A short checklist to run before you price, borrow, hire or pay estimated taxes.
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Use this checklist before you set a price, accept a loan, hire someone or pay estimated taxes. It does not calculate anything. Its job is to make sure the numbers you feed into a calculator are the right ones and that you have not skipped a step that commonly costs small businesses money.
How to use it. Work through each group that applies to your decision and tick items as you confirm them. If you cannot tick an item, treat it as an open question: find the document, ask the lender or vendor, or put the item on a list for your accountant.
Worked example. A cafe owner considering a $40,000 equipment loan ticks the financing items after getting the APR, total repayment and fee schedule in writing, then notices the cash flow items are unticked. Running a cautious runway scenario shows the new payment would leave only two months of reserves in a slow season, so the owner negotiates a smaller loan.
Limits. A checklist cannot replace professional advice. Rules on taxes, payroll and sales tax differ by state and change over time, so confirm details with the official source or a CPA.
Mistakes, Red Flags and FAQ
Common calculation errors in pricing, forecasting, loans and taxes, with worked examples showing how each mistake distorts results and how to check your own numbers.
