Shows / One Step Better Podcast
One Step Better Podcast
Tune in for insight to help small business owners and their teams get One Step Better every day. You'll gain practical tools to help you improve processes and empower your team.
Episodes
- One Step Better Podcast
Why Your Accounting Firm Isn't Scaling (It's Not The Clients)
Patrick Accounting is on pace for roughly $1.5 million in new sales this year. That’s a great year by almost any measure. It’s also short of the goal. In this…
- One Step Better Podcast
Hire, Automate, or Say No: Rethinking Headcount in the Age of AI
For years, the answer to "we're busy" was simple: post a job ad. Good people fix all problems. Good people still fix problems, but Mike and Matt argue the…
- One Step Better Podcast
The Role Follows the Work: Rethinking Our Accounting Firm Staffing Model
Matt and Mike have had this conversation about 9,000 times. They still don't have a definitive answer. Mike opens with a big goal: land on some real…
- One Step Better Podcast
Eight Years of Outbound, Then They Booked Themselves: Why Marketing Attribution Drives Us Crazy
Accountants like things that balance. Marketing attribution does not balance.Mike and Matt get into the thing they've been chasing for about three years…
- One Step Better Podcast
One Roof, Two Businesses: What Nobody Tells You About Running Payroll and Accounting Together
Nobody starts an accounting firm with a clean box. You start with client one, then client ten, and somewhere in there you said yes to payroll, yes to inventory…
- One Step Better Podcast
The Version of Our Firm We Don't Put on the Conference Stage
Every firm has a version of itself it shows on stage. This is the other version.Mike and Matt open the books on what they still haven't figured out. The staff…
- One Step Better Podcast
Ideal vs. Reality: What We Still Haven't Figured Out
New studio, new building, and the first episode recorded in it — which turned into a looser, more honest conversation than usual. Matt and Mike open with the…
- One Step Better Podcast
If I Started My Firm From Scratch Today, I'd Build It Completely Different
One Step Better now has its own YouTube channel! Subscribe here so you never miss an episode: @OneStepBetterPod Last episode Matt and Mike asked whether the…
- One Step Better Podcast
Do You Even Need Entry-Level Accountants Anymore? (The AI Question Nobody Can Answer Yet)
➡️ One Step Better now has its own YouTube channel! Subscribe here so you never miss an episode: @OneStepBetterPod Every accounting firm is quietly asking…
- One Step Better Podcast
Why a Great Culture Still Isn't Enough Without Leaders Who Hold People Accountable
Patrick Accounting has a stack of "best place to work" accolades, yet Mike still rates themselves a C on the one thing that would change everything. Listen to…
- One Step Better Podcast
ICP, Acceptable Clients, and the Gray Area Where Most Accounting Firms Get Burned
Every accounting firm has a client they should have said no to. Most of them took it anyway because the money looked good, the sales conversation went well, or…
- One Step Better Podcast
What It Looks Like to Roll Out AI Across Your Accounting Firm
Matt connected AI to every major tool in the firm. Then things got interesting. What followed was a mix of things going sideways, things working better than…
- One Step Better Podcast
Is Your Accounting Firm Developing Leaders or Just Promoting Good Employees?
At some point, every growing accounting firm takes their best person, puts them in a leadership role, and hopes for the best. And for a while it kind of works…
- One Step Better Podcast
What's Broken About Your Accounting Firm?
The best firms don't wait for things to fall apart. They break them first. Hiring, training, sales, team structure. If you're not proactively challenging…
- One Step Better Podcast
Why Your Leadership Team Needs More Disagreement
If you're building a leadership team around you as an accounting firm owner, you already know: letting go of control is hard. And when it goes sideways, even…
- One Step Better Podcast
Are You Ready to Scale Your Accounting Firm?
