Not Rocket Finance

Ahh, the "books".
Aka every business owner's least favorite job

It feels like a dirty little secret, doesn’t it?

Your business is doing well. You’re getting paid (and paid well. HELLO, buying stuff you’ve always wanted).

But every now and then, you get an unsettling reminder that maybe — just maybe — your financial house isn’t quite in order.

Realizing your financial back-end is a Disaster can look a few different ways:

Your business’ financial data is so scattered between various tools, spreadsheets, bank accounts, and random Notes App documents that it’s starting to look like a Jackson Pollock painting
Your sales goals go something like, “IDK, I just wanna make a lot of money?”
Your service and product pricing is based on numbers that may or may not have come directly from your own butt
You’re riding the Launchcoaster (and if your next launch tanks, you might be in big trouble)
Your financial models and processes are inconsistent, change-resistant, or nonexistent

You KNOW if you could just get a handle on the money stuff, some BIG things might start to shift.

But it seems like every time you take a deep breath and dig back into QuickBooks or Xero or Bench or Wave, a new set of rabbit holes opens up. And you’re starting to feel like freakin’ Alice in Wonderland. Minus the wonder.

"Susan has a very authentic way to work. No bullshit and I really appreciate that. She offers data and solutions up the way they should be offered up. So black and white, just really clean information, straight to the point, it's not candy-coated."

Chris Strompolos

Fanology Social

The unavoidable fact to which Thine Own Self must be true is…

If you knew what to do with every dollar in your business, then you’d know exactly what action to take to grow your business

Now you’re probably saying,

“SUSAN! DUH! THAT’S THE ENTIRE REASON I’M LOOKING FOR A SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE COURSE”

(Which, by the way, you’re in the right place. I promise small business finances don’t have to be hard.)

So how do you go from checking your bank balance before every purchase, setting arbitrary sales goals, and riding that #CashFlowRollercoaster…

To understanding where each dollar is coming from, how it’s being used, and how it’s contributing to (or constricting) the growth of your business?

When you understand your business finances on a deeper level, you can answer questions like:

I have some extra money every month. Where should I invest it?
If I were to put an extra $5,000 on a credit card because it would grow my business, where would I put that $5,000?
Can I afford to hire, onboard, and keep paying a new team member?

PLUS, when you understand exactly what each dollar is doing…

You can decide what actions to take to grow your business from a place of confidence and purpose, not panic.
You can feel masterful at managing your money instead of inept (or just plain scared)...
You can see exactly what’s working and ditch what’s not.
And you can start creating a snowball effect of massive profit and market power.

Not to mention: You can make your money make MORE money.

Whew, say that 5 times fast.

That’s what CFOs do — make money make more money. They look at financial data, find the patterns, connect the dots, and use it to drive growth.

Sounds good, right? I’ll teach you to do that all by your dang self.

How?

Welcome To

So What Is It?

Up until now, the financial world has made it really hard for you to understand what you need, and how to get it.

Most small business financial education out there is not actually designed for small business owners. It’s all accountants, spreadsheet freaks, and corporate types.

That’s not you.

Not Rocket Finance is the business financial course that speaks human, not accountant.

Created by a Chief Financial Officer for small business owners just like you. No jargon, MBA, or gray suit required.

‍

Who's Not Rocket Finance for?

This small business financial management course is designed specifically and thoughtfully for:

Experienced coaches, consultants, and agency owners who have been running their business for a few years now
Solopreneurs and small team-runners who have no interest in vanity metrics or bragging rights
Any small business owner who wants to grow thoughtfully and strategically — and who knows that understanding their small business financials is an unavoidable part of that growth

‍

What Will You Have By the End of the Program?

ONE MEELYUN DOLLARS! Just kidding. I mean, you might make a million bucks, but I can’t guarantee that. What I CAN guarantee is that you’ll…

Feel wildly capable when it comes to managing your business finances… without spending an eternity in QuickBooks OR feeling bad about past mistakes
Confidently make data-based decisions about how to grow your business
Build an efficient, resilient business that’s actually fun to run #hustleculturesucks
Have a much better grasp of where your revenue is coming from, how it’s being spent, and how you might want to adjust those levers
Be able to find and pull meaningful metrics, and run reports that keep you on top of your business — instead of the other way around
Never be caught with your metaphorical tax pants down again. Take that, IRS!
Ditch the shame around your financial processes (or lack thereof)

