30:00 -050014:53falsefull4141I compare Gusto with QuickBooks Payroll and explain what small teams should check before choosing and running payroll software.Your P&L Is Trying to Tell You Something | Friday FundamentalsYour P&L Is Trying to Tell You SomethingI am breaking down a profit and loss statement so you can stop treating financial language like a secret code. Using a fictional construction company, I walk through revenue, cost of goods sold, gross profit, overhead, and net ordinary income, then show you how to read monthly trends instead of staring at one total. I explain why a job cost belongs in a different place from an expense you carry whether you have a job or not, and why payroll can land in more than one section depending on your industry. A clarification from our discussion: accrual accounting generally recognizes revenue when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of when cash moves. The IRS rules are not a flat $25 million cutoff, and eligibility depends on the current inflation-adjusted gross-receipts threshold and other business factors. In QuickBooks, confirm the basis selected on the specific report. Pull your P and L by month on the appropriate basis, compare it with a reliable industry benchmark, and ask a qualified professional how the tax rules apply to your business.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue tells you what came in, but it does not tell you what the business kept.
  • A monthly P and L, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows give you three different views of business health.
  • Cost of goods sold is tied to producing or delivering the work, while overhead remains over your head whether a job is active or not.
  • Reviewing a P and L by month helps you see trends, investigate unusual changes, and plan with more than a bank balance.
  • Pull your P and L on the appropriate accounting basis and compare your cost of goods sold percentage with a reliable benchmark for your industry.

]]>I am breaking down a profit and loss statement so you can stop treating financial language like a secret code. Using a fictional construction company, I walk through revenue, cost of goods sold, gross profit, overhead, and net ordinary income, then show you how to read monthly trends instead of staring at one total. I explain why a job cost belongs in a different place from an expense you carry whether you have a job or not, and why payroll can land in more than one section depending on your industry. A clarification from our discussion: accrual accounting generally recognizes revenue when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of when cash moves. The IRS rules are not a flat $25 million cutoff, and eligibility depends on the current inflation-adjusted gross-receipts threshold and other business factors. In QuickBooks, confirm the basis selected on the specific report. Pull your P and L by month on the appropriate basis, compare it with a reliable industry benchmark, and ask a qualified professional how the tax rules apply to your business.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue tells you what came in, but it does not tell you what the business kept.
  • A monthly P and L, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows give you three different views of business health.
  • Cost of goods sold is tied to producing or delivering the work, while overhead remains over your head whether a job is active or not.
  • Reviewing a P and L by month helps you see trends, investigate unusual changes, and plan with more than a bank balance.
  • Pull your P and L on the appropriate accounting basis and compare your cost of goods sold percentage with a reliable benchmark for your industry.

]]>cadcba17-e01d-44e5-a0a8-06e947c01240Fri, 25 Sep 2026 05:30:00 -050019:27falsefull4040I explain how to read a profit and loss statement and use monthly trends to understand what a business actually made.Stop Pricing Service Work by the HourStop Pricing Service Work by the HourA first-year landscape design and build owner estimated a small paver reset at about $750, but worried that even $600 was too much for work that felt simple. In her update, she recognized the doubt as imposter syndrome and decided to use the $750 price. I unpack why gross profit is not take-home pay, how overhead changes the math, and why competitor rates are only one input when choosing where to position a business. Jonathan and I talk about the difference between selling hours and delivering an outcome, the customer experience that can support a higher price, and why work that feels easy to me may reflect years of skill. I also share a practical way to test pricing assumptions against a customer's expectations and get another business owner's perspective before discounting. If pricing still feels hard to sort out, book a Financial Check-In with me at 1610 Financial Solutions.

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Takeaways:

  • I treat gross profit as money that still has to cover overhead, not as take-home pay.
  • I compare competitor prices and customer expectations before deciding how my business will position itself.
  • I can charge for an outcome and the experience around it instead of selling only my hours.
  • I recognize that work that feels simple to me may reflect years of experience, education, and practice.
  • I test pricing doubts with the numbers and a trusted business owner before I lower a price.

]]>A first-year landscape design and build owner estimated a small paver reset at about $750, but worried that even $600 was too much for work that felt simple. In her update, she recognized the doubt as imposter syndrome and decided to use the $750 price. I unpack why gross profit is not take-home pay, how overhead changes the math, and why competitor rates are only one input when choosing where to position a business. Jonathan and I talk about the difference between selling hours and delivering an outcome, the customer experience that can support a higher price, and why work that feels easy to me may reflect years of skill. I also share a practical way to test pricing assumptions against a customer's expectations and get another business owner's perspective before discounting. If pricing still feels hard to sort out, book a Financial Check-In with me at 1610 Financial Solutions.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I treat gross profit as money that still has to cover overhead, not as take-home pay.
  • I compare competitor prices and customer expectations before deciding how my business will position itself.
  • I can charge for an outcome and the experience around it instead of selling only my hours.
  • I recognize that work that feels simple to me may reflect years of experience, education, and practice.
  • I test pricing doubts with the numbers and a trusted business owner before I lower a price.

]]>353bd89b-4f58-4aa2-b983-383fbd92d7edThu, 24 Sep 2026 10:26:00 -050018:23falsefull3939I explain how overhead, expertise, customer expectations, and outcomes should shape service-business pricing.Cash in the Bank Does Not Mean Profit | Wheel of WisdomCash in the Bank Does Not Mean Profit | Wheel of WisdomAn impressive bank balance can hide bills, subcontractor payments, or other obligations that have not cleared yet. On this Wednesday's Wheel of Wisdom, Jonathan and I test advice about charging for value, cash in the bank as proof of profit, social platforms, cash flow, and quick decisions. I explain why profit and cash tell different parts of a business's story. I also clarify that EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It can help compare operating performance, but it is not the same as profit or cash flow. Then Jonathan and I compare our very different decision styles and talk about decision fatigue, when to pause, and how company values can make choices clearer. If you want to understand your numbers and make more confident decisions, book a Financial Check-In with me at 1610 Financial Solutions using the link below.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I separate a person's inherent worth from the price my business charges for the value and expertise I bring.
  • I do not treat money in the bank as proof of profit, because some cash may already be committed to bills or subcontractors.
  • I look at profit and cash together because they answer different questions, and noncash expenses such as depreciation can affect net income.
  • I treat advice to be on every social platform as a claim to question, not a rule I can confidently endorse.
  • I can analyze cash flow with math while also investigating operational causes, and I can move quickly or ask for time depending on the decision.

]]>An impressive bank balance can hide bills, subcontractor payments, or other obligations that have not cleared yet. On this Wednesday's Wheel of Wisdom, Jonathan and I test advice about charging for value, cash in the bank as proof of profit, social platforms, cash flow, and quick decisions. I explain why profit and cash tell different parts of a business's story. I also clarify that EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It can help compare operating performance, but it is not the same as profit or cash flow. Then Jonathan and I compare our very different decision styles and talk about decision fatigue, when to pause, and how company values can make choices clearer. If you want to understand your numbers and make more confident decisions, book a Financial Check-In with me at 1610 Financial Solutions using the link below.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I separate a person's inherent worth from the price my business charges for the value and expertise I bring.
  • I do not treat money in the bank as proof of profit, because some cash may already be committed to bills or subcontractors.
  • I look at profit and cash together because they answer different questions, and noncash expenses such as depreciation can affect net income.
  • I treat advice to be on every social platform as a claim to question, not a rule I can confidently endorse.
  • I can analyze cash flow with math while also investigating operational causes, and I can move quickly or ask for time depending on the decision.

]]>1b66744d-a432-441d-940d-2c10311397f9Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:26:00 -050015:00falsefull3838Penny and Jonathan test common advice about cash versus profit, pricing for value, social platforms, cash flow, and fast decisions.Nearly $2 Million in Revenue, Still Can't Quit the Day JobNearly $2 Million in Revenue, Still Can't Quit the Day JobA business can grow from $180,000 to nearly $2 million in annual revenue and still leave its owner unable to quit an outside job. I read a Reddit post from an e-commerce business owner dealing with rising inventory, labor, warehouse, equipment, and shipping costs, and the numbers raise a bigger question: is this growth creating profit or just creating more work? I look at why revenue alone cannot tell you whether a business is healthy, why product-level margins matter, and why a price increase that stops orders may be useful information. I also talk through the risks of building a company while holding another full-time job, the difference between a self-running franchise and a business still being built, and when outside financial help can save you time and money. If your sales are growing but your paycheck is not, this conversation is for you. Book a Financial Check-In with 1610 Financial Solutions if you need help understanding what your numbers are really saying.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue growth does not guarantee profit growth.
  • Product-level margins can show whether a sale is actually worth keeping.
  • An owner needs a plan for replacing an outside paycheck before leaving a job.
  • A business built from the ground up may need the owner's time and vision before it can run independently.
  • Paying for experienced financial guidance may be cheaper than slowly making the same decisions alone.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>A business can grow from $180,000 to nearly $2 million in annual revenue and still leave its owner unable to quit an outside job. I read a Reddit post from an e-commerce business owner dealing with rising inventory, labor, warehouse, equipment, and shipping costs, and the numbers raise a bigger question: is this growth creating profit or just creating more work? I look at why revenue alone cannot tell you whether a business is healthy, why product-level margins matter, and why a price increase that stops orders may be useful information. I also talk through the risks of building a company while holding another full-time job, the difference between a self-running franchise and a business still being built, and when outside financial help can save you time and money. If your sales are growing but your paycheck is not, this conversation is for you. Book a Financial Check-In with 1610 Financial Solutions if you need help understanding what your numbers are really saying.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue growth does not guarantee profit growth.
  • Product-level margins can show whether a sale is actually worth keeping.
  • An owner needs a plan for replacing an outside paycheck before leaving a job.
  • A business built from the ground up may need the owner's time and vision before it can run independently.
  • Paying for experienced financial guidance may be cheaper than slowly making the same decisions alone.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>1df45461-6d30-4ff7-b5a0-a1b67b4c3f3cTue, 22 Sep 2026 10:55:00 -050014:39falsefull3737A fast-growing e-commerce business reached nearly $2 million in revenue, but its owner still could not leave an outside job. Penny and Jonathan explain how margins, payroll, inventory, and owner time shape real profitability.Your Business Partner Is Spending the Company Money | Monday MindsetYour Business Partner Is Spending the Company Money | Monday MindsetI want to start this Monday by asking where unresolved hurt, fear, or resentment is showing up in your business. I share how an emotional reaction to an out-of-scope request made me answer a client from an unhealthy place, and how I am going back to repair it. Jonathan and I also unpack a troubling story about two digital marketing partners whose company card was used for personal expenses, leaving almost no money to pay an employee. We talk about why a partnership agreement needs to spell out spending, decisions, responsibility, and accountability, why an outside set of eyes should review the money, and why trust alone is not a financial system. We also explain how to say yes to a client while still protecting your boundaries, and why over-delivering is different from discounting your work. If you are building with a partner or carrying too much alone, use this Monday Mindset to choose accountability and a healthier response.

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Takeaways:

  • Unresolved hurt can shape business decisions, so pause and choose a healthier response before answering a client.
  • A partnership agreement should define spending, decision-making, responsibilities, and accountability before problems arise.
  • Partners need shared visibility into company finances and should consider budgeting for an independent review.
  • You can say yes to a client while still using an invoice, change order, referral, or clear boundary.
  • Consistently delivering the work, price, timing, and quality promised builds more respect than discounting your services.

]]>I want to start this Monday by asking where unresolved hurt, fear, or resentment is showing up in your business. I share how an emotional reaction to an out-of-scope request made me answer a client from an unhealthy place, and how I am going back to repair it. Jonathan and I also unpack a troubling story about two digital marketing partners whose company card was used for personal expenses, leaving almost no money to pay an employee. We talk about why a partnership agreement needs to spell out spending, decisions, responsibility, and accountability, why an outside set of eyes should review the money, and why trust alone is not a financial system. We also explain how to say yes to a client while still protecting your boundaries, and why over-delivering is different from discounting your work. If you are building with a partner or carrying too much alone, use this Monday Mindset to choose accountability and a healthier response.

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Takeaways:

  • Unresolved hurt can shape business decisions, so pause and choose a healthier response before answering a client.
  • A partnership agreement should define spending, decision-making, responsibilities, and accountability before problems arise.
  • Partners need shared visibility into company finances and should consider budgeting for an independent review.
  • You can say yes to a client while still using an invoice, change order, referral, or clear boundary.
  • Consistently delivering the work, price, timing, and quality promised builds more respect than discounting your services.

]]>03777d38-f0f6-4fb7-a017-8447665e982cMon, 21 Sep 2026 11:56:00 -050020:41falsefull3636I unpack how unresolved hurt can affect business decisions and why partners need written financial rules, shared visibility, and accountability. Jonathan and I also discuss how to protect client boundaries without defaulting to an unhealthy no.Can Claude Really Do Your Bookkeeping? | Software SaturdayCan Claude Really Do Your Bookkeeping? | Software SaturdayI use Claude to help me analyze spreadsheets, compare reports, summarize long documents, and ask questions about clean QuickBooks data. But I do not use it as a replacement for bookkeeping judgment. In this Software Saturday episode, Jonathan and I talk about connecting Claude to QuickBooks, why a paid AI plan and careful data settings matter, and how clean books determine whether the answers are useful. I share ways AI can spot trends, inconsistencies, formulas, and industry benchmarks quickly. We also explain where I draw the line: tax advice, unchecked numbers, full reconciliations, and asking AI to clean up disorganized books. Claude can save time and help me think, but it can also give confident answers that are wrong or too general. My rule is simple: use AI as a second set of eyes, keep a financial professional involved, and verify anything that affects your money.

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Takeaways:

  • A paid AI plan and careful data sharing settings are important when business information is involved.
  • Claude can answer questions about QuickBooks data, but useful answers depend on clean, consistently categorized books.
  • AI is helpful for analyzing spreadsheets, spotting trends, reviewing formulas, and summarizing long documents.
  • Tax advice, unchecked financial numbers, full reconciliations, and cleanup of disorganized books still require human expertise.
  • Use Claude as a second set of eyes while keeping a financial professional involved in decisions that affect your money.

