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The numbers that actually run a small business, explained the way a friend would explain them. No course, no jargon.
Break-Even
How Do I Calculate My True Break-Even Point?
Your true break-even point can be more complicated than simply covering expenses. Learn how contribution margin, owner compensation, debt payments and cash needs can change how much revenue your business really needs.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Cash Flow
Why Does My P&L Say I Made a Profit, but My Bank Account Is Completely Empty?
Your business can show a healthy profit while having almost no cash. Learn where the money may have gone and why profit, cash flow and your bank balance tell different parts of the financial story.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 11 min read
Financial Terms Explained
Cash vs. Accrual Accounting: Why Does QuickBooks Say I Have Money I Don't?
Your profit and bank balance don't always match. Learn how cash and accrual accounting work, why QuickBooks can show income you haven't collected yet, and where your cash may actually have gone.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 10 min read
Taxes
If I Keep All the Money in My LLC Bank Account, Do I Still Have to Pay Taxes on It?
Leaving money in your LLC's bank account doesn't necessarily mean it escapes taxation. Learn the difference between business profit, cash, owner withdrawals and how different LLC tax classifications can affect what you owe.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Business Basics
How Do You Handle Scope Creep and Clients Who Refuse to Pay? The Hidden Costs That Quietly Eat Your Profit
Scope creep and unpaid invoices can cost a business far more than owners realize. Learn how unbilled work, late payments and difficult customers quietly reduce margins, cash flow and capacity.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 10 min read
Business Basics
How Much Capital Do You Need to Start a Business, and When Should You Start Paying Yourself?
Opening a business is only part of the financial equation. Learn how to estimate startup capital, operating and personal runway, and when your business may realistically be able to pay you.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Starting a Business
Should You Start a Business While Working a Full-Time Job?
Keeping your W-2 job while building a business can reduce risk, but eventually your job may limit growth. Learn the pros, cons, financial milestones, and signs that it may be time to make your business your full-time focus.
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Sep 25, 2026 · 11 min read
Business Entities
What Is a ROBS C-Corp? Using Retirement Funds to Buy or Start a Business
Learn how a ROBS C-corp works, why entrepreneurs use retirement funds to finance businesses and franchises, and the major advantages, risks, compliance requirements, and exit considerations.
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Sep 25, 2026 · 13 min read
Taxes
HSA Contributions: How Much Can You Contribute and Why Does It Matter?
Learn how HSA contributions work, the 2026 contribution limits, who qualifies, employer contributions, payroll tax advantages, catch-up contributions, and how to think about maximizing an HSA.
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Sep 25, 2026 · 9 min read
Taxes & Accounting
What Questions Should You Ask When Hiring an Accountant, CPA, or Tax Professional?
Looking for a new accountant or CPA? Use these questions to evaluate experience, services, communication, pricing, tax planning, technology, and whether they're the right fit for your business.
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Sep 25, 2026 · 11 min read
Taxes
When Should You Think About Amending a Tax Return?
Found an error on an old tax return? Learn when an amended return may make sense, how far back you can generally go, and why the size and type of the mistake matter.
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Sep 25, 2026 · 7 min read
Business Basics
When Should I Hire a Business Consultant?
Not every business problem requires a consultant, but sometimes an experienced outside perspective can save months of trial and error. Learn when hiring a business consultant may make sense, what they should help you accomplish, and how to know whether the investment is worth it.
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Sep 17, 2026 · 13 min read
General
Every Business Owner Needs Someone to Bounce an Idea Off Of
Business owners make decisions constantly, but getting another perspective is not always easy. UnpackFi is designed to be a financial companion and mirror, giving you a place to ask questions, explore your numbers, test ideas, and decide what deserves a deeper conversation.
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Sep 17, 2026 · 11 min read
Business Basics
Should I Start a Business? How to Test Your Skill or Hobby Before Going All In
Being good at something does not automatically mean it should become a business. Learn how to test a hobby, skill, or idea with real customers before investing significant money, leaving your job, or building a company around it.
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Sep 17, 2026 · 14 min read
Business Basics
How Long Should You Keep Putting Money Into a Business That Isn't Profitable?
Many businesses take time to become profitable, but there is a difference between funding a business that is making progress and continuing to pour money into one because you have already invested so much. Learn how to recognize that difference, avoid the sunk cost trap, and decide when to keep going, pause, pivot, or walk away.
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Sep 17, 2026 · 12 min read
General
Your Franchisees Need Financial Coaching. Your Franchise Team Cannot Do It All.
