You Don’t Really Have $10,000 in the Bank

So, you log into your business bank account and see $10,000. You breathe a little easier. Maybe you think, “Cool, I’ve got room to hire that VA,” or “We can swing that equipment upgrade.” But hold on. Before you mentally spend that ten grand, let’s talk.

At Tidybooks, this is one of the most common moments we walk clients through. That “I have money!” feeling that later turns into “Wait, where did it all go?”

Here’s the truth: if you don’t understand what your money is doing behind the scenes, you might be making decisions based on a number that doesn’t tell the whole story.

What That $10K Is Actually Doing

That $10,000 isn’t all yours. Not really.

It’s:

• Part payroll for your team that runs every other Friday.

• Part tax savings that’s technically Uncle Sam’s, not yours.

• Part unpaid invoices you already owe vendors, credit cards, maybe that contractor you keep forgetting to pay.

• Maybe part of it is a deposit you took for a project that won’t be fulfilled for another six weeks.

The money is spoken for.

And the hard part? You can’t always see it clearly unless you have both your Profit & Loss statement and your Balance Sheet up to date. The P&L tells you what you earned and spent, but the Balance Sheet shows what you owe and what’s left over. If you’re only looking at one side of the story, your bank balance starts to feel like a magic trick. Here today, gone tomorrow.

You Don’t Have to Be the Expert at Everything

Most business owners don’t get into business because you’re dying to reconcile accounts. You’re building incredible things: coaching practices, creative agencies, dental offices, and food trucks. You’re out here changing lives. It makes perfect sense that you don’t want to spend your evenings decoding your balance sheet. 

That’s where so many business owners start to feel stuck or ashamed. “I should know this,” they tell us. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”

But here’s the deal: knowing how to read your finances is a skill. No one hands you that skill when you register your LLC or hit six figures. You’re not behind. You’re just not meant to do it all alone.

So What Can You Do About It?

We step in right at the point where you’re asking, “Can I afford to hire?” or “Should I launch that new offer?” or even just “Can I take a dang vacation?”

We help our clients build financial clarity. That starts by organizing your money in a way that makes sense for your brain and your business.

For a lot of our clients, that looks like:

• Creating multiple bank accounts (income, taxes, owner draw, operating expenses) and automating transfers so you know exactly what’s really available to spend.

• Making sure your financial reports are updated and accurate every single month, not just at tax time.

• Walking through those reports with you, so you’re not guessing at what any of it means.

• Building a habit of looking at your numbers with curiosity, not panic.
  

It’s Not Just About Money, It’s About Headspace

This isn’t just about budgeting or expense tracking. It’s about creating space in your brain to do what you do best. It’s about finally being able to ask your accountant, “Can I afford this?” and getting a real, grounded answer instead of a shrug.

We believe every small business deserves to know exactly where they stand financially. Whether you're running a million-dollar medical practice or you're a solo consultant just trying to stop working weekends, you deserve the same clarity, the same partnership, and the same “we’ve got you” energy.

You’re not supposed to be an expert in all of this. That’s our job. And we love our job.

So if your bank balance is looking deceptively good or depressingly low and you’re not sure what it actually means, let’s talk. We can help you find the truth in the numbers and make sure that next time you see $10,000 in your account, you actually know what it means.