]]>I use Claude to help me analyze spreadsheets, compare reports, summarize long documents, and ask questions about clean QuickBooks data. But I do not use it as a replacement for bookkeeping judgment. In this Software Saturday episode, Jonathan and I talk about connecting Claude to QuickBooks, why a paid AI plan and careful data settings matter, and how clean books determine whether the answers are useful. I share ways AI can spot trends, inconsistencies, formulas, and industry benchmarks quickly. We also explain where I draw the line: tax advice, unchecked numbers, full reconciliations, and asking AI to clean up disorganized books. Claude can save time and help me think, but it can also give confident answers that are wrong or too general. My rule is simple: use AI as a second set of eyes, keep a financial professional involved, and verify anything that affects your money.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • A paid AI plan and careful data sharing settings are important when business information is involved.
  • Claude can answer questions about QuickBooks data, but useful answers depend on clean, consistently categorized books.
  • AI is helpful for analyzing spreadsheets, spotting trends, reviewing formulas, and summarizing long documents.
  • Tax advice, unchecked financial numbers, full reconciliations, and cleanup of disorganized books still require human expertise.
  • Use Claude as a second set of eyes while keeping a financial professional involved in decisions that affect your money.

]]>0734f368-7e23-4145-b38b-2692c55759bdSat, 19 Sep 2026 16:45:00 -050014:57falsefull3535I explain how I use Claude with clean QuickBooks data, spreadsheets, and financial reports, plus the limits that make human review essential for small business owners.The Business Pays Her, But She Cannot Face Another Email | Freedom FridayThe Business Pays Her, But She Cannot Face Another Email | Freedom FridayA business owner finally paid off her COVID debt and built a company that pays her a reliable wage, but she still cannot face another work email. I unpack why profitability is not the same as freedom, why an owner who carries the business day to day may still be thinking like an employee, and why the right assistant should take ownership of email and calendar work instead of creating more oversight. I also share the simple AI inbox system I use to sort messages into categories, the reason I reach out for help when an email feels personal, and the Sabbath practice that helps me protect real rest. If your business is earning money but consuming your life, I want you to ask what time you can buy back first. This is your reminder that rest, support, and a business that can operate without you are part of the goal.

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Takeaways:

  • Profitability does not automatically create freedom when the owner still carries the business day to day.
  • An assistant should help control email and calendar work so the owner can focus on sales, systems, and leadership.
  • Buying back time can create capacity for more valuable work even when the first hiring decision feels expensive.
  • Business owners should address the anxiety behind email instead of ignoring the mental and emotional cost.
  • Deliberate rest, including a protected Sabbath, gives the owner space to recover and lead with more clarity.

]]>A business owner finally paid off her COVID debt and built a company that pays her a reliable wage, but she still cannot face another work email. I unpack why profitability is not the same as freedom, why an owner who carries the business day to day may still be thinking like an employee, and why the right assistant should take ownership of email and calendar work instead of creating more oversight. I also share the simple AI inbox system I use to sort messages into categories, the reason I reach out for help when an email feels personal, and the Sabbath practice that helps me protect real rest. If your business is earning money but consuming your life, I want you to ask what time you can buy back first. This is your reminder that rest, support, and a business that can operate without you are part of the goal.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Profitability does not automatically create freedom when the owner still carries the business day to day.
  • An assistant should help control email and calendar work so the owner can focus on sales, systems, and leadership.
  • Buying back time can create capacity for more valuable work even when the first hiring decision feels expensive.
  • Business owners should address the anxiety behind email instead of ignoring the mental and emotional cost.
  • Deliberate rest, including a protected Sabbath, gives the owner space to recover and lead with more clarity.

]]>5a277ea3-6c6c-4548-8155-c37f6fc3d092Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:15:00 -050014:59falsefull3434Penny and Jonathan explain why a profitable business can still trap its owner, and how delegation, email systems, coaching, and protected rest can restore freedom.What Does a Bookkeeper Actually Do? The Work Behind Clean BooksWhat Does a Bookkeeper Actually Do? The Work Behind Clean BooksA clean balance sheet is not just a nice-looking report. It is evidence that someone has checked what entered and left your business, matched the records to bank and loan statements, and found the mistakes that can cost you money. I use a dry-cleaning jacket to explain why you may not care how the work happens, as long as the result is clean, accurate, and useful. Jonathan and I walk through what a bookkeeper actually does: reconciling accounts, categorizing transactions, watching payroll liabilities, entering bills, catching duplicates, and creating an extra layer of protection against fraud. We also explain why monthly books matter beyond tax time and why one internal person should not be left without accountability. If you are unsure whether your books are being maintained or merely touched, this conversation gives you practical questions to ask. At 1610 Financial Solutions, we help business owners build financial systems and take the next step with a Financial Check-In.

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Takeaways:

  • A reliable balance sheet has reconciled accounts supported by bank statements, loan statements, depreciation schedules, and other source documents.
  • Categorizing transactions helps prepare accurate taxes and gives business owners useful monthly numbers.
  • Payroll liabilities and accounts payable require follow-through because missed deadlines, duplicate bills, and unpaid invoices can create avoidable costs.
  • Separating who records transactions from who reviews or reconciles them creates stronger accountability and can help uncover errors or fraud.
  • The value of bookkeeping is the accuracy and visibility it produces, not the number of hours someone spends working in the file.

]]>A clean balance sheet is not just a nice-looking report. It is evidence that someone has checked what entered and left your business, matched the records to bank and loan statements, and found the mistakes that can cost you money. I use a dry-cleaning jacket to explain why you may not care how the work happens, as long as the result is clean, accurate, and useful. Jonathan and I walk through what a bookkeeper actually does: reconciling accounts, categorizing transactions, watching payroll liabilities, entering bills, catching duplicates, and creating an extra layer of protection against fraud. We also explain why monthly books matter beyond tax time and why one internal person should not be left without accountability. If you are unsure whether your books are being maintained or merely touched, this conversation gives you practical questions to ask. At 1610 Financial Solutions, we help business owners build financial systems and take the next step with a Financial Check-In.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • A reliable balance sheet has reconciled accounts supported by bank statements, loan statements, depreciation schedules, and other source documents.
  • Categorizing transactions helps prepare accurate taxes and gives business owners useful monthly numbers.
  • Payroll liabilities and accounts payable require follow-through because missed deadlines, duplicate bills, and unpaid invoices can create avoidable costs.
  • Separating who records transactions from who reviews or reconciles them creates stronger accountability and can help uncover errors or fraud.
  • The value of bookkeeping is the accuracy and visibility it produces, not the number of hours someone spends working in the file.

]]>f520c502-a75e-4b5f-b16a-e6a6b69e9440Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:50:00 -050014:57falsefull3333Penny and Jonathan explain the practical work behind accurate business books, from reconciliation and categorization to payroll liabilities, accounts payable, and fraud prevention.All Debt is Bad Debt? Business Advice True/B.S. | Wheel of WisdomAll Debt is Bad Debt? Business Advice True/B.S. | Wheel of WisdomI put four pieces of popular business advice on trial: hire slow and fire fast, all debt is bad debt, the customer is always right, and you just need to hustle harder. Some of these ideas contain a useful warning, but none should replace sound judgment or a clear view of your numbers. I explain when business debt can support profitable equipment or expansion, why borrowing to cover unexplained operating losses is dangerous, and why more revenue cannot repair broken margins. Jonathan and I also talk about AI in hiring, the cost of keeping the wrong person too long, and the difference between serving customers well and forcing a relationship that is not a fit. If your business feels stuck, I want you to look beyond the next sale and ask what needs to change underneath it. Listen in, then reach out for a Financial Check-In if you are ready to understand your numbers.

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Takeaways:

  • Hiring carefully and addressing a poor fit quickly can protect a healthy team.
  • Business debt may make sense for money-making equipment or expansion, but borrowing to cover unexplained operating losses does not fix the underlying problem.
  • More revenue cannot repair a business with incorrect gross profit margins or unmanaged spending.
  • Customer service matters, but not every customer relationship is the right fit for your business.
  • Sustainable action requires both faithful trust and a willingness to do the work your business needs.

]]>I put four pieces of popular business advice on trial: hire slow and fire fast, all debt is bad debt, the customer is always right, and you just need to hustle harder. Some of these ideas contain a useful warning, but none should replace sound judgment or a clear view of your numbers. I explain when business debt can support profitable equipment or expansion, why borrowing to cover unexplained operating losses is dangerous, and why more revenue cannot repair broken margins. Jonathan and I also talk about AI in hiring, the cost of keeping the wrong person too long, and the difference between serving customers well and forcing a relationship that is not a fit. If your business feels stuck, I want you to look beyond the next sale and ask what needs to change underneath it. Listen in, then reach out for a Financial Check-In if you are ready to understand your numbers.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Hiring carefully and addressing a poor fit quickly can protect a healthy team.
  • Business debt may make sense for money-making equipment or expansion, but borrowing to cover unexplained operating losses does not fix the underlying problem.
  • More revenue cannot repair a business with incorrect gross profit margins or unmanaged spending.
  • Customer service matters, but not every customer relationship is the right fit for your business.
  • Sustainable action requires both faithful trust and a willingness to do the work your business needs.

]]>843a1463-33be-4cd8-95de-13e9d04b4ca5Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:50:00 -050013:14falsefull3232I test four popular business sayings about hiring, debt, customers, and hustle, and explain where each one helps or fails for a real business owner.Their $171,000 Tax Bill Was WrongTheir $171,000 Tax Bill Was WrongA client came to us facing a $171,000 tax bill that did not feel right. As I reviewed the return with our team, we found bookkeeping errors that had inflated the income. One problem was Undeposited Funds: a client payment was recorded there, then the bank deposit was recorded as income again. We also found bank transfers that had been treated as income. Those mistakes can leave an owner paying tax on money that was never additional revenue. We brought the projected liability down to about $114,000, a difference of roughly $57,000. I am sharing this because I want you to ask questions when your return feels off, make sure your books match the last filed return, and get qualified help before selling a business or filing a return built on messy books.

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Takeaways:

• I want you to have a qualified tax adviser review sale documents before you sign them.

• I want you to question a tax return that does not make sense instead of assuming it must be right.

• I want you to check that Undeposited Funds has a zero balance when it should be cleared into your bank account.

• I want you to record movements between bank accounts as transfers, not as new income.

• I want you to make sure the books you give a tax preparer are accurate because you remain responsible for the return.

]]>A client came to us facing a $171,000 tax bill that did not feel right. As I reviewed the return with our team, we found bookkeeping errors that had inflated the income. One problem was Undeposited Funds: a client payment was recorded there, then the bank deposit was recorded as income again. We also found bank transfers that had been treated as income. Those mistakes can leave an owner paying tax on money that was never additional revenue. We brought the projected liability down to about $114,000, a difference of roughly $57,000. I am sharing this because I want you to ask questions when your return feels off, make sure your books match the last filed return, and get qualified help before selling a business or filing a return built on messy books.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

• I want you to have a qualified tax adviser review sale documents before you sign them.

• I want you to question a tax return that does not make sense instead of assuming it must be right.

• I want you to check that Undeposited Funds has a zero balance when it should be cleared into your bank account.

• I want you to record movements between bank accounts as transfers, not as new income.

• I want you to make sure the books you give a tax preparer are accurate because you remain responsible for the return.

]]>248e3cb3-9148-4eea-8120-fec645acda26Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -050013:37falsefull3131Your $400K Business Should Not Feel This Broke | Monday MindsetYour $400K Business Should Not Feel This Broke | Monday MindsetA water damage restoration owner is bringing in about $400,000 a year and still wondering whether the business is worth operating. I break down why the tax bill may not be the real problem, how to separate sales tax from actual business expenses, and why revenue alone tells you almost nothing about the health of a company. Jonathan and I walk through margins, self-employment tax, equipment purchases, possible franchise fees, and the monthly profit and loss trend I would want to see before making a major decision. I also explain why clean books and timely pricing changes matter when supply costs rise. We start with a Monday prayer from 2 Kings about seeing what God sees, then move into a practical reset for any owner who feels trapped by the numbers. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. If you need help understanding your numbers, book a Financial Check-In with 1610 Financial Solutions.

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Takeaways:

  • Revenue size does not tell you whether a business is healthy; margins and net income trend matter more.
  • Sales tax collected from customers is money held for the state, not an operating expense.
  • Before buying equipment with cash, consider financing or leasing so the business keeps working capital.
  • A monthly profit and loss chart can reveal a deteriorating trend before cash is depleted.
  • Business owners should have clean books and qualified tax advice before changing pricing, pay, or tax strategy.

]]>A water damage restoration owner is bringing in about $400,000 a year and still wondering whether the business is worth operating. I break down why the tax bill may not be the real problem, how to separate sales tax from actual business expenses, and why revenue alone tells you almost nothing about the health of a company. Jonathan and I walk through margins, self-employment tax, equipment purchases, possible franchise fees, and the monthly profit and loss trend I would want to see before making a major decision. I also explain why clean books and timely pricing changes matter when supply costs rise. We start with a Monday prayer from 2 Kings about seeing what God sees, then move into a practical reset for any owner who feels trapped by the numbers. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. If you need help understanding your numbers, book a Financial Check-In with 1610 Financial Solutions.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Revenue size does not tell you whether a business is healthy; margins and net income trend matter more.
  • Sales tax collected from customers is money held for the state, not an operating expense.
  • Before buying equipment with cash, consider financing or leasing so the business keeps working capital.
  • A monthly profit and loss chart can reveal a deteriorating trend before cash is depleted.
  • Business owners should have clean books and qualified tax advice before changing pricing, pay, or tax strategy.

]]>c3beda9b-87d4-4675-8642-2f1950cd81fbMon, 14 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -050016:39falsefull3030How Ramp Helps Teams Control Business Spending | Software SaturdayHow Ramp Helps Teams Control Business Spending | Software SaturdayHanding an employee the company card without clear limits is not trust. It is leaving everyone to guess. I am showing you why Ramp has become one of my favorite tools for teams that need better control over spending, travel, receipts, subscriptions, and bill pay. Jonathan and I walk through virtual cards for recurring tools, category restrictions that stop out-of-policy purchases, receipt capture, per diem limits, and approval workflows that put a second set of eyes on bills. I also explain who should use Ramp, why it is better suited to a team with bookkeeping support than a solo owner managing their own books, and how it compares with BILL Spend & Expense. If your business is growing and card spending feels harder to track every month, this is the system conversation to have before the next surprise charge hits.

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Takeaways:

  • I use clear card policies and limits to remove temptation and give employees useful boundaries.
  • I can assign virtual cards to specific subscriptions so I can control budgets and shut off unwanted charges.
  • I make receipt capture immediate because a missing receipt is much harder to recover later.
  • I use a second reviewer for bills to help catch duplicate payments, mistakes, and potential fraud.
  • I treat Ramp as a stronger fit for teams with bookkeeping or accounting support than for a solo owner managing everything alone.