Franchisee success depends on more than providing a brand and operating system. Learn why financial education should be part of franchisee support and how tools like UnpackFi can help owners understand their numbers independently without placing the entire burden on the franchisor team.
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Sep 17, 2026 · 11 min read
Financial Terms Explained
How Much Does It Cost You to Win a Customer?
Not every customer is equally profitable. Learn how to estimate what it costs to acquire a customer, why revenue alone can be misleading, and why a $6,000 customer could actually be more valuable than a $10,000 customer.
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Sep 17, 2026 · 11 min read
General
Stop Guessing: See How a Business Decision Could Affect Your Numbers Before You Make It
Hiring another employee, buying equipment, adding a vehicle, or changing a major expense affects more than one number. Learn how UnpackFi helps you model potential decisions and understand what could happen to profitability, margins, cash flow, and break even before you commit.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 11 min read
Financial Terms Explained
Completely Confused by Business Financials? Start Here
You do not need to understand every accounting concept to run a business. If financial statements feel overwhelming, start with one: your Profit and Loss Statement. Learn the handful of numbers every new business owner should understand first.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 10 min read
Business Basics
How to Show Your Employees You Appreciate Them and Know When You Can Afford a Raise or Bonus
Great employees deserve to know their work is valued. Learn practical ways to recognize your team, how to think through raises and bonuses, and how to use your business numbers to determine what you can realistically afford.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 12 min read
Business Basics
Your Financials Matter, But Do Not Forget to Run the Business
Understanding your numbers is essential, but financial reports do not create revenue. Learn how to use financials as a tool for better decisions without spending so much time analyzing the business that you stop building it.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 8 min read
Loans & Debt
What Do Lenders Look for When You Apply for an SBA Loan?
Applying for an SBA loan can feel intimidating, but lenders are ultimately trying to answer a few important questions about you and your business. Learn what lenders look at, how to prepare, and what you can do before applying to make the process easier.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 12 min read
Business Basics
How to Turn a Passion Into a Business Worth Pursuing
Some of the best business ideas start with something you already love doing. Learn how to examine your interests, skills, experience, and everyday frustrations to find a passion project that could become a real business.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 9 min read
Business Basics
2 Small Business Owners Who Found Success by Accident
Not every successful business begins with a business plan. The stories behind Spanx and Scrub Daddy show how solving an everyday problem, recognizing an unexpected opportunity, and being willing to act on it can turn a simple idea into something much bigger.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 8 min read
Starting a Business
The Truth About Starting a Business: Profitability, Failure Rates, and What It Really Takes to Survive
Starting a business takes time, and becoming profitable rarely happens overnight. Learn what the data says about business survival, how long profitability can take, and the common financial problems that cause new businesses to struggle.
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Sep 12, 2026 · 9 min read
Taxes & Accounting
Depreciation Explained: Why a $50,000 Purchase Doesn’t Always Become a $50,000 Expense
Depreciation spreads the cost of many business assets over time instead of treating the full purchase as an immediate expense. Here is how common depreciation schedules work, why different assets use different recovery periods, and what small business owners should understand.
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Sep 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Forecasting
When Should I Buy My Second Truck?
Adding a second truck can help a growing business take on more work, serve more customers, and increase revenue — but buying too early can create unnecessary debt and cash-flow pressure. Here are the signs that it may be time.
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Sep 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Taxes & Accounting
Do I Need a Bookkeeper, Accountant, CPA — or All of the Above?
Bookkeepers, accountants, and CPAs can all play different roles in a business. Understanding who does what can help you decide which support your business actually needs and when it may make sense to use more than one.
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Sep 2, 2026 · 7 min read
Starting a Business
Thinking About Buying a Franchise? Here Are Some of the Most Important Things to Know First
Franchising can offer a proven brand, systems, and support — but it also comes with fees, rules, financial commitments, and expectations that every prospective owner should understand before signing.
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Sep 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Taxes & Accounting
The Top 5 Accounting and Tax Mistakes Business Owners Make
Small accounting and tax mistakes can turn into expensive problems. Here are five of the most common issues business owners run into — and what to watch for before they become bigger headaches.
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Sep 2, 2026 · 5 min read
General
Questions You Can Ask Your Accountant — and Explore in UnpackFi Too
Your accountant is an important resource, but business questions often come up between meetings. UnpackFi gives owners another way to explore their numbers, measure performance, test scenarios, and prepare better questions for their accountant.
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Sep 2, 2026 · 6 min read
General
Why We Created UnpackFi
Most business owners have financial professionals helping them with bookkeeping, taxes, or accounting, but many still struggle to understand what their numbers are actually telling them. UnpackFi was created to make business financials easier to understand, explore, and use throughout the year.
