Propel Bookkeeping Company LLC

10/25/2026

10/23/2026

Having financial reports doesn't necessarily mean you have financial clarity.

I was reminded of this during a recent conversation with a business owner.

They have accounting software.

They can generate reports.

They have access to financial information.

But when the conversation turned to how the business was actually performing, the answers weren't so clear.

Is the company growing?

Are margins improving?

Is the business operating more efficiently than it was a year ago?

Where is the company financially today compared to where it was six months ago?

These aren't always easy questions to answer.

Especially when business owners are wearing multiple hats, managing employees, overseeing operations, and making decisions throughout the day.

And here's what stood out to me.

The information may already exist.

But having access to numbers and understanding what those numbers mean are two very different things.

A WIP report can tell you a lot about your projects.

But it doesn't automatically tell you how the entire business is performing.

That's where financial oversight becomes so important.

Because the goal isn't simply to produce more reports.

It's to give business owners the clarity to understand where they stand, where they're headed, and what needs their attention.

Business owners: If someone asked you today how your company is performing compared to last year, how confidently could you answer?

10/20/2026

Owning a financial services business has changed the way I look at my clients' businesses.

Because now I'm making some of the same decisions they are.

When do you hire?

When do you delegate?

How do you protect profitability while continuing to grow?

And how do you make sure the business isn't completely dependent on you?

I spend a lot of my time helping other business owners understand their financial position.

But building Propel has reinforced something important for me:

Having the numbers is one thing.

Making decisions with them is another.

And sometimes the hardest decisions aren't accounting decisions at all.

They're decisions about people, capacity, processes, and where you want the business to go.

That's why I believe financial support should go beyond preparing reports.

Business owners need someone who understands the bigger picture.

For other business owners: What's been your biggest lesson about growth?

10/08/2026

📰✨ **Two Businesses. Two Passions. One Proud Moment!**

A little exciting news!

When an opportunity came along to showcase Propel Bookkeeping Company in *The East Providence Post*, I couldn't pass up the chance to introduce another passion of mine — travel! ✈️🌎

I'm excited to see both **Propel Bookkeeping Company** and my travel advisory business with **Fora Travel** in print!

Whether it's helping business owners gain financial clarity and grow with confidence or helping travelers create unforgettable experiences, my passion remains the same — making a meaningful difference.

Grateful for the opportunity, proud of how far I've come, and excited for what's ahead! ❤️

🌴 My dedicated travel page is coming soon! Until then, explore my travel services here:

https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/elizabeth-dias

10/08/2026

Your highest-billing attorney isn't necessarily your most profitable attorney.

That might surprise a few managing partners.

But hear me out.

Attorney A generates $700K in annual billings.

Attorney B generates $500K.

On the surface, Attorney A looks like the clear winner.

But what if Attorney A also has:

→ Higher write-offs
→ More discounted invoices
→ More uncollected fees
→ Significantly more support staff time

Suddenly, the picture changes.

This is why I encourage law firm owners to look beyond total billings.

Billable hours are important.

But so are realization rates, collection rates, and the costs associated with delivering those services.

**More revenue doesn't automatically mean more profit.**

And if you're making hiring, compensation, or growth decisions based on revenue alone, you could be missing an important part of the picture.

Managing partners: Does your firm evaluate attorney performance primarily on billings, collections, or actual profitability?

10/07/2026

You're paying for Clio. Your attorneys are tracking time in a spreadsheet. 🤨

That's not a tech problem.

That's a process problem with a monthly subscription.

I see $1M+ firms on premium billing software — TimeSolv, LeanLaw, MyCase — while invoices still go out as PDFs and nobody runs the reports the software was bought for.

Audit your stack this quarter:

What are you paying for?
Who actually uses it? AND
What's the ROI?

The answer usually funds a hire.

10/06/2026

Your P&L says you made money. Your bank account disagrees.

Who's lying?

Usually neither.

You're just underbilled — the work's done, the invoice hasn't gone out, and you're financing the project with your own cash.

Or you're overbilled, and that "great month" was really next month's revenue arriving early. One bad stretch and the hole opens up.

$1M+ contractors live and die on this number, not on revenue.

If you can't answer "are we overbilled or underbilled?" in 10 seconds, run a WIP schedule.

MONTHLY.

Not quarterly. Monthly!

10/05/2026

Your best client might be your worst client!!

Not the one who pays late. The one who pays on time, every time — while quietly eating 40 partner hours a month at a rate that doesn't cover the cost.

Most $1M+ firms track revenue by attorney or by month.

Almost none track profit per matter.

And that's where the leak lives:

The "prestige" case, the flat-fee matter that took 3x the estimate, the client you keep because firing them feels wrong.

You don't need more clients.

You need to know which of your current ones are actually making you money.

Pull your top 10 matters by revenue this week.

Then pull the hours against each.

I promise the list will surprise you.

10/05/2026

ATTORNEYS!!!!

Your trust account can reconcile perfectly — and still be wrong.

Yes, really.

The bank balance matches.

QuickBooks is reconciled.

Everything looks good.

But does the balance also match what you’re holding for each individual client?

That’s where trust accounting gets different.

A regular bank reconciliation isn’t enough.

Trust accounting requires a 3-way reconciliation between the bank, the books, and the individual client ledgers.

And this is exactly why I say:

Law firm accounting is a specialty.

Knowing QuickBooks is one thing.

Knowing how a law firm’s money is supposed to move — from retainers, to trust, to earned fees, to operating — is another.

If you own a law firm, your financial person should understand both.