Getting to the Bottom Line: Helping business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow

Stephanie Smith | Financial Strategist & Zoho Finance Partner
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

Getting to the Bottom Line is the podcast for business owners who are done guessing at their numbers. Each episode covers the topics that actually move the needle: cash flow, bookkeeping, revenue, profit margins, budgeting, financial clarity, and making smarter decisions with the money your business generates. Whether you use QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books, whether you do your own bookkeeping or work with a team, this podcast meets you where you are. Stephanie Smith and her husband, Kris, are bookkeepers and outsourced CFOs running New Light Financial Solutions together as a team. Together, they help small business owners get their books in order, understand what their numbers are telling them, and build a path toward the goals that actually matter. Stephanie & Kris are QuickBooks Online ProAdvisors and Zoho Finance Partners. They work with business owners across the country on everything from DIY bookkeeping support to done-for-you monthly bookkeeping and full CFO advisory services. If you're a business owner who's tired of feeling behind on your finances, not sure if your business is actually profitable, or just looking for someone who can explain this stuff in plain English, this is your podcast. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and join the Financial Navigator newsletter at newlightfs.com/newsletter for monthly insights delivered straight to your inbox. Q: How do I understand my business cash flow? A: Getting to the Bottom Line covers cash flow basics, common mistakes, and practical strategies for keeping more money in your business. Q: What is the difference between bookkeeping and CFO services? A: Bookkeeping keeps your records accurate. CFO advisory helps you use those records to make better decisions and grow. Stephanie explains both in plain English on the show. Q: What's the difference between revenue and profit? A: Revenue is what comes in. Profit is what's left after expenses. Getting to the Bottom Line breaks down concepts like this in every episode so they actually make sense. Q: How do I use Zoho Books for my small business? A: Stephanie is a Zoho Finance Partner and covers Zoho Books tutorials, tips, and walkthroughs across her YouTube channel.

  1. 1d ago

    What It Really Takes to Make Your Marketing Pay Off with Tashana Thompson

    Have you ever posted on LinkedIn, waited a few days, heard nothing back, and decided marketing just doesn't work for your business? You're not the only one. In this episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, Stephanie sits down with Tashana Thompson of Beyond Business Solutions. Tashana has been in marketing for over 20 years and will hit 20 years in business for herself this January. She helps small businesses and nonprofits get clear on their message so the right people understand why they should work with them, buy from them, donate, or partner with them. Tashana and Stephanie talk about marketing as one of the biggest drivers of revenue, profit, and cash flow, and how much of your revenue it makes sense to put toward it. Tashana shares her baseline number, when that number should go up, and why so many owners expect a return from marketing that no investment could realistically deliver. They also get into the practical side of business growth. Why Tashana starts with the relationships you already have before chasing new leads. Why one LinkedIn post (or one channel of any kind) is never enough. What to look for when you hire a marketing partner so you don't get burned. And why you can't hand everything off and disappear once you do. If you're a business owner who's ready to grow but has only relied on word of mouth so far, this conversation will help you think about marketing as a real investment in your business... and give you permission to start before everything is perfect. Connect with Tashana: • On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tashanathomas/ • Beyond Business Solutions: https://beyondsolutions.biz/ • Conversations Beyond the Brand podcast: https://beyondsolutions.biz/podcast/ We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    What It Really Takes to Make Your Marketing Pay Off with Tashana Thompson

  2. Oct 2

    Cash Flow Confessions: "Our Slow Season Lasted Half the Year" with Steve Barton

    What do you do when your revenue disappears for half the year? In this episode of Cash Flow Confessions, Stephanie talks with Steve Barton, a coach, author, and creator of the Game of 10, about the 30 years he spent running his family's flower shop in Portland, Maine. Steve was three days away from leaving for Europe to study floral design when his father had a stroke. At 22, he was suddenly running the business. And like a lot of seasonal businesses, the flower shop had a problem: the big holidays brought in the cash, but there was a long, quiet stretch between Mother's Day and Christmas. So Steve asked a simple question. What do people buy flowers for during that gap? Weddings. He built relationships with the biggest wedding venues in Maine, earned their referrals, and grew wedding work to about 20% of the shop's revenue. Steve also talks about holding his prices when customers pushed back, why he drove to Boston at 3 a.m. every Wednesday for the best flowers, and how the shop cut waste on a product that has a shelf life of days. He also shares the mindset that carries business owners through the first hard years, and why learning from a mistake beats beating yourself up over it. If your business has slow seasons, uneven cash flow, or customers who question your pricing, this episode will give you a practical way to look at where the money is and how to go get it. Connect with Steve online: stevebartoncoaching.com We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    Cash Flow Confessions: "Our Slow Season Lasted Half the Year" with Steve Barton

