Not a Numbers Person? That’s Okay, but Your Bookkeeper Should Be.
March 14th is Pi Day (3.14), a fun little holiday celebrating one of the most famous numbers in math: π.
I’ll admit something… I was definitely the kid who actually liked math class after things started clicking in Alegbra.
While most people groaned about equations and numbers, I enjoyed figuring out patterns and making everything balance. There’s something satisfying about solving the problem and seeing how everything fits together.
That interest eventually turned into my career as a tax accountant and now a bookkeeper.
I am a QuickBooks Online bookkeeper working with small businesses across Western Wisconsin, Eastern MN, and the St. Croix Valley. With an office in River Falls, WI and New Richmond, WI, I help entrepreneurs turn their financial data into clear, useful information. Here’s the good news for entrepreneurs:
You don’t have to love numbers to run a successful business.
Most business owners start their companies because they’re great at what they do: building homes, designing products, serving clients, or solving problems for customers. The financial side of the business often feels like the least exciting part.
That’s completely normal.
You don’t need to spend hours staring at financial statements or trying to interpret reports. The real value of good small business bookkeeping is turning complex financial data into something simple and useful.
My job as a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor bookkeeper is to take all of the transactions, reconciliations, and financial reports and turn them into clear information you can actually use to make decisions.
Instead of digging through pages of numbers, many business owners really only need to focus on a handful of key metrics.
4 Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know
While every business is different, most small businesses benefit from keeping an eye on a few core KPIs.
1. Revenue
How much money is coming into the business each month. Watching trends in revenue helps you understand whether the business is growing and whether your marketing and sales efforts are working.
2. Profit
Revenue alone doesn’t tell the full story. Profit shows what’s left after expenses. This is one of the most important numbers because it tells you whether the business is actually making money.
3. Gross Profit Margin
This measures how much money is left after the direct costs of delivering your product or service. It helps you understand whether your pricing and costs are sustainable.
4. Cash Position
Cash flow matters. Even profitable businesses can run into trouble if cash gets tight. Knowing how much cash is available helps you plan ahead and avoid surprises.
When bookkeeping is done well, these numbers become easy to track and understand. Instead of guessing, you can make decisions with confidence.
Good bookkeeping services aren’t about drowning business owners in spreadsheets. They’re about creating clarity.
Many of my clients simply review a short executive summary and a few key metrics that I send to their email each month. That gives them the information they need to steer their business without having to become an accounting expert.
So while Pi Day might be a celebration of numbers, the reality is that most business owners don’t need to love numbers.
They just need someone on their team who does.
And for those of us who enjoy working with numbers… it’s a pretty fun holiday.
Happy Pi Day! 🥧
Natasha Bradt is the owner of 3 Lakes Bookkeeping, a QuickBooks Online bookkeeping firm serving small businesses in Wisconsin and nationwide.