Back-to-School, Back-to-Business: Financial Routines to Reset After Summer

Donna Sovie
Aug 5
2 min read

As the kids head back to school and routines begin to fall back into place, August is the perfect time for business owners to hit “reset” on their financial habits.

Summer is often a season of flexibility, vacations, long weekends, and a looser schedule can be great for morale, but they can also throw your business routines off track. Whether your team was in and out of the office or you found yourself catching up on bookkeeping in between beach days, now’s the time to reestablish structure and get your financial house back in order.

Here are a few ways to get your business finances realigned before Q4 sneaks up on you:

1. Reconcile Your Accounts

If you've been a little behind on reconciling your bank and credit card accounts, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Start by ensuring all transactions from June, July, and August are accurately entered and matched in your accounting software. This helps catch missed expenses, duplicate entries, or any potential fraud. Clean books are the foundation for smart decision-making.

2. Review Your Profit & Loss Statement

Now is a great time to take a fresh look at your year-to-date numbers. What trends are you seeing? Are expenses creeping higher in certain categories? Are you on pace to hit your revenue goals?

Use this review to make informed adjustments before the fourth quarter begins. A little analysis now can help you avoid last-minute scrambling come December.

3. Revisit and Refresh Your Budget

Summer spending can sometimes go off-script. If you had unexpected costs (travel, events, or even seasonal slowdowns), revise your budget to reflect your current situation. Updating your projections now will help you prioritize where to cut back or invest as you finish out the year.

4. Check In With Your Bookkeeper or Accountant

If you've been DIY-ing your books or haven’t talked with your financial team in a while, this is a great time to schedule a check-in. Ask for insights into your cash flow, tax planning opportunities, and what to start preparing for year-end.

5. Reestablish Your Weekly Financial Routine

Summer tends to throw even the most consistent habits out the window. Now's the time to get back into the rhythm of:

Weekly reconciliations
Reviewing unpaid invoices
Logging receipts
Running regular reports
Updating payroll and vendor payments

You don’t need to do it all yourself, but having a solid system or support team in place can make all the difference.

Final Thoughts

Transitioning from summer to fall is the perfect opportunity to take a breath, regroup, and reset. By getting your financial routines back on track now, you’re setting yourself up for a smoother and more strategic Q4, and a lot less stress come tax season.

Need help getting your numbers organized or your systems streamlined? At Check & Balance Business Solutions, we specialize in helping small business owners regain control of their finances with hands-on support and simple, effective solutions.

Let’s get you back to business—with clarity and confidence.