Accounting Resources

Navigating Tax Season: A Guide for Startup FoundersYou know what they say about taxes—it's one of life's certainties. Despite the dread that many feel when it comes time to file your taxes, you can't downplay the importance of tax planning regarding its positive...

Navigating Stock Option Taxation: Understanding ISO vs NSOMany startups attempt to incentivize employment with stock options as a form of compensation, especially during the early days when they need people to run them. Stock options are important for improving...

Maximizing R&D Tax Credits for Tech Startups and Software DevelopersFrom startups to matured entities, any type of business should be looking for ways to reduce their tax liability and improve their overall bottom line. However, this is especially important for...

Tax Planning Strategies for Startups: How to Optimize Your Tax Obligations Filing your taxes doesn't have to be a mad scramble that's carried out in a panic in the days leading up to Tax Day. For startups, it's best practice to plan for your taxes well in advance of...

Filing a Business Tax Extension: A Guide for StartupsSometimes, your startup may need to file a business tax extension. A tax extension is just what it sounds like—it's extra time to file your taxes but not extra time to pay them. If you fail to pay on time, you may...

Corporate Tax Deadline 2025: Filing Guide for StartupsEveryone knows there's a tax season and a tax day, but startups are also held accountable for other key tax matters. For instance, startups need to consider income tax, payroll tax, and employment tax, whereas...

2025 1099 Tax Deadline: Essential Information for StartupsIf your startup paid any vendor that's not a corporation $600 or more, you'll need to file a 1099 Form with both the IRS and the specific vendor. Simply put, 1099 Forms are used to report payments that usually...

eCommerce Accounts Payable: Optimizing Your AP ProcessThe accounts payable process for an eComm startup is the backbone of a good vendor/supplier relationship. It helps ensure that suppliers are paid promptly and secures consistent product availability. It also helps...

Best Accounting Software for StartupsAccounting is simply made easier with the right software—especially for startups. A comprehensive accounting software helps startups with accurate financial projections, streamlines efficiency, and helps them stay compliant with...

Best Bookkeeping Companies for StartupsBookkeeping is essential to providing an organized view of income and expenses—and it's imperative that your startup has an established bookkeeping practice, no matter how early it is in its tenure. While the core of bookkeeping...

SaaS Payroll Software Solutions for StartupsPayroll is one of the most critical—and often complicated—tasks for startups. The good news? SaaS payroll software solutions are designed to simplify this process, saving time, reducing costs, and ensuring compliance. Here’s...

Should Founders Take a Salary?One key decision startups have to make when establishing their business is whether founders will take a salary. Founders usually struggle to decide between reinvesting in their startup and their personal financial needs, which can often...

How to Build an eCommerce Chart of Accounts for Business GrowthA chart of accounts, or CoA, is a list of all the financial accounts a startup uses to record and track financial transactions and financial data. A key component of bookkeeping, accounting and financial...

How to Prepare a Startup for Series A FundingSeries A funding is important in taking your startup to the next level, but to secure it, you're likely going to have to meet more rigorous investor requirements and expectations. Thorough preparation and market research...

Capital Efficiency & SaaS: A Path to Sustainable GrowthCapital efficiency is a financial metric that measures how well a startup uses its capital to generate revenue. It's an especially important metric for SaaS startups because it can help attract investors,...

Best eCommerce Inventory Tools for StartupsIf your online startup isn't using inventory management software to manage its stock, then it's likely going to struggle. Proper management of inventory is one of the most important things that an eComm startup has to concern...

Financial Strategy for MSO/PC Models: Optimizing Healthcare Practice StructuresManagement Service Organizations (MSOs) and Professional Corporations (PCs) - also known as the MSO/PC model - is a business structure that's popular in healthcare that separates clinical...

Tax Compliance Considerations for MSO/PC Structures in Healthcare & HealthTechThe MSO-PC structure is an increasingly popular model in the healthcare industry, especially among startups in the pfost-COVID-19 era as telehealth becomes more popular. Composed of a...

Best Payroll Software For Startups in 2024An effective payroll process is important for ensuring that your people get paid on time - and the right software solution can help improve efficiency and ensure compliance compared to more mundane, manual payroll practices....

Best Accounting Software For eCommerceKeeping your eComm startup’s financial records up to date is made a lot easier with the right software, especially when you consider all the factors that help differentiate an online business from a conventional brick-and-mortar...

