Accounting for the Numberphobic: A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners

I could not believe the find in this book. I was looking for a good audio book, in my never-ending search to finally begin to grasp more about accounting for my small business. To my surprise, I was so blown away by the material that I also decided to buy the Kindle book. I really like that she has a few basic fundamentals that she bases her entire approach upon. She does not leave you in a sea of details and terminology that you have no idea what to do with. Quite the opposite, where she keeps the terms down to just what is needed, and shows lots of concrete examples, and suggestions for action items. Dawn's passion to help small businesses is evident, and she also takes care to present this challenging subject in a fun, and entertaining way. After further study with both the audio and Kindle versions, I decided to do a search on the internet to see if Dawn Fotopulos (the author of this book) might be available for consultation. I was pleased to find that she is teaching an online course, and I immediately signed up. She has personally helped me get started in taking steps that I have needed to have done 20 years ago. I would highly recommend this book for someone that is "numberphobic" as I have been, or if you simply want to expand your perspective on what knowledge is needed in accounting for small business. Using Amazon's "Look Inside" feature from their website, or downloading a sample for your Kindle might be an excellent way to see if the book would be a good fit for you. I hope it is as life-changing for you, as it continues to be for me.

First a qualifier, I have only gone through the first 3 chapters, but that is because I have already read them multiple times! I have purchased the Audible version and Kindle version. The author Dawn Fotopulos breaks down the financial statements of business into recognizable everyday language of an automobile dashboard. One of the greatest strengths of The United States today is our entrepreneurial spirit. Combined with the unprecidented lower barriers of entry that allow competition, this is the Era of the Startup. Spiderman’s Uncle said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” This is very true with the leverage and capital this Startup Movement has created. As Entrepreneurs we are building jets (Launching Companies), carrying cargo (product) & passengers (customers/employees), blasting into the stratosphere for the entire world to see on Facebook, Twitter, etc. And for me personally, having just enough information and understanding to be extremely dangerous. The simple and proper perspective Dawn brings, I believe is training me for understanding to be an effective operator as a business leader. This is done without trying to turn me into a bookkeeper, accountant, or CPA. My personal story and history has been, I believe, a typical one for the entrepreneurial personalities out there. Excellent product and people person. Natural salesman. Passionate with a vision, having the ability to communicate the destination. All these qualities people would celebrate as a leader. The great danger for startups and entrepreneurs is this. We are taking this long journey into the wilderness without the knowledge of how to read our basic instruments. Fear takes over and discouragement is encountered by well meaning colleagues who are naturally “Number Guys/Gals”. Fighting to survive day to day naturally leads to focusing on activities that “Generate Money.” Selling more, Marketing better, Buidling more. I’ve read books on Quickbooks, Bookkeeping, signed up for online services, Stewardship seminars, and have even gone to counselling because of the stress and pressure I’ve placed on myself. All these activities have aspects of help and assistance, but none have communicated to me the way this book does. Accounting for the Numberphobic: A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners takes the monster of Financial Statements and transforms it to the tools that they are designed to be. Spedometer, Fuel Guage and Oil Pressure. The boogeyman has no teeth and no more claws. The excitement I am beginning to feel with each chapter of this book is nothing short of a miracle for me personally. Without guilt or shame, I am facing my fears of “The Numbers” and taking my knowledge from being merely intuitional guessing to a thoughtful methodical creative process. Gone are the days of “Googling” accounting terms and figuring it out myself. I thank God for Dawn Fotopulos and the work she put into this book Looking forward to following up with this review after I complete this book and beyond.

This book is hands down revolutionary for an aspiring Small Business owner. I picked up this book per the recommendation of my professor and immediately fell in love. Once I read the first two pages of this book I was HOOKED! Accounting for the Numberphobic is such an easy read while also giving individuals the amazing insight they need to start a business on their own. I have been pondering on the idea of opening some small businesses but felt as though I did not know enough and would fail, but this book and Professor Fotopulos have given me the courage and reassurance to pursue that dream. The way in which this book is structured allows the important information to be absorbed effortlessly because it is so greatly written. I have recommended this book to anyone and everyone I have come across even if they are not aspiring business owners. This book is essentially a book in which anyone can read regardless of if they want to own a business due to the fact that the book gives insight on how an individual should look at their finances on a personal level. Professor Fotopulos is truly an amazing woman who is very knowledgeable in her field and wants nothing but the BEST for Small Business owners. She takes the extra mile and is on a mission to educate others so that their businesses can grow and be profitable. You WILL NOT regret reading this book!

Great, listened to the Audio book, now reading the actual book.. simply explained easy to follow ..

