STORYLINE by PLS Balance My Books
What story are your numbers telling you?
Your financial statements tell you what happened. STORYLINE reports tell you what they mean and what to do next.
A plain-English financial review built from your QuickBooks data, written for owners, not accountants. See where your profit went, whether your cash will hold up, and the few decisions that matter most right now.
Profitable on paper.
Still tight in the bank.
Most owners get a P&L and a balance sheet every month. Those reports are accurate, but they don't answer the questions that keep you up at night.
01
Revenue is up, so why is there less cash?
01
Revenue is up, so why is there less cash?
02
Which part of the business actually makes money?
02
Which part of the business actually makes money?
03
Can I afford that hire, that truck, that bigger space?
03
Can I afford that hire, that truck, that bigger space?
04
Will I need the credit line this fall?
04
Will I need the credit line this fall?
Answering those takes more than a report. It takes someone who reads your numbers the way a CFO would, then tells you the story in plain language.
Headlines from our sample reports
Every section of a Storyline report opens with a headline that states the finding, not just the topic. These come from reports built for fictional companies.
"Revenue grew 13%. The winter ran on credit cards."
A lawn care company taking the same owner draw every month, while earning nearly all its profit April through October.
"Revenue grew 10%. The bigger store cost more than it brought in."
A custom apparel shop whose retail expansion added $11K in sales and $37K in costs.
"QuickBooks showed a strong February. It wasn't."
Customer prepayments booked as revenue made one month look $9K better than it was.
"The line runs out in late July without changes."
A 13-week cash forecast that spotted a back-to-school cash crunch six weeks ahead, along with a plan to avoid it.
The STORYLINE Reports
Start with a review.
Get a new chapter every month.
The Whole Story
12-Month Financial Review
$999
Where your Storyline begins. We analyze your last 12 months and compare with the 12 months before them (if available) and deliver a complete picture of your business.
Executive summary: The numbers that matter and the single most important issue.
Revenue and margin trends by service line or sales channel.
Expense trends and what drove the changes.
Cash flow: Where the cash went, and why profit and cash don't match.
A 13-week cash forecast to spot a squeeze before you're in one.
Balance sheet review of debt, receivables, inventory, and equity.
Risks ranked by urgency, from critical to monitor.
A prioritized action plan to help you address the risks and fix what's broken.
Data-quality findings: Bookkeeping issues that distort your numbers.
The Latest Chapter
Monthly Executive Summary
$249/mo
Each month, a new chapter keeps your story current.
Executive summary: What's happening in your business right now.
Wins, watch items, and the decisions to make this month.
New or emerging risks: We call out any new concerns or issues.
Reporting for revenue, margin, and expenses updated for the current period.
Current review of balance sheet and cash flow.
From a sample Latest chapter
"Debt is edging down, and prepaid work is now on the books."
Clear about what we know and what we think
Every conclusion in a Storyline report is labeled, so you always know what you're reading. We don't bury bad news, and we don't dress up good news.
Excerpt from a sample Latest chapter
Fact. July revenue was $29,391. Reported net income was $3,939 after the $4,620 annual insurance premium.
Management view. With insurance at $385 a month, net income was $8,174, up from $7,355 last July.
Inference. Cash fell even in a profitable month: the premium and draws account for it, and some of July's work was prepaid in February.
Recommendation. Keep to the fall plan, which brings card balances to about $8.1K by early October.
What you'll need
The Whole Story requires at least 12 months of reconciled financials. There are two ways to get there.
Path A
Your books are managed by
PLS Balance My Books
We already have everything we need, so there's nothing for you to pull.
Path B
Your books are managed elsewhere
You or your bookkeeper send a specific list of QuickBooks Excel reports exported from your books. We'll give you the exact report names, periods, and settings.
NOTE: If necessary, a short conversation can fill in the gaps that the books can't show: your plans, your pricing, and how your operation actually runs.
How it works
01
We gather your financials
If we keep your books, this step is done. Or you send the Excel exports on our list.
02
We analyze
We take your numbers, analyze them, and create your report.
03
We deliver The Whole Story
Then we walk you through it, section by section. Report turnaround time is typically within a week.
04
The Latest Chapter arrives every month
It updates the story every 30 days, so you can stay informed and update your plan of action.
Read a Whole Story for yourself
Three sample sets, each with The Whole Story and The Latest Chapter.
Halftone Apparel Co.
Custom printing with a retail storefront
Is STORYLINE right for you?
STORYLINE fits owner-led businesses that have outgrown gut feel and want an honest outside read.
Your books run on QuickBooks
You've grown enough that "gut feel" isn't enough anymore.
You have seasonal swings that make cash hard to predict.
You have 12 months of reconciled books, or want help getting there first.
You face a decision: Pricing, hiring, expanding, borrowing, or cutting back.
You want an unbiased, outside read on how the business is really doing.
Frequently asked questions
What does "reconciled" mean, and why does it matter?
Reconciled books have been checked against your bank, credit card and loan statements every month. Without that, trends and cash analysis can't be trusted.
Do my books need to be perfect?
No. Reconciled is the requirement, not perfect. Every review finds classification and timing issues, and we note what we adjusted.
My books aren't reconciled. Can you still help?
Yes. We can bring your books current first, then begin your Storyline. Schedule a discovery call to learn about our monthly bookkeeping or catch-up and clean-up services.
My bookkeeper isn't PLS. Is that a problem?
Not at all. We'll send your bookkeeper the list of exports, and our analysis works from those files.
Is this tax or legal advice?
No. Storyline reports are financial analysis. When something needs your CPA or attorney, we flag it and help you prepare for that conversation.
How long does it take?
Most STORYLINE reports can be prepared within a week if we have access to the reporting, or starting when the source financials are provided to us.
What does it cost?
The Whole Story is priced at $999, with The Latest Chapter updates provided at $249/mo.
Are the sample reports real companies?
No. Every company, name and figure in our samples is fictional, built to show you exactly what you'd receive.
Find out what your numbers are saying.
Start with The Whole Story for a clear picture of where your business stands and what to do next.
Serving: Owasso • Collinsville • Claremore • Broken Arrow • Tulsa • Greater Oklahoma
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