]]>Handing an employee the company card without clear limits is not trust. It is leaving everyone to guess. I am showing you why Ramp has become one of my favorite tools for teams that need better control over spending, travel, receipts, subscriptions, and bill pay. Jonathan and I walk through virtual cards for recurring tools, category restrictions that stop out-of-policy purchases, receipt capture, per diem limits, and approval workflows that put a second set of eyes on bills. I also explain who should use Ramp, why it is better suited to a team with bookkeeping support than a solo owner managing their own books, and how it compares with BILL Spend & Expense. If your business is growing and card spending feels harder to track every month, this is the system conversation to have before the next surprise charge hits.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • I use clear card policies and limits to remove temptation and give employees useful boundaries.
  • I can assign virtual cards to specific subscriptions so I can control budgets and shut off unwanted charges.
  • I make receipt capture immediate because a missing receipt is much harder to recover later.
  • I use a second reviewer for bills to help catch duplicate payments, mistakes, and potential fraud.
  • I treat Ramp as a stronger fit for teams with bookkeeping or accounting support than for a solo owner managing everything alone.

]]>c44f6b2f-0e31-4894-8402-4bcaffbf2397Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:30:00 -050017:42falsefull2929I explain how Ramp helps teams manage employee cards, virtual cards, receipts, travel policies, bill pay, and spending controls.He Has Two Years of Money and Cannot Take a Vacation | Freedom FridayHe Has Two Years of Money and Cannot Take a Vacation | Freedom FridayA young real estate agency owner posted that he has gone almost three years without a day off. He just closed the biggest deal of his career, and the win put him in bed unable to get up, too guilty and too paranoid to take a vacation even though he has enough money to last two years. The question I keep coming back to, and a mentor asked me this years ago, is what is enough. If you already had the revenue you picture in your head, would you still get up and work nine to five? Jonathan and I took a month in Oklahoma this summer and worked two days a week, and the first days off were the hardest, because the worry comes with you. So my advice to him is the one nobody gives. Stay in bed today. Then use part of the day to design the week you actually wanted when you started.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Decide what enough actually looks like as a number, because a business with no finish line will keep taking your weekends no matter what it earns.
  • Ask whether you would still work nine to five if you already had the income you picture, and pay attention to what your answer says.
  • A big win does not end burnout, and sometimes closing one is the thing that finally exposes it.
  • Rest does not arrive when the calendar clears. It comes from deciding ahead of time which days are not work days, and then defending them.
  • The first days off are the hardest, because the worry travels with you, and that is a reason to keep going rather than to cancel the rest.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>A young real estate agency owner posted that he has gone almost three years without a day off. He just closed the biggest deal of his career, and the win put him in bed unable to get up, too guilty and too paranoid to take a vacation even though he has enough money to last two years. The question I keep coming back to, and a mentor asked me this years ago, is what is enough. If you already had the revenue you picture in your head, would you still get up and work nine to five? Jonathan and I took a month in Oklahoma this summer and worked two days a week, and the first days off were the hardest, because the worry comes with you. So my advice to him is the one nobody gives. Stay in bed today. Then use part of the day to design the week you actually wanted when you started.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Decide what enough actually looks like as a number, because a business with no finish line will keep taking your weekends no matter what it earns.
  • Ask whether you would still work nine to five if you already had the income you picture, and pay attention to what your answer says.
  • A big win does not end burnout, and sometimes closing one is the thing that finally exposes it.
  • Rest does not arrive when the calendar clears. It comes from deciding ahead of time which days are not work days, and then defending them.
  • The first days off are the hardest, because the worry travels with you, and that is a reason to keep going rather than to cancel the rest.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>e15628a4-23c1-44dd-8012-c2821e3e2c6aFri, 11 Sep 2026 12:20:00 -050014:01falsefull2828QuickBooks Payroll Took $25k She Had Already PaidQuickBooks Payroll Took $25k She Had Already PaidTwo days ago QuickBooks payroll pulled twenty five thousand dollars out of a business owner's operating account, for payroll taxes she had already paid herself. QuickBooks moved everyone from partial payroll to full this quarter, so they started remitting on her behalf, and she never caught the notice because QuickBooks sends so many emails that we all stop reading them. She called support and was told there was nothing they could do. That money now sits at the IRS as a credit she will burn off over the next two months, and she did not have that kind of margin. I love QuickBooks for the general ledger and we use it every day, but it was built for accountants and not for you, and payroll is the piece I will not put a client on. The fix costs nothing. Open a second bank account that holds only payroll, and whoever runs your payroll can reach that money and nothing else.

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Takeaways:

  • Open a second bank account that holds only payroll, so a payroll company with your bank details can reach that money and nothing else.
  • Fund it two days before the run, once you know the exact amount, and your operating account stays out of reach.
  • The same account trick works on a major supplier with ACH terms, who can otherwise pull whatever their system says you owe.
  • Ask your accountant to set your payroll up, because in our experience the support you get through a firm is not the support you get calling on your own.
  • If you are leaving a payroll company, go at the end of a quarter, so one company owns that quarter's 941 and the next one owns the quarter after.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Two days ago QuickBooks payroll pulled twenty five thousand dollars out of a business owner's operating account, for payroll taxes she had already paid herself. QuickBooks moved everyone from partial payroll to full this quarter, so they started remitting on her behalf, and she never caught the notice because QuickBooks sends so many emails that we all stop reading them. She called support and was told there was nothing they could do. That money now sits at the IRS as a credit she will burn off over the next two months, and she did not have that kind of margin. I love QuickBooks for the general ledger and we use it every day, but it was built for accountants and not for you, and payroll is the piece I will not put a client on. The fix costs nothing. Open a second bank account that holds only payroll, and whoever runs your payroll can reach that money and nothing else.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Open a second bank account that holds only payroll, so a payroll company with your bank details can reach that money and nothing else.
  • Fund it two days before the run, once you know the exact amount, and your operating account stays out of reach.
  • The same account trick works on a major supplier with ACH terms, who can otherwise pull whatever their system says you owe.
  • Ask your accountant to set your payroll up, because in our experience the support you get through a firm is not the support you get calling on your own.
  • If you are leaving a payroll company, go at the end of a quarter, so one company owns that quarter's 941 and the next one owns the quarter after.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>c2d5991b-3763-4826-a151-ff81f304143bThu, 10 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -050014:33falsefull2727Two days ago QuickBooks payroll pulled twenty five thousand dollars out of a business owner's operating account, for payroll taxes she had already paid herself. QuickBooks moved everyone from partial payroll to full this quarter, so they started remitting on her behalf, and she never caught the notice because QuickBooks sends so many emails that we all stop reading them. She called support and was told there was nothing they could do. That money now sits at the IRS as a credit she will burn off over the next two months, and she did not have that kind of margin. I love QuickBooks for the general ledger and we use it every day, but it was built for accountants and not for you, and payroll is the piece I will not put a client on. The fix costs nothing. Open a second bank account that holds only payroll, and whoever runs your payroll can reach that money and nothing else.A One Dollar S Corp Salary Is Not a Strategy | Wheel of WisdomA One Dollar S Corp Salary Is Not a Strategy | Wheel of WisdomIt is Wednesday, so we spun the wheel and pulled six pieces of advice off the internet to see what survives contact with a real business. Almost none of it did. Sleep when you're dead, which is a lovely idea until you meet me on eight hours. Once you have an LLC your personal assets are protected no matter what, which stops being true the moment you run personal money through the business and hand a court a reason to disregard the LLC you never treated as separate. Never use your own money, just max out business credit cards, because debt is cheaper than equity. That is not even a sentence. Always pay yourself last, which we have opinions about. A one dollar S Corp salary, which you are welcome to try before you call me. And more software will fix your operations, which it will not, because software laid over a broken process just gives you a broken process with a subscription.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • An LLC is a legal entity and not a tax entity, and running personal money through it is how the corporate veil gets pierced.
  • If you elect S Corp status the IRS expects a reasonable salary, and reasonable means roughly what you would pay someone else to do your job.
  • The moment to consider an S Corp is when the business can actually pay you that reasonable salary, not before.
  • Put your own pay into the monthly business expenses, so the number you look at is what the business truly costs to run.
  • Write the SOP before you buy the software, because an SOP is just a list of how you do something and it will show you whether software helps at all.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>It is Wednesday, so we spun the wheel and pulled six pieces of advice off the internet to see what survives contact with a real business. Almost none of it did. Sleep when you're dead, which is a lovely idea until you meet me on eight hours. Once you have an LLC your personal assets are protected no matter what, which stops being true the moment you run personal money through the business and hand a court a reason to disregard the LLC you never treated as separate. Never use your own money, just max out business credit cards, because debt is cheaper than equity. That is not even a sentence. Always pay yourself last, which we have opinions about. A one dollar S Corp salary, which you are welcome to try before you call me. And more software will fix your operations, which it will not, because software laid over a broken process just gives you a broken process with a subscription.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • An LLC is a legal entity and not a tax entity, and running personal money through it is how the corporate veil gets pierced.
  • If you elect S Corp status the IRS expects a reasonable salary, and reasonable means roughly what you would pay someone else to do your job.
  • The moment to consider an S Corp is when the business can actually pay you that reasonable salary, not before.
  • Put your own pay into the monthly business expenses, so the number you look at is what the business truly costs to run.
  • Write the SOP before you buy the software, because an SOP is just a list of how you do something and it will show you whether software helps at all.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>e661f470-af89-44fa-8e62-d3cec568b652Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:15:00 -050017:12falsefull2626It is Wednesday, so we spun the wheel and pulled six pieces of advice off the internet to see what survives contact with a real business. Almost none of it did. Sleep when you're dead, which is a lovely idea until you meet me on eight hours. Once you have an LLC your personal assets are protected no matter what, which stops being true the moment you run personal money through the business and hand a court a reason to disregard the LLC you never treated as separate. Never use your own money, just max out business credit cards, because debt is cheaper than equity. That is not even a sentence. Always pay yourself last, which we have opinions about. A one dollar S Corp salary, which you are welcome to try before you call me. And more software will fix your operations, which it will not, because software laid over a broken process just gives you a broken process with a subscription.He Would Get a Job So His Facebook Ads Guy Could Keep HisHe Would Get a Job So His Facebook Ads Guy Could Keep HisA guy posted on Reddit asking whether it is normal that some months he profits and some months he does not pay himself. We ended up calling him Bob, because Reddit does not hand you a name. Four years in, consistently profitable, right up until he hired an employee to run Facebook ads and an Upwork contractor for email marketing. Now he alternates between profit and loss, skips his own paycheck, and is thinking about getting a job to cover the business. Read that back slowly. He would go get a job so the person he hired to make Facebook ads can keep hers. There are two separate problems inside his one sentence. Profit and cash are not the same thing, and your profit and loss statement does not show your debt payments, so whether you got paid is not the test of whether the month was profitable. And marketing is not your first hire. It is nowhere near your first hire.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Getting paid is not the test of whether the month was profitable, because your profit and loss statement does not include your debt payments.
  • If you are spending more on marketing and making less, more marketing is not the answer to that. The numbers are.
  • Learn enough about the work you hire out to judge whether it is being done well, or you can neither keep that person honestly nor fire them fairly.
  • Marketing is the third rung on Dan Martell's replacement ladder, not the first, so hiring it early usually means you skipped the two hires that would have actually bought back your time.
  • Whatever you could hide about your money habits as an employee gets magnified when you own the business, because you brought the same habits with you.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>A guy posted on Reddit asking whether it is normal that some months he profits and some months he does not pay himself. We ended up calling him Bob, because Reddit does not hand you a name. Four years in, consistently profitable, right up until he hired an employee to run Facebook ads and an Upwork contractor for email marketing. Now he alternates between profit and loss, skips his own paycheck, and is thinking about getting a job to cover the business. Read that back slowly. He would go get a job so the person he hired to make Facebook ads can keep hers. There are two separate problems inside his one sentence. Profit and cash are not the same thing, and your profit and loss statement does not show your debt payments, so whether you got paid is not the test of whether the month was profitable. And marketing is not your first hire. It is nowhere near your first hire.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Getting paid is not the test of whether the month was profitable, because your profit and loss statement does not include your debt payments.
  • If you are spending more on marketing and making less, more marketing is not the answer to that. The numbers are.
  • Learn enough about the work you hire out to judge whether it is being done well, or you can neither keep that person honestly nor fire them fairly.
  • Marketing is the third rung on Dan Martell's replacement ladder, not the first, so hiring it early usually means you skipped the two hires that would have actually bought back your time.
  • Whatever you could hide about your money habits as an employee gets magnified when you own the business, because you brought the same habits with you.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>7f2fde3f-7c4d-4366-b1dc-66a00ce088b5Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:50:00 -050016:45falsefull2525A guy posted on Reddit asking whether it is normal that some months he profits and some months he does not pay himself. We ended up calling him Bob, because Reddit does not hand you a name. Four years in, consistently profitable, right up until he hired an employee to run Facebook ads and an Upwork contractor for email marketing. Now he alternates between profit and loss, skips his own paycheck, and is thinking about getting a job to cover the business. Read that back slowly. He would go get a job so the person he hired to make Facebook ads can keep hers. There are two separate problems inside his one sentence. Profit and cash are not the same thing, and your profit and loss statement does not show your debt payments, so whether you got paid is not the test of whether the month was profitable. And marketing is not your first hire. It is nowhere near your first hire.We Gave Expensify Three Stars | Software SaturdayWe Gave Expensify Three Stars | Software SaturdayExpensify says it is for solo owners all the way up to enterprises, and that is the part we disagree with most. It is not for solo owners. I used it years ago at the church and it genuinely changed my life, because it was the first app that let me photograph a receipt instead of keeping a spreadsheet and carrying paper around. But it is built for a company with an accounting department or a business manager who can babysit it. It runs on submitted reports, so an employee can spend all month and you see nothing until the report lands. Once an export hits QuickBooks you cannot pull it back, so one wrong hundred line report means hunting and deleting every entry by hand. And your accountant cannot see any of it unless every employee adds them as a co-pilot. Three stars. If you love your points card, keep it for your own purchases and put your team on something easier.

