@baldridgecpa

THE STACK PHILOSOPHY THAT SCALES

When you're an employee, someone else handles payroll. Someone else deals with accounting. Someone else figures out the tech stack.

Then you start your own business.

Suddenly YOU are responsible for everything. And every software company on the planet wants to sell you their "essential" tool.

I've watched hundreds of entrepreneurs fall into the same trap — they buy every piece of software that promises to save time or look professional. Six months later, they're drowning in subscriptions, data is scattered across twelve platforms, and they still don't have clean books.

Here's what I've learned building multiple businesses and advising hundreds more:

The right tools give you massive leverage. The wrong ones just create overhead.

My Stack Philosophy

Every tool you use for your business should earn its keep. Before I add to my tech stack I make sure that it meets these criteria so that I avoid adding “shiny new software” that I don’t really need:

Solves multiple problems
Automates repeat tasks
Integrates with your other systems

Let's walk through the tools I use every day:

Start With the Basics

Register as an LLC: Nothing magical here. You don’t get extra deductions or pay zero tax. But, if you’re serious about scaling, you’re going to need one. Set it up quickly through Stripe Atlas or BetterLegal.
One Bank Account: The biggest mistake I’ve seen business owners make is opening a bunch of accounts and mixing personal and business money. One dedicated business account keeps the books clean and stress low.

*Pro tip: Credit card points are tempting, but they’ll never out-earn a thriving business. Every business I own only has one account. I currently use Mercury for all of my banking as it's the most trusted neobank out there. And in the past I’ve used Meow — it’s on the edge, but offers great rates and is constantly shipping new features.
Invoicing: People need to pay you, and you need to get paid. Stripe makes that easy.
Payroll: DIY payroll is a compliance nightmare. Filing 941s and state reports wrong is expensive. Gusto has handled this for hundreds of clients (including my own businesses) over the last decade.
CRM: A single source of truth for clients, leads, and projects. Pick something simple like Airtable or Asana, or an industry-specific tool that fits your business.

Accounting (The Piece Most Business Owners Overthink)

Accounting is the final must-have. But it’s also the layer that holds everything else together. Follow the one-account rule, let Stripe and Gusto flow into your books, and don’t waste time DIY’ing if it’s not your thing.

You didn’t go into business to keep your own books.

That’s why I started Better Bookkeeping — to help entrepreneurs like you stay organized, without the hassle. And it does more than keep the books straight. It ties your stack together, handles tax planning and prep, and gives you numbers you can actually trust to make strategic business decisions.

As Your Team Grows, Add…

Slack: Still the best communication tool for teams.
Google Workspace: The collaborative features beat clunky attachments of more traditional software everytime
Website: Don’t overthink it early. Hire it out or use a template. Or, forget about it for now and get back to running your business.