Most firm owners ask the wrong question when they want to grow. They ask how before they ask am I willing to do what it takes. Or as Matt puts it: "How much…
- One Step Better Podcast
One Step Better: A Podcast for Accounting Firm Owners
If you own an accounting firm, you probably feel a gap between where you are and where you want to be. This podcast is about closing that gap by building a…
- One Step Better Podcast
What We Got Wrong Scaling Our Business (and What We'd Do Differently)
"You have to be willing to light some money on absolute fire for the goal of what may be." Ever feel like you're growing your business but somehow everything…
- One Step Better Podcast
Has Tipping Gone Too Far? A Business Owner's Perspective
Most restaurant owners think about tips from the payroll side. But your customers are thinking about tips from the experience side, and right now, that…
- One Step Better Podcast
Your Tip Structure Has Payroll Risks You Haven't Thought About
Most business owners set up their tip policy once and never think about it again. That's usually when the problems start. In this episode, Matt and Mike get…
- One Step Better Podcast
How to Raise Prices Without Losing Your Regulars
Do you actually know what your menu items cost you? Not what you think they cost. What they really cost after portion creep, waste, vendor substitutions, and…
- One Step Better Podcast
What Your POS System Isn’t Telling You About Profitability
You're looking at your POS report. Then your spreadsheet. Then your bank account. They're all telling you something different. So which one do you believe? In…
- One Step Better Podcast
Why Your Restaurant Is Busy But Not Profitable
It looks like you’re winning from the outside, but your bank account tells a different story. In this episode, Matt and Mike share what they've seen across…
- One Step Better Podcast
Why You Can't Understand Your Accountant: Part 2
Your accountant says an expense is "non-deductible" and you're confused because you paid for it with your business card. Doesn't that reduce your taxes?Nope…
- One Step Better Podcast
Why You Can’t Understand Your Accountant: Part 1
Your accountant just asked, “Have you looked at your P&L lately?” And you’re sitting there wondering if that’s the same thing as your profit & loss statement…
- One Step Better Podcast
5 Numbers Every Business Owner Should Be Tracking Monthly
Do you know if your business made money last month? Not "Did you make sales?" Did you actually make PROFIT? Most business owners track revenue religiously, but…
- One Step Better Podcast
Why Every Small Business Should Stop Doing THIS in 2026
Most small business owners say they want to grow, but their habits tell a different story. From spending money out of boredom, to hiring reactively, to holding…
- One Step Better Podcast
2025 in the Rearview: What Actually Moved the Needle
If you’re trying to grow a healthy business, you already know it’s not just about hitting revenue goals. It’s about getting clarity, leading people well…
- One Step Better Podcast
Accrual or Cash? How to Choose the Best Accounting Method for Your Business Goals
Do your financials feel off, confusing, or just plain useless for making decisions? You might be using the wrong accounting method for what you're trying to…
- One Step Better Podcast
7 Tax Write-Offs That Could Get Your Business Audited
Think you can write off your vacation, your dog, or that new truck with the wrap on it because it’s “technically” a moving billboard? A lot of business owners…
- One Step Better Podcast
5 Reasons Your Restaurant Margins Are So Low and How to Fix Them
Most restaurant owners don’t get into the business for the spreadsheets. But ignoring the math is exactly how good places go under. In this episode of the One…
One Step Better PodcastHow to Finally Get a Handle on Cash Flow in Your Business
Your P&L says you’re making money. But your bank account is telling a different story. In this episode, we unpack why that gap exists, how to actually…
- One Step Better Podcast
Should Your Home Healthcare Staff Be 1099 or W-2?
Hiring home care workers and classifying them as 1099 contractors? That decision isn't just about what's easier or what the agency down the street is doing. If…
- One Step Better Podcast
Succession Planning for Family Businesses: Where to Start (Before It’s Urgent)
Think succession planning is just for when you're ready to retire? Think again. In this episode, Matt and Mike get real about why most business owners wait way…
- One Step Better Podcast
Outgrowing Basic Bookkeeping? Here's What Comes Next
You’ve got bookkeeping. You’ve got reports. But the numbers still don’t tell you anything useful. This episode is for business owners who’ve hit that moment of…
- One Step Better Podcast
How One Remote Employee Can Trigger 5 Tax Filings
Hiring remote employees? Storing inventory out-of-state? Even one move across state lines can create a pile of tax and compliance issues you didn’t see coming…
- One Step Better Podcast
Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners: 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, and More Explained
You want to save for retirement and cut your tax bill. But picking the wrong plan or missing key deadlines can do the opposite This episode walks through the…
- One Step Better Podcast
Q4 Tax Moves Every Service-Based Business Should Know