The tool we point people to instead is Bill Spend and Expense, which we covered in Episode 18: The link below is an affiliate link. We use Bill Spend and Expense in our own business and we would recommend it either way, but if you sign up through that link we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Get $500 with Bill Spend and Expense

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Expensify runs on submitted reports, so you have no visibility into employee spend until the report lands, which can be a month after the money is already gone.
  • Once an expense exports to QuickBooks it cannot be pulled back, so one wrong hundred line report means deleting every entry by hand.
  • The merchant field does not match QuickBooks vendors, so somebody still has to sit and reconcile Walmart against Walmart.
  • Your accountant cannot see anything inside Expensify unless each employee adds them as a co-pilot, which is its own chase with field crews.
  • If you want the points on your own card, keep Expensify for that one card and put your employees on a platform that issues its own.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Expensify says it is for solo owners all the way up to enterprises, and that is the part we disagree with most. It is not for solo owners. I used it years ago at the church and it genuinely changed my life, because it was the first app that let me photograph a receipt instead of keeping a spreadsheet and carrying paper around. But it is built for a company with an accounting department or a business manager who can babysit it. It runs on submitted reports, so an employee can spend all month and you see nothing until the report lands. Once an export hits QuickBooks you cannot pull it back, so one wrong hundred line report means hunting and deleting every entry by hand. And your accountant cannot see any of it unless every employee adds them as a co-pilot. Three stars. If you love your points card, keep it for your own purchases and put your team on something easier.

The tool we point people to instead is Bill Spend and Expense, which we covered in Episode 18: The link below is an affiliate link. We use Bill Spend and Expense in our own business and we would recommend it either way, but if you sign up through that link we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Get $500 with Bill Spend and Expense

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Expensify runs on submitted reports, so you have no visibility into employee spend until the report lands, which can be a month after the money is already gone.
  • Once an expense exports to QuickBooks it cannot be pulled back, so one wrong hundred line report means deleting every entry by hand.
  • The merchant field does not match QuickBooks vendors, so somebody still has to sit and reconcile Walmart against Walmart.
  • Your accountant cannot see anything inside Expensify unless each employee adds them as a co-pilot, which is its own chase with field crews.
  • If you want the points on your own card, keep Expensify for that one card and put your employees on a platform that issues its own.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>4ae4251e-f89a-4bea-a7c9-f3b98f3e489dSat, 05 Sep 2026 08:30:00 -050014:49falsefull2424Expensify says it is for solo owners all the way up to enterprises, and that is the part we disagree with most. It is not for solo owners. I used it years ago at the church and it genuinely changed my life, because it was the first app that let me photograph a receipt instead of keeping a spreadsheet and carrying paper around. But it is built for a company with an accounting department or a business manager who can babysit it. It runs on submitted reports, so an employee can spend all month and you see nothing until the report lands. Once an export hits QuickBooks you cannot pull it back, so one wrong hundred line report means hunting and deleting every entry by hand. And your accountant cannot see any of it unless every employee adds them as a co-pilot. Three stars. If you love your points card, keep it for your own purchases and put your team on something easier.Money in the Hands of Good People Does Good Things | Freedom FridayMoney in the Hands of Good People Does Good Things | Freedom FridayMindset is a buzzword right now, and I know it makes a lot of Christians nervous. It made me nervous a couple of years ago too, so today I want to rub some cats the wrong way. We grew up being taught that if you open my checkbook you can tell where my heart is. Nobody ever taught us how to think about money, only how to spend it. Then we had dinner with friends this week and one of them apologized for having a guest house, and I told her to stop. I do not care if you have ten Lamborghinis in a ten car garage. Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives you the power to create wealth, and that is not the same as raining down manna, which was provision for a single day. One of my friends puts it this way: money in the hands of good people does good things. So why not you?

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Christians are taught how they spend money and almost never how they think about it, and that gap is where the guilt lives.
  • Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives you the power to create wealth, which is a different thing from raining down manna for a single day.
  • If you resent the client while you are doing the work, your price is wrong.
  • Wearing "I charge a lot less than those other people" as a badge is a money mindset problem, not a virtue.
  • Spend time around people whose level of wealth makes you slightly uncomfortable, then ask them how they did it.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Mindset is a buzzword right now, and I know it makes a lot of Christians nervous. It made me nervous a couple of years ago too, so today I want to rub some cats the wrong way. We grew up being taught that if you open my checkbook you can tell where my heart is. Nobody ever taught us how to think about money, only how to spend it. Then we had dinner with friends this week and one of them apologized for having a guest house, and I told her to stop. I do not care if you have ten Lamborghinis in a ten car garage. Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives you the power to create wealth, and that is not the same as raining down manna, which was provision for a single day. One of my friends puts it this way: money in the hands of good people does good things. So why not you?

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Christians are taught how they spend money and almost never how they think about it, and that gap is where the guilt lives.
  • Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives you the power to create wealth, which is a different thing from raining down manna for a single day.
  • If you resent the client while you are doing the work, your price is wrong.
  • Wearing "I charge a lot less than those other people" as a badge is a money mindset problem, not a virtue.
  • Spend time around people whose level of wealth makes you slightly uncomfortable, then ask them how they did it.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>af7d4680-57a9-40fe-ac02-7cc936a929feFri, 04 Sep 2026 12:30:00 -050015:06falsefull2323Mindset is a buzzword right now, and I know it makes a lot of Christians nervous. It made me nervous a couple of years ago too, so today I want to rub some cats the wrong way. We grew up being taught that if you open my checkbook you can tell where my heart is. Nobody ever taught us how to think about money, only how to spend it. Then we had dinner with friends this week and one of them apologized for having a guest house, and I told her to stop. I do not care if you have ten Lamborghinis in a ten car garage. Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives you the power to create wealth, and that is not the same as raining down manna, which was provision for a single day. One of my friends puts it this way: money in the hands of good people does good things. So why not you?Their Instagram Looked Incredible. They Are Going to Prison.Their Instagram Looked Incredible. They Are Going to Prison.A couple here in North Texas just got federal prison time for taking $4.2 million from more than forty families across six counties and leaving custom homes unfinished. What got me is that this is the second couple in our area in a few months, and I do not think either of them started out as a con artist. They got in over their head. The line from the court records tells you exactly how it happened: they commingled every client's installment payments in one operating account and used one family's deposit to pay the subcontractors on somebody else's job. Jonathan has seen the books behind that pattern more times than he can count, and he walks through what should have been there instead. Job costing. A written draw schedule the client sees up front. A separate bank account for every project, which Texas law already expects of you. If you are not a contractor, the takeaway still lands, because their social media looked incredible the entire time.

One correction from the recording: we said six and a half years each. It is six and a half years for him and one month for her, plus three years of supervised release, and the judge staggered them so their four children are not without both parents at the same time. The $4.2 million, the forty plus victims, the six counties and the $2.8 million in restitution are all correct.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Taking a deposit from one client to pay for another client's job is the mechanism behind almost every contractor fraud case, and it starts long before anyone decides to steal.
  • Texas already requires contractors to account for each project's funds separately, and almost no general contractor's books actually do it.
  • A job costing tool, a written draw schedule and a separate bank account per project turn that risk into a system you can show anyone.
  • A bid that comes in dramatically under everyone else's is a warning, not a bargain.
  • What a business posts on social media tells you nothing about whether it can pay its subcontractors.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>A couple here in North Texas just got federal prison time for taking $4.2 million from more than forty families across six counties and leaving custom homes unfinished. What got me is that this is the second couple in our area in a few months, and I do not think either of them started out as a con artist. They got in over their head. The line from the court records tells you exactly how it happened: they commingled every client's installment payments in one operating account and used one family's deposit to pay the subcontractors on somebody else's job. Jonathan has seen the books behind that pattern more times than he can count, and he walks through what should have been there instead. Job costing. A written draw schedule the client sees up front. A separate bank account for every project, which Texas law already expects of you. If you are not a contractor, the takeaway still lands, because their social media looked incredible the entire time.

One correction from the recording: we said six and a half years each. It is six and a half years for him and one month for her, plus three years of supervised release, and the judge staggered them so their four children are not without both parents at the same time. The $4.2 million, the forty plus victims, the six counties and the $2.8 million in restitution are all correct.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Taking a deposit from one client to pay for another client's job is the mechanism behind almost every contractor fraud case, and it starts long before anyone decides to steal.
  • Texas already requires contractors to account for each project's funds separately, and almost no general contractor's books actually do it.
  • A job costing tool, a written draw schedule and a separate bank account per project turn that risk into a system you can show anyone.
  • A bid that comes in dramatically under everyone else's is a warning, not a bargain.
  • What a business posts on social media tells you nothing about whether it can pay its subcontractors.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>e6042def-d840-4dca-a58a-c03bfcf44e1cThu, 03 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -050014:56falsefull2222A couple here in North Texas just got federal prison time for taking $4.2 million from more than forty families across six counties and leaving custom homes unfinished. What got me is that this is the second couple in our area in a few months, and I do not think either of them started out as a con artist. They got in over their head. The line from the court records tells you exactly how it happened: they commingled every client's installment payments in one operating account and used one family's deposit to pay the subcontractors on somebody else's job. Jonathan has seen the books behind that pattern more times than he can count, and he walks through what should have been there instead. Job costing. A written draw schedule the client sees up front. A separate bank account for every project, which Texas law already expects of you. If you are not a contractor, the takeaway still lands, because their social media looked incredible the entire time. One correction from the recording: we said six and a half years each. It is six and a half years for him and one month for her, plus three years of supervised release, and the judge staggered them so their four children are not without both parents at the same time. The $4.2 million, the forty plus victims, the six counties and the $2.8 million in restitution are all correct.Your CPA Is Not Doing Your Financial Strategy | Wheel of WisdomYour CPA Is Not Doing Your Financial Strategy | Wheel of WisdomSomebody tells me my CPA is handling my financial strategy, and I nearly always have to say: almost certainly not. Unless you have signed a CFO engagement with them, what you are buying is tax preparation once a year, and if April is the only time you talk to them, it is already too late to do anything strategic. Bookkeeping, CFO strategy, tax preparation and tax planning are four separate services, and paying for one does not get you the others. So ask for a meeting to walk through your return. You know your business well enough to say that does not look right, and lately I have read a lot of returns where somebody should have. That is one of four we spun the wheel on today, along with the client I turned down at my own dinner table, and no, you cannot write off your clothing haul.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Turning away a paying client will not sink your business, and the ones who feel wrong on the first call usually are.
  • A red flag at onboarding is real information: chronically late, unable to work the technology, or telling you outright about income they do not report.
  • If you want it done right you delegate it, because eighty percent done by someone else beats a hundred percent that never gets done at all.
  • Clothing is only deductible if you would not wear it anywhere else, so branded uniforms count and your haul does not.
  • Bookkeeping, CFO strategy, tax preparation and tax planning are four separate services, and paying for one does not get you the others.
  • Ask your tax preparer to walk you through your return, because you know your business well enough to catch what a rushed preparer missed.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Somebody tells me my CPA is handling my financial strategy, and I nearly always have to say: almost certainly not. Unless you have signed a CFO engagement with them, what you are buying is tax preparation once a year, and if April is the only time you talk to them, it is already too late to do anything strategic. Bookkeeping, CFO strategy, tax preparation and tax planning are four separate services, and paying for one does not get you the others. So ask for a meeting to walk through your return. You know your business well enough to say that does not look right, and lately I have read a lot of returns where somebody should have. That is one of four we spun the wheel on today, along with the client I turned down at my own dinner table, and no, you cannot write off your clothing haul.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Turning away a paying client will not sink your business, and the ones who feel wrong on the first call usually are.
  • A red flag at onboarding is real information: chronically late, unable to work the technology, or telling you outright about income they do not report.
  • If you want it done right you delegate it, because eighty percent done by someone else beats a hundred percent that never gets done at all.
  • Clothing is only deductible if you would not wear it anywhere else, so branded uniforms count and your haul does not.
  • Bookkeeping, CFO strategy, tax preparation and tax planning are four separate services, and paying for one does not get you the others.
  • Ask your tax preparer to walk you through your return, because you know your business well enough to catch what a rushed preparer missed.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>9f3bd425-2e47-4286-8e09-818333b5408eWed, 02 Sep 2026 11:40:00 -050015:01falsefull2121Why turning down a paying client can be the right call, what you actually cannot write off, and the four different services people assume their CPA is already providing.She Posted That She Could Not Make PayrollShe Posted That She Could Not Make PayrollA Bluevine report came out in February that I cannot stop thinking about. They asked 785 small business owners about the reality of running one, and three in four said the trade off was worth it. But 56 percent hit cash flow trouble earlier and harder than they planned for, and only 4 percent regret it at all. So there is a chunk of people who got hit and would still do it again, and those are the gritty ones. Then a woman in one of my Facebook groups posted that she could not make payroll this month, and a thousand people answered her. Here is what I would have told her, free. Get a line of credit set up while things are good, because the bank makes it easy then. And when the emergency passes, sit down and find out what your profit margin actually is, because more revenue will not fix a broken one.

Source: Bluevine, "The Reality of Owning a Small Business", February 2026, a survey of 785 US small business owners.

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Takeaways:

  • Set up a line of credit while your business is healthy and you do not need it, because that is the only time it is easy to get.
  • More revenue will not fix a broken profit margin, it just runs the same broken margin at a larger scale.
  • Your numbers will tell you more than your feelings will, and a year that feels tight is often a year that is growing.
  • Put your business on a growth curve the way a pediatrician puts a baby on one, because falling off the curve is the earliest signal you will get.
  • Mixed personal and business expenses, plus books that are not clean, plus a cash flow problem is the combination that puts a business days away from closing.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>A Bluevine report came out in February that I cannot stop thinking about. They asked 785 small business owners about the reality of running one, and three in four said the trade off was worth it. But 56 percent hit cash flow trouble earlier and harder than they planned for, and only 4 percent regret it at all. So there is a chunk of people who got hit and would still do it again, and those are the gritty ones. Then a woman in one of my Facebook groups posted that she could not make payroll this month, and a thousand people answered her. Here is what I would have told her, free. Get a line of credit set up while things are good, because the bank makes it easy then. And when the emergency passes, sit down and find out what your profit margin actually is, because more revenue will not fix a broken one.

