(Or: How to Stop Letting Your Bank Ruin Your Life Quietly)
Let’s start with a hard truth no one puts on motivational posters:
Your business doesn’t fail because you’re bad at what you do.
It fails because your money is a mess.
Not a dramatic mess. Not a “the IRS is at the door” mess (yet).
A slow, silent, death-by-a-thousand-confusing-transactions mess.
If your current banking setup consists of:
…then congratulations, you’re running your business on hope and adrenaline.
And while hope is adorable, it is not a financial strategy.
Running a small business today means balancing tradition and innovation. You’re building something real—maybe a family business, maybe a reinvention of your career, maybe your shot at finally making money on your terms.
You want to:
But here’s the problem:
Most banks were not built for modern entrepreneurs.
They’re great at holding your money.
They’re terrible at helping you use it intelligently.
And that’s where things start to break down.
If you’ve taken out a business loan—equipment, expansion, renovations—keeping an account with that lender is smart. Strong banking relationships matter when it’s time to refinance or grow.
But day-to-day?
Traditional banks are like flip phones:
They don’t make it easy to separate money for taxes, payroll, savings, or projects.
They don’t play nicely with modern accounting systems.
And they definitely don’t help you sleep at night.
So what do you do?
This is where things get interesting—and where most business owners finally feel like adults with their money.
The ideal setup looks like this:
1. A Traditional Bank
Used strategically for:
2. A Modern Banking Platform (Like Relay)
Used for:
Relay isn’t just a bank. It’s a control panel.
You can:
Translation: Less chaos. More clarity. Fewer “Wait… where did the money go?” moments.
A small business isn’t just a job.
It’s your income, your freedom, and—whether you admit it or not—your legacy.
Your banking setup determines:
And here’s the kicker:
You have better things to do than crunch numbers.
Like doing what you actually love.
At Calculated Moves, we work with family businesses, reinvented careers, and modern entrepreneurs who want:
Because navigating the ebbs and flows of business is tough—and guessing your way through finances is how people end up paying too much tax and too much tuition to the School of Hard Knocks.
With the right banking setup, you don’t just manage money—you command it.
And once you see how this all fits together?
You’ll never go back to “one checking account and a prayer.”
Keep reading to see exactly how to build the perfect banking setup—and how to make your money finally work as hard as you do.
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Donna Bordeaux, CPA with Calculated Moves
Creativity and CPAs don’t generally go together. Most people think of CPAs as nerdy accountants who can’t talk with people. Well, it’s time to break that stereotype. Lively, friendly, and knowledgeable can be a part of your relationship with your CPA, as demonstrated by Donna and Chad Bordeaux. They have over 50 years of combined experience as entrepreneurial CPAs. They’ve owned businesses and helped business owners exceed their wildest dreams. They have been able to help businesses earn many times more profit than the average business in the same industry and are passionate about helping industries that help families build great memories.