McAfee's Bookkeeping

06/19/2026

Maine contractors — it’s mid-June and you’re probably deep in it right now.

Multiple jobs running. Materials being ordered. Crew on the schedule. Phone still ringing.

This is exactly the time most contractors are too busy to think about their books. And it’s exactly the time when 30 minutes of financial attention can make a real difference in how the season ends.

Our latest blog post covers the five things worth reviewing right now before July arrives — job costs, receivables, mileage, subcontractor records, and whether your books are actually current.

Most contractors who do this mid-season check-in find at least one thing worth knowing. Sometimes it’s good news. Sometimes it’s a problem that’s still fixable.

Either way, knowing in June is better than finding out in November.

https://mcafeesbookeeping.com/blog/mid-season-financial-check-in-what-maine-contractors-should-review-before-summer-gets-away-from-them

06/15/2026

There's a version of summer in Maine that looks like success from the outside.

Fully booked. Crew working. Phone ringing. Jobs stacked into August.

And then the contractor sits down in November and realizes — after materials, after paying the guys, after fuel and equipment and the job that went sideways in July — the margin wasn't what they thought it was.

This is one of the most common things I see. And it's not a business problem. It's a bookkeeping problem.

When you're not tracking job costs — what each project actually costs you versus what it earns — busy and profitable start to look the same. They aren't.

QuickBooks has a job costing feature that shows you exactly what each project made. I set it up for Maine contractors so that by the end of summer you know which jobs were worth taking — and which ones to price differently next year.

I'm Heather McAfee, a QuickBooks ProAdvisor based in Auburn, Maine.
https://mcafeesbookkeeping.com

06/12/2026

If you own rental property in Maine — a duplex, a single-family, a camp you rent out seasonally — you’re running a small business whether you think of yourself that way or not.

Rent comes in. Expenses go out. Repairs happen. Property taxes are due. And at the end of the year, someone has to account for all of it.

Most small landlords track their rental finances loosely. A bank account where rent gets deposited. A folder of receipts that may or may not be complete. A rough sense of whether the property is cash-flowing.

Our latest blog post is for Maine landlords who are ready to move from loose to clean — covering what to track, why depreciation matters, and how QuickBooks can simplify the whole thing.

Clean books don’t just help at tax time. They tell you whether your property is actually performing.

Maine landlords: are you tracking the right things? This guide covers rental income, deductible expenses, depreciation, and how QuickBooks can simplify your property finances.

06/10/2026

I want to talk about something that comes up often - mixing business and personal finances.

The rental income goes into the personal checking account. Job payments get deposited wherever. Supplies get bought on the personal debit card. Materials go on the personal credit card.

And then tax time comes and everything is mixed together — business and personal — and the process of untangling it is painful, time-consuming, and almost always means missed deductions.

I completely understand how it happens. When you're a solo contractor, a vacation rental host, or a small landlord, the lines between "the business" and "you" can feel pretty blurry. You are the business.

But here's what the mixing actually costs you: missed deductions that you can't document, hours of your time at tax prep, a much harder time seeing whether your business is actually profitable, and a real headache if you're ever audited.

A dedicated business checking account takes about 15 minutes to open. It's one of the single highest-return things you can do for your financial clarity.

Has mixing personal and business finances ever come back to bite you? I'd love to hear in the comments — it's more common than people admit.

06/08/2026

June bookings are in. The calendar is full. You've got guests checking in every few days and the rental is running exactly like you hoped it would.

So why does it feel like you never really know where you stand financially?

Here's what I see most often with Maine vacation rental hosts: the income looks good on the surface — Airbnb payouts, VRBO deposits, direct bookings. But the expenses are scattered. Platform fees here. Cleaning costs there. Supplies, repairs, lodging tax — sometimes tracked, sometimes not.

By September you've had your best season ever — and no real idea what it actually netted after everything.

Clean books don't slow you down during the season. They just mean that when August comes, you know exactly where you stand. You can see your real margin — not just your gross payouts.

That's what I help Maine STR hosts set up.

