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Lost invoices, tax panic, and overpaying suppliers? Classic. Get 90% off QuickBooks and stop winging it with your accounts.
Running a small business is basically an extreme sport, except instead of a safety harness, you’ve got an Excel spreadsheet that hasn’t been updated since 2021. One minute, you’re thriving. The next, you’re realising you’ve accidentally paid a supplier twice and are now too awkward to ask for it back.
If you’ve ever had an “Oh dear” moment with your accounts, you’re not alone. Here are five classic small business finance fails and how QuickBooks could have saved the day—especially with their 90% off deal (because who doesn’t love a bargain?).
1. The ‘It’s in my Sent Items… oh, wait’ invoice mystery
Sarah, a freelance designer, completed a huge project, sent her invoice, and confidently waited for payment. A month later, her bank balance looked suspiciously unchanged. After much grumbling about unreliable clients, she checked her emails and discovered she had, in fact, never actually attached the invoice.
The client, assuming she was feeling generous, had simply accepted the free work. Several cringing apologies later, she finally got paid—just in time to avoid eating beans on toast for the rest of the month.
How QuickBooks saves you: Automatic invoice tracking and polite-but-firm reminders mean you’ll never again realise too late that you forgot to ask for money.
2. The ‘tax bill horror story’ that ends in tea and crying
Tom, proud owner of a small coffee shop, was happily reinvesting profits into a fancy espresso machine, trendy new cups, and an experimental flat white made with oat, coconut, and “something called pea milk.” Life was good—until tax season hit.
After some frantic calculator-bashing, he realised he had completely underestimated his tax bill. A call to his accountant confirmed the worst: a substantial sum was due immediately. Tom spent the next week living off surplus pastries and regretting every oat-based decision.
How QuickBooks saves you: Real-time tax tracking means you’ll always know what’s coming. No more last-minute “How much?!?” moments.
3. The ‘I accidentally tipped my supplier 100%’ drama
Emma, a boutique owner, was feeling particularly efficient one Monday morning and whizzed through her payments. Two days later, she noticed an unexpected gap in her bank balance. She’d accidentally paid one supplier twice. When she politely asked for a refund, they cheerfully replied, “Oh, we thought you were just feeling generous!”
Now faced with the British dilemma of either chasing her money or accepting financial ruin out of politeness, Emma spent a week drafting an email that started with “So sorry to be a bother, but…”
How QuickBooks saves you: Smart payment tracking means you’ll never double-pay again, sparing you the embarrassment of chasing your own money back.
4. The ‘why do I have £12 left?’ bank balance disaster
James, a personal trainer, was certain he had a decent amount of money in his business account. Then he checked his balance and found… £12. After a deep investigation (scrolling through his bank app in disbelief), he realised he’d been unknowingly paying for four different music streaming services, a forgotten software trial, and a business magazine subscription he had never even opened.
Apparently, his business was single-handedly funding Spotify, and he had no idea.
How QuickBooks saves you: Expense tracking shows exactly where your money’s going, so you can cancel rogue subscriptions before they empty your bank account.
5. The ‘I’ll do my accounts later’ shoebox of doom
Laura, who runs a small bakery, had a system. It was called “put everything in a shoebox and deal with it later.” Every January, she’d dedicate a full weekend to staring at an overflowing pile of receipts and wondering where it all went wrong.
One year, the inevitable happened – key receipts had gone missing, invoices were unaccounted for, and she had no way of proving crucial expenses. Instead of baking, she spent days frantically searching coat pockets, old handbags, and even the glovebox of her car.
How QuickBooks saves you: Receipt scanning and automatic expense tracking mean you’ll never again find yourself tearing the house apart looking for proof you really did buy that industrial-sized bag of flour.
Why now is the best time to stop winging it
- Marc Reeves is Head of Affiliates for NationalWorld
