Scott Springer

Have you heard the phrase "slow down to speed up"? With 2026 just hours away, now is a great time to hit pause and think big. For service business owners (really anyone running a business) slowing down isn't about doing less... it's about prioritization and making space to: ✅ Improve how you work ✅ Get clear on your goals ✅ Build a strategy that lasts Here are 10 ways to slow down and why you'd want to. scottspringercpa.com/10-ways… What other ideas/benefits do you have in mind? Let me know! 👇

Heads up, service business owners and managers! Year-end is almost here. Winter is coming! ...and so are W-2s. ✅ Ask employees to provide you any updates to their info (such as address) so that W-2s go out correctly next month. ✅ Also ask them review their W-4 selections to make sure tax withholding still fits their situation for 2026. A few quick updates now help for a smooth start to the new year. Future you will thank you!

Paying an employee with a paper check, Zelle or some other way outside the payroll system? Don’t skip this step! ↓ Even if you're handing an employee a physical check instead of paying through your payroll system, make sure to record it as a manual payroll check in your system. Why? • It does the math for you. Your payroll software will calculate taxes and deductions so you know exactly how much to pay the employee. • It keeps your tax filings accurate. Recording it properly helps make sure your 941s, W-2s, and tax deposits stay correct and headache-free (and penalty free).

Service business owners: Are you running both cash and accrual reports in QuickBooks Online (QBO)? For example, perhaps you report taxes on cash basis but use accrual basis reports for management purposes. If so, you need to know how to record your accrual adjustments in a way that doesn't make a mess of your cash basis reports. QBO allows you to run many reports on either cash basis or accrual basis. The devil is in the details, but very simply put, the crux of accrual basis is recording revenues when they are earned and expenses when incurred... regardless of whether payment has been made yet. Be aware: ✗ Do NOT use a journal entry (JE) to record unpaid revenue or expense. JEs will affect both cash and accrual basis reports (meaning your cash basis reports will be wrong). ✔ Instead, use an Accounts Receivable (A/R) or Accounts Payable (A/P) transaction. QBO knows how to handle these properly when switching between cash and accrual reporting. Do this right, and your tax and management reports will stay clean and meaningful.

Are your business expenses organized... or a hot mess? The more consistent you are with categorizing expenses, the easier tax time will be. Plus, you’ll get clearer insights when you run financial reports. The secret weapon? A well-organized chart of accounts. It’s like a guide for tracking what your company has, what it owes, what it earns and what it spends. Set it up to be simple, structured, and stress-free. Need help setting one up in your service business? Let’s talk. scottspringercpa.com/service…

Heads up, service pros! 1099 season is creeping up fast. If you paid contractors or rent this year, you might need to file a 1099. ✅ Contractors = Form 1099-NEC ✅ Rent payments = Form 1099-MISC To file a 1099, you will need the information provided to you by the payee on Form W-9. For each non-employee you paid for services or rent by cash, check, ACH, wire, Zelle (or similar bank transfer app), have you collected a W-9? If not, ask for it NOW before January turns into a paperwork panic to beat the filing deadline. Let’s keep it smooth and stress-free. You got this!

Want to stand out from the competition in your service business? Communicate better. Seriously, it’s that simple. The bar is not high here, but it's amazing how few service businesses do this well. You don’t need fancy tools or a big team. Just make it a habit to: ✅ Share progress updates ✅ Identify anything you're waiting on from the client ✅ Tell them what’s next When you do that, you’re not just doing good work... you’re building trust and eliminating any doubt your customer may have otherwise had that you forgot about them. Trust wins repeat business.

Hey service business owners: How do you handle collecting W-9s from contractors or vendors you pay for services or rent? Which one sounds like you or your team? A) We don’t mess around... we get the W-9 before we send a dime. People are way more responsive when they’re waiting on payment. B) We wing it until our accountant flags it. Then we ask... and hope the contractor replies. 🤷 C) We wait until January, panic, and scramble to collect missing W-9s right before filing 1099s. It’s our annual chaos tradition! D) W-9? Never heard of her. I’m busy running a business and don't have time for your compliance BS. The IRS won’t notice... right? 🙏🏻 👇 Drop your letter below and any additional thoughts or recommendations.