Fundraising Strategies for Fintech and B2B SaaS Companies in 2024The early stage fundraising landscape for Fintech and SaaS startups is looking to recover from a lackluster year of fundraising in 2023 after reaching record highs in 2021. The right strategies can help...

eCommerce Bookkeeping Services: A Complete Guide for Online BusinessesContrary to what you may think, bookkeeping practices are a bit different for an eCommerce startup than they are for most other types of startups. Managing cash flow largely involves managing...

Operational Finance: Bridging the Operational CFO and Strategic CFO GapOperational finance is finance that focuses primarily on the daily financial activities of a business, requiring a thorough understanding of financial statements to properly weigh financial...

Best Accounts Payable Software For StartupsAccounts payable software is important to the success of any business, but it's especially important for startups still in growth mode. That's because startups are doing just that - starting up. When you consider the various...

[Workshop] Avoiding financial pitfalls: Financial insights startups need to grow View the workshopAs a founder/operator, you are expected to know everything, right? "How can I know what I don’t know?" is a refrain we often hear from operators who face countless...

HealthTech accounting differs from accounting in other industries and fields largely due to the complexities of the healthcare industry and the need to stay compliant with standards and regulations. It's largely why a cookie-cutter accounting approach won't do,...

An eCommerce store has several benefits compared to a conventional brick-and-mortar store, notably that its customer base isn't limited by geography. However, this is also one of the features of eCommerce that can make accounting practices that much more complicated,...

It's not practical or economical for many SaaS startups to hire a full-time CFO to handle their financial matters in-house. In many cases, it makes more sense to work with a fractional CFO, or an external financial partner who works with your startup - and others - on...

Bookkeeping is important for any business, but it is especially important in ecommerce due to the various complexities in accounting. The volume and frequency of transactions in ecommerce make accurate bookkeeping essential. Noting this, accurate bookkeeping matters -...

Virtual bookkeeping is the practice of outsourced bookkeeping services where accounting tasks can be completed remotely. When you work with a virtual bookkeeper, you can ensure your finances are managed  using cloud based accounting software in real time, streamlining...

Having a CFO on your startup’s management team can have a tremendous impact on its growth and overall health. However, a full-time CFO may not be economically feasible for your budget. Graphite Financial’s fractional CFO Services in San Francisco can give you the...

Having a CFO on your startup’s management team can have a tremendous impact on its growth and overall health. However, a full-time CFO may not be economically feasible for your budget. Graphite Financial’s fractional CFO Services in Austin can give you the benefits of...

Having a CFO on your startup’s management team can have a tremendous impact on its growth and overall health. However, a full-time CFO may not be economically feasible for your budget. Graphite Financial’s fractional CFO Services in New York can give you the benefits...

Creating a financial forecast is one of the most important things a business can do - and a financial model represents the means to help achieve this. A financial model is a tool that helps analyze a company's historical performance, relevant market data and...

AI is becoming a major disruptive technology, poised to revolutionize just about every industry and help people make smarter, faster decisions. In fact, according to Forbes, AI has a projected annual growth rate of nearly 40 percent between 2023 and 2030, a metric...

As a marketing agency, it's your business to help other businesses reach, engage and create emotional connections with their target audiences via a variety of strategies and mediums. However, marketing agencies still need the same core services that many other...

Any effort to reduce the amount of income tax owed is always welcomed by businesses. This is especially true for startups, which usually need every dollar to put toward growing and developing their business. Any savings can go a long way toward keeping a startup...

You know what they say about some of the constants in life - and taxes are certainly among them. You've got to make sure that you're paying Uncle Sam. This is especially true if you're a startup business, as the tax requirements are slightly different from if you're...

Financial models are important for any business, but especially for a SaaS startup that's still finding its bearings. Learn more about how to predict your startup's financial future in this post. SaaS financial models include more than just financial data, but...

As the name implies, a financial projection is a prediction of a startup's performance over a certain period. Good forecasts will predict growth and allow founders and operators to plan their business (headcount, budgets, etc) around that growth. This article...

All businesses require some level of bookkeeping. A bookkeeper is an accounting professional tasked with keeping accurate financial statements and records. These professionals keep records of all financial transactions to maintain a precise data ledger, thereby...