This is exactly what I Need ➞

"For years, I've been stuck in that infamous online entrepreneur conundrum where I'm great at making money, but I'm not great at taking care of my money, or even fully grasping what's in or out, or why I need certain sales goals. My idea of "budgeting" was checking my bank account to make sure I had enough cash for a given item. Also: it didn't help that I'd break out into hives any time anyone so much as mentioned a spreadsheet.
‍
But now, I feel crystal clear about where money is coming from, when, and why. My bookkeeping and tax prep are on fleek, and I'm FINALLY implementing that dang Profit First model... and really understanding how it works, and why I need it! I've built excellent financial habits, have learned how to do projections, think about debt and investments differently, and generally feel like I finally have a grip on this money thing. It's not only no longer scary — it's actually fun!
‍
Susan is the best in the biz — and for good reason. Dive first into this adventure, and watch the way you see your money transform. You'll be glad you did.

Hillary Weiss

Creative Director + Positioning Coach

“Susan, how are you gonna teach me all this finance management stuff?”

‍Listen closely for my favorite words in the English language:

With. Support.
‍

6 Modules, 6 Core Foci: Over 6 easy-to-implement modules, we’ll tackle 6 core areas of focus that each contributes to your overall understanding of your small business financial management.
Tools + Templates galore: You get all the worksheets, checklists, and resource libraries you need so that you can easily implement everything we cover.
Your Path to Actual Small Business Financial Literacy: Start seeing how your business finances connect to literally every other aspect of your work — from daily operations to long vacations

Here’s what we’ll cover in each of the modules:

MODULE 1: Money Mindset
How you think about money, what you believe about money, and what your relationship IS with money all have a big impact on the decisions you make about money. It's impossible to talk about how to make good financial choices in your business without understanding what impacts those choices in the first place. So, in this first module, we explore your beliefs about money… and how those beliefs can impact your financial decisions.
MODULE 2: Decoding “Finance-Speak”
Yes, a decoder IS included. If you think finance pros live in another world, and you’re tired of feeling left out of the conversation, you’re not alone. We’ll break down key financial terms so you can speak the language. But Finance World isn’t just words. We’ll also give you a map of the territory by breaking down exactly how financial information is organized. By the end, you’ll have a chart of accounts you can navigate like a seasoned traveler.
MODULE 3: Organize Your Business Finances + Taxes
Good financial decisions come from having good data. And where do you get the data? It comes from your financial systems. In this module, you’ll set up all the systems you need to make sure you know your numbers when you need them. We cover accounting software setup, what other systems you need and how and when to hire bookkeepers and accountants.

And then, you’ll create some systems just for taxes to make sure there are no surprises come tax time (and you’ll be your accountant’s favorite client by the end).
MODULE 4: Know Your Numbers
In order for your business data to answer your big, meaty questions, you need the right setup. We’ll talk about where the best sources of data live in your business, what financial data actually matters (and what’s just a vanity metric), and make sure you’re just a few quick clicks from effortlessly generating the key reports you need.
‍
I’m talking about insights that come from data like…

→How your time-tracking or project data can show you who your best clients are
→How the profitability of each individual product can show you where to invest your resources for a bigger payoff
→How to measure things like seasonality and cashflow so you’re not left high, dry, and cashless, OR drowning in projects
‍
We’ll choose key metrics for YOUR business, and then set up systems to calculate them. We’ll also skip vanity metrics (like gross income) in favor of the ones that will drive profitability & growth (like which of your products or services brings in the most revenue for the least effort or expense).
All so you can start to make decisions from a place of confidence and strategy, not panic.
MODULE 5: Setting Goals + Savings Strategy
Don’t tell Scrooge McDuck, but there’s more to managing cash in your business than just its flow in and out.
‍
How much of a cash cushion should you have? Should you build savings or pay off debt first? How do you balance your personal cash needs versus your business’ cash needs? That’s what we’ll cover in this module.
MODULE 6: BUDGETING + CASH FLOW
Insufficient cash flow is the #1 most common reason that businesses fail (#2 is a chronic failure to schedule regular office dance parties).
‍
We’ll cover how to forecast your cash flow, how to use that data to make better decisions about investments in your business, and how to use operational strategies and technology to improve your cash flow and get paid faster and more reliably.

I can't wait to learn about your business finances. And then help you fix 'em.

Let's Do This ➞

This program gave me the confidence to know that finances are important enough to get support for. My finances aren't an afterthought. They are always the first thought now. And… I got help with the operations side of them, which allows me to be confident in my decision-making because my books are in tip-top shape.

