Know Your Numbers or Get Left Behind: Why Every Business Owner Needs to Embrace the Math

Let’s just be real for a minute. You can’t grow a business by guessing. You can’t scale a business by crossing your fingers and hoping it all “works out.” And you sure as heck can’t pay your bills with “good vibes,” a vision board, and zero understanding of business math. Knowing your numbers isn’t just smart—it’s essential if you actually want to build something that lasts.

If you don’t know your numbers—you don’t know your business. Period.

I’ve worked with enough business owners to know this truth: most aren’t failing because of a bad idea. They’re failing because they don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. They’re running around marketing, selling, serving… but when it comes to understanding the actual health of their business?

Crickets. Blank stares. Maybe a nervous laugh and a “Well, I think I’m making money?”

Listen up: that “hopeful guessing” phase may have gotten you this far, but if you want to actually grow, thrive, and not have a heart attack every time a tax bill hits your inbox, it’s time to get intimate with your numbers.

Let’s Talk Numbers… and Why They Matter

If you’re in business, you need to know:

• What you’re bringing in (aka revenue).
• What you’re spending (aka expenses).
• What’s left over (aka profit).
• And how all of that is trending month over month.

Understanding business math isn’t optional—it’s how you make informed decisions instead of wild guesses. It’s not enough to say, “I made $10,000 this month!” Okay, cool—but did you keep any of that? Or did it all go to subscriptions, vendors, and fancy lattes? You laugh, but I’ve seen it.

And here’s the kicker: 82% of small business failures are due to poor cash flow management or simply not understanding how money moves in and out of the business.

Let that sink in.

It’s not the economy. It’s not your social media engagement. It’s not because you didn’t post a Reel every day. It’s a lack of understanding business math—and that’s the real danger zone.

It’s because you didn’t know your numbers.

QuickBooks = Your Financial BFF

Now I know what you’re thinking: “But Julee, I’m not a numbers person!”

Guess what? You don’t have to be. You just need to be smart enough to use the tools that make understanding business math easy—and QuickBooks is one of the best out there.

QuickBooks isn’t just for accountants or people who love spreadsheets (though shout out to the spreadsheet lovers—we see you). It’s for people who want to stop stressing about money and actually run a business like a CEO. And here’s why I love it:

• Connects all your accounts: Your bank accounts, credit cards, PayPal, Stripe, Shopify, your couch cushions (okay maybe not that one)—it pulls it all together in one place.
• Handles payroll like a boss: Whether you’ve got one contractor or a full team, it makes payroll easy, accurate, and automatic.
• Pays your bills (on time): No more late fees, no more digging through emails to find the electric bill.
• Shows you real-time data: Not last month’s guesstimates. Right now. In the palm of your hand. On your phone. While you’re sipping your almond milk latte at soccer practice.

You don’t need to spend hours in a spreadsheet or cry into your coffee over receipts. You just need a system that works for you so you can do what you do best: serve your customers, make an impact, and grow your business with confidence.

A Little Tough Love: You Are the CFO of Your Business

Here’s where I give you the mama bear business truth: No one is coming to rescue your finances. If you’re running a business, you’re not just the coach, the artist, the consultant, the marketer—you are also the Chief Financial Officer.

I don’t care if your business makes $500 a month or $500,000—if you don’t understand how the money flows, you are at risk.

Let me break this down even more aggressively:

• If you don’t know how much it costs to acquire a customer, you’re overspending on ads and undercharging.
• If you don’t know your profit margin, you might be working harder than ever and still going broke.
• If you don’t know your fixed vs variable expenses, you can’t make smart hiring or scaling decisions.

You must know your break-even point. You must understand your revenue goals. You must track every dollar.

Because money clarity = power. And power leads to freedom. And let me tell you something—freedom is the whole reason you started this business in the first place.

“But I’m Too Busy…”

Look, I get it. You’ve got 73 tabs open in your brain. Your to-do list is a CVS receipt. You’re juggling customers, marketing, family, and maybe even a dog with an attitude.

But not knowing your numbers is costing you time, money, and sanity.

QuickBooks was literally made for people like us—people with a dream, a vision, and zero desire to become a full-time bookkeeper.

You can have a clear financial picture in 10 minutes a week. Ten. That’s the time it takes to scroll Instagram or binge-watch a few reels of people cutting soap.

You owe it to yourself to run your business like the empire it is—not like a lemonade stand hoping the neighbors show up.

What Happens When You Do Know Your Numbers

Let’s paint a new picture for you:

 You know exactly how much you need to earn each month to pay yourself and reinvest.
 You check QuickBooks once a week and feel calm, not chaos.
 You hire that team member because you know you can afford it.
 You stop undercharging because your margins are tight and your confidence is high.
 You sleep better at night because your money is organized, tracked, and handled.

And guess what else? You stop playing small. You start making bigger decisions. You act like the CEO you were born to be.

RELATED: Secretly Afraid to Fail in Business?

Final Word From Your Favorite Aggressive Cheerleader

If you’re serious about growing your business, then get serious about your numbers. You can’t grow what you don’t track. You can’t scale what you don’t understand. And you definitely can’t build wealth while ignoring your money.

The good news? You don’t have to do it alone.

Let QuickBooks be the sidekick that helps you handle the money, so you can handle the mission.

You didn’t start your business to stress over spreadsheets. But you do have a responsibility to treat your business like it’s worth something—because it is.

So go ahead. Get QuickBooks. Set it up. Learn what you need to learn.

And then? Build your empire with your numbers in check and your confidence on high.

You’ve got this—and if no one’s told you lately, you’re doing better than you think.