KCole Bookkeeping & Small Business Consulting

10/27/2026

Ever opened your Profit & Loss statement in QuickBooks and wondered what all those numbers are actually telling you?

You're not alone! And the good news is, you don't need to be an accountant to understand your business finances.

Your Profit & Loss statement is one of the most valuable tools you have as a business owner, but only if you know how to use it.

In my latest blog post, I break it all down in plain English, including:

💚 What the different sections of your P&L actually mean
💚 How to tell if your business is making money
💚 What to look for beyond the bottom line
💚 How to use your numbers to make better business decisions

Because your financial reports should do more than just help you file your taxes. They should help you understand your business and make decisions with confidence.

📖 Read the full article:
https://www.kcolebookkeeping.com/blog/how-to-read-a-profit-loss-statement-without-being-an-accountant

10/17/2026

I'm excited to share that kCole will be participating in this year's Startup Chippewa Valley event! 💚

On Thursday, November 5, I'll be at The Lismore in Eau Claire as part of the event's Resource Expo, connecting with local entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Whether you're just exploring a business idea, getting ready to launch, or already running a business and looking for a little more financial clarity, I'd love to meet you!

I'll be there to talk about bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online, and building financial systems that help small businesses start strong and grow with confidence.

The event is FREE and includes business resources, speakers, networking opportunities, and one-on-one office hours with participating professionals.

📅 Thursday, November 5, 2026
📍 The Lismore, Lower Ballroom | Eau Claire
🕚 Event begins at 11:00 AM

If you're in the Chippewa Valley, I hope you'll stop by and say hello!

Learn more and register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chippewa-valley-startup-day-tickets-1999531231740

10/14/2026

What QuickBooks question have you been putting off? 🤔

Maybe you're unsure if you're categorizing transactions correctly, can't quite make sense of your reports, or suspect there's an easier way to do something in QuickBooks Online.

Bring your questions to my next FREE QuickBooks Online Q&A Drop-In Session!

No presentations, no sales pitches. Just a casual opportunity to ask questions, get some guidance, and learn alongside other small-business owners.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
🕛 12–1 PM Central
💻 Online via Google Meet
🎟️ Free to attend! Registration required.

Whether you're brand new to QuickBooks or have been using it for years, you're welcome to join us!

💚 Save your spot: https://www.kcolebookkeeping.com/events/quickbooks-online-qa-drop-in-session

10/14/2026

I'm excited to share that kCole will be exhibiting at the 2026 Women's Business Conference! 💚

On Wednesday, November 4, I'll be at the Pablo Center in Eau Claire, connecting with women entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and other professionals from throughout western Wisconsin.

One of my favorite things about running kCole is getting to know the people behind small businesses, learning about what they're building, and helping make the financial side of business ownership a little less overwhelming.

I'm looking forward to a day of learning, networking, and meeting some inspiring women in business!

If you're attending, I'd love for you to stop by the kCole table and say hello!

📅 Wednesday, November 4, 2026
📍 Pablo Center at the Confluence | Eau Claire
💚 Find kCole at exhibitor table #46!

Learn more about the conference:

Join us at the Women's Business Conference to connect with leading female entrepreneurs, gain valuable insights, and empower your business journey. Don't miss out!

10/08/2026

IF YOUR BOOKS AREN’T WHERE YOU WANT THEM TO BE, NOW IS THE TIME.

Maybe you started the year determined to stay on top of your bookkeeping.

And then... you got busy running the actual business.

A few transactions went uncategorized. One month didn’t get reconciled. Receipts piled up. Then another month passed, and suddenly opening QuickBooks started feeling like something you’d rather avoid altogether.

If that sounds familiar, you still have time to turn things around before year-end.

We’re at the beginning of Q4. You don’t have to wait until January and tackle an entire year’s worth of cleanup all at once.

Start small.

✓ Get your bank and credit card accounts reconciled
✓ Work through uncategorized or questionable transactions
✓ Review outstanding invoices and bills
✓ Make sure your income and expenses are landing where they belong
✓ Look at your year-to-date reports and see if the numbers actually make sense

You don’t have to fix everything in one afternoon.

A little progress each week between now and December can make a huge difference when year-end and tax season arrive.

And more importantly, you’ll finish the year with a much clearer picture of how your business actually performed.

Behind on your books doesn’t have to mean staying behind.

Q4 is a pretty good time to start catching up.

10/07/2026

Have a QuickBooks question you keep putting off? Bring it to me!

October’s free QuickBooks Online Q&A Drop-In Session is coming up!

This is an informal, online hour where small-business owners can bring their QuickBooks Online questions and get straightforward answers in a relaxed, no-pressure setting.

There’s no presentation and no sales pitch. You don’t need to be a kCole client, and you definitely don’t need to stay for the entire hour.

