First Steps Financial

07/17/2026

Think it’s too late to get your firm "Out of Office" ready this summer? Think again.

Summer Workflow Camp is in full swing, but the most actionable session of the series is happening next week—and you can jump right in without missing a beat!

Join our very own Alisa McCabe on Tuesday, July 21st at 2:00 PM ET for Session 3: Out of Office Ready.
This isn't a lecture. It’s a live, one-hour working session designed to help firm owners and operations managers stop being the bottleneck.

What we are building live on July 21st:

✅ A foolproof delegation & second-in-command framework.
✅ Pre-built client communication templates (OOO notifications, escalation protocols).
✅ Your firm's official Out of Office checklist.

Bonus: When you register, you’ll instantly unlock the recordings for the first two weeks of camp, so your team can grab the full workflow audit templates on your own time.

Stop running your accounting or bookkeeping firm on memory and crossed fingers. Bring your team, join a "cabin," and let’s build a system that lets nothing fall through the cracks while you're away.

👇 Grab your spot and join the other 500+ registrants HERE: https://link.firststepsfinancial.com/sp/e46c1ac8aac

07/16/2026

The Pruning Paradox: How First Steps Financial Grew by 20–40% While Cutting Its Client Base in Half!

When Alisa McCabe told her team she wanted to grow her fractional accounting firm by getting rid of clients, they thought she had lost her mind. But Alisa had a vision inspired by Mike Michalowicz’s The Pumpkin Plan: prune away the excess so the core business can grow bigger.

The strategy paid off massively. By shrinking her client roster from nearly 100 down to 41 highly compatible partnerships, First Steps Financial achieved a staggering 20–40% year-over-year growth!

In the latest feature for Two Cents Magazine, Alisa shares how "less is more" completely transformed her Princeton, New Jersey-based firm:

* Laser-Focused Niches: The firm dialed in on three key verticals—civil engineering firms, contractors, and women in life sciences (even helping a world-changing scientist navigate complex grant compliance so she could focus on the science).
* Deeper Partnerships: They shifted from transactional bookkeeping to true collaboration, with team members even embedding themselves in clients' internal sales meetings.
* Heeding Red Flags: By enforcing an ongoing discipline to screen out early warning signs (like prospects who demand instant calls without respecting boundaries), the firm protects its peace and focus.
* An Unstoppable Team Culture: First Steps Financial has built an incredible 11-person, fully remote team with zero employee turnover in four years. Built on the EOS framework, their culture is rooted in being innovative, being a team player, being kind, and taking ownership.

Growth isn't always about chasing every single lead. True strategic scaling means optimizing for what matters most: deeper relationships, greater specialization, and protecting your team.

👉 Read the full feature in Two Cents Magazine pages 66-71): https://link.firststepsfinancial.com/sp/a801bf16edd or watch Alisa's interview at https://link.firststepsfinancial.com/sp/0b22138e606 to see how she built a powerhouse firm that runs so smoothly she can take a two-week vacation to Italy completely unplugged!

07/15/2026

That upfront payment isn't profit yet; it’s an obligation. Treating work deposits as immediate income creates a dangerous "cash flow illusion" that hides your true job costs.

Keep your books rock solid by tracking deposits as liabilities until the work is actually performed. Your financial foundation depends on it! 👉 https://www.firststepsfinancial.com/how-to-account-for-work-deposits-in-construction

07/13/2026

Is your team actually taking time off this summer? ☀️

Employees who use their vacation days come back refreshed, more motivated, and more productive. Encourage your team to schedule PTO now, before the end-of-summer rush leaves everyone scrambling.

07/11/2026

Happy Birthday to our Financial Rockstar, Amy!

The celebration continues at First Steps Financial! Today, we are sending the happiest of birthday wishes to our incredible Dedicated Accounting Support, Amy!

Amy is the magic behind the scenes who keeps our numbers precise, our clients supported, and our financial steps perfectly aligned. Her attention to detail, reliability, and warm energy make her an absolute joy to work with every single day.

Amy, thank you for everything you do to keep us and our clients moving forward with confidence. We hope your day is filled with relaxation, fun, and plenty of your favorite treats!

Let’s show Amy some love! Leave your birthday wishes for her in the comments below! 👇✨

07/10/2026

Think it’s too late to get your firm "Out of Office" ready this summer? Think again.

Summer Workflow Camp is in full swing, but the most actionable session of the series is happening next week—and you can jump right in without missing a beat!

Join our very own Alisa McCabe on Tuesday, July 21st at 2:00 PM ET for Session 3: Out of Office Ready.
This isn't a lecture. It’s a live, one-hour working session designed to help firm owners and operations managers stop being the bottleneck.

What we are building live on July 21st:

✅ A foolproof delegation & second-in-command framework.
✅ Pre-built client communication templates (OOO notifications, escalation protocols).
✅ Your firm's official Out of Office checklist.

Bonus: When you register, you’ll instantly unlock the recordings for the first two weeks of camp, so your team can grab the full workflow audit templates on your own time.

Stop running your accounting or bookkeeping firm on memory and crossed fingers. Bring your team, join a "cabin," and let’s build a system that lets nothing fall through the cracks while you're away.

👇 Grab your spot and join the other 500+ registrants HERE: https://link.firststepsfinancial.com/sp/e46c1ac8aac

07/09/2026

Counterintuitive but true: Sometimes, firing your clients is the fastest way to grow.

In the latest feature from Two Cents Magazine, Alisa McCabe (founder of First Steps Financial) shares a masterclass in strategic scaling. At one point, her fractional accounting firm was managing nearly 100 clients.

The result? Burnout and stretched resources.

So, she did something terrifying for most business owners: she radically cut back her client base, shrinking it down to just 41 carefully selected, ideal partnerships.

The outcome? A massive 20–40% year-over-year growth.

By intentionally downsizing her roster, Alisa was able to:

Focus on Niche Expertise: She zeroed in on civil engineering firms and women in life sciences, offering highly specialized value.

Shift the Dynamic: She transformed traditional client-vendor transactions into deeply collaborative, long-term partnerships.

Protect Her Team: With 11 employees, the focus shifted heavily toward supporting work-life balance and a healthy company culture rooted in kindness and ownership.

The Big Takeaway: More isn’t always better. If your business is feeling bloated, it might be time to stop chasing every lead and start optimizing for the right partnerships.

Check out the full interview on YouTube to hear Alisa’s incredible journey from marketing student to scaling a powerhouse firm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4g8uh0Z0Qo

Read the first issue of Two Cents Magazine Here: https://hubs.li/Q0...

07/08/2026

Wondering if your accounting team needs a controller? Growing service businesses often hit a point where basic bookkeeping is no longer enough.

Here's a practical checklist to help you determine when it's time to level up your financial oversight.

https://www.firststepsfinancial.com/when-should-i-add-a-controller-to-my-accounting-team-the-financial-controller-readiness-checklist

07/07/2026

Listen in as Gena & Diane from First Steps Financial share their favorite booths from Scaling New Heights!