In this episode of QuickBooks Mastery for Small Business Success, father-daughter team Erica Northrup and Lee Davis break down the 8 most common QuickBooks mistakes they see business owners make every week—and how to fix them so your books stay clean and accurate all year long.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing something wrong in QuickBooks… but I’m not sure what,” this episode will give you clarity fast. You’ll learn why these mistakes create messy reports and stressful cleanups, and what simple habits and workflows keep QuickBooks working the way it’s meant to.

1. Reconciling monthly is your first line of defense—skip it and nothing else is reliable.
2. The bank feed is a tool, not a bookkeeper—match first, don’t add blindly.
3. Undeposited Funds errors can make income look wildly wrong.
4. Owner pay must be categorized based on how the business is structured.
5. Return checks need a proper workflow so income isn’t distorted.
6. Vehicles/equipment financed purchases must be set up as assets + loans (not expensed).
7. Monthly reports help you catch problems early—before decisions are made blindly.

1. Which of these 8 mistakes have I made in the last 90 days?
2. If my reports were wrong right now, would I know?
3. Do I have a monthly routine that keeps QuickBooks clean—or am I reacting at tax time?

Send Us Your Questions: support@leedavisandcompany.com

(Your question may be featured in a future episode.)

00:55.000 – Episode 13 intro: “I think I’m doing something wrong in QuickBooks…”

02:20.257 – Mistake #1: Not reconciling every single month

05:43.108 – “If reconciliation isn’t done, nothing else is accurate.”

05:53.303 – Mistake #2: Misusing Ask My Accountant / Uncategorized

08:33.000 – “It’s like your inbox—you should never let it pile up.”

08:42.455 – Mistake #3: Not using the bank feed correctly

11:25.000 – “Match, don’t add.”

12:28.000 – “The bank feed is a tool, not your bookkeeper.”

12:41.347 – Mistake #4: Not using Undeposited Funds correctly

15:00.000 – “This mistake makes people think they made $200K more or less.”

15:09.853 – Mistake #5: Incorrectly categorizing owner’s pay

17:08.000 – “This is one of the fastest ways to make your P&L misleading.”

18:06.000 – Mistake #6: Invoicing mistakes (return checks)

19:32.000 – “Clean invoicing equals faster money.”

19:57.054 – Mistake #7: Vehicle/equipment purchases and loans

22:47.000