Source: Bluevine, "The Reality of Owning a Small Business", February 2026, a survey of 785 US small business owners.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Set up a line of credit while your business is healthy and you do not need it, because that is the only time it is easy to get.
  • More revenue will not fix a broken profit margin, it just runs the same broken margin at a larger scale.
  • Your numbers will tell you more than your feelings will, and a year that feels tight is often a year that is growing.
  • Put your business on a growth curve the way a pediatrician puts a baby on one, because falling off the curve is the earliest signal you will get.
  • Mixed personal and business expenses, plus books that are not clean, plus a cash flow problem is the combination that puts a business days away from closing.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>c4cc9c91-5483-4174-b4cc-29e1579fb0d0Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:15:00 -050015:40falsefull2020Most owners say running a business was worth it, and most of them still hit cash flow trouble early. What to do about it, starting with the line of credit you should set up before you need one.You Only Have a Lap When You Sit Down | Monday MindsetYou Only Have a Lap When You Sit Down | Monday MindsetWe came to you live from the Settled conference on Friday, and I have been sitting with one thing Jason said ever since. Luke says give and it will be given to you, poured into your lap. But you only have a lap when you are sitting down. Standing up there is nowhere for the overflow to go, so every time somebody needs something you are pulling it straight out of your own cup. That is where resentment comes from. I have felt it, resenting the client who asked the fifteenth question this week, and underneath it is fear of losing them or of what they think of me. Sitting down is not laziness. It is releasing control. Then my one thing for the week, which is Enrique, a dry cleaner I met at a networking event who is completely convinced his is the best. You can find bookkeeping elsewhere. Why would you?

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Takeaways:

  • You only have a lap when you are sitting down, so a posture of releasing control is what makes room for anything to overflow to the people around you.
  • Sitting down is not laziness, it is the difference between receiving something and white knuckling it into existence.
  • Resentment is a signal, not a character flaw, and it usually means you have been pouring out of your own cup instead of out of the overflow.
  • Under most of that resentment is scarcity: fear of losing a client, losing an employee, or being judged, all of it dressed up as trying to prove your worth.
  • Be like Enrique. If you are not convinced yours is the best, nobody in the room will be either.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>We came to you live from the Settled conference on Friday, and I have been sitting with one thing Jason said ever since. Luke says give and it will be given to you, poured into your lap. But you only have a lap when you are sitting down. Standing up there is nowhere for the overflow to go, so every time somebody needs something you are pulling it straight out of your own cup. That is where resentment comes from. I have felt it, resenting the client who asked the fifteenth question this week, and underneath it is fear of losing them or of what they think of me. Sitting down is not laziness. It is releasing control. Then my one thing for the week, which is Enrique, a dry cleaner I met at a networking event who is completely convinced his is the best. You can find bookkeeping elsewhere. Why would you?

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • You only have a lap when you are sitting down, so a posture of releasing control is what makes room for anything to overflow to the people around you.
  • Sitting down is not laziness, it is the difference between receiving something and white knuckling it into existence.
  • Resentment is a signal, not a character flaw, and it usually means you have been pouring out of your own cup instead of out of the overflow.
  • Under most of that resentment is scarcity: fear of losing a client, losing an employee, or being judged, all of it dressed up as trying to prove your worth.
  • Be like Enrique. If you are not convinced yours is the best, nobody in the room will be either.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>c994973d-7c7b-47d8-a420-e99215ae51f8Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:30:00 -050012:17falsefull1919A Monday reset on releasing control, why resentment is usually a signal that you have been pouring from your own cup, and the dry cleaner who is completely convinced his business is the best.The Business Credit Card We Actually Use | Software SaturdayThe Business Credit Card We Actually Use | Software SaturdayGet $500 with Bill Spend and Expense

Spend your first $500 on the card and they pay it back to you. We are affiliates, and we use it ourselves.

Today is Software Saturday and we are talking about Bill Spend and Expense, which we joined back when it was Divvy and still use every week. I will say it upfront: we are affiliates. I would also never recommend something I do not use myself. What I really want to get into is the business credit card side of it. Every business needs one, and no, running everything on your business debit card is not the same thing, because the fraud protection and the spending power just do not exist on debit. But this is not a card you carry a balance on. Credit cards are for expenses you pay off every month. They are not capital funding, so do not put equipment on one. Then the parts I love: photograph any receipt over seventy five dollars and it syncs straight to QuickBooks, a separate virtual card for every subscription, and a real budget for every employee. Jonathan pushed back when I called that control. He is right. It is empowerment.

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Takeaways:

  • Every business needs a business credit card, because the fraud protection and spending power that come with credit simply do not exist on a debit card.
  • A credit card is for expenses you pay off every month, not for funding equipment, so finance the equipment separately.
  • Keep documentation for anything over seventy five dollars, because that is the line above which the IRS can ask you to support the expense.
  • Give each employee their own card with a set budget instead of passing yours around, and put every subscription on its own virtual card so one compromised number does not take down all of them.
  • If you have a partner or employees the rule is a receipt for every dime, and removing the temptation to steal is a way of loving the people who work for you.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Get $500 with Bill Spend and Expense

Spend your first $500 on the card and they pay it back to you. We are affiliates, and we use it ourselves.

Today is Software Saturday and we are talking about Bill Spend and Expense, which we joined back when it was Divvy and still use every week. I will say it upfront: we are affiliates. I would also never recommend something I do not use myself. What I really want to get into is the business credit card side of it. Every business needs one, and no, running everything on your business debit card is not the same thing, because the fraud protection and the spending power just do not exist on debit. But this is not a card you carry a balance on. Credit cards are for expenses you pay off every month. They are not capital funding, so do not put equipment on one. Then the parts I love: photograph any receipt over seventy five dollars and it syncs straight to QuickBooks, a separate virtual card for every subscription, and a real budget for every employee. Jonathan pushed back when I called that control. He is right. It is empowerment.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Every business needs a business credit card, because the fraud protection and spending power that come with credit simply do not exist on a debit card.
  • A credit card is for expenses you pay off every month, not for funding equipment, so finance the equipment separately.
  • Keep documentation for anything over seventy five dollars, because that is the line above which the IRS can ask you to support the expense.
  • Give each employee their own card with a set budget instead of passing yours around, and put every subscription on its own virtual card so one compromised number does not take down all of them.
  • If you have a partner or employees the rule is a receipt for every dime, and removing the temptation to steal is a way of loving the people who work for you.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>4614e37f-ab14-45da-87aa-ba1f9c6cad36Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:30:00 -050014:51falsefull1818Why every business needs a real business credit card, how virtual cards and per-employee budgets stop the two most common ways money walks out the door, and the seventy five dollar receipt rule.Trust God With the Results, Not Just the Goal | Freedom FridayTrust God With the Results, Not Just the Goal | Freedom FridayHappy Freedom Friday. Penny and Jonathan are recording this one from a coffee shop on the road to the Settled conference in Grapevine, which is exactly the kind of Freedom Friday they built the business for: being able to be at a conference on a Thursday night and a Friday. Nobody set the out of office. The conversation starts with something they picked up the night before, trust God with the results of your life, and Penny turns it into a live question for Jonathan. What if we stopped setting goals like sign twenty new clients this month and started setting them like go to this many events, shake this many hands, have this many conversations, and then released the results. Then Penny tells on herself. She raised a client's price by eighty dollars a month and the client left for someone cheaper, and it took her a while to get over it, and she still runs into that person at networking events. What she does with that is the point of the episode. Maybe they did not leave over the eighty dollars. Maybe they just did not like her, and that is allowed. Either way you do not get to let it imprint on you, and you do not get your image from a past client. From there they make the case for spending real money on yourself. Penny went to a fractional CFO conference alone last summer, talked herself into feeling disqualified on the way in, and walked out knowing she could have taught some of the sessions. The biggest thing conferences give you is not the content, it is finding out you are not the only one. And on iron sharpening iron, Jonathan points out the part everyone skips: the reason it sharpens is friction. Something has to rub you the wrong way. Set aside a budget for yourself and your leadership team, because your business cannot go any further than you can.

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Takeaways:

  • Trust God with the results, not just in general. You still show up and do the work he called you to do. You release what happens after.
  • Try setting goals around the inputs you actually control. Not sign twenty clients, but go to this many events and have this many conversations, and let the results be results.
  • Somebody leaving because you raised your price is not a verdict on you. Penny lost a client over eighty dollars a month and had to decide not to let it become a label she carried into every room after that.
  • You do not get your image from past clients. Shake it off. The people you are called to will end up in your life and the ones you are not will walk out, and sometimes that is a mercy.
  • Investing in yourself is not indulgent, it is a line item. Conferences, books, education, for you and for your leadership team, because your business cannot go any further than you can.
  • The real return on a conference is finding out you are not alone. Penny went to a CFO conference convinced she was underqualified and left knowing she could have taught it.
  • Iron sharpens iron because of the friction. If something rubs you the wrong way, sit with it before you decide it was wrong.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Happy Freedom Friday. Penny and Jonathan are recording this one from a coffee shop on the road to the Settled conference in Grapevine, which is exactly the kind of Freedom Friday they built the business for: being able to be at a conference on a Thursday night and a Friday. Nobody set the out of office. The conversation starts with something they picked up the night before, trust God with the results of your life, and Penny turns it into a live question for Jonathan. What if we stopped setting goals like sign twenty new clients this month and started setting them like go to this many events, shake this many hands, have this many conversations, and then released the results. Then Penny tells on herself. She raised a client's price by eighty dollars a month and the client left for someone cheaper, and it took her a while to get over it, and she still runs into that person at networking events. What she does with that is the point of the episode. Maybe they did not leave over the eighty dollars. Maybe they just did not like her, and that is allowed. Either way you do not get to let it imprint on you, and you do not get your image from a past client. From there they make the case for spending real money on yourself. Penny went to a fractional CFO conference alone last summer, talked herself into feeling disqualified on the way in, and walked out knowing she could have taught some of the sessions. The biggest thing conferences give you is not the content, it is finding out you are not the only one. And on iron sharpening iron, Jonathan points out the part everyone skips: the reason it sharpens is friction. Something has to rub you the wrong way. Set aside a budget for yourself and your leadership team, because your business cannot go any further than you can.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Trust God with the results, not just in general. You still show up and do the work he called you to do. You release what happens after.
  • Try setting goals around the inputs you actually control. Not sign twenty clients, but go to this many events and have this many conversations, and let the results be results.
  • Somebody leaving because you raised your price is not a verdict on you. Penny lost a client over eighty dollars a month and had to decide not to let it become a label she carried into every room after that.
  • You do not get your image from past clients. Shake it off. The people you are called to will end up in your life and the ones you are not will walk out, and sometimes that is a mercy.
  • Investing in yourself is not indulgent, it is a line item. Conferences, books, education, for you and for your leadership team, because your business cannot go any further than you can.
  • The real return on a conference is finding out you are not alone. Penny went to a CFO conference convinced she was underqualified and left knowing she could have taught it.
  • Iron sharpens iron because of the friction. If something rubs you the wrong way, sit with it before you decide it was wrong.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>2613afa9-30ef-4cf1-86f9-6c08266877a7Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:15:00 -050013:25falsefull1717Penny raised a client's price by eighty dollars a month and lost them. Here is what she did with that, why conferences are a line item and not an indulgence, and why iron sharpens iron only because of the friction.15 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Bookkeeper15 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a BookkeeperOn Tuesday we told the story of an owner who overpaid the IRS by about forty five thousand dollars because nobody was checking the work. Today is the follow up we promised: the questions to ask before you hand your books to anyone. Penny has roughly fifteen of them, and every one comes from something she has walked into. Will I get reports every single month, and by what date. Can I see the reconciliation reports themselves and not just a summary. Can you explain what these mean in plain English, and how does the profit and loss relate to the balance sheet. That last one matters more than it sounds, because if the person on the call cannot answer it, Penny says that is not a red flag, that is the end of the call. From there it gets into the parts most owners never think to ask about: exactly what access someone needs to your bank accounts and why read only is the only right answer, whether they carry errors and omissions and data breach insurance, whether they store your passwords and how, and whether anyone is talking to your tax preparer during the year instead of just in April. Along the way, the client whose bookkeeper emailed to say she was retiring and did not know how to fix what was wrong. Books where nothing had been done at all. And the owner who was with a CPA for twenty years and said Penny's team understood his business better in six months. If you want the whole list, they are giving it away, so DM Penny and she will send it.

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Takeaways:

  • The bare minimum from anyone doing your books is a report every single month, with an agreed date. If you have never received one, that is your answer.
  • Ask to see the reconciliation reports, not just a summary. You do not have to know how to read them. Asking says you intend to inspect the work, and that alone changes the relationship.
  • Ask how the profit and loss relates to the balance sheet. Plenty of people doing this work only know how to clear a bank feed. If they cannot answer, end the call there.
  • Read only access to your accounts is the right answer, and a good firm brings it up before you do. Too much access is how embezzlement happens, and some banks do not even offer the right permission level.
  • Ask about the boring things nobody asks about: errors and omissions insurance, data breach cover, how your passwords are stored, and who is talking to your tax preparer between now and April.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>On Tuesday we told the story of an owner who overpaid the IRS by about forty five thousand dollars because nobody was checking the work. Today is the follow up we promised: the questions to ask before you hand your books to anyone. Penny has roughly fifteen of them, and every one comes from something she has walked into. Will I get reports every single month, and by what date. Can I see the reconciliation reports themselves and not just a summary. Can you explain what these mean in plain English, and how does the profit and loss relate to the balance sheet. That last one matters more than it sounds, because if the person on the call cannot answer it, Penny says that is not a red flag, that is the end of the call. From there it gets into the parts most owners never think to ask about: exactly what access someone needs to your bank accounts and why read only is the only right answer, whether they carry errors and omissions and data breach insurance, whether they store your passwords and how, and whether anyone is talking to your tax preparer during the year instead of just in April. Along the way, the client whose bookkeeper emailed to say she was retiring and did not know how to fix what was wrong. Books where nothing had been done at all. And the owner who was with a CPA for twenty years and said Penny's team understood his business better in six months. If you want the whole list, they are giving it away, so DM Penny and she will send it.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • The bare minimum from anyone doing your books is a report every single month, with an agreed date. If you have never received one, that is your answer.
  • Ask to see the reconciliation reports, not just a summary. You do not have to know how to read them. Asking says you intend to inspect the work, and that alone changes the relationship.
  • Ask how the profit and loss relates to the balance sheet. Plenty of people doing this work only know how to clear a bank feed. If they cannot answer, end the call there.
  • Read only access to your accounts is the right answer, and a good firm brings it up before you do. Too much access is how embezzlement happens, and some banks do not even offer the right permission level.
  • Ask about the boring things nobody asks about: errors and omissions insurance, data breach cover, how your passwords are stored, and who is talking to your tax preparer between now and April.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>6b9ce65c-e777-403c-85ad-1c8aeaf81653Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -050017:48falsefull1616On Tuesday we told the story of an owner who overpaid the IRS by about forty five thousand dollars because nobody was checking the work. Today is the follow up we promised: the questions to ask before you hand your books to anyone. Penny has roughly fifteen of them, and every one comes from something she has walked into. Will I get reports every single month, and by what date. Can I see the reconciliation reports themselves and not just a summary. Can you explain what these mean in plain English, and how does the profit and loss relate to the balance sheet. That last one matters more than it sounds, because if the person on the call cannot answer it, Penny says that is not a red flag, that is the end of the call. From there it gets into the parts most owners never think to ask about: exactly what access someone needs to your bank accounts and why read only is the only right answer, whether they carry errors and omissions and data breach insurance, whether they store your passwords and how, and whether anyone is talking to your tax preparer during the year instead of just in April. Along the way, the client whose bookkeeper emailed to say she was retiring and did not know how to fix what was wrong. Books where nothing had been done at all. And the owner who was with a CPA for twenty years and said Penny's team understood his business better in six months. If you want the whole list, they are giving it away, so DM Penny and she will send it.Your Gut Is a Liar | Wheel of WisdomYour Gut Is a Liar | Wheel of WisdomIt is Wednesday, so the wheel is out and four business sayings go on trial. First one in, last one out gets thrown out fast: presence is not productivity, and Jonathan says plainly he does not want that culture for his team. Fake it till you make it gets rejected too, though not the way you would expect. Penny would rather faith it till she makes it, and she draws a clear line between doing something you have never done before and being dishonest about who you are. Then pricing, where they refuse to give a verdict on purpose, because every owner lowers their prices at the start and the real work is raising them until you start hearing no. Penny tells on herself about her first ten thousand dollar proposal, where the client never blinked and the only person who needed convincing was her. And then the one that matters most. Your gut is a liar, because your gut does not know the data. Penny had a client call convinced the Holy Spirit was leading her somewhere, and asked what the numbers said. Her answer is worth the whole episode: I will always tell you what the numbers look like, and I will never contradict the Holy Spirit. You are not stepping out in faith if you do not know what you are jumping off of.

