☀️ Summer Systems Refresh: Organize Your Business Finances in Under an Hour
Summer might feel like a season to slow down — and honestly, that’s a good thing. But if your business finances have been simmering on the back burner, this is also the perfect time to do a quick systems refresh.
You don’t need a full day or a complicated spreadsheet to feel organized again. Just one focused hour (iced coffee optional) can help you clear the clutter, tighten your workflows, and feel way more in control of your money.
Let’s walk through a simple summer reset that you can do in under an hour.
🧹 Step 1: Clear Out the Digital Clutter (15 Minutes)
Start with the “junk drawer” of your business — your digital files, receipts, and desktop folders.
🔹 Sort through your Downloads folder
Move receipts and important docs into your accounting folder (by month or category). Trash the rest.
🔹 Tidy up your bookkeeping folder
Make sure you’re not storing everything in one giant pile. Create folders by year > month or by client > category.
🔹 Rename documents so they’re easy to search
Pro tip: Use a format like 2024-06_Receipt_Gusto.pdf to make tax time painless.
📒 Step 2: Reconcile Your Accounts (15 Minutes)
If you haven’t reconciled in a while (or ever), don’t panic. This is your moment to make sure what’s in your books actually matches your bank and credit card statements.
🔹 Open your accounting software (QuickBooks, Wave, etc.)
🔹 Reconcile your main bank and credit card accounts through the latest statement
🔹 Flag any duplicate or uncategorized transactions
💡 Time-Saver: If you’re behind, just start with the last two months. You can catch up in batches later.
📊 Step 3: Run Your Financial Reports (15 Minutes)
Now that your books are clean(ish), take a look at what the numbers are actually telling you.
🔹 Profit & Loss: How’s your income vs expenses looking so far this year?
🔹 Balance Sheet: What do you own vs what do you owe?
🔹 Cash Flow: Do you have enough coming in to cover what’s going out in the next few months?
This is a great time to course-correct before fall and year-end sneak up on you.
💡 Step 4: Automate or Delegate One Thing (15 Minutes)
Before you close your laptop, ask:
“What’s one thing I’m still doing manually that I could hand off or systematize?”
🔸 Can you automate recurring invoices?
🔸 Set up a monthly Admin Day reminder?
🔸 Use a shared Google Drive folder with your bookkeeper?
🔸 Start delegating tasks to your assistant with a checklist?
🎯 Small moves like this protect your future time — and your mental bandwidth.
🧘♀️ You’re Done — And Now Your Future Self Thanks You
In under an hour, you’ve cleared space, tightened your numbers, and created more flow in your business finances — all without burning out or ignoring the sunshine outside.
So go ahead and shut your laptop. Take a walk. Enjoy your summer. Your systems are in a better place now — and that’s what matters.
✨ Want More No-Stress Bookkeeping Tips?
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