Money First CEO

Епізоди

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  How to Reward Employees Without Hurting Profit 27.07.2026 15хв

  You want to look after your team. You want people to feel valued, motivated and excited to stay. But every dollar you hand out in bonuses has to come from somewhere, and if it’s coming from operating cash, you’re one quiet month away from a promise you can’t keep. In this episode, Harman breaks down why most business owners get employee rewards wrong, and walks through the exact system she runs at Blu Bookkeepers to reward her team sustainably, without the guilt, the guesswork or the pressure...
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  The Money Conversation Nobody Wants to Have With Their Partner 20.07.2026 15хв

  We talk a lot on this podcast about profit first percentages and Xero reports, but this episode is about something most business owners avoid completely: the money conversation with your partner. I'm not a relationship expert or a therapist. I'm a bookkeeper and a Profit First Professional, and I've lived the tension of business money spilling into home life. In this episode I'm sharing why this conversation is so hard, what happens when you avoid it, and exactly how to have it in a way that ...
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  Small Business Budgeting Made Simple 15.07.2026 13хв

  Budgeting does not need to mean a complicated spreadsheet you build once and never look at again. In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down a simple, practical approach to small business budgeting that helps you understand where your money is going, protect the money that matters and stop expenses quietly eating into your profit. Harman shares the three layers of a simple business budget, why expense creep is one of the biggest silent profit killers in small business, an...
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  How to Increase Profit Without Working More Hours 06.07.2026 12хв

  Your business is busy. Revenue is coming in. But you are still wondering where the money goes. If more profit feels like it would require more clients, more work and longer hours, this episode is for you. In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston shares five practical ways service-based business owners can increase profit without adding more to their already full week. You will learn how to spot hidden expenses, review pricing with confidence, separate your cash properly, plan for h...
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  I Spent $20,000 in One Month on My Business. Here’s Why. 29.06.2026 17хв

  This month Harman invested $20,000 back into her business. Not on a new car or a fancy rebrand. On four strategic investments that most business owners overlook. In this episode she breaks down exactly where every dollar went, the thinking behind each decision, and what it means to spend like a Money First CEO. If you have ever hesitated to hire a professional, avoided learning something new, or felt uncomfortable talking about money in your business, this episode is for you. What You Will Le...
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  The Business Mistakes That Cost Me Time, Money and Growth 22.06.2026 17хв

  Everyone loves talking about the wins. The new clients. The revenue milestones. The growth. But what if the biggest lessons in business come from the mistakes? In this honest and personal episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston shares the business mistakes that cost her time, money, energy and growth during the early years of building Blu Bookkeepers. What You'll Learn: • Why waiting too long to hire can stunt business growth • The hidden...
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  Stop Doing It All: Why a Money First CEO Brings In the Experts 15.06.2026 16хв

  Most business owners wear doing everything themselves like a badge of honour. But what if doing it all is the very thing holding your business back? In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston shares the lessons he learned the hard way about delegation, outsourcing, and letting go. From copywriting and branding to ads, email marketing and bookkeeping, Harman breaks down the hidden cost of DIY and why trying to save money often costs far more in lost time, lower quali...
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  EOFY Without the Panic: 7 Things Every Business Owner Should Do Before June 30 08.06.2026 12хв

  End of financial year isn't about tax. It's about making better business decisions. In this episode, Harman walks you through seven practical things every business owner should do before June 30 so you can close the year with clarity and start the new one with intention. In this episode: Why EOFY is a leadership moment, not just a compliance deadline Get your books up to date so every decision is based on real numbers Chase overdue invoices (one of our clients collected ...
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  The Number Every Business Owner Should Know But Doesn’t 01.06.2026 15хв

  Most business owners know their revenue. Some know how many clients they have. Very few know the one number that tells them whether their business is actually working. Their profit margin. In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down why so many business owners are operating without this critical number, even when they’re generating six figures a month. You’ll learn how to calculate your profit margin, why revenue can create a false sense of success, and how understanding t...
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  What I've Been Hearing From Business Owners This Month 25.05.2026 8хв

  EOFY is coming. And right now, a lot of business owners are feeling the pressure. Not because their business is failing. Not because revenue is low. But because they still do not feel in control of their money. In this honest anniversary episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston shares the real conversations happening behind the scenes with business owners right now. The stress. The confusion. The “where did all the money go?” moments. If you are making decent revenue but still feel anxious...
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  Why Your Business Makes Money… But You Still Feel Broke 14.05.2026 20хв

