Guides
Plain-English explanations of the financial statements, ratios, and concepts the calculators draw from. Same kitchen-table voice, no textbook. Free, no signup.
- Where to find these numbers in your accounting software
How to map calculator inputs to the rows in your QuickBooks, Wave, or accountant-prepared report. The line items most owners get stuck on, and the categorization mistakes that distort the result.
- Using AI to extract calculator inputs from your financial statements
Three ready-to-paste prompts that turn your P&L or balance sheet into structured calculator inputs. With caveats about where AI gets it wrong and how to verify quickly.
- How to read your income statement
What every line means, what the categories actually contain, and the reclassification mistakes that distort every margin you compute.
- How to read your balance sheet
Assets, liabilities, equity for an owner-operator. What's actually in each section and what to look at first.
- Profit isn't cash: income statement vs. cash flow statement
The single most useful concept owners are missing. Why a profitable business can run out of money, and what to look at to see it coming.
- What goes in COGS vs. operating expenses
The categorization mistake that distorts every margin calculation. What belongs in COGS, what doesn't, and how to fix it without rewriting history.
- EBITDA add-backs: what they are and when they're legitimate
The schedule a banker or buyer wants. What add-backs lenders typically allow, what they reject, and how to document them.
- Working capital, plainly explained
What it is, why it matters, why it's not the same as cash, and what most calculators get wrong about it.