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Cash Flow Clarity - How to Finally Understand Where Your Money Is Going – Ep. 235

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Release Date: 08/12/2025

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Ever look at your cash flow statement and want to crawl under your desk and hide? You're not alone! Cash flow statements aren’t really made for business owners, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. So, how do we read them?

In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., is here to show you exactly how to understand your cash flow without needing an accounting degree through the Snapshot Cash Overview, Kickstart Accounting’s simple, business owner-friendly report that shows you exactly what’s coming in, what’s going out, and how much cash you really have to work with.

Key Takeaways: 

  • Traditional Cash Flow Statements Aren’t Made for You: They’re built for bankers and accountants, not entrepreneurs. That’s why Danielle and our team created the Snapshot Cash Overview, a simpler, visual tool built with business owners in mind.

  • Profit Doesn't Mean Cash in the Bank: You can show a $20k profit on your income statement, but if you’re paying off debt or taking owner’s draws, your bank account can still feel empty.

  • The Snapshot Cash Overview: Green means Money In. Red means money out. The Snapshot uses a color-coded system to help you quickly understand your revenue, expenses, debt payments, and draws.

  • Know Your Free Cash Flow Before You Invest: Before making big decisions like hiring or upgrading tools, check if your business is generating enough cash.

  • Use Net Cash Flow to Guide Your Owner’s Draws and Savings: Want to know how much you can pay yourself or set aside for taxes? Your year-to-date net cash flow will give you the clearest answer.

  • The Snapshot Bridges the Gap Between Profit and Cash: It ties together your income statement and balance sheet so you can finally see where your money is really going.

Topics Discussed:

(00:11 – 01:57) Why Traditional Cash Flow Statements Don’t Work for Business Owners

(02:27 – 04:30) Introduction to the Snapshot Cash Overview and Its Key Components

(04:31 – 07:42) How Balance Sheet Items Affect Your Cash and Why They Matter

(07:43 – 10:06) Real Client Case Study: $109k in Income But Only $5k Added to Cash

(10:06 – 11:39) How to Use Your Snapshot to Make CEO-Level Decisions with Confidence

 

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