August 11 

11:30 12:30

You started your business to do the work you love, not to drown in receipts and shoeboxes of paperwork. But every business owner eventually hits the same wall: without good records, you can't tell if you're actually making money, you can't claim the deductions you've earned, and you can't prove anything if a lender, investor, or auditor comes knocking. Stay in Control is a hands-on class designed to take the fear and confusion out of business recordkeeping and give you a simple system you'll actually use.

This class is for business owners who want to feel confident about their numbers without needing an accounting degree. During the session, participants learn the difference between "my money" and "my business's money," how to set up an easy income-and-expense system, what to track and why, and how to stay ahead of taxes instead of scrambling at tax time. This is not a bookkeeping certification course. It's a confidence-building, keep-it-simple session that helps you build habits that protect your business all year long.

By the end of the class, you'll have a clear, realistic recordkeeping system and the confidence to keep it going, so your records work for you instead of against you.

You'll Learn How To

• Separate business and personal finances the right way
• Set up a simple income and expense tracking system you'll actually maintain
• Know what to track, what to keep, and how long to keep it
• Tell the difference between an expense and an asset, and why it matters
• Document deductible expenses, mileage, and travel so they hold up
• Understand your sales tax and payroll recordkeeping responsibilities
• Set aside for taxes and pay quarterly estimates so tax season stops being a surprise

Who It's For

This session is for new and established business owners who want to get their records under control. You may be tracking everything in your head, in a shoebox, or in a spreadsheet you don't trust. You may have never separated your business and personal spending, or you may just want to make sure you're doing it right. Wherever you're starting from, you want a system that's simple enough to stick with and solid enough to protect you.

Outcomes

By the end of the session, participants will:

✅ Understand why good records protect their business and save them money
✅ Know how to separate business and personal finances correctly
✅ Have a simple, repeatable system for tracking income and expenses
✅ Understand what records to keep, for how long, and why
✅ Know their basic sales tax, payroll, and quarterly tax responsibilities
✅ Have a monthly recordkeeping routine they can start right away

Bonus Resources

Participants will receive:

• A monthly recordkeeping checklist
• A mileage log and expense-tracking template