Have one question? Drop in, ask it, and get back to your day.
Want to listen and learn from what other business owners are asking? You’re welcome to stay for the whole session.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
🕛 12:00–1:00 PM
💻 Online via Google Meet
💚 Free to attend

Registration is required so I can send you the Google Meet information.

Learn more & register:
https://www.kcolebookkeeping.com/events/quickbooks-online-qa-drop-in-session

Know another small-business owner who could use a little QuickBooks help? Feel free to share this with them!

10/06/2026

BOOKKEEPING MYTH #5: “I’ll clean everything up at tax time.”

Technically, you can wait until tax time to deal with a year’s worth of bookkeeping.

But that doesn’t mean you should.

When you wait until January, February, or March to figure out what happened during the previous year, you may be trying to remember transactions that happened 6, 9, or even 12 months ago.

Was that Amazon purchase for the business or personal?

What was that $247 deposit?

Did that customer ever pay that invoice?

Why is there a duplicate transaction from May?

And where did that receipt go?

The longer you wait, the harder those questions become to answer.

But there’s an even bigger reason to keep your books current:

Your bookkeeping isn’t just for your tax return.

Up-to-date books help you understand how your business is doing while you still have time to do something about it.

They can help you see whether you're profitable, where your money is going, whether customers owe you money, how much cash you actually have available, and where something may need your attention.

If you only clean everything up at tax time, you're essentially driving your business all year and checking the dashboard after the trip is over.

Your books don't have to be perfect every day. But keeping them reasonably current makes tax time easier and makes them much more useful for actually running your business.

Good bookkeeping isn't just about preparing for taxes. It's about knowing what's happening in your business today.

10/02/2026

When was the last time you actually “closed out” a month in your bookkeeping?

It’s easy to categorize a few transactions, glance at your bank balance, and assume everything is good to go. But a consistent month-end routine can help you catch errors, stay on top of unpaid invoices, understand your cash position, and make sure your financial reports are actually telling you something useful.

I put together a Small Business Owner’s Month-End Bookkeeping Checklist covering the things worth reviewing each month, from reconciliations and accounts receivable to your Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet.

You don’t have to spend hours on your books. A little consistency each month can make year-end a whole lot easier. 💚

Read the full checklist here:
https://www.kcolebookkeeping.com/blog/the-small-business-owners-month-end-bookkeeping-checklist

10/01/2026

WELCOME TO Q4! How are your books looking?

We’ve officially entered the final three months of 2026.

If your bookkeeping is completely caught up, reconciled, and making perfect sense right now, fantastic.

If it isn’t? October 1st is a much better time to find that out than December 31st.

Before the year starts flying toward the holidays and year-end, take a quick look at your books:

✓ Are your bank and credit card accounts reconciled?
✓ Are there transactions sitting in QuickBooks that still need attention?
✓ Do you have overdue customer invoices to follow up on?
✓ Are your income and expenses being categorized correctly?
✓ Does your year-to-date Profit & Loss actually make sense to you?

You don’t need perfect books every single day.

But you do want books you can trust when you need them.

Q4 is your opportunity to catch up, clean things up, and make sure you understand where your business stands before year-end arrives.

And if you open QuickBooks and discover something that makes you think, “I have absolutely no idea what this is doing...” you’re always welcome to bring the question to my free monthly QuickBooks Online Q&A Drop-In Session.

Here’s to a strong and organized Q4!

09/29/2026

BEFORE SEPTEMBER ENDS: 5 Things to Check Before Q4

October is almost here, which means we're heading into the final quarter of the year.

Before September wraps up, this is a good time to spend a few minutes checking in on your business finances. You don't need to do a full year-end review yet. Just make sure you know where things stand.

Here are 5 things worth checking before Q4 begins:

1. Are your books caught up?
Make sure your bank and credit card transactions are entered, categorized, and reconciled through the most recent statement.

2. Do customers still owe you money?
Review your Accounts Receivable and follow up on overdue invoices. Don't let unpaid summer invoices quietly follow you into year-end.

3. Are there bills or expenses coming up that you need to plan for?
Look ahead at recurring bills, loan payments, subscriptions, insurance, inventory, and other expenses you expect during the final three months of the year.

4. How is the business actually doing?
Take a look at your year-to-date Profit & Loss. Compare your income and expenses to last year or to your budget, if you have one. Anything surprise you?

5. How is your cash looking?
Profit is important, but so is having enough cash available to cover what's coming. Look at your bank balances alongside your expected income and upcoming obligations.

You still have three months left in the year.

That's enough time to follow up on money you're owed, clean up bookkeeping issues, adjust spending, plan for upcoming expenses, and make more informed decisions about how you want to finish 2026.

A little financial housekeeping now can make year-end a whole lot easier.

What does your business need to get squared away before Q4 begins?