Melissa Emler

Modern Learners

To Recap

Here’s Everything You Get When You Enroll in Not Rocket Finance

I know some of y’all scrolled too fast to read all this

6 Self-Paced Modules

Each module is available whenever you are. Every module has 3 lessons and every lesson is designed to be short + sweet, most are under 10 minutes (only the stuff you really need to know). The lessons are available as a video lesson, podcast episode, or as a transcript you can just read.

Alllll the Templates, Checklists, & Resources You Need

Naturally, each module comes with all the tools, checklists, and templates you need to implement what you're learning. I got you.

BONUS #1: PRIVATE PODCAST

Since I know you’re a busy business owner, and it always seems to be tough to squeeze in time to learn, all the course material is available through a private podcast feed in addition to the normal video format, so you can learn on the go.

BONUS #2: ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS

At the end of each module, you can ask me any questions you still have about what we covered and I’ll get you an answer within 2 business days.

BONUS #3: Monthly Live Coaching

Once a month, we’ll meet as a group on Zoom and talk through what you’re working on and where you’re getting stuck. Calls will happen on the 4th Thursday of each month at 3pm ET.

“OK, I'M Into Fixing My Small Business Finances. How Much Is This Gonna Cost Me?”

While I’d argue that finally getting a solid grip on your small business finances and accounting is priceless, I understand that prices are, in fact, important.

My one-on-one clients invest between $15k and $35k for me to help them tackle their finances and operations strategy.

But you won't invest nearly that much for the same education when you enroll in Not Rocket Finance.

Your Investment

$495

Enroll Now ➞

Who's Behind Not Rocket Finance?

👋 Hi, I'm Susan Boles!
‍
I’m a CFO, data geek, and no-bullshit business operations expert.
‍
I take small business owners from duct-taped digital disasters to smooth operators, using a custom blend of process + tech + financial know-how.
‍
And because one human body is simply not enough space to contain ALL THIS KNOWLEDGE, I created Not Rocket Finance to teach you how I *Italian chef’s kiss* make-a-da money magic.
‍
If you want, you can read more about me here. But you should really just enroll in Not Rocket Finance.

Questions I've Heard a Million Times

(And the answers, obviously)

I already Have bookkeeping software. Is this for me?

Do you know exactly what to do with the numbers in your software? Can you confidently navigate growth decisions and conversations with your accountant? If the answer to any of these questions is no, Not Rocket Finance is for you.

I Don't have bookkeeping software. Is this for me?

Yep, making sure you have all the tools + systems you need to take control of your business finances (like getting accounting software setup) is part of what we cover in the course.

Spreadsheets make me break out in hives. Will this still help?

Yep. Look—part of being CEO means that you have to use the right tools for the job. And sometimes, that means cracking open a spreadsheet. With Not Rocket Finance you’ll get done-for-you spreadsheets, clear tutorials, and a checklist for how to use them… Because no, I don’t expect you to geek out on this stuff like I do. (But maybe you will once you’re only dealing with numbers that impact your profit + sustainability!)

Will this help me work with my accountant?

Let me guess—your accountant talks in Finance Speak, and you’re not sure what they’re saying (or why it matters for your business). Not Rocket Finance includes a Finance Speak Decoder. You’ll show up to your next tax-season meeting fluent in your accountant’s language—and a smart list of questions to make sure you’re getting the most value out of your relationship.

Will this take a lot of my time? I am very busy and important.

There are 6 modules that take about 1.5-2 hours each to watch the lessons + complete the exercises. So you can expect to spend about 12-15 hours to complete and implement the course. It’s entirely self paced, so you can fit it into your schedule. And while you’re welcome to take as much time as you want, Not Rocket Finance is designed to easily fit into your busy schedule in 8 weeks or less.

When are the live coaching calls?

The live Q&A calls happen every 4th Thursday of each month at 3pm ET.

What if I miss a live Q&A call because life happens?

Totally fine. All the calls are all recorded and will be uploaded to the course platform by the next business day, so you can catch up on what you missed.

Why should I take this instead of another money management course for entrepreneurs?

Because — unless you want to hire a CFO to do it for you — this is the best, most comprehensive way to learn the financial strategies that support BIG growth in your business. Also, I’ll make it fun. I promise.

Enroll Now ➞

Let’s replace that financial imposter syndrome
with Financial Crushing-It-Itis.

Business Finance For HUmans

If thinking about your business money makes you burrow into your weighted blanket,It’s time to throw off the covers — so you can finally get a grip on the “money stuff”

Ahh, the "books".Aka every business owner's least favorite job