Your Business Is Working. But Is It Working Hard Enough For Your Life?

Most entrepreneurs are so focused on staying busy they never stop to define what the business actually needs to generate. That number has a name. And not knowing it is the most expensive mistake in business.

Find Your Northstar Number → Join Free Workshop
90%of entrepreneurs never
define this number
35minutes to total
financial clarity
$0cost to find
your number
James Heyward CPA
James Heyward, CPA Founder, BYO Bookkeeper · Heyward CPA PLLC
Sound Familiar?

You’re Working Hard.
But Something Feels Off.

These aren’t accounting problems. They’re symptoms of one missing number.

😰

“I don’t know if I’m actually making enough money.”

Revenue is coming in, but you’re not sure if the business is sustaining your life — or just keeping itself alive.

🎯

“I make decisions based on gut feeling, not real numbers.”

Pricing, hiring, spending — every decision feels like a guess because there’s no financial target to measure against.

😓

“I only look at my books when tax season forces me to.”

By the time you see the full picture, the damage is done. You’re reacting instead of leading.

“Busy isn’t the same as profitable. And profitable isn’t the same as sustainable.”

— James Heyward, CPA

The Solution Starts Here

Meet Your Northstar Number

The exact annual income your business must generate to sustain your life. Not a guess. Not a goal. A calculated, non-negotiable target every business decision should point toward.

★ ★ ★

Define Your Real Life Cost

Start with what your life actually costs — housing, food, transport, health, savings, and taxes. No fluff. Just reality.

Calculate the Number Your Business Must Hit

Factor in your profit margin to find the gross revenue your business needs to generate — not just what you take home.

Track It Monthly With Your Books

Your bookkeeping becomes your GPS. Every month you see exactly whether you’re on pace — and adjust before it’s too late.

Step 1 of 4 25%
Personal Living Expenses
What does your life actually cost each month? Be honest — this is your foundation.
🏠 Housing
Rent / Mortgage
$
Utilities
$
Internet / Phone
$
Monthly Total$0
🚗 Transportation
Car Payment
$
Insurance
$
Gas / Transit
$
Monthly Total$0
🛒 Food & Lifestyle
Groceries
$
Dining Out
$
Subscriptions
$
Monthly Total$0
❤️ Health & Family
Health Insurance
$
Medical / Dental
$
Childcare / Education
$
Monthly Total$0
💳 Debt & Other
Credit Cards
$
Student Loans
$
Other Monthly Bills
$
Monthly Total$0
Total Monthly Expenses
$0
Savings & Goals
What do you want your money to build? This is where your North Star starts to shine.
💰 Monthly Savings Goals
Emergency Fund
$
Retirement / IRA
$
Business Reinvestment
$
Travel / Experiences
$
Monthly Total$0
Monthly Need So Far
$0
Tax Buffer
As a business owner, taxes don't come out automatically. Set aside enough so the IRS never catches you off guard.
📊 Estimated Tax Rate
Self-Employment Tax Rate 25%
15% (Low) 25% (Recommended) 40% (High)

💡 Recommended: 25–30% for most self-employed business owners. This covers federal self-employment tax (15.3%) plus estimated income tax. Consult your CPA for a personalized rate.

Monthly Tax Buffer $0
Total Monthly Need (with taxes)
$0
Profit Margin
Your Northstar Number is what you need to take home. But your business must generate MORE than that to cover its costs. Set your profit margin to calculate your true gross revenue target.
📈 Business Profit Margin
Estimated Profit Margin 30%
5% (Low) 30% (Typical) 80% (High)

💡 What is profit margin? If your margin is 30%, for every $1.00 your business brings in, $0.30 is your actual take-home after business expenses. Use your industry average or consult your CPA.

Typical Margins by Industry
🛍️ Retail: 5–15% 🍽️ Restaurant: 3–9% 💼 Consulting: 30–50% 🏗️ Construction: 15–25% 💻 Tech/SaaS: 40–70% 🏥 Healthcare: 10–20%
Your Gross Revenue Target (Monthly) $0
Gross Annual Revenue Needed
$0
YOUR NORTHSTAR NUMBER
$0
Gross Annual Revenue Target
WHAT THIS MEANS

To take home $0 per month after taxes — while running a business with 0% profit margins — you need to generate about $0 in revenue every month, or roughly $0 every week.

That's your minimum sustainable target.

Monthly Gross $0 per month
Weekly Gross $0 per week
How We Got Here
Monthly Living Expenses$0
Monthly Savings Goals$0
Tax Buffer$0
Net Monthly Need (Take-Home) $0
Profit Margin Applied 30%
Gross Monthly Revenue Needed $0
Gross Annual Revenue Needed $0

Now Let's Build a Business That Hits This Number

Book a free Northstar Consultation with James Heyward CPA. We'll map out exactly how your business can generate your number — and keep you accountable.

Book My Free Northstar Consultation

Want to go deeper? Join our free workshop.

Register for the BYOB Workshop →
Powered by Heyward CPA PLLC · BYO Bookkeeper Program
📅 Live Event — May 30th

What is YOUR Northstar?
The number most entrepreneurs neglect.

Join James Heyward CPA live for a free 35-minute workshop where we walk through the Northstar framework — and you leave with your number.

📅
Saturday, May 30th11AM Eastern
📺
Live on YouTube & FacebookFree — no software needed
⏱️
35 Minutes + Live Q&ABring your real questions
Register Free → luma.com/y9qdzndx

What We’re Covering

✓

What a Northstar Number is and why every entrepreneur needs one before making another business decision

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How to calculate your number based on your real life expenses, savings goals, taxes, and profit margin

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How bookkeeping connects to your Northstar — and why it’s not just for tax season

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How the BYOB Program helps you define and stay accountable to your number month after month

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Live Q&A — real questions, real answers, no fluff

BYO Bookkeeper
The Solution

Be Your Own Bookkeeper

The BYOB Program is a system built around your Northstar Number — giving you real-time visibility into whether your business is on track to fund your life.

01

Setup

We configure Xero Accounting Software to your business — chart of accounts, bank feeds, and reporting built around your Northstar Number.

02

Training

Three one-on-one sessions teach you the 2-hour weekly system. You’ll know exactly what to do, when to do it, and what the numbers mean.

03

Quarterly Reviews

Every quarter we review your books together — keeping you accountable to your Northstar and adjusting the plan as your business grows.

Ready to Stop Guessing?

Book a free Northstar Consultation and we’ll map out exactly how your business can hit your number — starting this month.

Book My Free Northstar Consultation
James Heyward CPA
Heyward CPA
About James

A CPA Who’s Been In Your Shoes

Before I was a CPA, I was in the music industry — running a business, making decisions, and honestly winging it financially just like most entrepreneurs do.

I didn’t have a Northstar Number. I had hustle and hope. And it cost me. When I finally got serious about the numbers, everything changed.

I built the BYOB Program because financial clarity shouldn’t require a finance degree. Every entrepreneur deserves to know exactly what their business needs to generate — and have a simple system to track it.

That’s what we do at Heyward CPA PLLC. We’re not your once-a-year tax accountant. We’re your financial co-pilot — month after month, number after number.

Book a Free Consultation

You Can’t Hit a Target
You’ve Never Set.

Join us this Saturday and leave with the one number that changes how you run your business — forever.

Register Free for the Workshop →