track your money.  GROW YOUR BUSINESS. 

Starting a business is the easy part…growing a business is where it gets a little bit hard.  Unless you have a compass & a tour guide.

Your compass being the cool tools and software that help you compile the information.  Your tour guide is someone like me, that helps you translate that compiled information into something meaningful.

There's a parable that goes something like this... if you give a man (or woman) a fish, they''ll eat for a day but if you teach them how to fish and they'll eat for a lifetime.

That’s kinda my mission...to help creatives, coaches, and consultants - owners of super-small online service-based businesses to track their money, get to know their numbers, understand them and use them to grow thriving businesses.

That’s why I’d rather provide you with a compass & be your tour guide, and teach you how to fish, than just giving you a map...and send you on your way.

Getting Started with Common Cents

Hey there!!  I’m Joyce M. Washington, the pun-loving, parable-quoting, founder of Common Cents Consulting and The Cents Confidential Community.  I'm a certified public accountant, virtual cfo and business strategist.

Welcome to my little corner of the web. I’m glad you made it.

If you’re like most of the folks that stumble into my neck of the woods, you’re a struggling, small business owner.

Struggling in the sense that you’re ready to grow but you’re completely in the dark and don't if you and "afford" to.

I know people say this all the time but I know exactly how you feel. Seriously, I do.

Listen, I may be a “big time” CPA and everything but at the end of the day, I’m really a small business owner that happens to provide accounting and consulting services.

I believe that there are so many ways to go about growing a business.  And there really is no wrong way to growth.  You just have to get out there, try a few things and figure out what works for you.

While you're out there trying to make things happen and trying to figure things out, things can get pretty overwhelming.  Especially when you're unsure about the money stuff in your business.

That’s where I come in and how you can make the most of this site…

Cents Systems:

You have to be organized and deliberate in getting to your destination. Try my list of tools, checklists and resources…

7 Steps to Better Books - a step-by-step checklist, this one helps you clean up your messy money systems in 7 steps
Money Matters Checklist - another step-by-step checklist that tells you What to do, When to do it & Why you NEED to do it
The Cents Confidential Community - free Facebook community where we talk money, systems & entrepreneurial mindset
Templates & Checklist - compilation of the templates & checklists I use in my business and ones I use with my clients

Money Mapping:

You have to know where you’re going, right? Check out a few resources and popular posts.

Resource Pages
Business Building Resources
Software Selection Simplified

Popular Posts
Q&A: Do I Really Need A Separate Checking Account For My business?
Sweetheart Systems 101 - Love Your Customers, Love Your Business (Again)
Accounts Receivable 101 – How To Make Sure You Get Paid
Accounts Payable 101 – Making Sure You Pay What You Owe
How Does Virtual Bookkeeping Work?
Your Books Are Messy... Clean Them Up
Budget Versus Actual …How Are You Really Doing?
Stop Leaving Money On The Table

CPA to the Stars:

That would be you (the star) and that would be me (the CPA).

It’s my mission to help creatives, coaches and consultants get to where they really want to be. Making a living doing what you love. Helping you fall in love with your numbers and your business.

To see the various ways we can work together, check out my Work With Me page.

Thanks for stopping by…

Wanted to end my open letter/how-to with a big THANKS. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for making it to the end of this page.

I hope that you grab a checklist, a resource or two and come back often.

Let me know if you have any questions…

Until we chat again,