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How to Use Financial Goal Setting as the Foundation for Your Business Budget – Ep. 241

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Release Date: 09/23/2025

The Hidden Mistakes That Keep Your LLC Small (and How to Grow Into an S Corp) – Ep. 249

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

You’ve set up your LLC, you’re running an established business, and things are moving along, but are your financial habits actually helping you grow and is your LLC protecting you the way you think it is? In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., breaks down the five hidden mistakes that hold LLC owners back and shows you how to build the right habits to protect your business, pay yourself confidently, and prepare to scale into an S Corp when the time is right. Key Takeaways: Separate Your Business and Personal...

How to Know If Your Contractor Should Be an Employee: The 3-Part Test That Could Save You Thousands – Ep. 248

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

What if misclassifying your team could cost you thousands in back taxes, penalties, and missed benefits? Most business owners don’t realize how risky it can be to pay someone as a contractor when they really should be an employee. In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., simplifies the IRS classification rules into a 3-step framework that helps you confidently decide whether your next hire or current team should be a contractor or employee, and when it might be time to make a change. Key Takeaways: Know the 3 Keys of...

What I Would Say If I Wasn't Afraid to Hurt Your Feelings – Ep. 247

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

In this episode of Business by The Books, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc.’s Danielle Hayden gets honest about a tough but essential topic: Are you building a business that’s truly healthy, or one that’s just trying to pay as little as possible in taxes? Danielle breaks down the real costs of trying to make every expense a “business expense.” From dinners and vacations to board meetings and the Augusta Rule, she shares the financial habits that could be holding you back from long-term success and how to fix them. Key Takeaways: Showing Zero...

The Confidence That Comes with Financial Clarity: A Journey from Stressed to Scaling with Nico Misleh – Ep. 246

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in decisions but flying blind when it comes to your finances? You are not alone! In this episode of Business by The Books, Danielle sits down with returning guest and longtime client , a nurse practitioner and the founder of and , who went from overwhelmed and unsure to confidently hiring, scaling, and even launching a second business. Together, Danielle and Nico explore how understanding your numbers doesn’t just change your strategy, it changes your mindset. Key Takeaways: Financial Clarity Creates Emotional Freedom: When Nico...

Bonuses Made Simple: A 6-Step Framework for Rewarding Your Team – Ep. 245

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

It’s the season of gift giving, evaluating team performance, and bonuses, and for many business owners, that can bring up hard questions. Can I afford to give out bonuses this year? What if it’s not as much as last year? How much is fair? And how do I reward my team without draining my cash or putting my business at risk? In this episode, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc.’s Danielle Hayden walks you through a simple, repeatable framework to help you decide if, when, and how much to give your team in bonuses that’s fair, financially sound, and aligned with...

The Tax Strategies Business Owners Need to Prep Before the New Year – Ep. 244

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Heading into tax season unprepared can be costly—missed deductions, lost paperwork, and sometimes, a surprise check to the IRS. But it doesn’t have to be that way! In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., shares the ultimate year-end checklist every business owner needs to save on taxes, protect their business, and walk confidently into tax season. From organizing your paperwork to making smart tax moves and maximizing personal financial strategies, Danielle gives you practical steps you can take before December 31st that can make...

The 4 Seasons of Business Explained and Healthy Spending Strategies for Each Stage – Ep. 243

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Are you constantly wondering if you’re spending too much or maybe not enough in your business? Here’s the truth: not every season of business is meant to be profitable. And if your spending isn’t aligned with the season you’re in, you could risk stunting your growth or draining cash you can’t afford to lose. In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., walks you through the four seasons of business—developmental, growth, optimization, and stability—and shows you what healthy spending looks like in each one and their...

The 3 Stages of Business Growth: Entrepreneur, Small Business Owner, and CEO Explained – Ep. 242

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

In this week’s episode of Business by The Books, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., breaks down the real journey from entrepreneur to small business owner to finally stepping into the role of CEO. This isn’t about chasing flashy titles or hitting arbitrary revenue goals. It’s about clarity, confidence, and understanding your numbers so you can actually lead your business instead of letting it run you. Key Takeaways: Entrepreneur Stage – Building with Instinct: Many entrepreneurs start with passion and creativity but rely...

How to Use Financial Goal Setting as the Foundation for Your Business Budget – Ep. 241

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Ever sat down to build your budget, only to realize you don’t even know what you’re building it for? A budget without a goal is like a map without a destination. In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., is pulling back the curtain on the exact step-by-step framework she and her team use with CFO clients to set financial goals first, and then create a budget that actually gets them there. Key Takeaways: Celebrate the Wins (and Lessons) First: Before setting new goals, reflect on what you achieved last year and the hard...

The Confidence Formula: Balancing Intuition + Data in Your Business Numbers with Serena Waller of The Dande Agency – Ep. 240

Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden

Ever heard the phrase “know your numbers” and thought, okay…but what does that actually mean? In this episode, Danielle sits down with client and entrepreneur Serena Waller, founder of , to talk about how truly understanding her numbers transformed the way she runs her business. Serena gets real about the ups, downs, and unexpected turns of entrepreneurship—like losing a corporate job at seven months pregnant, launching her own agency, and growing it over the past ten years into a thriving business that now supports a full team. Key Takeaways: Clarity Creates Confidence:...

More Episodes

Key Takeaways:

Celebrate the Wins (and Lessons) First: Before setting new goals, reflect on what you achieved last year and the hard financial lessons you learned. This helps you build from a place of clarity instead of starting from scratch.
Big Picture and Dreams Before Details: Start with your 10-year vision, narrow it down to a 3-year target, and then break it into actionable 12-month goals. This ensures your short-term actions align with your long-term vision.
Your Personal Life Matters: Your business goals must support the life you want to create, not work against it. Aligning both ensures sustainability and fulfillment.
Define Your CEO Role: Whether you want to be client-facing, step fully into the visionary seat, or do a blend of both, knowing your role helps you make smarter hiring and budgeting decisions.
Pay Yourself First: As the business owner, you deserve to be compensated. Budgeting your pay upfront creates healthy financial guardrails and sustainable profitability.

Topics Discussed:

(00:00) Intro: Why Your Goals Need to Come Before Building a Budget

(02:02) The Importance of Looking Back Before You Move Forward

(06:03) Setting Long-Term, Mid-Term, and Short-Term Goals

(10:27) What Mode Are You In: Aligning Your Life & Personal Goals with Your Business Goals

(12:44) Defining Your CEO Role and Team Structure

(14:54) Profitability, Sustainability, and Paying Yourself First

(18:30) Action Steps to Complete Your Financial Goal Setting Worksheet & Your Responsibility as a CEO

(19:33) Outro: Kickstart’s CFO Services, Like, Share and Subscribe!

Resources:

Financial Goal Setting Worksheet | https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/goal-setting-worksheet

CFO Services | https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/the-cfo-solution/