You've Googled "bookkeeper near me." You've looked up fractional CFOs. You've read articles about how much to pay yourself and how to save for taxes. Maybe you've even hired someone or tried a new app.
And you still feel like something is missing.
If that sounds familiar, I want you to hear this first. The problem probably isn't you. Most owners don't know exactly what they need, because nobody ever showed them what a real financial system looks like.
We recently started working with a salon owner I'll call Grace. Her salon in Dallas brings in about $1 million a year. She had searched everywhere for answers and tried several other things, and nothing gave her what she needed.
When we got in, her business and personal money were mixed together. Personal credit cards were all over her business books. She was behind on her taxes, because for years her tax preparer handed her one giant bill each spring and nobody ever helped her plan for it. And no one had ever taught her how to read her own financial statements.
That was her low point. Successful salon, full calendar, and no clear picture of where the money was going.
Here's what changed in our 90 days together. We separated her business and personal money for good. We set up a spend and expense card system, so she could give an employee a card with a limit and clear guidelines on what to buy. We cleaned up her books. Then I took 10 extra minutes to walk her through her balance sheet and profit and loss, and how they connect. Her words were, "I feel so smart."
We also compared her numbers to industry benchmarks for salons. She had asked people for those numbers for years, and nobody would share them. Now we're building her a dashboard so she can see them in one place.
Is everything magically fixed? No. But she told us she's excited about the future because she can finally see it. She stayed on as an ongoing client. She and her daughter run the salon together, and they said they can't imagine not having us on their team.
That's the from-to. From searching for answers to having them. From mixed-up money to clear numbers. From carrying every decision alone to having a partner on your side.
What's in it for you? Numbers you can actually read. A plan for taxes before the bill shows up. And the confidence of being the CEO you already are.
If you've been searching and still aren't sure what you need, start with a Financial Check-In with 1610 Financial Solutions. It's a simple conversation about where your finances stand today and what to do next. Book yours at 1610consulting.com.