A fractional CFO performs many of the same roles and duties as an in-house CFO, except that they serve as part-time CFOs and typically work with multiple companies. Fractional CFO roles are commonly filled by external firms who act as an extension of your internal...

To outsource or bring bookkeeping in-house? It's a dilemma for many business owners, especially small businesses or startups. But you might be surprised to learn that more companies are outsourcing these duties - and there are many reasons why. In this post, we'll...

A controller is another term for lead accountant. The main role of a controller is to oversee all of the accounting processes and activities and ensure accuracy with money that’s moved both in and out of a company. Controllers also play a role in decision-making and...

All companies need accounting and financial management, but you might be surprised to learn that the practice of accounting isn’t a one-size-fits-all method for every business. And one type of business that conventional accounting measures definitely don’t translate...

  Cash is king. Any business needs cash flow to pay their staff, pay their bills, cover overhead costs and, ideally, profit and grow. But you could say that cash is even more key for a startup business. It’s their lifeblood, and managing this key resource is...

If you’re running any type of business, you already know the importance of cash flow. But ensuring that your finances are in order is perhaps all the more important for a young, emerging startup business. Startup businesses need to be certain they have a solid...

Ready to launch your new business but worried you don’t have the financial knowledge to do so successfully? If this is the case, then it may be time to look into CFO services tailored for startups. These services are a vital solution to the complex financial...

A fractional CFO (Chief Financial Officer) is a professional brought into your organization via outsourced CFO services to provide you with the services and functions of a CFO without the significant cost of having a full-time employee. For many businesses and...

Data and Dating: Charm More Buyers as Part of Your Exit StrategyWhen you’re courting potential buyers for your startup as part of your exit strategy, from initial conversations to sealing the deal with a term sheet, it can feel a lot like dating. You (or in this case,...

The Startup Guide to Navigating the Delaware Franchise TaxMany startups are registered in Delaware due to its business-friendly laws, but that doesn't mean that everything is smooth sailing. There are a handful of state-specific policies you must adhere to, the most...

Best Accounting Software for SaaS Companies: A Guide for Early-Stage StartupsAs a SaaS organization, you’re leading the charge in technological innovation. A dedication to being at the forefront of technology is an integral part of the DNA of your startup. However,...

Embracing Self-Reliance and Profitability in 2024Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can raise a big up round in 2024? Morpheus: No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to. Fellow Founders & Operators - I hope that you've had...

Leverage AI R&D Tax Credits to Accelerate Your StartupIt’s safe to say that 2023 was the year of artificial intelligence. Over 75% of companies were using or exploring the use of AI this year.  Many of our SaaS clients specifically have begun to fully grasp the...

How to Create a Better Chart of Accounts (Free Excel Template)Updated 2024Can you make your way through a maze without a map—or with an extremely rudimentary one? Maybe. But if you have a map that is clear and detailed, getting to the end of the maze is going to be a...

Realign With Your Startup's North Star in 2024As we head into a new year, many startups are ready to execute a fresh strategic plan. For some early-stage startups, that may mean refining or reevaluating foundational brand messaging pieces like the mission statement or...

Announcing Graphite's New Tax Compliance Services for StartupsWhen you’re caught up in the grind of getting your startup off the ground, taxes are often the last thing on your mind—particularly if you’re not yet profitable. However, avoiding your taxes comes with...

Which Metrics Should You Include in Your Investor Reporting?Startup founders are thrown immediately into the deep end when it comes to investor expectations. Investors are sophisticated financial sleuths and founders have vision and deep expertise in their field, but...

AI in Finance: A Tool or a Replacement?AI technologies had a banner year in 2023. ChatGPT burst onto the market in full force at the beginning of the year, kicking off a string of high-profile AI debuts. With so much hype around this new and intriguing technology,...

Use This Simple R&D Tax Calculator to Estimate Your CreditWhen you’re leading a lean, high-growth startup, it's critical to take advantage of every tax credit available to you. These tax credits are basically a bonus for your organization that you can reallocate...

Is Your Month-End Hectic? Here's a Month-End Close ChecklistA reliable month-end close checklist acts like a cheat sheet to ensure your entire accounting process is airtight. It creates a structured workflow that you can refer to so that you make sure no financial...

How Do I Vet a Top Startup Accounting Firm?The search for a top startup accounting firm is often intimidating. A quick Google search query will yield an overwhelming list of service providers claiming to be the financial partner for startups.  When browsing through...