  In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down one of the biggest frustrations service-based business owners face: “Why does my business look successful… but I still feel broke?” If your revenue is growing but your bank account tells a different story, this episode explains exactly why. Harman shares: Why revenue growth alone does not create financial clarity The real reason business owners constantly feel cash flow pressure Why BAS time keeps beco...
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  If I Had to Start Again from $0… This Is Exactly What I’d Do 04.05.2026 18хв

  Most business owners think growth comes first. More clients. More revenue. More momentum. But that is not what creates a stable business. In this 50th episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down exactly what she would do if she had to start again from zero. No audience. No clients. No reputation. Just a clean slate. This is not theory. This is hindsight from real experience. If your business is growing but still feels harder than it should, this episode will reset how you think ab...
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  The $100K Mistake: Hiring Before You’re Financially Ready 27.04.2026 17хв

  Hiring feels like growth. More people. More support. More capacity. But for most service-based business owners, hiring too early is not growth. It is a profit leak. In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down the real cost of hiring before your numbers are ready and why this common decision quietly drains cash, increases pressure, and stalls momentum. If your business is growing but your bank balance does not reflect it, this is the missing piece. You will learn: Why hirin...
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  The Owner Trap – When Your Business Depends on You 20.04.2026 14хв

  Most business owners think being across everything is a strength. It is not. It is the reason they feel stuck. In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down the owner trap. The hidden pattern where your business depends on you for everything. If you cannot step away without things slowing down, breaking, or stopping, this is for you. You will learn why control is not the goal, why perfection is costing you growth, and how systems create real freedom. This is not about doing ...
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  Tax Without Panic – How to Always Be Ready 13.04.2026 16хв

  Most business owners think tax is the problem. It is not. The real problem is how you manage your money before tax shows up. In this episode of Money First CEO, Harman Johnston breaks down why tax feels like an emergency for so many growing businesses. If you have ever opened a BAS or tax bill and felt instant stress, this episode will hit home. You will learn why strong revenue does not protect you from cash flow pressure, how your bank account is misleading you, and why the lack of a simple...
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  Your Numbers Are Talking. You’re Just Not Listening. 06.04.2026 8хв

  Harman Johnston breaks down the three biggest financial illusions that keep business owners stuck in stress and confusion. Revenue is not clarity. Your bank balance is not profit. And growth is not stability. She explains why these misconceptions create anxiety, poor decisions, and cash flow pressure even in high revenue businesses. Through simple examples, she shows how two businesses with the same revenue can have completely different stress levels depending on structure and visibility. The...
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  The 15-Minute Money Health Check Every CEO Should Do This Week 30.03.2026 6хв

  Harman Johnston outlines a 15 minute money health check built around five questions to help business owners regain financial control: know your current profit percentage, know how many months of operating expenses you have saved, pay yourself a consistent owner’s wage, separate tax money so it is not spent from the operating account, and track what has changed in expenses over the last 90 days. She explains that revenue without profit and visibility creates stress, that a cash runway reduces ...
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  Why You Still Feel Broke After Your Best Month 23.03.2026 5хв

  Harman Johnston explains why business owners can hit a record revenue month and still feel broke, focusing on four causes: measuring success by revenue instead of what you keep, spending with false confidence after a high month, failing to retain cash due to a lack of structure, and letting expenses expand as revenue grows. She shows how money disappears when everything sits in one account and gets used, even after a $120,000 month. The key shift is moving from “how do I make more” to “how do...
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  The Expense Trap Smart CEOs Keep Falling For 16.03.2026 8хв

  Harman Johnston flips the Buy Now Pay Later debate to focus on business spending, warning that it creates an illusion of affordability while undermining cash discipline. She explains how BNPL commits future revenue before it arrives, hides true expense levels by dulling the upfront pain, creates fixed obligations during fluctuating months, and disrupts Profit First allocations by fragmenting costs and blurring visibility. She notes business owners often justify BNPL as investment driven by ur...
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  The $10K Decision You’re Avoiding 09.03.2026 8хв

  Harman Johnston urges business owners to face the “$10K decision” they keep avoiding, arguing it is already costing them money each month through delay. She outlines four common versions: hiring operational support to remove the CEO bottleneck, saying no to low margin draining clients, raising minimum standards through repositioning and pricing, and installing real financial structure using Profit First principles instead of reactive banking and spreadsheets. Harman explains these decisions a...