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Takeaways:

  • Presence is not productivity. Being first in and last out is not a badge of honor, for you or for the people who work for you, and it quietly builds a culture that rewards hours instead of results.
  • There is a difference between confidence and faking it. Saying yes to something you have never done and then figuring it out is stepping into uncomfortable. Pretending to be something you are not is a different thing entirely.
  • You will start your pricing lower than where you end up, and that is fine. Raise it with each new client until you start hearing no, and raise it every year regardless.
  • The person you have to convince about your price is usually you, not the client. Penny's first ten thousand dollar proposal went through without a blink.
  • Faith and numbers are not opposites. Knowing exactly what you are jumping off of is what makes it a step of faith instead of a guess.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>It is Wednesday, so the wheel is out and four business sayings go on trial. First one in, last one out gets thrown out fast: presence is not productivity, and Jonathan says plainly he does not want that culture for his team. Fake it till you make it gets rejected too, though not the way you would expect. Penny would rather faith it till she makes it, and she draws a clear line between doing something you have never done before and being dishonest about who you are. Then pricing, where they refuse to give a verdict on purpose, because every owner lowers their prices at the start and the real work is raising them until you start hearing no. Penny tells on herself about her first ten thousand dollar proposal, where the client never blinked and the only person who needed convincing was her. And then the one that matters most. Your gut is a liar, because your gut does not know the data. Penny had a client call convinced the Holy Spirit was leading her somewhere, and asked what the numbers said. Her answer is worth the whole episode: I will always tell you what the numbers look like, and I will never contradict the Holy Spirit. You are not stepping out in faith if you do not know what you are jumping off of.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Presence is not productivity. Being first in and last out is not a badge of honor, for you or for the people who work for you, and it quietly builds a culture that rewards hours instead of results.
  • There is a difference between confidence and faking it. Saying yes to something you have never done and then figuring it out is stepping into uncomfortable. Pretending to be something you are not is a different thing entirely.
  • You will start your pricing lower than where you end up, and that is fine. Raise it with each new client until you start hearing no, and raise it every year regardless.
  • The person you have to convince about your price is usually you, not the client. Penny's first ten thousand dollar proposal went through without a blink.
  • Faith and numbers are not opposites. Knowing exactly what you are jumping off of is what makes it a step of faith instead of a guess.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>64b305bc-b037-4c80-ae8c-69d8b0f6bef3Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -050013:46falsefull1515It is Wednesday, so the wheel is out and four business sayings go on trial. First one in, last one out gets thrown out fast: presence is not productivity, and Jonathan says plainly he does not want that culture for his team. Fake it till you make it gets rejected too, though not the way you would expect. Penny would rather faith it till she makes it, and she draws a clear line between doing something you have never done before and being dishonest about who you are. Then pricing, where they refuse to give a verdict on purpose, because every owner lowers their prices at the start and the real work is raising them until you start hearing no. Penny tells on herself about her first ten thousand dollar proposal, where the client never blinked and the only person who needed convincing was her. And then the one that matters most. Your gut is a liar, because your gut does not know the data. Penny had a client call convinced the Holy Spirit was leading her somewhere, and asked what the numbers said. Her answer is worth the whole episode: I will always tell you what the numbers look like, and I will never contradict the Holy Spirit. You are not stepping out in faith if you do not know what you are jumping off of."I Can't Afford a Bookkeeper" Cost Them $45,000"I Can't Afford a Bookkeeper" Cost Them $45,000"I can't afford a bookkeeper." Penny and Jonathan hear it constantly, so today they answer it with receipts instead of opinions. It starts with a client who was running Profit First correctly and then had a tax preparer count every transfer between accounts as income: roughly $90,000 of revenue reported as $280,000. On a conservative estimate, that is about $45,000 overpaid to the IRS, which raises the obvious question of whether you could have hired someone good for $45,000. From there it is one real story after another. $75,000 of overstated income found in the first thirty days. An $11,000 customer check sitting uncashed in a filing cabinet at a construction company. A $1,500 cleanup that turned up $60,000 of income that was never real. And a $600,000 startup loan a previous bookkeeper never recorded, which cost that owner a year of bonus depreciation. Penny also names the red flag most owners never think to check, and explains why so many of us will do our own books but would never dream of doing our own taxes. Then they close out with a new segment, Business Expense or Personal Expense, which is exactly as fun as it sounds. Not tax advice, and they say so on air.

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Takeaways:

  • "I can't afford it" is usually the more expensive answer. In every story here, the cost of bad books was larger than the cost of good ones, and in the first case it was larger by about thirty times.
  • Profit First works, but only if the transfers get booked as transfers. Money moving between your own accounts is not income, and both software and tax preparers get this wrong constantly.
  • Reconciled does not mean correct. One set of books reconciled perfectly, to a book balance rather than a statement balance, while missing a $600,000 loan entirely.
  • If your CPA or EA only asks you for a P&L and has no access to your books, treat that as a red flag. Somebody other than you needs to be looking at those numbers before they turn into a tax bill.
  • The reason owners do their own books but not their own taxes is marketing, not difficulty. Accounting software spends heavily telling owners they can handle it themselves. No one runs that campaign for tax returns.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>"I can't afford a bookkeeper." Penny and Jonathan hear it constantly, so today they answer it with receipts instead of opinions. It starts with a client who was running Profit First correctly and then had a tax preparer count every transfer between accounts as income: roughly $90,000 of revenue reported as $280,000. On a conservative estimate, that is about $45,000 overpaid to the IRS, which raises the obvious question of whether you could have hired someone good for $45,000. From there it is one real story after another. $75,000 of overstated income found in the first thirty days. An $11,000 customer check sitting uncashed in a filing cabinet at a construction company. A $1,500 cleanup that turned up $60,000 of income that was never real. And a $600,000 startup loan a previous bookkeeper never recorded, which cost that owner a year of bonus depreciation. Penny also names the red flag most owners never think to check, and explains why so many of us will do our own books but would never dream of doing our own taxes. Then they close out with a new segment, Business Expense or Personal Expense, which is exactly as fun as it sounds. Not tax advice, and they say so on air.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • "I can't afford it" is usually the more expensive answer. In every story here, the cost of bad books was larger than the cost of good ones, and in the first case it was larger by about thirty times.
  • Profit First works, but only if the transfers get booked as transfers. Money moving between your own accounts is not income, and both software and tax preparers get this wrong constantly.
  • Reconciled does not mean correct. One set of books reconciled perfectly, to a book balance rather than a statement balance, while missing a $600,000 loan entirely.
  • If your CPA or EA only asks you for a P&L and has no access to your books, treat that as a red flag. Somebody other than you needs to be looking at those numbers before they turn into a tax bill.
  • The reason owners do their own books but not their own taxes is marketing, not difficulty. Accounting software spends heavily telling owners they can handle it themselves. No one runs that campaign for tax returns.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>726141cd-5d1a-444b-82d8-3965d61290b1Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:30:00 -050020:03falsefull1414"I can't afford a bookkeeper." Penny and Jonathan hear it constantly, so today they answer it with receipts instead of opinions. It starts with a client who was running Profit First correctly and then had a tax preparer count every transfer between accounts as income: roughly $90,000 of revenue reported as $280,000. On a conservative estimate, that is about $45,000 overpaid to the IRS, which raises the obvious question of whether you could have hired someone good for $45,000. From there it is one real story after another. $75,000 of overstated income found in the first thirty days. An $11,000 customer check sitting uncashed in a filing cabinet at a construction company. A $1,500 cleanup that turned up $60,000 of income that was never real. And a $600,000 startup loan a previous bookkeeper never recorded, which cost that owner a year of bonus depreciation. Penny also names the red flag most owners never think to check, and explains why so many of us will do our own books but would never dream of doing our own taxes. Then they close out with a new segment, Business Expense or Personal Expense, which is exactly as fun as it sounds. Not tax advice, and they say so on air.The Lie That Costs Business Owners the Most | Monday MindsetThe Lie That Costs Business Owners the Most | Monday MindsetIt is Monday, which means we start before the inbox. Penny opens in Matthew 4, where the first thing the enemy goes after is not Jesus' power but his identity: "if you are the Son of God." Then Colossians 3, and a distinction worth sitting with, that chosen, holy and dearly loved are gifts you receive rather than things you earn. From there it gets practical fast. Penny has been at the homeschool table with a kid in tears over math saying "I'm not good at this," and she hears the grown-up version constantly from business owners: "I am not a numbers person." She is calling it what it is this morning. If you own a business, you are a numbers person, because money is made or lost in those numbers. Maybe you have never been shown them in a way that made sense, in charts instead of spreadsheets, or with someone willing to actually teach you. That is a different problem, and it is fixable. Make it your one thing this week.

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Takeaways

  • "I am not a numbers person" is a crutch, not a fact. If you own a business, you are a numbers person, because money is made or lost in those numbers.
  • Not understanding your numbers is usually a delivery problem, not a you problem. Charts instead of spreadsheets, plain English instead of accounting language, or simply someone willing to teach you.
  • Chosen, holy and dearly loved are gifts you receive, not standards you earn. Everything Colossians 3 asks you to put on comes after that, not before it.
  • Your identity gets attacked hardest when you are doing something you have never done before, which for an owner is most weeks. Being unfamiliar with something is not evidence you were not built for it.
  • Pick one thing each week that moves the business forward, and make it specific enough to finish. This week, understanding one number you have been avoiding is a good candidate.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>It is Monday, which means we start before the inbox. Penny opens in Matthew 4, where the first thing the enemy goes after is not Jesus' power but his identity: "if you are the Son of God." Then Colossians 3, and a distinction worth sitting with, that chosen, holy and dearly loved are gifts you receive rather than things you earn. From there it gets practical fast. Penny has been at the homeschool table with a kid in tears over math saying "I'm not good at this," and she hears the grown-up version constantly from business owners: "I am not a numbers person." She is calling it what it is this morning. If you own a business, you are a numbers person, because money is made or lost in those numbers. Maybe you have never been shown them in a way that made sense, in charts instead of spreadsheets, or with someone willing to actually teach you. That is a different problem, and it is fixable. Make it your one thing this week.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways

  • "I am not a numbers person" is a crutch, not a fact. If you own a business, you are a numbers person, because money is made or lost in those numbers.
  • Not understanding your numbers is usually a delivery problem, not a you problem. Charts instead of spreadsheets, plain English instead of accounting language, or simply someone willing to teach you.
  • Chosen, holy and dearly loved are gifts you receive, not standards you earn. Everything Colossians 3 asks you to put on comes after that, not before it.
  • Your identity gets attacked hardest when you are doing something you have never done before, which for an owner is most weeks. Being unfamiliar with something is not evidence you were not built for it.
  • Pick one thing each week that moves the business forward, and make it specific enough to finish. This week, understanding one number you have been avoiding is a good candidate.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>1f0549a6-b2ee-48a5-8689-ef41dd648622Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:30:00 -050012:06falsefull1313QuickBooks Was Never Built for You | Software SaturdayQuickBooks Was Never Built for You | Software SaturdayIt's Software Saturday, and Penny is finally saying the thing out loud: QuickBooks was never built for you. Those commercials with the overwhelmed owner who signs up and suddenly has it all handled? That is the pet peeve. QuickBooks is genuinely good software, but it is accounting software made for accountants, and if you have opened it and felt lost, that is the product, not you. Jonathan is the proof, he loves software and it still intimidates him. They get into why QuickBooks Desktop is finished in 2026, why Intuit's AI still misses things any person would catch instantly, and the two honest reasons they keep using QuickBooks anyway. Then the part worth acting on: three features you should never run inside QuickBooks, and a five minute piece of homework that could mean you have been paying more income tax than you actually owe.

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Takeaways:

  • If you are still on QuickBooks Desktop, move to Online. Intuit stopped updating Desktop, which means no security patches, and those files do eventually corrupt.
  • QuickBooks is accounting software built for accountants. Feeling lost in it is not a personal failing, and no amount of interface polish changes what sits underneath.
  • Open your undeposited funds account this week. It quietly duplicates income, and if there is a balance sitting there, you may be paying tax on money you never actually received.
  • Do not run payroll, client payments, or vendor bill pay inside QuickBooks. Better tools exist for each, they integrate natively, and they usually cost the same or less.
  • QuickBooks Online lets you see your own books. Desktop often means only your accountant can, and you deserve to be able to check the work you are paying for.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>It's Software Saturday, and Penny is finally saying the thing out loud: QuickBooks was never built for you. Those commercials with the overwhelmed owner who signs up and suddenly has it all handled? That is the pet peeve. QuickBooks is genuinely good software, but it is accounting software made for accountants, and if you have opened it and felt lost, that is the product, not you. Jonathan is the proof, he loves software and it still intimidates him. They get into why QuickBooks Desktop is finished in 2026, why Intuit's AI still misses things any person would catch instantly, and the two honest reasons they keep using QuickBooks anyway. Then the part worth acting on: three features you should never run inside QuickBooks, and a five minute piece of homework that could mean you have been paying more income tax than you actually owe.