Service Business owners using QuickBooks Online (QBO): Do you see a large (and growing) balance in an account called "Undeposited Funds" (or "Payments to Deposit")? If so, it's a red flag. This usually means incorrect Accounts Receivable workflows are being used in QBO leading to: • Messy books • Overstated income • Making business decisions based on incorrect data • Potentially paying more in taxes than you should Don’t let small workflow mistakes cost you big. A Diagnostic Review can get your books back on track. 👉 Learn more: scottspringercpa.com/diagnos…

Thinking about hiring a remote employee in another state... or keeping a great team member who’s moving? That’s exciting for your business, but don’t forget: each state has its own tax rules. If you don’t get set up in advance, you could face surprise compliance issues or even penalties. Protect your business (and your new hire) by making sure you’re registered and ready before payroll starts. 👉 Learn what you need to know here: scottspringercpa.com/when-yo…

Service Business owners: You take risks every day to build and grow your business. You deserve to be rewarded when those risks pay off! But here’s the question: Does your owner compensation reflect that? Your compensation as an entrepreneur should reflect your effort, your expertise, and the risks you take. Learn what your comp should really include (and how to avoid shortchanging yourself): 👉 scottspringercpa.com/dont-sh…

We all hate being wrong or wasting time and money. It's just human nature to feel that way. But letting those feelings cloud future decisions? That can really cost us. This is known as the sunk cost bias... holding onto bad investments (time, money, or effort) just because we’ve already invested so much. A simple way to spot this trap: If you wouldn’t make the same choice again knowing what you know now, it’s time to move on. Learn more about how this bias can affect your business and how to avoid it. 👉 scottspringercpa.com/is-sunk…

Do you know if your workers should be employees or independent contractors? Correct classification matters. Getting it wrong can be costly for your small business. In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor issued updated guidance using the "Economic Reality" test. This test looks at 6 key factors to determine worker classification: • Is the worker’s profit or loss tied to their management skills? • How much do the worker and employer invest financially? • Is the working relationship permanent or temporary? • How much control does the employer have over the worker’s tasks? • Is the work essential to your business? • Does the job require specialized skills and initiative? Learn more about these factors clearly explained here: 👉 dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sh…

If you're a partner in a service business, do you clearly understand your balance sheet? Most partners understand assets and liabilities, but the equity section often feels fuzzy. You're not alone if equity has you scratching your head! Understanding equity is crucial... it tells you how much of your business you truly own and helps track your financial progress. Here's a clear breakdown to make things simple: 👉 scottspringercpa.com/underst…

Pricing your services isn't just math—it's also an art. Many service business owners find pricing challenging, and that’s perfectly normal. It’s a skill you sharpen with practice and experience. Ready to price with confidence? Explore these foundational pricing strategies to help you find the sweet spot for your business: 👉 scottspringercpa.com/pricing…

Starting a service business? You probably began your business because you’re great at a specific skill or service. As your business grows, success often requires new skills beyond your original expertise. Are you developing the right skills for your business model? Understanding this can be key to your long-term success. Find out which complementary skills align best with your chosen business model. 👉 scottspringercpa.com/is-your…

You’ve got the day-to-day handled... but what about your bigger goals? Even the most capable service business owners can struggle with accountability for internal deadlines and long-term plans. 📆 Here’s how to stay focused and follow through. 👉 scottspringercpa.com/how-to-…

Want to keep more customers coming back? Retention metrics are easier to calculate than you think... and once you start tracking them, you’ll get the creative juices flowing for simple ways to boost loyalty and repeat business. 💡 👉 Here's a quick guide + practical tips: scottspringercpa.com/how-to-…

As a service business owner, how much time do you spend working ON your business—not just IN it? 🤔 Here’s the difference: ✅ IN the business = Doing the work... service delivery, admin tasks, putting out fires. 🚀 ON the business = Improving the work... strategy, systems, growth planning. It’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day whirlwind. But carving out time to work ON your business is where real growth happens. One of the biggest takeaways I got from Michael Gerber's "The E-Myth Revisited" was this: 👉 If you want to scale, you can’t stay buried in the operations. Make space to lead—not just to do.