Your Business Is Not Your Emergency Fund
✨ INTRODUCING AN OWNER’S PERSPECTIVE
You may have noticed: last week’s newsletter focused purely on personal finance. That was no accident.
It marked the launch of Margin & Meaning™ — a new take on the Spend With Clarity newsletter. And today, I’m excited to introduce the next step:
Margin & Meaning: An Owner’s Perspective — the first-ever dedicated edition for business owners.
This brand-new, biweekly series reflects how much this community is growing — and how seriously you’re taking your role as a business owner.
I’ve been having more transformational conversations than ever with clients who are ready to build sustainable, profitable businesses. And while those 1:1 sessions are where the real breakthroughs happen, I want to use this space to share those insights more broadly — so you can avoid costly missteps, gain clarity faster, and run a business that truly supports the life you want to live.
What to expect here:
→ Real stories from real businesses
→ Tactical advice that works in the field, not just on paper
→ Mindset shifts to help you lead, decide, and grow with intention
You already know I care about financial clarity — in life and in business. But if you’re running a business, you don’t just need clarity. You need systems. Strategy. Structure. A sounding board.
That’s what An Owner’s Perspective is here to deliver.
Let’s get into it.
— Andrew
P.S. If you're ready to bring more margin and meaning into your business (and your life), book a Free Clarity Session and let’s talk.
In This Edition:
✏️ The #1 place owners quietly lose momentum
❓ A bold question to challenge your strategy
📊 How one seasonal business finally feels calm in winter
⚙️ The 15-minute audit to realign your pace
✏️ OWNER TO OWNER:
YOUR BUSINESS IS NOT YOUR EMERGENCY FUND
It happens more often than we like to admit:
Revenue’s up. There’s a nice cash cushion in the account. And suddenly…
A new roof. A family trip. A surprise medical bill.
All paid from the business.
It feels logical: “I earned it.”
It feels easy: “The money’s right there.”
It feels deserved: “I’ve been working so hard.”
But this is where so many business owners quietly derail their momentum.
Because every dollar that leaves the business without intention?
That’s one less dollar supporting stability, sustainability, or growth.
Your business is not your emergency fund.
Your business is your growth engine.
Your platform. Your strategy. Your livelihood.
So if you want your business to fund personal goals — great! (Me too!)
But let's do it with a plan.
✅ Set owner compensation that works for both sides of the ledger.
✅ Build a personal emergency fund.
✅ Let the business do its job: creating consistent, predictable profit.
You built this thing for a reason.
Now protect it. Strengthen it. Let it grow.
❓ One Big Question:
WOULD YOU BUY YOUR BUSINESS TODAY?
Set aside the sunk costs. Set aside what you’ve built.
If you were shopping for a business today — would you buy yours?
Would the systems impress you?
Would the margins excite you?
Would the growth potential feel worth the investment?
If the answer isn’t a clear yes — don’t panic.
Just notice what would need to change to make it one.
Then get to work.
📊 IN THE WEEDS:
One Seasonal Business, Finally in Control
A client I work with runs a heavily seasonal business.
For years, winter was a scramble:
Empty accounts. Emergency loans. Endless stress.
But this spring, we took a different approach.
✅ Mapped their seasonal revenue.
✅ Built a Profit First strategy with planned reserves.
✅ Created a “Winter Fund” right inside YNAB.
✅ Steadily filled it throughout the busy season.
This month? The Winter Fund is full.
And the profit that funded it is now spilling into secondary priorities — right on cue.
The result? Calm. Confidence. No panic. No guilt.
The system is working.
And the business finally feels in control.
That’s what we’re building:
A business that supports you — not the other way around.
⚙️ TRY THIS TODAY:
ALIGN YOUR STRIDE
Are you sprinting right now — or settling into a sustainable pace?
Too many business owners run at full tilt when they should be pacing…
Or coast when it’s time to push.
Take 15 minutes for a quick alignment check.
Do a mental scan. Walk through through each system of your business:
Cash flow — Is money moving in sync with your current goals?
Client load / Product sales — Too much, too little, or just right?
Team capacity — Aligned with expectations, or stretched thin?
Your calendar — Reflecting your priorities, or reacting to chaos?
Then ask:
“Does this season call for a sprint — or a steady pace?”
From there, adjust your strategy, demeanor, and decisions to match.
Your business moves better when every part is in sync.
Want to talk with Andrew directly?
Schedule a 30-minute Free Clarity Session to get expert eyes on your financial questions and explore what support might look like.
→ Book your Free Clarity Session
Don’t miss the next one.
The Margin & Meaning™ newsletter by Spend With Clarity is published every two weeks — no fluff, just thoughtful insights delivered straight to your inbox.
