There’s something appealing about keeping things simple—one bank account, one credit card, one clear goal for your business finances. For many business owners, especially in the early days, that sounds like a recipe for sanity. Fewer things to track. Fewer chances to make a mistake. One clean line between work and life.

But does it actually work?

Everyone loves a good horror story—until it happens to them. In the world of small business, few things strike fear quite like the words “audit,” “back taxes,” or “we can’t find your records.” However, here’s the thing: the most terrifying bookkeeping disasters are often completely preventable. These stories aren’t shared to scare you—they’re shared to help you dodge the bullet before it’s left the barrel.