Question 1

What's the difference between a bookkeeper, an accountant, and a CPA?

Accepted Answer

A bookkeeper records what happened: transactions categorized, accounts reconciled, reports produced. An accountant interprets what happened: analyzing the numbers and advising on decisions. A CPA is a licensed accountant who passed a national exam and is held to professional standards by a state licensing board.

Most small businesses need a bookkeeper for the day-to-day work and a CPA for oversight, tax strategy, and bigger financial decisions. What they don't need is a tax preparer who looks at their books once a year and calls it accounting.

Question 2

What does "monthly close" mean and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

A monthly close is when you finalize your books for the month including reconciling every account against bank and credit card statements, categorizing all transactions, and producing accurate financial statements. Once it's done, your numbers are locked and can actually be relied on.

It matters because decisions made on unreconciled books are decisions made on guesses. If your books are three months behind, you don't know what your business looks like right now.

Question 3

Do I need to understand my financial statements, or can I just trust my accountant?

Accepted Answer

Both. Your accountant should understand them deeply, that's what you're paying for. But you should understand them well enough to know when something looks off and to use them in your own decision-making.

The basics aren't complicated. Revenue minus cost of goods sold equals gross profit. Gross profit minus operating expenses equals net income. That's the P&L. Once you understand where the levers are in that equation, your books stop being a mystery and start being useful.

Question 4

What's the difference between profit and cash flow, and why do profitable businesses run out of money?

Accepted Answer

Profit is an accounting concept. Cash flow is what's actually in your bank account. They can look very different, and the gap between them is what catches a lot of business owners off guard.

The most common cause: timing. You invoice $50,000 in March. Your P&L shows $50,000 in March revenue. Your client pays in May. In April, your profit looks fine, and your bank account is low. This is exactly why a cash flow statement matters. It tells you what's actually happening to your liquidity, not just what you've earned on paper.

Question 5

When should I switch from cash basis to accrual accounting?

Accepted Answer

When your financials are being used to make real decisions, cash basis usually isn't giving you the full picture.

Cash basis works when you're small and simple: straightforward transactions, books mainly for tax purposes. Once you're invoicing on payment terms, carrying payables, making hiring decisions based on your P&L, or planning to seek financing, accrual is more accurate. And if you're ever planning to sell the business, buyers expect accrual.

On the tax side, the IRS generally requires accrual only once your average annual gross receipts for the prior three years exceed an inflation-adjusted threshold - $32 million for 2026. Below that, most small businesses can stay on cash basis for tax purposes even if they carry inventory. So for nearly every business we work with, moving to accrual is a management decision, not a compliance one.

Question 6

How often should I actually be looking at my financials?

Accepted Answer

Monthly, at minimum. Weekly if you're growing fast, burning cash, or running a high-volatility business like a restaurant or retail shop.

The owners who get surprised by their financial situation are almost always reviewing numbers quarterly. By then a problem that started in month one has been running for ninety days without anyone noticing. Monthly financials with a short narrative summary turn your books from a historical record into something you can actually act on.

Greenway Accountants

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