Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond Ep 297 Profit First with Megan Schwan
Profit First with Megan Schwan
Most owners chase revenue and wonder why cash keeps disappearing.
In this episode, Rocky sits down with Megan Schwan—CEO of Sidekick Accounting and a certified Profit First Professional—to unpack the simple systems that turn chaos into cash: clean books, pricing discipline, expense sweeps, and a short list of actionable KPIs. If you want fewer surprises and fatter reserves, start here.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why "good books" are your #1 tax saver—and the foundation for pricing and fraud control.
- How Profit First creates guardrails, gut-checks overspending, and builds real reserves.
- The expense analysis that finds instant profit (and all those "I thought I canceled" subs).
- The handful of KPIs to watch: break-even, month-end bank balance trend, gross & net margins, plus 1–2 lead metrics.
- Why owners must read the balance sheet (AR, debt, cash) to explain the "profit but no cash" mystery.
- S-Corp myths vs reality: costs, payroll, compliance, and when it doesn't save you a dime.
- The mindset gap: let data overrule fear and emotion—especially in weird markets.
Key Takeaways:
- Clean books first; dashboards second. Messy inputs = misleading decisions.
- Profit First is a behavior system that forces lean ops and automatic reserves.
- Trim subscriptions and non-ROI spend quarterly. Every line needs a purpose.
- Track few, not many: break-even, margin, cash trend, and one lead indicator.
- Entity choice is strategy—don't elect S-Corp on hype; do the math.
Bio:
Megan Schwan is the CEO and Founder of Sidekick Accounting Services, a national, virtual accounting firm working to change the statistic that 8 out of 10 small businesses fail. For over a decade, Megan and her team have educated 1000's of owners on their business accounting and taxes in order to create sustainable and successful businesses. Being in the accounting industry for over 2 decades, Megan has seen and experienced plenty of businesses' red flags and triumphs.
Links:
Website: www.sidekick-accounting.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmschwan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmschwan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mompreneurof4/
Conclusion:
Revenue is loud. Cash is quiet. Use Profit First to build guardrails, clean up the books so pricing and KPIs tell the truth, and revisit entity and expenses with a strategic eye. A 20-minute weekly review beats a 20-hour crisis. Start small; stay disciplined; let the numbers lead.
#ProfitFirst #CashFlow #Bookkeeping #SmallBusiness #KPIs #PricingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #CFO #TaxPlanning #BusinessSystems
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman
Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available!
Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page
Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst
Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/
My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/
Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast
Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.