Are you still waiting to “see how the year ends” before making tax decisions? Thinking you’ll just deal with it all in January?That’s exactly how service-based…
- One Step Better Podcast
How to Pay Yourself Properly (Without Raising IRS Red Flags)
If you own a business, paying yourself isn’t always straightforward. Matt and Mike walk through what actually goes into getting paid as an owner, from how your…
One Step Better PodcastAvoiding Tax Surprises: How Growing Companies Get Ahead
A bigger tax bill is NOT always bad news. Sometimes it just means your business grew. Tax surprises like this are common, and they usually don’t come from one…
One Step Better PodcastHow to Approach a Bookkeeping Cleanup (Without the Stress)
Do your financials feel off, confusing, or just messy? Not sure where your money is going or if your books are even accurate? This is a common problem for…
- One Step Better Podcast
First Time Setting Up a New Entity? What Every First-Time Owner Should Know
Have you started a business and aren't sure if you need an LLC, an S-Corp, or something else entirely? Or maybe you’ve heard conflicting advice and you’re…
- One Step Better Podcast
Business Structure Decisions: S-Corp vs. LLC for Your Growth Strategy
Are you stuck trying to figure out if an LLC or S-Corp is better for your business? Or maybe you're realizing the structure you picked years ago no longer fits…
One Step Better PodcastWhen to Use an Employee-Only Entity to Simplify Multi-Location Payroll
In this episode, Mike and Matt discuss the concept of employee-only entities, particularly for businesses with multiple locations. They explore the…
One Step Better PodcastBudgeting for Growth: What Every $1M+ Business Should Build
In this episode, Mike and Matt discuss the complexities of budgeting for a million-dollar business. They explore key considerations such as contingency…
- One Step Better Podcast
Frustrated with Your Accountant? Here's What You Should Actually Expect
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the often frustrating relationship between business owners and their accountants. They explore the expectations that…
One Step Better PodcastForecasting Without Fear
In this episode of the One Step Better Businesspodcast, the hosts discuss the critical role of forecasting and planning inbusiness. They emphasize the…
- One Step Better Podcast
How Small Business Owners Gain Confidence in 180 Days
In this episode, Mike and Matt discuss the journey of business owners from the initial 90 days to the 180-day mark of working with Patrick Accounting. They…
- One Step Better Podcast
How Small Business Owners Really Thrive
In this episode, Mike and Matt discuss the concept of 'thriving' in business, emphasizing the importance of a shared understanding among team members and…
One Step Better PodcastIs Your Payroll Provider Overcharging You? Here’s How to Find Out
In this episode of the One Step Better Business podcast, hosts Mike and Matt delve into the intricacies of payroll processing costs. They discuss how…
One Step Better PodcastWho We Help (and Who We Don’t): Is Whirks the Right Fit?
In this episode of the One Step Better Business podcast, Mike and Matt discuss the types of clients that Whirks works best with, as well as those that present…
One Step Better PodcastHow a Few Smart Payroll Changes Can Simplify Your Business
In this episode of the One Step Better Business Podcast, Mike and Matt discuss the importance of embracing change in business operations, particularly in…
One Step Better PodcastThe Whirks Way: A 90-Day Client Journey
In this episode of the One Step Better Business podcast, Mike and Matt discuss the onboarding process for new clients at Whirks. They outline the importance of…
- One Step Better Podcast
The Whirks Client Journey: A Better Way to Handle Payroll and HR
In this episode, Mike and Matt discuss the concept of client journeys, particularly focusing on payroll services. They explore the various stages of the client…
One Step Better PodcastThe Four Biggest Payroll Problems Small Businesses Face (And How to Solve Them)
Payroll shouldn’t be painful, but for most small businesses, it is. In this episode of the One Step Better Podcast, Mike and Matt from Whirks and Patrick…
- One Step Better Podcast
Hard Truths Your Accountant Should Tell You
Summary In this episode of the One Step Better Podcast, Mike and Matt discuss the challenges of having difficult conversations in business, particularly with…
- One Step Better Podcast
Understanding Accounting Pricing Models
In this episode of the Once That Better podcast, hosts Mike and Matt delve into the intricacies of accounting fees, exploring what goes into the cost of…
- One Step Better Podcast
What's Included & What's Not With Patrick Accounting
In this episode of the One Step Better podcast, Mike and Matt delve into the inner workings of an accounting firm, specifically Patrick Accounting. They…
- One Step Better Podcast
Who To Work With: Finding The Ideal Client
In this episode of The One Step Better Podcast, hosts Mike and Matt discuss the importance of transparency in business relationships, particularly in the…
- One Step Better Podcast
Transform Your Accounting: Six Essential Changes
In this episode of the One Step Better podcast, Mike and Matt discuss six essential changes that business owners should consider making in their accounting…