Does Your CPG Startup Have a Good Grasp of Unit Economics?As a CPG startup founder, it’s easy to get swept up in your investors’ financial expectations. Investors will ask a founder for a variety of complex reports and metrics to evaluate your organization’s...

4 Unique Things to Look For in a Startup Accounting FirmWhen people think of startup success stories, they often picture all the exciting, energetic work on the frontlines—investors, pitch decks, prototypes, and relationship-building. What’s often neglected in this...

How to Create a Financial Dashoard That Cuts Through the Noise How long would it take to pull together every financial metric that matters onto a single page for either investors or internal decision-makers?  If you’re like most startups, this is tricky. Data sits in...

Tell Your Startup’s Story Through Financial DataSomeone tells you to think about your startup’s finances. Pictures of numbers, math, and data points are probably the first things to come to mind. But these concrete details are just one aspect of finance.  All of these...

Unit Economics Mean Nothing if You Don’t Look at the Big Picture If you’re running a startup, chances are that you’ve heard that you need strong unit economics. But how much does this buzzy keyword actually matter for your business?  There’s been so much hype around...

Achieve GAAP Compliance by Avoiding These Missteps and ViolationsThe gold standard for accounting methods in the United States is GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). GAAP is more than just a set of best practices, though.  These standards are set by the...

What to Expect During an Annual Financial AuditWhen you think of an annual financial audit, images of an intimidating team of suits going through boxes and boxes of your organization’s records, looking for inconsistencies and mistakes, may fill your mind.  Even though...

Financial Modeling Best Practices for CPG Startups2021 was a banner year for CPG entrepreneurs. It felt like startups were successfully fundraising left and right, with plenty of upward momentum in the industry and optimism about the future.  Flash forward two years,...

LTV and CAC: Two Staple Metrics in Your eCommerce Growth Strategy Today’s eCommerce space is more competitive than ever, and keeping up with rapidly changing consumer expectations is a massive challenge. It’s estimated that there are currently 12 to 24 million...

FASB Guideline are Clearing up Crypto Accounting Uncertainty The crypto frenzy is changing how organizations around the world operate. Over 15,000 global businesses accept Bitcoin as currency now, and there are over 22,000 cryptocurrencies on the market today.  While...

Is it Time to Call in a Fractional CFO?Consider this situation: Your car is making a funny noise and not driving right. You can open the hood, watch hours of YouTube videos, and try to fix it yourself…but it's likely not going to be pleasant, and it’s very unlikely...

How to Recession-Proof Your Finances as a Startup Financial uncertainty is looming in today’s market, leaving many startups worried about the possibility of a recession, slow growth, and fewer fundraising dollars.  Recessions always hit early-stage companies hardest...

Should You Outsource These Mission-Critical CFO Services?Hiring a full-time CFO is a significant investment, and for many growing startups, it’s not financially feasible. However, your organization needs to have a strong grasp of its finances and savvy finance...

Why You Need a 13-Week Cash Flow ForecastAs a fast-growing startup, being able to track and accurately predict your cash flow is the linchpin of a sustainable and profitable business strategy. A 13-week cash flow forecast gives you a detailed look at projected inflows...

What is the Ideal Cash Burn Rate? Financial Experts Weigh InAs a startup, understanding and tracking cash burn is crucial to your long-term success. A cash burn rate is the rate at which organizations spend their cash reserves. Managing your burn rate wisely helps you...

How To Take Control of Your Startup's Cash Burn and Grow FasterOnly a small portion of startups eventually become successful. It’s estimated that 90% of total startups fail, with 38% of startups failing because they’ve run out of money. Your cash burn rate is one of...

9 Tech Stack Must-Haves for CPG StartupsSean Bies & Donny Trya - Directors at GraphiteAlso posted on Startup CPGAs a growing CPG (consumer packaged goods) startup, you need tools that help you maximize efficiency and set you up for success as you scale and your...

How Do You Negotiate a VC Term Sheet? Updated 2023Receiving a term sheet from a venture capital firm is a major step towards scaling your startup. Negotiating these terms is all about striking a careful balance between founder and investor interests. The goal is to...

