If your business is generating real revenue but the money keeps disappearing — and you can't explain where it goes — this is the engagement that finally answers that question and tells you exactly what to do about it.
Most small business owners who come to me aren't failing — they're exhausted and confused. They're doing the work. They're billing the clients. They're showing up every single day. And at the end of the month, they can't figure out why it doesn't add up.
I had a good year, but I have nothing to show for it in my bank account.
The more jobs I take, the more stressed I feel about money.
I pay myself inconsistently — whatever's left at the end of the month, if anything.
I got a tax bill I wasn't remotely prepared for.
I raised my prices and I'm still not keeping more money than before.
I don't actually know what my business costs me to run every month.
After years of forensic bookkeeping and financial analysis, I can tell you that the mystery almost always traces back to one or more of the same root causes. The challenge is that without looking at your specific numbers, you can't know which one — or how many — apply to you.
That's the entire point of this engagement: to look.
Most small business owners price based on what feels right or what the market charges — not what their business actually costs to operate. Even a small gap here compounds fast.
Subscriptions, tools, vendor costs, and operating expenses that made sense once but haven't been evaluated in years. Every dollar here is a dollar that doesn't reach you.
This single issue creates more financial confusion for small business owners than almost anything else — and it distorts every financial metric you'd try to use to make decisions.
Revenue and expenses don't always land in the same month. What looks like a good month on paper can still leave you short if the timing isn't actively managed.
Without a simple, consistent tracking structure, you're managing your business by gut feel. That works — until it suddenly doesn't.
This is a one-time diagnostic and planning engagement for small business owners who are genuinely committed to understanding and changing their financial situation. I'm not here to judge — I'm here to find it and fix the map.
You're in the first year of business with very limited financial history, you need someone to manage your finances on an ongoing basis (check out my monthly bookkeeping options), or you're not in a position to act on what you find. This engagement is for people who are ready to move.
This isn't a report you file away. This is a working document that tells you exactly what to change, in what order, and what to expect when you do. Everything is specific to your business — not a template.
A deep analysis of your last 6 to 12 months of financials — Profit & Loss, cash flow, overhead structure, pricing, and owner compensation — looking specifically for where money is leaking or stalling.
A clear breakdown of the 3 to 5 specific issues most responsible for your financial frustration — not general advice, but "here is exactly what is happening in your numbers."
A prioritized, step-by-step plan for what to change first, second, and third — built around your specific business, your capacity, and what will move the needle fastest for you.
A simple, done-for-you spreadsheet built specifically for your business — so you have a consistent way to see your numbers clearly going forward without needing an accounting degree.
One call at delivery to walk through the findings and plan together. One follow-up call 30 to 45 days in, so we can review progress, troubleshoot, and adjust the plan if needed.
A summary document you keep — covering the diagnosis, the root causes, and the plan — so your spouse, business partner, or future bookkeeper can understand exactly what was found and what needs to happen.
I'm Elizabeth Richey, founder of Aquarian Bookkeeping Co. I've spent eight years in bookkeeping and forensic accounting — which means a significant portion of my career has been spent looking at businesses where the numbers tell a different story than the owner believes.
Before bookkeeping, I spent seven years in real estate, where reading financial documentation was part of every deal. I built and eventually sold my first bookkeeping firm, Huskey Consulting. I now run Aquarian Bookkeeping Co. and serve as the full-charge finance manager nation wide small business owners, just like yourself.
What I bring to this engagement is pattern recognition. I've seen the same financial problems across dozens of businesses in different industries, and I know how to quickly identify which ones are yours — and which lever to pull first.
I also know what it's like to be the person who's responsible for making the numbers work. My husband owns a small mechanic shop. I help him track his profitability, evaluate his pricing, and set realistic income goals. I don't just do this professionally — I live it personally.

I'm not going to tell you this is easy. If your business has been unprofitable or barely profitable for years, there are real things that need to change — and some of them require effort, discipline, and possibly some uncomfortable decisions.
What I can promise is that I'll tell you the truth. I won't sugarcoat what I find, and I won't give you generic advice that could apply to any business. Everything I deliver is specific to your numbers, your situation, and what's actually achievable for you in the next 90 days.
That honesty is what makes this worth $1,985. Not the hours — the clarity.
From your discovery call to your second strategy call, most clients move through this engagement in about 6 to 8 weeks total.
We talk about what's happening in your business, what you've already tried, and whether this engagement is the right fit. I'll be direct with you — if I think something else would serve you better, I'll tell you.
You provide read-only QuickBooks access and complete a short intake form that helps me understand your business model, your owner pay structure, and what "success" looks like for you. Payment is confirmed at this stage.
I spend 7 to 10 business days going through your financials — not skimming, actually reading them. Looking for patterns, pricing gaps, overhead creep, and the specific places your money is going that it shouldn't.
We meet for 45 minutes. I walk you through exactly what I found, answer every question, and hand you the custom spreadsheet and 90-day plan. This is where things start to become clear.
About a month into your 90-day plan, we meet again. You tell me what's working, what isn't, and what questions have come up. We adjust and refine. Then you keep going.
The cost of staying confused about your finances is far higher than $1,985. This is the investment that ends the guessing.
$1,985
One-time investment. No retainer. No recurring fees.
Possibly — it depends on the degree. If the books are a year or more behind or significantly disorganized, a cleanup project may need to come first so that the diagnostic work is based on accurate data. We'll determine this together on the discovery call, and I'll tell you honestly what needs to happen before we can move forward with the turnaround plan.
QuickBooks Online is my primary platform. If you're using another accounting software, send me a note before we schedule the discovery call and we'll figure out whether your data is accessible in a way that works for this engagement.
Then this engagement confirms and prioritizes them — and often reveals one or two more that weren't on your radar. Knowing what's wrong and knowing which one to fix first are two different things. The 90-day plan answers the second question, which is usually the harder one.
This engagement identifies, prioritizes, and plans. The implementation is yours to execute — or to delegate to your bookkeeper or team using the plan I provide. If you want someone to manage your finances on an ongoing basis after this, I do offer recurring bookkeeping services and we can talk about whether that's the right next step.
If this engagement helps you understand where even $500/month in profit has been disappearing, it pays for itself in four months and keeps paying after that. The size of the business doesn't change the value of the diagnosis — it changes the size of the numbers in the report. I work with businesses across a wide range of revenue, and the clarity this engagement produces is the same regardless of scale.
After the discovery call, once we've both confirmed this is the right engagement for your situation. I'll send a Stripe invoice and we schedule the kickoff once payment is confirmed. No payment is required to book or attend the discovery call.
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