Notes on running a company’s money
Guides for founders, operators and bookkeepers: switching banks, card limits, ACH cut-offs and closing the month without a spreadsheet.
Guides
6 min read
How to switch business banks without a bounced payment
A week-by-week order for moving payroll, autopays and customer payments to a new account.
Payments
5 min read
Same-day ACH, explained for people who run payroll
What the cut-off times mean, when money really arrives and when a wire is still worth it.
Cards
4 min read
Card limits for a 20-person team: a starting point
The limits we suggest to new customers, by role, and how to change them without a meeting.
Banking
7 min read
What an FDIC sweep network does with your cash
Why a single bank insures $250,000 and how sweep networks cover balances up to $5M.
Finance ops
8 min read
Closing the month in three days: the checklist we give customers
The daily habits that turn month-end from reconstruction into reading.
Payments
5 min read
Paying contractors by ACH, without the spreadsheet
Collect W-9s, pay by ACH and have 1099 totals ready in January.
Apply in about 10 minutes with your EIN and a photo ID. Most companies are approved within one business day, and Essential has no monthly fee.