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • If you are still on QuickBooks Desktop, move to Online. Intuit stopped updating Desktop, which means no security patches, and those files do eventually corrupt.
  • QuickBooks is accounting software built for accountants. Feeling lost in it is not a personal failing, and no amount of interface polish changes what sits underneath.
  • Open your undeposited funds account this week. It quietly duplicates income, and if there is a balance sitting there, you may be paying tax on money you never actually received.
  • Do not run payroll, client payments, or vendor bill pay inside QuickBooks. Better tools exist for each, they integrate natively, and they usually cost the same or less.
  • QuickBooks Online lets you see your own books. Desktop often means only your accountant can, and you deserve to be able to check the work you are paying for.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>e7d79bb1-1e61-4ba1-8d06-f173a3640bb6Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:30:00 -050014:32falsefull1212It's Software Saturday, and Penny is finally saying the thing out loud: QuickBooks was never built for you. Those commercials with the overwhelmed owner who signs up and suddenly has it all handled? That is the pet peeve. QuickBooks is genuinely good software, but it is accounting software made for accountants, and if you have opened it and felt lost, that is the product, not you. Jonathan is the proof, he loves software and it still intimidates him. They get into why QuickBooks Desktop is finished in 2026, why Intuit's AI still misses things any person would catch instantly, and the two honest reasons they keep using QuickBooks anyway. Then the part worth acting on: three features you should never run inside QuickBooks, and a five minute piece of homework that could mean you have been paying more income tax than you actually owe.Three Wins, and One of Them Was Quitting | Freedom FridayThree Wins, and One of Them Was Quitting | Freedom FridayIt's Freedom Friday, and this one gets uncomfortably honest. Penny and Jonathan share their three wins of the week, and win number one is that they fired their marketing company. Roughly $20,000 spent across agencies in twelve months, about $18,000 with the last one, and exactly one client to show for it. They walk through the math that made the decision for them: a $125 lead that becomes $250 when 80% don't show up, then $375 to $500 once you count the ones who don't even own a business. As Penny puts it, it was a numbers decision, not a feelings decision. Then the good news: a new client, a $7 million company that came through a networking referral rather than any ad, where cleaning up last year's books turned up $190,000 of overstated income the owner was about to pay taxes on. There's also a spontaneous afternoon in Waco that has nothing to do with business and everything to do with the point of Freedom Friday.

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Takeaways:

  • "It was a numbers decision, not a feelings decision." Run the real cost per closed client before you renew an agency. A $125 lead is $250 when 80% no show, and more once you strip out the ones who don't fit at all.
  • Check your QuickBooks undeposited funds balance today. Receiving a payment and separately recording the deposit is the most common DIY bookkeeping mistake, and it quietly duplicates your income.
  • Your CPA or EA is almost certainly not verifying that your books are correct. The engagement letter says they file based on what you gave them. Overstated income means paying tax on money that never hit your account.
  • Revenue growth makes you more vulnerable to fraud, not less, because the owner can no longer personally see everything. Never give your bookkeeper check writing authority. Keep the trigger on your side.
  • Buying software isn't the same as implementing it. A $7M company had 25 employees on Expensify that was never connected, so the owner was hand keying every transaction.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>It's Freedom Friday, and this one gets uncomfortably honest. Penny and Jonathan share their three wins of the week, and win number one is that they fired their marketing company. Roughly $20,000 spent across agencies in twelve months, about $18,000 with the last one, and exactly one client to show for it. They walk through the math that made the decision for them: a $125 lead that becomes $250 when 80% don't show up, then $375 to $500 once you count the ones who don't even own a business. As Penny puts it, it was a numbers decision, not a feelings decision. Then the good news: a new client, a $7 million company that came through a networking referral rather than any ad, where cleaning up last year's books turned up $190,000 of overstated income the owner was about to pay taxes on. There's also a spontaneous afternoon in Waco that has nothing to do with business and everything to do with the point of Freedom Friday.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • "It was a numbers decision, not a feelings decision." Run the real cost per closed client before you renew an agency. A $125 lead is $250 when 80% no show, and more once you strip out the ones who don't fit at all.
  • Check your QuickBooks undeposited funds balance today. Receiving a payment and separately recording the deposit is the most common DIY bookkeeping mistake, and it quietly duplicates your income.
  • Your CPA or EA is almost certainly not verifying that your books are correct. The engagement letter says they file based on what you gave them. Overstated income means paying tax on money that never hit your account.
  • Revenue growth makes you more vulnerable to fraud, not less, because the owner can no longer personally see everything. Never give your bookkeeper check writing authority. Keep the trigger on your side.
  • Buying software isn't the same as implementing it. A $7M company had 25 employees on Expensify that was never connected, so the owner was hand keying every transaction.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>88b8a863-47de-4c31-8c41-0bdac23ff182Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:15:00 -050023:12falsefull1111It's Freedom Friday, and this one gets uncomfortably honest. Penny and Jonathan share their three wins of the week, and win number one is that they fired their marketing company. Roughly $20,000 spent across agencies in twelve months, about $18,000 with the last one, and exactly one client to show for it. They walk through the math that made the decision for them: a $125 lead that becomes $250 when 80% don't show up, then $375 to $500 once you count the ones who don't even own a business. As Penny puts it, it was a numbers decision, not a feelings decision. Then the good news: a new client, a $7 million company that came through a networking referral rather than any ad, where cleaning up last year's books turned up $190,000 of overstated income the owner was about to pay taxes on. There's also a spontaneous afternoon in Waco that has nothing to do with business and everything to do with the point of Freedom Friday.He Was Told to File an S-Corp With Zero Revenue - Here's Why That's Bad AdviceHe Was Told to File an S-Corp With Zero Revenue - Here's Why That's Bad AdviceToday's question comes straight from Reddit: a brand-new founder with zero revenue was told by more than one accounting firm to elect S-Corp status right out of the gate — and he wasn't sure why Penny and Jonathan would tell him something different. Turns out an LLC is a legal entity and S-Corp is a tax election, and mixing those two up (plus a little fee-driven upselling from firms that charge more to file an S-Corp return) is exactly how new owners end up locked into payroll they can't actually afford. Penny breaks down why an LLC alone will never put money in your account, then she and Jonathan lay out the three things every new owner needs before they can really pay themselves: know your legal structure isn't your tax strategy, build a personal and business runway if you can, and decide your trigger for paying yourself off actual numbers, not vibes. If you've ever wondered when it's actually safe to start taking a paycheck from your own business, this is the episode.

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Takeaways:

  • An LLC is a legal entity, not a tax structure — electing S-Corp status is a separate decision that shouldn't happen just because someone told you to.
  • If more than one firm pushes you toward an S-Corp before you have revenue, ask why — S-Corp returns cost more to prepare, and that fee difference is sometimes the real reason for the advice.
  • The IRS requires S-Corp owners to pay themselves a "reasonable salary" — don't elect that status until your business can actually support it.
  • Build a 3–6 month personal runway and a 3–6 month business runway before you count on the business to cover your bills.
  • Don't run on feelings — decide your trigger for paying yourself in advance (three consecutive profitable months is a good default) and let clean books make the call.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Today's question comes straight from Reddit: a brand-new founder with zero revenue was told by more than one accounting firm to elect S-Corp status right out of the gate — and he wasn't sure why Penny and Jonathan would tell him something different. Turns out an LLC is a legal entity and S-Corp is a tax election, and mixing those two up (plus a little fee-driven upselling from firms that charge more to file an S-Corp return) is exactly how new owners end up locked into payroll they can't actually afford. Penny breaks down why an LLC alone will never put money in your account, then she and Jonathan lay out the three things every new owner needs before they can really pay themselves: know your legal structure isn't your tax strategy, build a personal and business runway if you can, and decide your trigger for paying yourself off actual numbers, not vibes. If you've ever wondered when it's actually safe to start taking a paycheck from your own business, this is the episode.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • An LLC is a legal entity, not a tax structure — electing S-Corp status is a separate decision that shouldn't happen just because someone told you to.
  • If more than one firm pushes you toward an S-Corp before you have revenue, ask why — S-Corp returns cost more to prepare, and that fee difference is sometimes the real reason for the advice.
  • The IRS requires S-Corp owners to pay themselves a "reasonable salary" — don't elect that status until your business can actually support it.
  • Build a 3–6 month personal runway and a 3–6 month business runway before you count on the business to cover your bills.
  • Don't run on feelings — decide your trigger for paying yourself in advance (three consecutive profitable months is a good default) and let clean books make the call.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>677b5265-861c-4058-8685-f6d1680e0f19Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:30:00 -050017:45falsefull1010Today's question comes straight from Reddit: a brand-new founder with zero revenue was told by more than one accounting firm to elect S-Corp status right out of the gate — and he wasn't sure why Penny and Jonathan would tell him something different. Turns out an LLC is a legal entity and S-Corp is a tax election, and mixing those two up (plus a little fee-driven upselling from firms that charge more to file an S-Corp return) is exactly how new owners end up locked into payroll they can't actually afford. Penny breaks down why an LLC alone will never put money in your account, then she and Jonathan lay out the three things every new owner needs before they can really pay themselves: know your legal structure isn't your tax strategy, build a personal and business runway if you can, and decide your trigger for paying yourself off actual numbers, not vibes. If you've ever wondered when it's actually safe to start taking a paycheck from your own business, this is the episode.The Myth of the Tax-Free LLC | Wheel of WisdomThe Myth of the Tax-Free LLC | Wheel of WisdomIt's Wednesday, which means it's time to spin the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom and put some TikTok "advice" on trial. First up: "your business is your baby" — true, and Penny and Jonathan lean all the way into the parenting comparison (yes, it still cries a lot, no, you don't get to sell it without a plan). Then things get spicy: "open an LLC and run all your personal expenses through it so they become tax-free business expenses" — a hard false, and Penny breaks down exactly why an LLC is a legal entity, not a tax structure, and why the IRS is not paying for your deodorant. They close it out with a real story from their own life — the G-Wagon depreciation myth, and what actually went into the car they bought instead. If you've ever taken financial advice from a stranger on the internet, this one's for you.

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Takeaways

  • An LLC is a legal entity, not a tax structure — it does nothing to your taxes until you elect S-Corp, C-Corp, or nonprofit status on top of it.
  • "It's a business expense" has a simple test: if you bought it before you owned the business and you'd still be buying it anyway, it's personal, not business.
  • Vehicle tax strategies (like Section 179 depreciation) are real, but they're not a shortcut — weigh them against insurance, gas, and your actual tax situation with an advisor, not a TikTok caption.
  • A good tax advisor should stress-test your idea, not just say yes — get someone you can actually call and talk scenarios through.
  • Your business being "your baby" cuts both ways: it's fully your responsibility, but you're also allowed to build it to eventually hand off or sell, not carry it forever.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>It's Wednesday, which means it's time to spin the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom and put some TikTok "advice" on trial. First up: "your business is your baby" — true, and Penny and Jonathan lean all the way into the parenting comparison (yes, it still cries a lot, no, you don't get to sell it without a plan). Then things get spicy: "open an LLC and run all your personal expenses through it so they become tax-free business expenses" — a hard false, and Penny breaks down exactly why an LLC is a legal entity, not a tax structure, and why the IRS is not paying for your deodorant. They close it out with a real story from their own life — the G-Wagon depreciation myth, and what actually went into the car they bought instead. If you've ever taken financial advice from a stranger on the internet, this one's for you.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways

  • An LLC is a legal entity, not a tax structure — it does nothing to your taxes until you elect S-Corp, C-Corp, or nonprofit status on top of it.
  • "It's a business expense" has a simple test: if you bought it before you owned the business and you'd still be buying it anyway, it's personal, not business.
  • Vehicle tax strategies (like Section 179 depreciation) are real, but they're not a shortcut — weigh them against insurance, gas, and your actual tax situation with an advisor, not a TikTok caption.
  • A good tax advisor should stress-test your idea, not just say yes — get someone you can actually call and talk scenarios through.
  • Your business being "your baby" cuts both ways: it's fully your responsibility, but you're also allowed to build it to eventually hand off or sell, not carry it forever.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>89a4fa6e-69d7-4873-9202-0ea173c5022eWed, 19 Aug 2026 12:05:00 -050015:08falsefull99Profitable on Paper, $300K Behind on Rent: A Family Business MeltdownProfitable on Paper, $300K Behind on Rent: A Family Business MeltdownToday's Reddit post is a doozy: a 29-year-old COO trying to save his father's $16M logistics company — profitable on paper, but $300K behind on rent and delaying vendor payments just to make payroll. We break down exactly why "profitable on paper" so often doesn't mean money in the bank, what net income actually tells you (and what it doesn't), and the uncomfortable family dynamic at the center of it: a son with all the responsibility and none of the power, while dad still runs personal expenses through the business and refuses to sell assets to save it. Whether or not you're in a family business, this one's a masterclass in the difference between profit and cash flow — and why you can't fix one without fixing the other.

