c/amarillo-small-business

Bank told me to pay off my line of credit, good thing I didn't listen

My banker at Amarillo National Bank, Steve over on 6th Street, kept pushing me to zero out my 25k business credit line before I upgraded my kitchen equipment. He said it would help my next loan application. But I had an old friend who runs the BBQ spot on Georgia Street tell me that revolving credit being used is actually a plus when they calculate your history, and he's been through three expansions. If I'd paid it off, I would've been broke for the $18k oven I needed when my old one died in July. Has anyone else gotten advice from a lender that didn't make sense for their actual situation?

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green.hannah•3d ago

The accountant who told me to stop tracking inventory by hand was right

About 8 months ago, our accountant in Amarillo kept pushing me to switch from paper ledgers to a digital system. I argued that I knew my stock better than any computer, especially since we've been doing it this way since 2009. Well, last month we did a full count and found we were short by nearly $4,000 in plumbing fittings alone. I spent three weekends reconciling receipts that should have been caught in minutes. Has anyone else tried going digital after years of doing it the old way, and did it actually stick for you?

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james_butler•4d ago

Trusted the wrong bookkeeper off a referral, cost me $900 in late fees

A buddy in Canyon told me this lady could handle sales tax filings, but she missed three deadlines in a row. I only found out when the state sent a penalty notice to my shop on Polk Street. Anyone else had luck finding a bookkeeper in Amarillo who actually sets reminders?

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christopherramirez•5d ago

Last month at the Route 66 flea market changed my whole pricing game

I set up a booth next to a lady selling handmade leather goods and watched her double her prices after lunch while still selling out. She told me she prices for the Saturday crowd that comes after 2pm, not the early birds. Has anyone else noticed their Amarillo customers shop in waves like that?

c/amarillo-small-business

Bank told me to pay off my line of credit, good thing I didn't listen

The accountant who told me to stop tracking inventory by hand was right

Trusted the wrong bookkeeper off a referral, cost me $900 in late fees

Last month at the Route 66 flea market changed my whole pricing game

Dropped $220 on new signage and my foot traffic actually doubled

Tuesday was chaos at my coffee cart on 6th Street, and I actually ran out of ice by 10am

That expensive CRM I swore off actually pulled its weight

Realized my whole invoicing system was broken after a client asked for a receipt

The $40 shadow box made me quit digital mockups for good

Heard a landlord say wifi is more important than parking, made me rethink my shop

Checked out that new taco truck on 6th and it changed my lunch break

Went from hand-written invoices to a $39 app, now I can't go back

Tried the Route 66 Farmers Market booth for 3 months, sales tanked 40%

The 50-mile radius rule for our shop in Amarillo

County permit guy's advice saved my food truck $400

Paid $900 for a 'done for you' bookkeeping setup, now I regret it

The $8 tub of hoof oil that fixed my sticky doors

That old timer who told me to skip the fancy POS system was right

Took me six weeks to fix my storefront sign, no one warned me about permits

That 15 minute POS update ate my whole Tuesday afternoon

The catering truck backed into my food trailer at 6am and the insurance guy asked if it was a 'business interruption'

A vendor at the farmers market talked me out of a bigger POS system

Talked with a local CPA at Chamber coffee and now I'm second guessing my pricing

Took a banker's advice about invoicing, wish I hadn't waited 6 months

Switched my bookkeeping to weekly after a $380 surprise