Operator Accounting Insights
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05/25/2026
The whole team is here in Calgary! đ
Unless youâve been living under a rock, youâll have noticed the hype around AI has been going at a frenzied pace. To be candid, I worry sometimes about the future of my career and my role in the world. If Iâm not riding the frontiers of AI in accounting, will I be made redundant?
Itâs times like these that I remind myself that while AI is indeed a transformational technology, I also shouldnât go looking for an answer in search of a question. I do deploy AI in my practice where it provides value, but Iâm not trying to automate (or âagent-ifyâ) every single thing I do.
I still believe that leaving some useful friction for myself in my work is a good thing. Yes, there is useless friction that I continue to seek ways to remove, but the good friction (reviewing a clientâs general ledger for the past week with my own two eyes, for example) is what leads to insights that help me better serve my clients.
Ultimately, I ask myself this question: Will assigning this task to AI help me better serve my clients? If yes, then I adopt it. If no, then I leave it alone. I ask this question because I run a client-first practice, not an AI-first practice. Taking this approach, I believe, will keep me from getting excited and then disappointed by the usual hype cycle.
04/07/2026
There are many reasons that a business will need to borrow money, including:
⢠Purchasing equipment or property
⢠Covering seasonal cash shortfalls
⢠Acquiring a competitor
⢠Expanding the business
Seeking credit right before any of these occur can be viewed by banks and other lenders as
high-risk behaviour, as it signals a lack of planning. Banks donât like lending money at the
moment you need it, so itâs better to have debt instruments in place before you need them.
Otherwise, they may impose higher interest rates and/or restrictive debt covenants on your
business (ex: you cannot let your current ratio fall below 1.2, or something similar).
In particular, I recommend to small businesses that they should take out a line of credit as
soon as theyâre able â and while theyâre in a relatively stable position. This instrument gives
your business some breathing room should there be a temporary cash shortfall, and
interest is only incurred if the credit line is used. If itâs never used, thereâs no interest to pay.
At all times, it is good policy to be in regular communication with your lender and let them
know whatâs going on in your business, good or bad. This way, thereâs time for you and your
lender to work on a financing solution that works for you.
04/02/2026
Lenders â like banks, government agencies, or private sources â have a plethora of options when it comes to which businesses they will lend money to. They are also in the business of making money (or at least making their principal back), so they want to be sure that the people running the business they might lend to are doing their utmost to bring about success.
A mark of a diligent and ultimately successful loan recipient is keeping an eye on the future, not just looking at the past. This means doing things like cash flow forecasting, budgeting, KPI tracking, and long-term planning. Lenders that see you doing these tasks are more confident that your business is well-managed, meaning you are more likely to receive the capital you need to take your business to the next level.
Understandably, managing the day-to-day activities of a small business often doesnât leave much time for this kind of work, though. Thatâs why itâs important to have someone on your side who can help with it!
03/31/2026
Itâs not a long quiz â just five questions about your companyâs accounting infrastructure, grading yourself on a scale of one to five. I think youâll find it enlightening.
You can find the link to my Substack in my profile page!
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