Your business is your livelihood.
Make sure you
understand it.
The 18-module small business playbook covering everything from entity setup and bookkeeping to taxes, hiring, and building business credit. No jargon. No fluff. Just the stuff that actually matters.
You built a great business.
Why is the financial side so confusing?
You started your business because you're good at what you do. Nobody handed you a manual on the accounting, taxes, and legal side. So you've been figuring it out — and paying for it in mistakes, stress, and missed savings.
Your books are a mystery
You're not sure if last month was profitable. Your bank balance and your P&L tell different stories.
You're under-pricing without knowing it
You set prices based on what felt right. The math has never actually been done.
Tax season is chaos
You scramble every spring. Get hit with a surprise bill. Vow to do better. Repeat the same cycle.
You wear every hat — and none of them fit
Bookkeeping, marketing, HR, taxes. You're doing it all yourself and none of it confidently.
Your accountant only appears in April
No strategy, no proactive planning. Just a tax return and a bill. That's not a CPA relationship.
You're leaving tax savings on the table
The retirement plan deduction. The home office. The health insurance deduction. Nobody told you.
The Business Foundations Playbook
A self-paced course for small business owners who want to understand the financial and operational side of their business — without needing an accounting degree to do it.
- 18 focused modules — each 3–7 minutes. Watch on a lunch break or between meetings.
- Plain-English explanations — no CPA-speak, no jargon you have to Google.
- 26 templates, calculators, and checklists — the same tools we use with our clients.
- Interactive quizzes — knowledge checks after every module so lessons stick.
- Lifetime access — pay once, revisit whenever you need a refresher.
- Updated annually — tax rates, IRS thresholds, and forms change. We keep pace.
This is what you actually get
Not a slide deck. These are real screens from Small Business Academy — every module laid out, the lesson playing, and your progress saved as you go.
Built for real business owners.
By real CPAs.
This isn't a repurposed generic course. The content, examples, and templates are built specifically for small business owners who are running real businesses and need real answers.
18 Video Modules
Short, focused videos. 3–7 minutes each. Total runtime about 1 hour 45 minutes.
26 Templates & Tools
Profitability tracker, pricing worksheet, 1099 tracker, service agreement template, and more.
Interactive Quizzes
Quick knowledge checks after every module so you actually retain what you learned.
Lifetime Access
Pay once. Revisit any time — when you hire, when you hit a tax question, whenever.
Mobile Friendly
Watch on your phone between meetings, at lunch, or whenever you have 5 minutes.
Updated Annually
Tax rates, thresholds, and rules change. We update the course each year. Free forever.
Pick Your Path.
Two self-paced options — choose how deep you want to go.
- Modules 1–15 (full core curriculum)
- Business setup, bookkeeping, pricing, hiring & taxes
- 15 branded templates & calculators
- Interactive quizzes after every module
- Lifetime access & annual updates
- Email support — questions answered within 48 hours
- Mobile-friendly viewing
- Everything in Small Business Foundations Academy (Modules 1–15)
- Module 16: Tax Savings You're Probably Missing
- Module 17: Paying Yourself & Protecting Cash Flow
- Module 18: Contracts, Insurance & Covering Your Butt
- Bonus: Building Business Credit from Scratch
- 15-minute Q&A session with an academy advisor
- 26 branded templates, calculators & checklists
- Priority email support — questions answered within 24 hours
- Lifetime access & annual updates
- Small Business Mastery Academy access ($597 value) — included
- Full bookkeeping & CPA professional services
- Dedicated bookkeeper & CPA advisor
- Monthly financials & tax planning
- Year-round advisory — not just at tax time
- 12-month commitment · 30-day notice to cancel after that
About Small Business Academy
Small Business Academy is a comprehensive online platform designed to educate entrepreneurs and small business owners about financial management, tax strategy, and business operations. Our courses are built on proven business education principles and are suitable for businesses at every stage.
We built The Business Foundations Playbook because we kept having the same conversations. Business owners who were good at their work but struggling with the financial side. Not because they weren't smart — but because nobody ever taught them this stuff.
This course is the answer to every question we hear. "How should I set up my entity?" "What can I deduct?" "How do I actually read my P&L?" "Why do I owe so much in taxes?" It's the playbook we wish every business owner had from day one.
Common Questions
Who is this course for?
Small business owners of any kind — service businesses, consultants, creatives, retailers, tradespeople, freelancers. Whether you're just starting out or you've been running your business for years and want to fix the financial side, this is for you.
What's the difference between the Foundations Academy and Mastery Academy?
The Foundations Academy (Modules 1–15) covers the core business curriculum — setup, bookkeeping, pricing, hiring, and taxes. The Mastery Academy adds three advanced modules on tax strategy, owner compensation, and legal protection, plus the Business Credit bonus module and a 15-minute Q&A session with an academy advisor. If you want the full picture, go with the Mastery Academy.
How long does it take to complete?
The full course is about 1 hour 45 minutes of video — the Foundations Academy runs around 75 minutes. Most people finish in 2–3 weeks doing one module a day. You can binge it over a weekend or go at your own pace — lifetime access means no pressure.
Do I need accounting software first?
No. We recommend QuickBooks Online in the course and explain why — but you don't need it to start. Module 5 walks through setting it up from scratch.
What does the client pricing mean exactly?
The "With Professional Services" tier is available when you enroll in bookkeeping and advisory services through a partner CPA firm. Those engagements typically include the Mastery Academy access as part of a comprehensive service package.
Can I write this off as a business expense?
Almost certainly yes — it's professional development directly related to running your business. Confirm with your CPA (or talk to ours) for your specific situation.
Ready to Actually Understand Your Business?
The financial side of your business doesn't have to be a mystery. Start with Module 1 today.
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