What ASC 606 Means for Your Revenue Recognition Process One of the core considerations of a SaaS organization’s financial processes is revenue recognition. And with the accounting standards surrounding this topic shifting from time to time, it’s important to stay...

Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Your Month End Close ProcessThe month end close process is key to keeping your finances reconciled and accurate. A smooth and efficient process ensures your finances are ready to be used for managerial decision-making (the map to steer your...

How to Select the Best Crypto Accounting SoftwareCrypto is no longer limited to big-name tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum. And it’s slowly creeping its way into the mainstream. Organizations around the world are using a variety of crypto and Web3 technologies to make...

Navigating Startup Fundraising in 2023Updated 2023During the Venture Capital boom from 2014 to 2021, the startup ecosystem was on a perpetual bull run. This left firms with virtually unlimited funding resources and a shortage of venture-backable businesses. Startups...

How to Raise Capital for Your Startup in 6 Savvy StepsUpdated 2023Transforming an incredible idea into a profitable, scalable business is every founder’s dream. It can be a daunting process, though. Getting your idea off the ground and into a globally accepted brand...

Is Your Startup Actually Ready for Venture Capital?Updated 2023VC funding is a highly attractive route to pursue as a startup looking to scale your operations.  It can give your venture the runway it needs to scale and also outpace any competition. However, venture...

Here’s How You Avoid Bad SaaS Financial Modeling in 2023Updated 2023In my nearly ten years of experience in the VC industry, I've seen many SaaS founders with bad financial models. These models are either unable to tie assumptions to real-life data or just too...

Startup R&D Tax Credits: What You Need to KnowUpdated for 2024 Startups across the U.S. are all prepping to file their 2023 taxes. If you’re getting a headstart on tax prep, hear us out…don’t file yet! Why? Well, if your startup had less than $5M in gross receipts...

How to Apply for a R&D Tax Credit?A quick guide for startups to determine if you qualify for a R&D Tax Credit, and how to apply!If you’re hoping to apply for a research and development payroll tax credit, the process can be a little daunting. That’s why the...

Do You Qualify for a R&D Tax Credit?A quick guide for startups on R&D tax credits, and how to qualify.Updated for 2022 For many start-up founders, strong research and development is the difference between success and failure.  If that sounds like you, we’ve...

What is a R&D Tax Credit?A quick guide for startups to understand what a R&D tax credit is, and how to qualify.Updated for 2024 Research and development are essential in the world of startups—how else will you discover and perfect the thing that makes your...

A Founder's Guide to Startup AccountingCheck out our rundown of the nine pillars of essential accounting software every growing startup needs to have.Updated for 2022 When you’re a founder or operator of an early-stage startup, you’re expected to know absolutely...

How to Build a SaaS Focused Financial ModelA how to guide on building a SaaS focused financial model to use for fundraising, growth and scaling your startup.Updated 2022Read below or follow along to our video workshop here. Some call it a budget. Some call it a...

What is Web3?A breakdown of Web3, Cryptocurrency, & Decentralized Finance. We'll discuss what these terms all mean, how they impact your business.Updated 2022What is Cryptocurrency? A popular buzzword today…you may have heard it referred to as “Crypto'',...

Do You Need A Fractional CFO?Here's a checklist and explanation to help you decide whether your business needs a fractional CFO or CFO servicesUpdated 2022In this article, we will discuss what a fractional CFO is, is a fractional CFO worth it, and how much a...

How to Create Your Annual Operating BudgetHow to create a yearly operating budget for your startup Calling all founding teams...As the current year comes to an end, it’s time to start creating your annual operating budget, especially if you’re a growing startup....

SaaS Financial Model WorkshopHow to Build a SaaS Financial Model (With Template) View the workshopA solid SaaS financial model has many benefits. It can act as the map to help you steer your SaaS startup towards success. It allows you to plan for the future and scale...

Should my DTC Brand Sell on Amazon?Learn how Amazon Marketplace works, and if it's good for your DTC Brand

How to Build & Make a Financial Model for a VC Backed Startup View the workshopA solid startup financial model has many benefits. It can act as the map to help you steer your startup towards success. It allows you to plan for the future and scale your business more...

How to Negotiate a VC Term Sheet and Lessons LearnedLearn how to negotiate equity and a term sheet with startup investors View the workshopHow can a founder best negotiate equity and a VC term sheet? Learn from a top startup Lawyer, as well as a Founder who has raised...