Serving Up Efficiency: How Bookkeep Eases the Accounting Burden for Chip Adkins and Piper’s Ice Cream Bar

Meet Chip Adkins

Chip Adkins, co-owner of Piper’s Ice Cream Bar in northern Kentucky, opened the first location in 2012. Piper’s, renowned for its wide selection of soft-serve treats and handcrafted beverages, is a beloved local institution. With nine employees and a second location in development, Chip’s commitment to quality and growth is evident in every frozen treat.

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The Problem: Burdened by Daily Manual Bookkeeping

Managing the financials of a thriving small business single-handedly was becoming increasingly challenging for Chip. His morning routine involved manually downloading and processing sales data from Square, which took up to an hour each day. This process was not only time-consuming but also distracted him from more strategic tasks. The opportunity of opening a second location in a popular new development added to these challenges, making it clear that a more efficient accounting solution was needed.

The Decision: Choosing Simplification and Integration

Chip began exploring automation tools to streamline his revenue accounting. He discovered Bookkeep in the Square App Marketplace and was impressed by its focused approach to automating daily sales and payout journal entries.

A significant factor in his decision was Bookkeep’s capability to manage revenue journal entries for multiple payment processors. This feature is crucial for when Square’s payment processing goes down and Chip has to use his backup processor, Stripe. It eliminates the need for additional spreadsheets, maintains accuracy and consistency, and reduces his workload.

Additionally, Bookkeep’s integration with Zoho Books, a rarity among third-party integrators, was important for Chip, who prefers it over QuickBooks.

“Not wanting to basically double my morning revenue accounting routine – and wanting to simplify things so that I could concentrate on planning a new location – I found Bookkeep in the Square App Marketplace. Bookkeep did what I wanted – and that was to completely automate my revenue accounting. Their team even customized solutions to fit my specific needs, making my decision a no-brainer.”

The Solution: Automating Accounting to Free Up Time

Bookkeep’s revenue accounting automation has drastically simplified Chip’s daily routine. Now, instead of spending 45 minutes to an hour on manual entries, he quickly reviews the summary status email that Bookkeep sends each morning (a one-minute task). This change has freed up valuable time, allowing Chip to focus on strategic planning and the new location’s development as well as to dedicate more energy to his life outside the business.

“I don’t think about manual journal entries anymore. Now I can go on and take care of something more important. I’m not getting lost in the minutia if I don’t have to think about the tools I use. That really is a testament to the beauty of Bookkeep. I don’t think about it other than the fact that I’m seeing the journal entries automatically posted every day.”

Outcomes and Business Growth

With the time saved using Bookkeep, Chip has shifted his focus from daily tasks to more high-level business strategy. The automation has provided peace of mind, knowing that his revenue-related accounting entries are accurate and up-to-date. This efficiency has not only improved operations at Piper’s Ice Cream Bar but also positioned the business for successful expansion.

As a longtime business owner, Chip can now manage the growing demands of opening a second location in a popular new development while also stepping back and planning for his retirement. This partnership ensures that as the business grows, Chip can continue to manage it efficiently while enjoying a better work-life balance.

“As a business owner, we can do ourselves a disservice by just looking at the bottom line and always saying this is an expense I don’t need because I can do it. I’m very close to retirement age and I’m learning as I get older that sometimes that attitude gets in my way. Bookkeep contributes to my mindset of starting to work on more important things.”