Free consultation at mcafeesbookkeeping.com

06/05/2026

My furry coworker claimed the window spot. She looks so comfy and cute I decided not to argue.

06/05/2026

Maine vacation rental hosts — June is here and peak season is officially underway.

Before the summer gets away from you, it’s worth asking: do you actually know where your rental finances stand heading into your busiest months?

Not just “the bookings look good” — but the real picture. What did spring actually earn? What are platform fees and cleaning costs running? Is lodging tax being tracked correctly?

Our latest blog post covers what every Maine STR host should review at the start of peak season — from Airbnb payout tracking to running your first Profit & Loss report.

The hosts who know their numbers make better decisions all season long.

Maine STR hosts: before peak season gets away from you, here's what your rental finances should look like in June — from lodging tax to Airbnb payout tracking.

06/04/2026

Business owner check out these monthly events! This will be great networking!

🚨 CENTRAL MAINE… THIS IS BIG. 🚨

What if there was one place where you could meet trusted local businesses, discover new services, make valuable connections, enjoy great food and drinks, win prizes, and support our local community?

Now there is.

Introducing the Business Showcase Series at Apple Valley Golf Course & Hoppers!

Over the next 12 months, we’ll be bringing together businesses and community members through 12 unique industry-focused events designed to connect people with the products, services, and professionals they’re looking for.

🎭 Entertainment
💰 Financial Services
🔨 Contractors
🛍 Retail & Specialty
💼 Business Services
💪 Health & Wellness
🏡 Home Services
📣 Marketing
🍽 Hospitality

…and much more!

Whether you’re:

✅ A homeowner looking for trusted professionals
✅ A business owner looking to grow
✅ A family planning for the future
✅ Someone who loves supporting local businesses
✅ Looking to make new connections

This series was built for YOU.

Every event is:

🎟 FREE TO ATTEND
🤝 Open to the Public
🎁 Packed with Door Prizes & Giveaways
🍔 Great Food & Cold Drinks
📍 Hosted at Apple Valley Golf Course & Hoppers

A huge thank you to our partners at BNI Maine and WGME for helping bring this vision to life.

This isn’t just another networking event.

This is a community event.

This is a business event.

This is a place where relationships are built, opportunities are created, and local businesses thrive.

Take a look at the schedule and tell us…

👇 Which month are YOU most excited about and why?

Tag a business, friend, homeowner, entrepreneur, or family member who should see this!



🔥 COMMENT BELOW: If you could only attend ONE showcase this year, which month would it be? 👇👇👇

06/03/2026

Can I be honest about something I hear pretty often?

A contractor finishes a busy May, lots of jobs, crew working, invoices out — and then sits down in mid-July and realizes the month didn't actually go the way they thought. Materials cost more than expected. A job ran long. The numbers just didn't land where they should have.

Same thing happens with vacation rental hosts. Great occupancy in June, guests happy, calendar full — and then August rolls around and there's a vague sense that it should have been more profitable than it was.

And landlords too. Rent came in, expenses went out — but where did it all actually go?

This is one of the most common things I see. And it almost always comes down to the same thing: the books aren't being kept current, so there's no real-time picture of how the business is performing.

When your books are reconciled monthly, you know how June went in June — not in August. That changes everything about how you make decisions.

Does this one hit close to home? Drop a comment — I think a lot of business owners feel this way and don't talk about it.

06/01/2026

June hits fast in Maine.

One week you're wrapping up spring projects. The next you've got three jobs running at once, a crew to manage, materials to order, and invoices piling up on the seat of your truck.

Bookkeeping? It moves to the back burner. Every time.

The problem is that by October — when things slow down and you finally have time to look at the numbers — you're three months behind and heading into the off-season without a clear picture of what the summer actually earned you.

I work with Maine contractors to keep books current through the busy season, not just cleaned up after it. Monthly reconciliation, clean expense tracking, and a clear profit picture — even when you're too busy to think about it.

If summer is already feeling full, now is a good time to talk.

Free consultation, no pressure.
📍 Auburn, Maine │ Remote services statewide
🔗 mcafeesbookkeeping.com