Jonathan Reich 
In recent years, I’ve watched the monthly close evolve from a standard operating procedure into a liability. These days, a month is an eternity. Founders who wait until the 15th of the following month to see a report of their previous month’s performance are effectively flying a jet by looking at a map of where … Read more
I’ve always had a bit of a bone to pick with the way accounting is typically sold to small businesses. Most founders start out thinking they just need someone to do the taxes or keep the books clean, but I’ve seen time and again how that line of thinking leads to a major blind spot. … Read more
In the early days of a business, accounting is mostly about survival. You’re either hacking together a QuickBooks chart of accounts at night or relying on a part-time bookkeeper to keep transactions flowing and taxes filed. That’s good for lean teams, manageable volume, and “success” defined by positive cash at month’s end. But growth changes … Read more
If you’ve ever sat in a boardroom (or a Zoom room) trying to explain why the final numbers from three weeks ago just changed by 15%, you know the pain of a broken month-end close. As a CPA, I’ve had this awkward conversation more than I should. I’ve also seen the difference between a set … Read more
Whether you are an e-commerce merchant scaling past your first eight figures or a construction firm managing a complex web of subcontractors and progress billings, there comes a point where the numbers stop being a scoreboard and start becoming a bottleneck. As a CPA, I’ve seen this movie before. You start with a local bookkeeper. … Read more
In the rapidly maturing landscape of 2026 financial technology, the traditional, monolithic accounting software of the previous decade have been replaced by specialized, AI-driven operating systems. For modern founders, the choice is no longer between QuickBooks and Xero, but rather between high-velocity specialized platforms that promise to turn the back office into a strategic asset. … Read more
In recent years, the choice of a payment processor has transformed from a back-office decision into something much more strategic. For years, the industry was dominated by legacy, enterprise-grade systems designed for stability and high volume (often in a traditional retail setting). But as we shift more toward an integrated “everything-as-a-service” model, the friction between … Read more
I think for most folks who aren’t a CPA, SaaS finance companies are simple to explain but incredibly difficult to run and keep tabs on: subscription revenue comes in small pieces, timing is super important, and leadership wants answers as soon as they can get them. “How much did we grow?” is a question that … Read more
In the shifting tides of the 2026 digital economy, the merchant account has evolved from a simple bank-side necessity into a complex strategic engine. And in my opinion, for e-commerce brands, the stakes have never been higher. A decade ago, simply being able to accept a credit card was enough. Today, a merchant account must … Read more
As many business owners have learned, selecting a payment processor for your Shopify store isn’t just a “check the box” technical requirement. As a CPA, I view it as a fundamental strategic decision that dictates the health of your cash flow, the accuracy of your ledger, and the long-term scalability of your margins (I also … Read more
As a CPA, I’ve spent my fair share of time in the weeds of financial statements. I’ve seen the difference between a set of books that simply checks the compliance boxes and a financial strategy that can actually do something meaningful to gross revenue. For most growing businesses, there comes a point where the DIY … Read more
For decades, the trajectory of a successful company followed a predictable, almost rigid hiring roadmap. You started with a bookkeeper to keep the lights on, graduated to a controller to manage the ledger, and once the stakes were high enough, you hunted for a Chief Financial Officer. That “CFO” title was a status symbol, a … Read more
Growth feels great until the finance engine starts to stall. At first, finance is simple. You send invoices, pay bills, run payroll, and check the bank balance. A bookkeeper keeps things tidy. Your CPA files taxes. You look at profit and think, “We’re good.” Then you hire more people. You add products. You open a … Read more
Outsourced finance in 2026 looks less like “outsourced bookkeeping” and more like a modular finance team you can turn up or down. People who onboard these types of services now expect a provider to run core workflows (AP, AR, close), keep the books clean, and also help leaders make decisions with real numbers. Some also … Read more
Let’s immediately cut to the chase. Trust is the only currency that matters in a boardroom. If you can’t trust your numbers, then what are you doing in front of the people you probably owe a ton of money to? For a CFO, the speed of a month-end close is a vanity metric if the … Read more
In my years as a CPA, I have seen the same story play out dozens of times. A business scales quickly and their revenue looks great on paper, but the back office is a disaster. It’s a tale as old as time; they are using one system for their online store, another for their gateway, … Read more