Jonathan Reich 
Hey fellow bean counters! When clients who don’t want to book-keep ask me what tools they should use for bookkeeping, I usually steer the conversation to Pilot and Puzzle.io. Both are names you’ll hear if you spend time in the world of finance and they share a common goal: to make accounting less painful and … Read more
As many small business owners know, when you run a small business, money movement (and management) is one of the most important, and most stressful, parts of operations. Over the years, as a CPA, I’ve worked with countless clients across many industries: retail shops, restaurants, online merchants, contractors, and service providers. If there’s one thing … Read more
As a CPA, I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time chasing down signatures, notarized forms, and legal paperwork for clients. It’s just part of the job. Whether it’s loan documents, business contracts, or compliance forms, notarization is a necessary but often time-consuming step in the financial world. Or, at least it used to be. In … Read more
Over the years, I’ve worked with countless small businesses, startups, and growing companies. I’ve been asked about Pilot, because management wants to be hands off and has absolute disdain for maintaining their own books. In my opinion, Pilot is just the bookkeeping service that pairs software with outsourced accountants. It’s carved out a strong reputation, … Read more
As a CPA, I’ve spent a long time advising small business owners, contractors, and entrepreneurs on the ins and outs of paying employees, vendors, and independent contractors. What sounds straightforward, writing a check for services, quickly becomes complicated when you factor in compliance, cash flow, taxes, and the practical reality of running a business. The … Read more
Part of running a successful business means getting paid efficiently and reliably. Over the years, I’ve seen countless clients struggle with payment processing systems that are either too expensive, too rigid, or simply not aligned with the way they operate. There are many platforms out there that can aid in Accounts Receivable, and GoCardless is … Read more
As a CPA, paperwork is part of my daily life. Like at this point, I am REALLY good at pushing paper, and that’s good because it pays my bills. Tax filings, financial statements, loan documents, you name it, I’ve probably seen it. However, occasionally I run across documents that need to be notarized, and that’s … Read more
As a CPA who works with small businesses every day, let me just tell you, it seems like most of the small businesses I come across are in shambles behind the scenes when it comes to their account payables and payment systems. Late invoices, high fees, clunky systems…these things eat into both profits and peace … Read more
As many small business owners know, credit card payments are no longer optional. If you don’t take cards, you’re not going to stay in business long. If your business doesn’t accept cards, you’re leaving money on the table and likely irritating your customers. But not all processors are created equal. Some specialize in brick-and-mortar retail, … Read more
If you’re thinking about an exit in the next 6 to 36 months, let’s talk about the big picture and the trade-offs of different strategies. As a CPA, I’ve helped many small business owners sell their business, and help them figure out what the business is worth, so I’ve ran into a whole bunch of … Read more
As a CPA who’s worked with businesses of all sizes, from tiny startups to growing mid-market firms, I’ve spent more time than I’d like to talk about inside accounting platforms. I’ve seen the best of what’s out there. I’ve also seen some clunky, outdated, overengineered systems still making the rounds because “that’s what everyone uses.” … Read more
Audit trails are the backbone of clean books. If you’ve ever tried to untangle a transaction mess with no breadcrumb trail, you know the pain. I’ve spent years cleaning up after rushed journal entries, misposted payments, and disappearing data, and I’ve come to rely heavily on audit trail software especially for startups and small businesses, … Read more
Closing the books every month isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the most important things a business can do. A clean close tells you where the money went, what’s working, and what isn’t. For management and finance leads, it’s the difference between making informed decisions or running your business into the ground. Over the years, … Read more
As a CPA who’s spent years DOWN IN THE WEEDS cleaning up financial records, I’ve seen firsthand how tech can make or break your business’s bookkeeping. Let me paint you a quick picture. It’s mid-2022 – Intuit is kicking tons of customers off their desktop version, so I am working to migrate about 6 clients … Read more
I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve reconciled accounts manually when there were no better options, and I’m talking about accounts that get over 1500 transactions a month. It took HOURS. I’ve cleaned up messes left by “automated” systems that promised more than they delivered. And I’ve had those 10 p.m. moments where I … Read more
I’ve been a CPA for years, running my own firm and helping businesses of various sizes manage their financial operations. In that time, I’ve seen bill pay platforms evolve from clunky bank portals and manual checks to sophisticated, user-friendly digital solutions. Two platforms I regularly work with—and frequently recommend to my clients—are Melio and Airbase. … Read more