This book has CATAPULTED every single business who has implemented it's core tenants into driving their business into profitability. As a business coach and therapist, it has enabled me to communicated better to my entrepreneurs about how to run their businesses with less stress. Often times for small business owners, they started their business because of a dream and that dream became the nightmare as running a business is HARD. Now, they can't figure out how wake up from that nightmare and make their blood, sweat, and tears have something to show for it. If you are an accountant looking to figure out how to talk to your own clients about why these numbers are important, this book will do all of the heavy lifting for you and help you speak a language your clients do about this stuff. If you are a small business owner, this is the biggest tool you'll need in navigating the rough waters of entrepreneurship and making sure you make it out. It's not just a book on numbers, it's a back door to figuring out what the best strategy is for your business and giving you the tools on how to know if all of your work is making the right kind of difference. It teaches you the right kind of questions to ask so you get the answers you are really looking for. Also, especially if you are looking for outside funding, it will show you how to reduce your risk profile so that banks and other lenders will take a second look at you. I have so many stories of businesses that were turned around or saved themselves from making costly mistakes by reading this book. From all over the world - whether it was with entrepreneurs in East Africa or in the US, this book empowered them to turn around their businesses in a very short period of time without working tremendously more. My only complaint was that there weren't longer sections on how to implement strategy, but, my hope is that will be in a second book!

I wished I knew about this book when I started my computer repair business. Even though I've been in business for 12 years, I still learned a great deal. It was a great read. The book addresses many of the universal concerns solopreneurs and small businesses owners have when starting or maintaining a business. Many of these solutions, the author provides, are very easy to implement and are very practical. The author truly explains all the accounting in lay terms. In other words, you do not have to have a business degree to understand the book. More importantly, she shows you how to do the math for yourself. Below are just a sampling of questions she answers in the book: 1. Am I charging enough for my products/services? 2. How do I keep a good cash flow going, especially when I have to invoice my customers? 3. Am I making an enough profit on a given product/service to cover my expenses? 4. Am I making a profit on a given customer to cover my expenses? As a reminder, she shows you how to do the math on the above questions. This is important for any business, because you, as the business owner, can make informed decisions about the services, products and customers your business works with. The only downside to the book is not having the same amount of information for service based businesses as product based businesses. Nevertheless, there is still a great deal of information that is applicable to both types of businesses.

Invaluable! The story behind the numbers in the plainest speak I've ever heard. I work for one of the oldest coaching companies out there, and am part of a network of coaches working day in and day out with small business owners. While we have a curriculum that's used for getting familiar with the 3 reports that Dawn speaks about and creating a dashboard, I've never seen it broken down so plainly, so simply, so digestible! I'm humbled and overjoyed that this book is available. Even as I write, earlier today I was actually able to have a same day email exchange with Dawn when I reached out. Now, what does that say about practicing what's being preached! This book is a game changer, really, for any owner who is serious about getting out of being a technician and into making some of the greatest leverage possible, this book will get you there with levity and clarity. While you'll still need to face into your relationship with money, and you may need to clean up your books, once that's done- this book will make managing by the numbers directly applicable, sensible and effective in changing your top and bottom lines. This book isn't just talking numbers, it's pointing towards a healthy and holistic relationship with running your business. If you're just starting a business, it's equally valuable. This book should be taught in schools; I can't say enough. What do you have to lose, really?!

I have been training on Accounting Concepts for over 20 years. I first heard about Dawn when she was honored to be a Key Note Speaker at an accounting conference called Scaling New Heights in Summer of 2016. She blew me away at that event and then again when she spoke at another conference held by Intuit in October 2016 called QuickBooks Connect. That's when I KNEW she was the REAL DEAL and I read her book ASAP. Her writing is engaging, creative and very illustrative. She uses visual stories and analogies to simplify and beautify the complex concept of financial statements. What I enjoyed most is her visual depiction of the 3 most important financial statements as your company's automobile dashboard: Income Statement is the Speedometer, Cash Flow Statement is the Gas Gauge and the Balance Sheet is the Oil Pressure Gauge. Seriously if that's not brilliant, I don't know what is! I recommend this book to every Small Business client I engage with. Now I am just waiting for it to be translated in Spanish so I can share it with my Spanish clients too!

Thank you Dawn. You have literally changed my life with this book. So refreshing. Best wishes, Tim at Little Bird Gin in London x

Easy read, Informative and to the point. Great for those who aren't drawn to numbers

Interesting way of explaining the things of accounts.

Nice one

Amazing work. This book is a must read for anyone that needs to understand a financial statement and how to interpret what the numbers are telling you about the health of your business.