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Takeaways:

  • "Profitable on paper" often just means nobody's actually looked at the paper — most business owners don't know their real numbers.
  • Net income and cash in the bank are not the same thing — debt principal payments and owner draws live on the balance sheet, not the P&L.
  • You need both cash-basis and accrual-basis views to actually know if you're profitable, especially past the $1M+ mark.
  • Responsibility without authority is a recipe for resentment — if someone's running the business, they need the power to run it.
  • Never let a business relationship cost you a family relationship. The business can be rebuilt; the relationship can't always be.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Today's Reddit post is a doozy: a 29-year-old COO trying to save his father's $16M logistics company — profitable on paper, but $300K behind on rent and delaying vendor payments just to make payroll. We break down exactly why "profitable on paper" so often doesn't mean money in the bank, what net income actually tells you (and what it doesn't), and the uncomfortable family dynamic at the center of it: a son with all the responsibility and none of the power, while dad still runs personal expenses through the business and refuses to sell assets to save it. Whether or not you're in a family business, this one's a masterclass in the difference between profit and cash flow — and why you can't fix one without fixing the other.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • "Profitable on paper" often just means nobody's actually looked at the paper — most business owners don't know their real numbers.
  • Net income and cash in the bank are not the same thing — debt principal payments and owner draws live on the balance sheet, not the P&L.
  • You need both cash-basis and accrual-basis views to actually know if you're profitable, especially past the $1M+ mark.
  • Responsibility without authority is a recipe for resentment — if someone's running the business, they need the power to run it.
  • Never let a business relationship cost you a family relationship. The business can be rebuilt; the relationship can't always be.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>899dd768-d46c-4ba8-8be0-f011f9ab14bfTue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -050017:34falsefull88Sasquatch, Sales Calls, and Finding Your One Thing | Monday MindsetSasquatch, Sales Calls, and Finding Your One Thing | Monday MindsetBefore we look at a single email, invoice, or spreadsheet this week, we're starting right here — seeking God first. It's Monday Mindset, and today Penny tells the story of a pitch-black morning workout that turned into one of her favorite scriptures: John 1:5 — the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. We tie that straight into business: stop being afraid of what you'll find when you turn the light on your finances. Plus, we dig into Gary Keller's The One Thing and figure out the one focus that could make everything else in your business easier (or unnecessary) this week. Ours? Sales. What's yours?

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Takeaways:

  • Every Monday, pause on God and your goals before diving into the work week.
  • Fear of "turning on the light" in your finances is often worse than what you'll actually find.
  • The One Thing by Gary Keller: figure out the single focus that makes everything else easier or unnecessary.
  • This week's one thing for the show: 3 sales calls, close 1 of 3.
  • DM us your own "one thing" this week — we'd love to hear it.

The One Thing by Gary Keller

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Before we look at a single email, invoice, or spreadsheet this week, we're starting right here — seeking God first. It's Monday Mindset, and today Penny tells the story of a pitch-black morning workout that turned into one of her favorite scriptures: John 1:5 — the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. We tie that straight into business: stop being afraid of what you'll find when you turn the light on your finances. Plus, we dig into Gary Keller's The One Thing and figure out the one focus that could make everything else in your business easier (or unnecessary) this week. Ours? Sales. What's yours?

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Every Monday, pause on God and your goals before diving into the work week.
  • Fear of "turning on the light" in your finances is often worse than what you'll actually find.
  • The One Thing by Gary Keller: figure out the single focus that makes everything else easier or unnecessary.
  • This week's one thing for the show: 3 sales calls, close 1 of 3.
  • DM us your own "one thing" this week — we'd love to hear it.

The One Thing by Gary Keller

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>c6c33634-bdeb-443a-b02d-045f2077fc02Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:20:00 -050012:19falsefull77Why Relay Bank Will Change Your Life (No, Seriously) | Software SaturdayWhy Relay Bank Will Change Your Life (No, Seriously) | Software SaturdayOn Saturday's we review software and today, we’re diving into the magical world of Relay Bank, and trust me, it's like finding a unicorn in a field of donkeys. Seriously, if you’re a small business owner drowning in the chaos of financial systems, Relay is here to rescue you. It’s not just a bank; it’s a game-changer that automates the Profit First method, so you can actually keep your sanity while managing multiple accounts without pulling your hair out. We’re not here to bore accountants—sorry, not sorry—but to help you smooth out your financial grind with some slick software. So, if you're ready to stop guessing and start winning, buckle up because we’re about to spill the beans on why Relay might just be your new best buddy in business.

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • This podcast episode is all about helping tired business owners stop winging it and get real with their finances.
  • We dive deep into the wonders of Relay Bank, the banking software that makes life way easier for small businesses.
  • Relay Bank lets you open up to 20 checking accounts for free, which is like winning the financial lottery for business peeps.
  • If you want to understand how to manage your finances without losing your mind, then this episode is totally for you.
  • We share how Relay Bank uses the Profit First method to help you pay yourself and keep your business running smoothly.
  • Don't even think about opening multiple accounts at a traditional bank; Relay Bank is where the cool kids are banking now.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>On Saturday's we review software and today, we’re diving into the magical world of Relay Bank, and trust me, it's like finding a unicorn in a field of donkeys. Seriously, if you’re a small business owner drowning in the chaos of financial systems, Relay is here to rescue you. It’s not just a bank; it’s a game-changer that automates the Profit First method, so you can actually keep your sanity while managing multiple accounts without pulling your hair out. We’re not here to bore accountants—sorry, not sorry—but to help you smooth out your financial grind with some slick software. So, if you're ready to stop guessing and start winning, buckle up because we’re about to spill the beans on why Relay might just be your new best buddy in business.

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • This podcast episode is all about helping tired business owners stop winging it and get real with their finances.
  • We dive deep into the wonders of Relay Bank, the banking software that makes life way easier for small businesses.
  • Relay Bank lets you open up to 20 checking accounts for free, which is like winning the financial lottery for business peeps.
  • If you want to understand how to manage your finances without losing your mind, then this episode is totally for you.
  • We share how Relay Bank uses the Profit First method to help you pay yourself and keep your business running smoothly.
  • Don't even think about opening multiple accounts at a traditional bank; Relay Bank is where the cool kids are banking now.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>ffd18efe-34f0-46d7-bdf8-2de72680bfdeSat, 15 Aug 2026 08:30:00 -050014:42falsefull66Rosie's Tale of Financial Freedom - From Confusion to ConfidenceRosie's Tale of Financial Freedom - From Confusion to ConfidenceWe've got a gem of a story today, folks, and it’s all about our girl Rosie. She came in hot with a serious bookkeeping mess that had her drowning in confusion and late tax filings, but don’t worry, we saved the day. We'll share how we turned her chaos into clarity and what freedom really looks like in the world of business. Plus, it’s Freedom Friday, so we’re all about celebrating the little wins too! Get ready to hear how Rosie went from stressing over her finances to feeling like a boss, because let’s face it, we all need a little laugh and some inspiration when the going gets tough. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Book a Free Call with Penny

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Freedom Fridays are all about celebrating wins, big or small, and sharing them.
  • Rosie's story highlights the importance of having a reliable bookkeeper and CPA for success.
  • Entrepreneurs need to separate personal and business finances to avoid confusion and chaos.
  • Facing financial fears can feel daunting, but turning on the light reveals there’s no monster under the bed.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>We've got a gem of a story today, folks, and it’s all about our girl Rosie. She came in hot with a serious bookkeeping mess that had her drowning in confusion and late tax filings, but don’t worry, we saved the day. We'll share how we turned her chaos into clarity and what freedom really looks like in the world of business. Plus, it’s Freedom Friday, so we’re all about celebrating the little wins too! Get ready to hear how Rosie went from stressing over her finances to feeling like a boss, because let’s face it, we all need a little laugh and some inspiration when the going gets tough. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • Freedom Fridays are all about celebrating wins, big or small, and sharing them.
  • Rosie's story highlights the importance of having a reliable bookkeeper and CPA for success.
  • Entrepreneurs need to separate personal and business finances to avoid confusion and chaos.
  • Facing financial fears can feel daunting, but turning on the light reveals there’s no monster under the bed.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>4bad5ae8-a416-4919-b10b-bb8d0993455aFri, 14 Aug 2026 10:15:00 -050015:13falsefull55Blowing Up Cars and Tax Bills: WhistlinDiesel's $2 Million Tax BlunderBlowing Up Cars and Tax Bills: WhistlinDiesel's $2 Million Tax BlunderCaught in the whirlwind of social media fame and financial chaos, YouTuber WhistlinDiesel finds himself at the center of a storm with shocking revelations about tax evasion. Join us as we unpack this sensational story and give our take on the whole mess. If you’re a business owner navigating the murky waters of tax obligations or simply love a good tale of unexpected twists and turns, this episode is for you.

In this engaging episode, we dive deep into the recent arrest of Cody Detweiler, better known as WhistlinDiesel, who is facing serious allegations following his flashy lifestyle showcased on YouTube. What led to his arrest, and how does it affect business owners everywhere?

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Caught in the whirlwind of social media fame and financial chaos, YouTuber WhistlinDiesel finds himself at the center of a storm with shocking revelations about tax evasion. Join us as we unpack this sensational story and give our take on the whole mess. If you’re a business owner navigating the murky waters of tax obligations or simply love a good tale of unexpected twists and turns, this episode is for you.

In this engaging episode, we dive deep into the recent arrest of Cody Detweiler, better known as WhistlinDiesel, who is facing serious allegations following his flashy lifestyle showcased on YouTube. What led to his arrest, and how does it affect business owners everywhere?

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>7ddd73f0-03cb-4c3a-a5ad-42cc6695690fThu, 13 Aug 2026 10:15:00 -050014:19falsefull44Grind or Chill? The Myth of the 8-Hour WorkdayGrind or Chill? The Myth of the 8-Hour WorkdayEver feel like you’re spinning your wheels in business? We'll that's what we're doing on Wednesday's literally spinning the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom! Join us as we tackle the all-too-common myths that can derail even the most passionate entrepreneurs.

Today, we're diving into the hilariously misguided notion that just building something will magically draw people in. Spoiler alert: it won’t. We’re all about helping those tired business owners ditch the guesswork and finally take control of their finances—because who doesn’t want to reclaim their paycheck and sanity? We’re spinning the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom today, which is basically our excuse to poke fun at some popular myths about working hard and hustling. So grab your coffee, or don’t—either way, let's chat about how working smarter, not harder, is the real key to success. Buckle up, folks, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • The myth that just building a website guarantees success is totally absurd; it doesn't work like that, folks.
  • Grinding hard and working nonstop is a total myth; it just leads to burnout, not success.
  • Contrary to popular belief, real productivity doesn't require an eight-hour workday, so stop clock-watching.
  • Giving away your best stuff for free might seem smart, but it can backfire spectacularly in business.
  • We need to remember that life is short, so enjoying it now is better than grinding for later.
  • The idea that working harder equates to better results is a joke; sometimes resting leads to better productivity.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels in business? We'll that's what we're doing on Wednesday's literally spinning the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom! Join us as we tackle the all-too-common myths that can derail even the most passionate entrepreneurs.

Today, we're diving into the hilariously misguided notion that just building something will magically draw people in. Spoiler alert: it won’t. We’re all about helping those tired business owners ditch the guesswork and finally take control of their finances—because who doesn’t want to reclaim their paycheck and sanity? We’re spinning the Wheel of Absolute Wisdom today, which is basically our excuse to poke fun at some popular myths about working hard and hustling. So grab your coffee, or don’t—either way, let's chat about how working smarter, not harder, is the real key to success. Buckle up, folks, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

Takeaways:

  • The myth that just building a website guarantees success is totally absurd; it doesn't work like that, folks.
  • Grinding hard and working nonstop is a total myth; it just leads to burnout, not success.
  • Contrary to popular belief, real productivity doesn't require an eight-hour workday, so stop clock-watching.
  • Giving away your best stuff for free might seem smart, but it can backfire spectacularly in business.
  • We need to remember that life is short, so enjoying it now is better than grinding for later.
  • The idea that working harder equates to better results is a joke; sometimes resting leads to better productivity.

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>c42986bd-7097-4259-8e59-cba08eb91872Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:30:00 -050012:03falsefull33When Growth Feels Like Drowning - From 25 to CEOWhen Growth Feels Like Drowning - From 25 to CEOToday, we’re diving into the wild world of cash flow issues that can make even the most ambitious business owners wanna pull their hair out. We’ve got a real gem of a story from some 25-year-old dude who’s growing his industrial coatings biz faster than he can handle, but guess what? He’s drowning in cash flow problems. Yeah, he’s got clients and jobs lined up, but he’s waiting 30 days to get paid while scrambling to buy materials. Classic case of “I’m rich on paper but broke in real life,” right? We’ll break down what Sam (we're calling him that, because why not?) can do to keep his head above water and finally get some breathing room in his biz. So grab your snacks, kick back, and let’s figure out how to rescue this cash flow mess!

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

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1610 Financial Solutions

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Today, we’re diving into the wild world of cash flow issues that can make even the most ambitious business owners wanna pull their hair out. We’ve got a real gem of a story from some 25-year-old dude who’s growing his industrial coatings biz faster than he can handle, but guess what? He’s drowning in cash flow problems. Yeah, he’s got clients and jobs lined up, but he’s waiting 30 days to get paid while scrambling to buy materials. Classic case of “I’m rich on paper but broke in real life,” right? We’ll break down what Sam (we're calling him that, because why not?) can do to keep his head above water and finally get some breathing room in his biz. So grab your snacks, kick back, and let’s figure out how to rescue this cash flow mess!

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>f57e3b30-9d0f-416d-99ba-0ad2d1f41df4Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:20:00 -050018:29falsefull22Why Did We Start This? - Letting Go of Control | Monday MindsetWhy Did We Start This? - Letting Go of Control | Monday MindsetLet’s be real, starting a business can feel like a total circus, and that’s exactly what we tackle in this episode. We're diving into the struggles that so many entrepreneurs face—working double time just to keep their heads above water while neglecting their own financial needs. Penny also shares her own story of letting go of control and having some fun!

Every Monday will be Monday Mindset. Before you dive into the endless emails and spreadsheets, it’s time to hit pause and focus on God and your goals. What’s the one thing you can nail down this week that’ll actually push your business forward?

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

We’re all about helping you tired business owners stop playing the guessing game and start building real financial systems. You know, the ones that actually let you take home a paycheck and maybe even reclaim a bit of your time. Join us every weekday (and Saturdays) at 8:30am for a daily reset before hitting the ground running.

The One Thing question: "What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

The One Thing by Gary Keller

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>Let’s be real, starting a business can feel like a total circus, and that’s exactly what we tackle in this episode. We're diving into the struggles that so many entrepreneurs face—working double time just to keep their heads above water while neglecting their own financial needs. Penny also shares her own story of letting go of control and having some fun!

Every Monday will be Monday Mindset. Before you dive into the endless emails and spreadsheets, it’s time to hit pause and focus on God and your goals. What’s the one thing you can nail down this week that’ll actually push your business forward?

Book a Free Call with Penny

Connect with us:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

1610 Financial Solutions

We’re all about helping you tired business owners stop playing the guessing game and start building real financial systems. You know, the ones that actually let you take home a paycheck and maybe even reclaim a bit of your time. Join us every weekday (and Saturdays) at 8:30am for a daily reset before hitting the ground running.

The One Thing question: "What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

The One Thing by Gary Keller

This show is for general information and encouragement. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. Please consult a professional about your particular situation before you make any decisions.

]]>c2edb02e-3743-41c6-b2d7-1a47a20ed494Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -050017:49falsefull11