5 Things You Need to Do Before You Set Up QuickBooks® — So You Don’t Regret It Later

*This post includes an affiliate link to QuickBooks. That means if you decide to sign up through my link, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I actually use and love.

Let’s Be Honest—QuickBooks® Isn’t the Problem

You’re not alone if the thought of opening QuickBooks® makes you want to go alphabetize your spice rack instead.

Most coaches and course creators I work with fall into one of two camps:
→ They’ve been “meaning to set it up” for months
→ Or they rushed through the setup and now hate logging in because nothing looks right

Here’s the truth: QuickBooks® isn’t the issue. The way most people set it up is.

They jump in without a plan, connect a few bank accounts, guess their way through the categories, and then wonder why nothing adds up during tax season.

👉 By the end of this blog, you’ll know exactly what to do before you even log into QuickBooks®—so you don’t waste time, overcomplicate it, or pay someone to undo what could’ve been done right the first time.

These aren’t fluffy “tips.” These are the five steps I walk clients through before we touch a single button in their account.

1. Decide What You Actually Want to Know From Your Numbers

QuickBooks® is a tool—not a fortune teller. It’s only helpful if it shows you the numbers you care about.

Instead of thinking, “I should set up QuickBooks,” ask yourself:
“What decisions do I want to make faster and smarter?”

Here are some examples from real clients:

• “How much did I actually make from my launch after expenses?”
  
  
• “Is coaching or digital products making me more money?”
  
  
• “Can I afford to hire someone—or do I just feel busy?”
  
  
• “Where the hell is all my money going?”
  
  

Write those down. Seriously.

This becomes your setup roadmap. Everything from your income categories to your reports should help answer your real-world questions—not just spit out generic profit & loss statements.

2. Separate the Personal from the Business — For Real

Yes, I know you technically know this. But if you’re still using one card for everything, this is your permission slip to finally fix it.

Here’s why:

• You’ll save HOURS during setup and tax season
  
  
• Your numbers will actually mean something
  
  
• You won’t be explaining to your accountant why Sephora and Slack are in the same bank statement
  
  

This doesn’t have to be complicated. Open a checking account in your business name. Connect Stripe or PayPal directly to it. Get a business debit card (or credit card if you want rewards).

Even if your business is still “small,” this is one of the most grown-up decisions you can make.

3. Make a Short List of Tools + Platforms You Actually Use for Money

Most of my clients are paying for more platforms than they realize—and receiving income in more places than they remember.

You don’t want to realize after setup that 20% of your income was hiding in a PayPal balance you forgot to connect.

Make a quick list:

• How do you receive money? (Stripe, PayPal, Venmo Business, Square, ThriveCart…)
  
  
• Where does it land? (Business checking, PayPal balance…)
  
  
• What tools are you paying for monthly/yearly? (Kajabi, Zoom, ConvertKit, Canva…)
  
  

This list helps you know what to connect, what to track, and what needs attention before QuickBooks® gets involved.

4. Decide If You’re Catching Up or Starting Fresh

Are you trying to set up QuickBooks® and catch up on the last 8 months of missing data? Let’s not.

This is where people burn out fast.

There’s no rule that says you have to backdate everything to January 1st. You can:

• Start clean from this month forward
  
  
• Catch up on the past later (or hire someone to help)
  
  

Just decide which path you’re taking. Don’t sit in limbo wondering if you’re “doing it wrong.”

Spoiler: You’re not. You’re doing it your way. The only wrong move is doing nothing because you’re overwhelmed.

5. Pick a Setup Timeline That Actually Fits Your Life

This is not a “power-through-it-on-a-Saturday” situation.

Setup doesn’t have to be hard—but it does have layers. Connecting accounts, customizing categories, checking automations, reviewing what’s flowing in and out.

You’re better off breaking it into 3–4 focused sessions:

• Session 1: Connect your bank/Stripe/PayPal
  
  
• Session 2: Set up your categories based on your real goals
  
  
• Session 3: Review, adjust, and test it with live data
  
  
• Session 4: Automate what you can and create a weekly rhythm
  
  

Trying to cram this into one sitting leads to rushed decisions—and rushed decisions are what we’re trying to avoid.

Already Started? You Can Still Hit Pause + Do These Anyway

If you’ve already signed up and started clicking around in QuickBooks®, it’s okay. This list still helps.

You can pause, regroup, and come back with a clearer plan. Your setup isn’t “ruined”—you just get a chance to make it better before it gets more complicated.

A lot of people end up redoing their entire setup after realizing they skipped these steps. You’re ahead of the game by stopping now and realigning.

The Real Flex Isn’t DIYing—It’s Doing It Right the First Time

These five steps are the foundation of a setup that works for you, not against you.

You don’t need to become a numbers person. You just need your numbers to work like your business does—real-time, digital-first, and designed for how you earn, spend, and grow.

👉 If you want to skip the trial and error, and actually get QuickBooks® working for your coaching or course-based business, join the Setup & Simplify waitlist here.

We’ll walk through setup together—without shame, jargon, or overwhelm—so you can spend less time clicking around and more time running the business you actually want