Briz Bookkeepers · Printable one-pager

Are Your Business & Personal Finances Getting a Little Too Friendly?

Nobody mixes business and personal money on purpose. It happens one “I'll sort it out later” swipe at a time. Take two minutes, score yourself, and pick one thing to clean up this week.

The quick checkup

Check every box that's true — nobody's grading this but you.

My business has its own bank account, and only business money moves through it.
No groceries, vacation gas, or birthday gifts on the business card this quarter.
When I take money out, I record it as an owner draw — not “miscellaneous.”
I reimburse myself with a documented expense report, not a random transfer.
Payroll and personal spending never share a transaction.
My business has its own card. My personal wallet has its own.
When I put my own money in, I record it as an owner contribution.
I keep a receipt (photo or paper) for business purchases over $75.
My accounts get reconciled monthly — not every April.
Asked “what was this charge?” I could answer without scrolling my texts.

Your score: 0 / 10

Let's Talk

Your books are playing detective instead of bookkeeping. Good news — this is fixable in a weekend.

Three quick fixes, in order

Step 1 — This week

Business on business. Personal on personal.

One card each. One account each. That's the whole rule.

Step 2 — Every time

Used the wrong card? Document it.

Don't hide it and don't guess. A labeled owner draw takes 30 seconds. A guess in April takes hours.

Step 3 — Monthly

Reconcile every single month.

Twelve small check-ins beat one giant year-end cleanup. Every time.

Why it matters

GAAP calls it the economic entity assumption — your business's activity gets reported separately from yours. In plain English: mixed money turns every report into a guess. Clean separation means that a year from now you can answer a lender, a buyer, or a partner in minutes instead of weeks, and make your next growth decision on real numbers. It also frees the people who help you — your CPA, your bookkeeper, your spouse at the kitchen table — to advise you instead of hunt receipts. (Commingling can also weaken the liability protection of an LLC or corporation — worth a conversation with your attorney.)

Your books shouldn't have to play detective.

Print the one-pager, score yourself on paper, and share it with your team.

Download the PDF →