Why Avoiding Your Business Finances Is Keeping You Stuck (And How to Take Back Control)

I’ve always been someone who pays attention to the numbers. Not because I love spreadsheets or find joy in Excel formulas, because I was raised with a deep respect for money. In my house, if you couldn’t pay cash, you didn’t buy it. Credit cards were paid off every month. Spending was intentional, saving was expected, and budgeting was just how we lived.

So when I started my business, managing the finances was never the part that scared me.
I understood cash flow. I tracked profit. I never spent just because money was “sitting in the account.”

But here’s what shocked me when I started coaching other small business owners...so many of them were deeply disconnected from their finances.

It wasn’t because they were irresponsible. It was because they were overwhelmed, exhausted, and, if I’m being honest, terrified of what they might find if they really looked.

The Cost of Avoiding Your Numbers

Avoiding your finances might feel like a survival tactic, but it’s actually a slow drain on your business. I see it show up in patterns like:

• Spending money based on what’s in the bank, without accounting for future expenses

• Forgetting about tax bills or loan repayments until it’s too late

• Not knowing if a product or service is even profitable

• Making hiring or investment decisions based on emotion instead of data

• Feeling constant low-grade anxiety about cash flow

You can’t grow what you’re afraid to look at and you definitely can’t scale it.

Avoidance doesn’t just keep you in the dark. It actively keeps you stuck.

Why Smart, Talented Business Owners Fall Into This Trap

You didn’t start your business to become a bookkeeper, data analyst or a financial expert. You started because you had a gift, a passion, or a vision. Maybe you’re a creative, a service provider, or a product-based business owner who wanted more freedom and fulfillment. But somewhere along the way, the backend of your business, especially the financial side, became the thing you avoided.

Here’s what I’ve realized after coaching dozens of small business owners...

Avoiding your numbers isn’t about laziness. It’s about fear.

Fear that you’re not actually doing as well as you hoped.
Fear that you’ve made mistakes you’ll have to fix.
Fear that the money won’t stretch far enough.
Fear that looking will mean facing hard decisions you’ve been trying to avoid.

But here’s the thing...those fears grow louder the longer you ignore them and the longer you wait, the messier it gets.

Financial Clarity Creates Confidence

I’ve had clients who felt physically sick when they finally opened their profit and loss statements.
Clients who hadn’t paid themselves in months. Clients who were selling out their services and products only to find out they were barely breaking even.

And I’ve also watched those same clients breathe easier, literally, once they faced the numbers. Not because they were perfect, not because everything magically changed overnight...but because clarity creates power.

You can’t fix what you’re pretending not to see, but once you see it, you can lead.

What Financial Leadership Really Looks Like

Here’s what I believe...you don’t need to become a financial expert. You don’t need to love numbers.You just need to stop looking away.

Financial leadership for small business owners isn’t about tracking every penny or obsessing over every spreadsheet. It’s about:

• Knowing what you actually need to earn each month to be profitable

• Understanding your margins so you can price your offers with confidence

• Paying yourself consistently and building a sustainable business model

• Making investment decisions based on data—not panic or impulse

• Preparing for taxes, payroll, and big expenses before they’re due

And maybe most importantly? It’s about treating your money like the lifeblood of your business, not a side thought you only visit when things feel tight.

Where Scarcity Mindset Hides (Even in High Earners)

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that only people with low revenue struggle with scarcity. Not true.

I’ve coached multiple six- and seven-figure business owners who still make decisions from a place of fear. They:

• Avoid hiring because they “can’t afford it” (even though they’re burning out)

• Refuse to raise prices, fearing clients will leave

• Say yes to low-paying work because “something is better than nothing”

• Keep reinvesting everything they earn without ever paying themselves

Scarcity doesn’t always look like a small bank account.
Sometimes it looks like over-functioning. Over-delivering. Over-control.

And if that’s you, just know you’re not alone. You’ve been surviving. And you’ve done an amazing job keeping things afloat, but now it’s time to lead like an owner.

How to Start Facing Your Finances Without Shame

If you’re ready to get financially clear, here’s where to start...no spreadsheets required.

1. Look at your numbers weekly.
   Set a recurring CEO date with yourself. Check income, expenses, upcoming bills, and outstanding invoices. Ten minutes. That’s it.

2. Know your baseline.
   What do you actually need to bring in monthly to cover your expenses, pay yourself, and stay profitable? Get real about the number—not the guess.

3. Review what’s working AND what’s not.
   Are there products or services that look good on the outside but barely make you money? It might be time to rework or retire them.

4. Stop spending emotionally.
   Just because cash is in the account doesn’t mean it’s available. Know what’s committed, what’s coming, and what’s truly leftover.

5. Ask for help.
   You don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s a bookkeeper, a coach, or a friend who’s financially savvy, let someone in.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be Good With Money. You Just Need to Stop Looking Away.

Money is emotional. It carries history, beliefs, fears, and stories, but it’s also data. Data, when used right, can give you power, peace, and freedom.

If you’ve been avoiding your numbers, I’m not here to shame you. I’m here to remind you that you have options. And clarity is where they begin.

This is one of my favorite things to coach on...not because I want to bury you in QuickBooks, but because I’ve seen what happens when business owners finally feel in control.

They breathe easier.
They lead better.
They grow faster.

And best of all? They stop building their life around survival and start building it around choice.

Ready To Tackle Your Finances With a Coach By Your Side?

If this hit home and you're finally ready to stop avoiding your numbers, I have something brand new coming this fall...something I’ve never offered before. I’ll be opening up a limited number of one-time, 90-minute business financial coaching sessions designed to help you get clear on what your numbers are really telling you. We’ll dig into your revenue streams, profit margins, spending patterns, and pricing strategy so you can make confident decisions backed by real clarity.

✨ You must have your most recent year-end financials to qualify.

If you're interested (before I even advertise it), email me at [email protected] and I’ll send the details your way first. Spots will be limited and they will go fast!