When everything runs through one bank account, you can’t tell what you actually have. That balance includes money already earmarked for taxes, inventory, and payroll — but it all looks like available cash until it isn’t.

The fix is separation. A dedicated inventory account. A tax account. A profit account. An operating account. Transfer funds into each on every disbursement cycle. When you need to pay a vendor, the inventory account tells you exactly what’s available. When tax season comes, the money is already set aside. One account isn’t enough — because one number can’t tell you four different things at once.