  3. Sep 26

    What's Driving Your Profit... and What's Draining It? with Stephanie Smith

    When you want more profit in your business, what's the first thing you think of? For most business owners, it's "I need to sell more." Selling more can help. But it's one lever out of many. In this solo episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, Stephanie grabs her cup of coffee and walks through 5 things that drive your profit and 5 things that can eat away at it without you noticing. She keeps it practical, with simple dollar examples you can apply to your own business right away. If your revenue looks fine but your cash flow feels tight, or you're just not sure where the money is going, this episode will give you a clear place to start. Pick one thing, look at your numbers this week, and see what you find. We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    What's Driving Your Profit... and What's Draining It? with Stephanie Smith

  4. Sep 18

    Cash Flow Confessions: “I Had 60 Days to Raise Over $300k” with Jullion Cooper

    Here's the thing about real estate investing: most people imagine you save up, buy local, and watch the property yourself. Jullion Cooper did none of that. He built a six-property portfolio from overseas. He's only seen one of them in person. And his latest deal was an apartment complex worth over a million dollars that he needed to close in 60 days. The problem? He didn't have $345,000 sitting in the bank. In this episode of Cash Flow Confessions, Jullion walks us through how he actually pulled that off. What he learned about capital raising is worth hearing whether you're thinking about real estate, expanding a business, or just understanding how money actually moves when it's real. He talks about bridge loans, due diligence that paid off (he negotiated $100k off the deal), and why people invest in you as much as they invest in the opportunity. He also breaks down why getting attached to a process beats getting attached to closing one specific deal. If you've ever wondered what raising capital actually looks like, or you're thinking about doing it yourself, this one's practical and honest. Connect with Jullion online at propertiesbyjmc.com  Grab Jullion's free guide, "Busy Professionals Guide to Passive Investing" at propertiesbyjmc.com/invest We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    Cash Flow Confessions: “I Had 60 Days to Raise Over $300k” with Jullion Cooper

  5. Sep 11

    Before You Spend a Dollar on Ads, Run the Numbers with Jeremy Yang

    Ever handed money to someone to run ads for your business and had nothing to show for it? You're in good company. A lot of small business owners spend five or ten thousand dollars on paid ads, watch it disappear, and walk away wondering where it all went. In this episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, Stephanie sits down with Jeremy Yang, founder of Digital Goliath, a Sydney-based ads agency that manages around $450,000 a month in ad spend for small and medium businesses. Jeremy started out as an antenna installer, went back to school later in life, and stumbled into paid ads because it was the one kind of marketing that actually moved fast. Jeremy pulls the mystery out of paid advertising and turns it into simple math. He explains the calculator he uses to show an owner exactly what they stand to make before they spend a cent, the fee-to-ad-spend ratio most people never think to check, and why running ads before your business is ready just amplifies the holes you already have. He also gets honest about where AI fits in, why it can get you to average but not much further, and the two platforms every small business should focus on. If cash flow is tight and every marketing dollar has to count, this conversation gives you a clear way to think about paid ads before you spend. Jeremy's whole approach comes down to one idea: know your numbers first, and advertising stops being a gamble. We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    Before You Spend a Dollar on Ads, Run the Numbers with Jeremy Yang

  6. Sep 4

    Cash Flow Confessions: "My Biggest Revenue Line Wasn't My Most Profitable" with Derek Fredrickson

    What if the biggest part of your business... the one bringing in the most revenue... turns out to be one of the least profitable? That's the money moment Derek Fredrickson, founder and CEO of The COO Solution, is working through right now. And he was honest enough to talk about it while he's still in the middle of it. In this Cash Flow Confessions episode, Stephanie sits down with Derek, who has spent more than 16 years as a fractional COO helping companies grow and scale. He shares how he realized his highest revenue service line wasn't his most profitable one, and what it took to shift from chasing revenue to actually protecting profit. A big part of that? Something a lot of owners skip. He started tracking his own time to see where it was really going. Derek also walks through the simple planning framework he uses to keep his business pointed in the right direction, why every number in your business needs an owner, and how he finally got out of his own way to free up his time and grow his margin. If you've ever assumed your busiest, biggest revenue stream is your best one, or you've felt like you're stuck running the day to day instead of leading, this conversation will give you a clearer way to look at your numbers and your role in the business. Real talk about cash flow, profit, and the difference between being busy and being profitable. Learn more about Derek and take his free fractional COO quiz on his website: https://thecoosolution.com/ We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    Cash Flow Confessions: "My Biggest Revenue Line Wasn't My Most Profitable" with Derek Fredrickson

