Finance Operations for SMB learning path: everything to study, topic by topic

Designing a chart of accounts that fits an SMB's operating model, supports management reporting, and scales as the business grows

Recording routine and non-routine journal entries correctly under double-entry bookkeeping, including adjustments and corrections

Managing recurring accruals (utilities, commissions, bonuses) and prepayments (rent, insurance, software) so P&L reflects economic reality each month

Reconciling bank accounts, credit cards and key balance sheet accounts on a monthly cadence to catch errors and ensure clean books

Designing and running a reliable invoicing cadence — milestone, monthly recurring, or usage-based — so revenue is billed on time with zero leakage

Handling billing errors, customer disputes and invoice corrections quickly without damaging customer relationships or cash flow

Issuing credit notes, refunds and contract-based revenue adjustments correctly, including impact on revenue recognition and tax

Designing billing controls that prevent revenue leakage — under-billing, missed renewals, un-invoiced usage — in a lean SMB finance team

Running a respectful but firm collections cadence with dunning steps, escalation paths and clear customer communication

Measuring, interpreting and reducing Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) through billing, collections and customer segmentation levers

Onboarding vendors correctly — tax documents, bank details, payment terms — and keeping vendor master data clean to prevent fraud and errors

Designing an AP approval flow with clear authority matrix, payment batch runs and segregation of duties appropriate for a lean SMB

Building and maintaining a rolling 13-week cash forecast that shows inflows, outflows and projected ending cash for each week

Measuring and improving the cash conversion cycle (DSO + DIO - DPO) as a lever to free up working capital without external financing

Projecting runway under base, downside and upside scenarios so founders can make funding, hiring and spending decisions with confidence

Optimizing working capital in a cash-constrained SMB — negotiating payment terms, tightening collections, managing inventory and supplier credit

Designing and running a month-end close in 5 business days or fewer — with a checklist, owners, dependencies and sign-offs

Producing management-ready P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow reports that a founder or CFO can actually use to make decisions

Running variance analysis (actual vs budget vs prior year), writing clear commentary and separating noise from signal for management

Assembling a concise investor/board financial package with KPIs, narrative and forward-looking view suitable for an SMB or funded startup

Understanding Simples Nacional eligibility, revenue ceilings, sublimites, exclusion triggers and monthly obligations for Brazilian SMBs

Choosing between Lucro Presumido and Lucro Real tax regimes for a Brazilian SMB exiting Simples, with margin, sector and complexity trade-offs

Working fluently with NF-e / NFS-e — issuance, cancellation windows, CFOP, CST codes — and integrating e-invoicing into the billing cycle

Building working awareness of PIS, COFINS, ISS and ICMS impact on pricing, margin and cash — enough to partner with accountants and avoid surprises