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Sep 1, 2026 · 9 min read
Business Basics
First-Time Business Owner? How to Structure Your Day Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Owning a business gives you freedom, but it also means deciding what deserves your attention every day. Learn how to structure your time around customers, operations, sales, finances, and long-term growth.
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Sep 1, 2026 · 10 min read
General
Planning to Sell Your Business in 2–3 Years? Start Here
The best time to prepare a business for sale is well before you list it. Here are the key financial, operational, and ownership steps that can help make your business more attractive to buyers.
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Sep 1, 2026 · 9 min read
Business Entities
S-Corp vs. C-Corp: Pros, Cons, and What Business Owners Should Know
S corporations and C corporations can both provide liability protection, but they are taxed very differently and come with different ownership rules. Here’s a simple breakdown of the pros, cons, and key differences.
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Sep 1, 2026 · 10 min read
Business Entities
LLC vs. LLC Partnership: Pros, Cons, and What Business Owners Should Know
An LLC can be a simple way to protect business owners and create a more formal business structure, but adding partners changes how ownership, taxes, and decisions work. Here’s a plain-English look at the advantages and disadvantages of both.
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Sep 1, 2026 · 8 min read
Taxes
Can You Pay Your Kids Through Your Business? What Business Owners Should Know
Hiring your children can be a legitimate way to teach them about business while potentially creating tax advantages — but they need to actually work, their pay needs to make sense, and your business structure matters.
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Aug 25, 2026 · 7 min read
Taxes
The Augusta Rule: Can Your Business Rent Your Home for Meetings?
The Augusta Rule may allow you to rent your home for fewer than 15 days a year without reporting the rental income. Here’s what business owners should understand before trying to use it.
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Aug 25, 2026 · 5 min read
Understanding Your Numbers
5 Financial Tips Every New Business Owner Should Know
Starting a business is exciting. Understanding the numbers behind it can be a little less exciting. Here are five financial habits that can help you make better decisions from day one.
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Aug 25, 2026 · 3 min read
Understanding Your Numbers
What Is EBITDA and Why Should a Small Business Owner Care?
EBITDA is a common way to look at the operating performance of a business before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. For small business owners, it can be a useful way to compare performance, understand cash-generating ability, and think about business value.
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Aug 4, 2026 · 7 min read
Understanding Your Numbers
7 Numbers Every Small Business Owner Should Know
You do not need to memorize every line of your financial statements. But there are a handful of numbers that can tell you a lot about the health of your business. Here are seven every owner should understand.
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Jul 28, 2026 · 6 min read
Cash Flow
Revenue Is Up — So Why Is There Less Cash in the Bank?
Growing revenue does not always mean growing cash. Here are some of the most common reasons a business can be selling more while still feeling tighter on cash.
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Jul 14, 2026 · 7 min read
Payroll
What Percentage of Revenue Should Payroll Be?
Payroll is often one of the largest expenses in a small business, but there is no single “right” percentage for every company. The better question is whether payroll is appropriate for your industry, business model, margins, and stage of growth.
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Jun 30, 2026 · 7 min read
Cash Flow
How Much Cash Should a Small Business Keep in Reserve?
There is no single perfect cash reserve for every business, but having enough cash to cover unexpected expenses, slow periods, and growth opportunities can make a major difference in financial stability.
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Jun 16, 2026 · 7 min read
Business Entities
LLC vs. S-Corp: What's the Difference?
An LLC and an S-Corp are not really the same type of thing. One is a legal business structure, while the other is a tax election. Understanding the difference can help business owners make better decisions about liability, taxes, payroll, and how they pay themselves.
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May 26, 2026 · 7 min read
Seasonality
How Seasonal Businesses Should Prepare for Slow Months
Seasonality can create big swings in revenue, but slow months do not have to become financial emergencies. With better planning around cash, expenses, staffing, debt, and forecasting, seasonal businesses can prepare before the slowdown arrives.
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May 12, 2026 · 8 min read
Growth
5 Signs Your Business May Be Ready for Another Employee
Hiring too early can strain cash flow, but waiting too long can limit growth and burn out your team. Here are five signs your business may be financially and operationally ready to add another employee.
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Apr 21, 2026 · 6 min read
Understanding Your Numbers
What Your P&L Is Actually Telling You
A profit and loss statement can look intimidating, but it is really telling a simple story: what your business earned, what it spent, and what was left. Here is how to read it in a way that helps you make better decisions.
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Apr 7, 2026 · 7 min read