I run a 12-person maintenance company, and I want a simple, ethics-first budget that bakes in fair wages, transparent margins, and a consistent tithe. If you’ve got a spreadsheet or QuickBooks/Xero settings that help schedule giving and keep cash flow healthy — especially in Q1 — I’d appreciate a pointer.
I ran a 12-person shop; QBO + Profit First worked best: deposits hit an Income bank account, then on the 1st and 15th we schedule transfers — 10% to a ‘Giving’ account, 35% to payroll reserve, rest to ops — and tag jobs with Classes so margins stay transparent; I also tithe on collected cash, not invoiced, to protect Q1. Quick primer here: https://profitfirstbook.com/resources (“first fruits off the top,” just digital envelopes).
We tithe on collected cash; Xero repeating transfers handle it. Float helps Q1 forecasting: https://floatapp.com; build 2-week payroll reserve.
In QBO, I treat ‘giving like payroll’ by creating a recurring bill to a Charity vendor for 10% of the prior month’s sales and auto-paying it on the 1st, so it’s visible in margins and planning. My estimating sheet locks a burdened hourly rate per role; if Q1 gets tight, I cap that bill to protect a minimum operating balance.
Example: Xero ‘Tracking Categories’ for “Giving” + wages; 3‑month average smooths Q1; cap at 8–12% if receivables swing; https://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/cash-flow-statement.html…
Quick example: in Xero I post a month‑end recurring journal for 10% of that month’s bank deposits to a ‘Giving Payable’ liability and clear it with a scheduled payment on the 5th; it keeps margins transparent and cash obvious, but in lean Q1 I set a hard ceiling so wages aren’t squeezed.
Building on @lucas_pearson85’s smoothing idea, I use QBO with a separate “Tithe Reserve” savings account and a weekly transfer equal to 2.5% of the trailing 4 weeks’ collected revenue, then true up at quarter end to hit 10% so Q1 doesn’t squeeze cash too hard. If materials are a big pass-through, consider basing the tithe on labor/service revenue so wages stay fair and the margin stays transparent — I treat it like “sales tax we’re holding in trust,” not operating cash.
Quick example from my shop: I run QBO exports into a simple Google Sheet zero‑based budget, then every Friday I auto‑transfer about 10% of that week’s collected revenue to a savings nicknamed “Tithe & Care.” For fairness/clarity, our labor line is “wage + 18% burden,” and I show that plus margin on quotes. Small caveat: I use a “two‑payroll buffer” rule — if cash dips below two payrolls the tithe queues and we catch it up the next Friday, which keeps the heart generous without the bank balance getting whiplash.
In QBO, I treat tithe like payroll taxes: every other Friday I move 10% of the trailing 13 weeks’ cash‑basis sales into a giving sub‑account and schedule the ACH for Monday, with payroll always running first if there’s a clash. > below two payrolls the tithe queues and we catch it up the next Friday, which keeps the heart generous without the bank Agree on the timing — when Q1 is skinny, I cap the transfer at 80% and true‑up after the first profitable month; want my tiny Sheet for the 13‑week calc?