Brown Dog Bookkeeping

Brown Dog Bookkeeping Full Service Bookkeeping Firm Providing Accurate & Timely Financial Information for Small Businesses

I know that little stomach-drop feeling when a tax deadline shows up on the calendar, even when you've done nothing wron...
09/14/2026

I know that little stomach-drop feeling when a tax deadline shows up on the calendar, even when you've done nothing wrong. It's such a common feeling that I named this post after it. Here's what's actually due September 15th, so at least the dread has a shape:

→ Individuals: third installment of your 2026 estimated taxes
→ Partnerships: extended Form 1065, plus K-1s/K-3s if applicable
→ S Corporations: extended Form 1120-S, plus K-1s/K-3s if applicable
→ Corporations: third installment of your 2026 estimated taxes

Nobody escapes September without at least one deadline landing on their desk. If any of this applies to you and you're not sure where things stand, reach out — that's exactly what I'm here for.

A client told me she used to run these numbers in her head at midnight, half-convinced she was getting it wrong, and too...
09/11/2026

A client told me she used to run these numbers in her head at midnight, half-convinced she was getting it wrong, and too anxious to actually check. It took ten minutes with real numbers in front of her to prove she wasn't. That's the whole point of this post.

Before the September 15th deadline, here are three numbers worth pulling up so you're not doing that math at midnight:

1. Weekly revenue needed to hit your 2026 goal. Subtract your year-to-date revenue from your goal, divide by the weeks you have left. ($140,000 − $94,100 = $45,900 → $45,900 ÷ 17 weeks = $2,700/week.)

2. A comparison of this period's net income to the same stretch last year (June through August, since that's what your third estimated tax payment is based on).

3. Your effective hourly rate — last month's net income divided by hours worked.

None of this requires a finance degree. It requires bookkeeping that's actually current — which is usually the real gap. If yours isn't, that's where I come in.

You know the feeling — one day it's still summer, and the next, school's back in session (or the kids are gone and the h...
09/10/2026

You know the feeling — one day it's still summer, and the next, school's back in session (or the kids are gone and the house has that different kind of quiet), the holidays are suddenly on the calendar, and Q4 is bearing down before you've caught your breath. September is your last real chance to get your footing before that happens. A short checklist to work through:

✔️ Reconcile every bank and credit card account through August
✔️ Schedule your Q3 estimated tax payment
✔️ Follow up on any invoice that's 30+ days overdue
✔️ Sit down with your YTD P&L and actually read it
✔️ Look at your calendar and plan around any time off coming up

If you'd rather spend your time on the work you actually started this business to do, that's what I'm here for.

Small Business Owners 📣 Important upcoming dates you need to be tracking.🤎 The Brown Dog Bookkeeping Team
09/09/2026

Small Business Owners 📣

Important upcoming dates you need to be tracking.

🤎 The Brown Dog Bookkeeping Team

Small business owners — make sure you're not doing underpaid labor this Labor Day.More control over your time was probab...
09/07/2026

Small business owners — make sure you're not doing underpaid labor this Labor Day.

More control over your time was probably part of why you started this in the first place. If it's been a while since you checked your real hourly rate, this is your sign. Your time is worth more now than it was when you started.

"But you don't look like a bookkeeper..." Correct. I don't own a single beige cardigan or a pair of sleeve garters.Give ...
08/31/2026

"But you don't look like a bookkeeper..." Correct. I don't own a single beige cardigan or a pair of sleeve garters.

Give me one second to get in uniform. 👉

Here's the thing nobody tells you about your 40s and 50s: you get to build the version of "professional" that actually looks like you, not the one you pictured back at 22. Turns out the calculator still works fine even with a good blowout and two decades of life experience no business school hands you.

Follow for more proof that organized and fun aren't mutually exclusive 🐾

Times you need more than just a bank statement, for anyone who thinks a screenshot counts as recordkeeping:Amazon (and s...
08/28/2026

Times you need more than just a bank statement, for anyone who thinks a screenshot counts as recordkeeping:

Amazon (and similar): a bank statement shows you spent $184.32 there, not what you bought. Save the itemized receipt and note what was business vs. personal. Meals: the charge shows you ate somewhere, not who you were with or the business purpose — save that too, because you will not remember six months from now and neither will I. Large purchases like equipment or furniture over $2,500: I need the invoice and the placed-in-service date to categorize it correctly.

A little context now saves a lot of guessing later, for both of us. Swipe through, then send this to the business owner who thinks bank statements are enough documentation.

Small business back-to-school supply list, because apparently we all still need one of these every August — even if your...
08/27/2026

Small business back-to-school supply list, because apparently we all still need one of these every August — even if your actual back-to-school shopping this year was a dorm mini-fridge, a flight home booked for winter break, or just new cleats for a kid who's suddenly taller than you.

A separate business bank account, plus a card that isn't secretly funding Target runs. A calendar with your tax deadlines actually on it. Completed W-9s for anyone you've paid this year. A permission slip from your accountant before any "it's a write-off!" purchase. And QuickBooks — set up, used, and reconciled, not just paid for and ignored.

Swipe for the full list, then tell me which item you're missing. No judgment, I promise — some of us are refereeing two different "back to school" seasons at once 📓 🍎

Small business money goals I've helped clients hit lately: investing in continuing education. Taking the actual dream va...
08/26/2026

Small business money goals I've helped clients hit lately: investing in continuing education. Taking the actual dream vacation, not just pinning it. Growing their team. Giving themselves a real raise. Paying off debt that's been sitting there since year one.

For a lot of my clients, these aren't just nice-to-haves anymore. With kids launching and retirement feeling closer than it used to, this is the stretch where the business finally has to pay off, not just pay the bills. None of it happens by accident. It happens because someone knew their numbers well enough to make the call.

Which one's on your list right now?

Contractor compliance for small business owners: just Zelle-ing your VA isn't enough, unfortunately.Here's the actual ch...
08/25/2026

Contractor compliance for small business owners: just Zelle-ing your VA isn't enough, unfortunately.

Here's the actual checklist: a signed contractor agreement, a completed W-9, payments tracked by contractor (not just vibes), confirmation they should legally be treated as a contractor and not an employee, and a standard payment method you can actually document.

Worth getting right, especially once this business has turned into something you actually want to protect for the long haul, not just get through this year. Swipe through, then check how many of these you've got covered right now 🐾

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Leesburg, VA
20176

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