I've consulted with dozens of early-stage business owners, and the same three cash flow mistakes show up every single time.

1. Treating revenue as profit

You see $15K hit your account and think you're crushing it. But after COGS, taxes, software, contractors, and that office you didn't need — you're negative. Revenue is vanity. Cash flow is survival. Separate your operating account from your profit account on day one.

2. No runway calculation

If you can't tell me exactly how many months of expenses you have in the bank right now, that's a problem. The formula is simple: liquid cash ÷ monthly burn = runway. If that number is under 3, stop spending on growth and start preserving capital.

3. Delaying tax planning until tax season

By the time you're filing, it's too late to optimize. Quarterly estimated payments, entity structure, retirement account contributions, depreciation — these decisions need to happen throughout the year, not in April.

Most early-stage founders don't need a full-time CFO. They need someone who's seen these patterns before and can help them avoid the expensive mistakes.

That's what Capital Counsel is built for.