The Money In Your Account Isn't Yours | Business Unscripted Ep. 76

Most owners think the problem is revenue. It usually isn't.Solo episode this week — Duarne is off — and Dave spends it answering the questions he actually gets asked: by prospects, by clients, and around the table at Alliance meetings. The answers braid into one idea. Money that lands in your account is not yours yet, and you can't know what is until your pricing and your books tell you the truth.He starts where most owners start: making money and still feeling broke. The fix is a cash management system, not more revenue — give every dollar a purpose the moment it arrives. Direct costs first, then profit, then owner's pay, then the tax man, then operating expenses. And never borrow between accounts. Dave did, on a "just this once" bill, and abandoned Profit First inside six months. He's been rigid about it for a year and a half since.From there: how to build a 13-week cash forecast from three months of bank statements so you see October's negative balance in August. When it's actually time to hire a bookkeeper, an accountant, or fractional support — and why the first 30 to 60 days cost you more, not less. Why entry-level bookkeeping is going away. And why you can't put AI on top of a broken system without exponentially expanding what's broken.Then the math most owners get wrong. If a job costs $1,000 and you want a 40% margin, invoicing $1,400 puts you at 28.5%. The formula is cost divided by one minus your margin — $1,667. That's $267 an invoice you've been giving away.Plus the one-question test for whether an expense is cost of goods sold, and what your gross margin is really telling you about the money in your account.Episode 76Send us Fan Mail Visit www.triumphbusinesssolutions.pro to learn more about our services and our Profit First Cash Clarity Programs. Learn more about Triumph Business Solutions www.triumphbusinesssolution.proReceive a Complimentary Business Stability Snapshot and see how your business stacks up again 100,000+ successful businesses. https://triumphbusinesssolutions.pro/triumph-assessmentSchedule a 30-Minute Cash Clarity Conversation - Guaranteed Value or full refund - $97: https://stan.store/TriumphBusinessSolutions​​Want to be a guest on the podcast? Register for a future episode here: https://calendar.triumphbusinesssolutions.pro/businessunscriptedguest