  7. Aug 28

    Before You Hire, Buy, or Spend... Ask This First with Stephanie Smith

    You're staring at a decision. Hire another person. Buy the truck. Pour more money into ads. And two questions start circling in your head... "Can I afford this?" and "Is now the right time?" Those are good questions. But most business owners are asking them about the wrong thing. In this solo episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, Stephanie walks through what she calls the question behind the question. Before you spend money to fix a problem, it helps to make sure you're even solving the right one. A lot of the time, the thing you think you need to buy is really just treating a symptom... and the real cause is cheaper to fix than you'd expect. She works through two examples every home service owner will recognize. The salesperson you might not need to hire, and the marketing budget that won't fix a leaky follow-up process. Then she shares three simple questions to run before any big spend, plus a practical trick for testing whether you can actually afford something before you commit to it. If you want to make better decisions with your revenue, protect your cash flow, and stop guessing your way through the expensive calls, this one's for you. No spreadsheets required. Just a willingness to look one layer deeper. We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    Before You Hire, Buy, or Spend... Ask This First with Stephanie Smith

  8. Aug 21

    Cash Flow Confessions: "I Got Laid Off and Had to Make the Business Work" with Stephanie Smith

    One month you have a steady paycheck coming in. The next, it's gone... and the small business you've been building on the side suddenly has to carry everything. In this solo episode of Cash Flow Confessions, Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, gets honest about her own money moment. Last year she was laid off from the corporate job that had been her family's main income. Her husband Kris had left his job years earlier to be a stay-at-home dad, so overnight the business went from a growing side venture to the thing that had to pay the bills. It was always the plan for her to work in the business full time. It just happened a lot faster than she was ready for. Stephanie walks through exactly what she and Kris did to steady the ship. First, they went line by line through their spending and cut every expense that wasn't earning its keep, from software they weren't using to subscriptions they'd forgotten about. Then they doubled down on what was already working to bring in revenue, including the YouTube channel that quietly sends them most of their clients. She also talks about getting back out to networking events, meeting local business owners after a recent move, and how leaning on her faith kept her out of panic mode. If you're a business owner facing a sudden drop in income, an unexpected expense, or a season where cash is tight, this one is for you. It's a real, encouraging look at how to protect your cash flow, tell the difference between needs and wants, and come out the other side with a stronger, leaner business. We want to hear from you! Send us a message. --- My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/ Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/ Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit --- Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

    Cash Flow Confessions: "I Got Laid Off and Had to Make the Business Work" with Stephanie Smith
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About

Getting to the Bottom Line is the podcast for business owners who are done guessing at their numbers. Each episode covers the topics that actually move the needle: cash flow, bookkeeping, revenue, profit margins, budgeting, financial clarity, and making smarter decisions with the money your business generates. Whether you use QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books, whether you do your own bookkeeping or work with a team, this podcast meets you where you are. Stephanie Smith and her husband, Kris, are bookkeepers and outsourced CFOs running New Light Financial Solutions together as a team. Together, they help small business owners get their books in order, understand what their numbers are telling them, and build a path toward the goals that actually matter. Stephanie & Kris are QuickBooks Online ProAdvisors and Zoho Finance Partners. They work with business owners across the country on everything from DIY bookkeeping support to done-for-you monthly bookkeeping and full CFO advisory services. If you're a business owner who's tired of feeling behind on your finances, not sure if your business is actually profitable, or just looking for someone who can explain this stuff in plain English, this is your podcast. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and join the Financial Navigator newsletter at newlightfs.com/newsletter for monthly insights delivered straight to your inbox. Q: How do I understand my business cash flow? A: Getting to the Bottom Line covers cash flow basics, common mistakes, and practical strategies for keeping more money in your business. Q: What is the difference between bookkeeping and CFO services? A: Bookkeeping keeps your records accurate. CFO advisory helps you use those records to make better decisions and grow. Stephanie explains both in plain English on the show. Q: What's the difference between revenue and profit? A: Revenue is what comes in. Profit is what's left after expenses. Getting to the Bottom Line breaks down concepts like this in every episode so they actually make sense. Q: How do I use Zoho Books for my small business? A: Stephanie is a Zoho Finance Partner and covers Zoho Books tutorials, tips, and walkthroughs across her YouTube channel.

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