1. Money leak scan

Small business money

Find the money your business is leaking

Fees nobody reads, contracts that renew themselves, audit bills that were never checked and invoices that stopped being chased. Here is where each one hides, and a free scan if you would rather we look.

What is a money leak scan?

A money leak scan is a free review of the statements, contracts and bills a small business already has, to find fees it is overpaying, contracts about to renew on bad terms, audit bills worth disputing and money it is owed but has not collected. You send exports, not logins, and get back a written list of each item, what it looks to be worth and which deadlines are still open.

The 6 places small businesses leak money

LeakWhere it shows upDeadlineWho acts
Card and payment processing feesMonthly processor statementOngoing; contract notice windowsYou, with your processor
Contracts that auto-renew or charge to leaveSigned agreements and renewal emailsThe notice window in each contractYou
Insurance premium audit billsWorkers' comp, WSIB and general liability auditsDispute window on the audit noticeYou and your broker
Lead platform charges and creditsAngi, Thumbtack and Google Local Services Ads billingEach platform's credit request windowYou
Money you are owed but have not collectedAged receivables, holdback and retainageLien and collection limits by jurisdictionYou
Tax money left on the tableSales tax returns, HST/GST filings and payrollUsually a multi-year lookbackYour accountant files

Card and payment processing fees

Processing is usually the largest fee line a small business never reads. The leaks are specific: monthly and annual fees added after signup, PCI non-compliance charges for a questionnaire nobody filed, a percentage charged on ACH payments that could be capped, and a markup that crept up without a rate change you agreed to.

Start with the published rates for 15 providers, then compare them with your own effective rate. If you take large payments, how you accept cards matters as much as who processes them.

Contracts that auto-renew or charge to leave

Merchant services, waste hauling, copier leases, software and lead platforms often renew automatically, and some carry early termination fees that only show up when you try to leave. The money is saved before the renewal date, not after it.

The scan lists every contract we can see, its renewal date and its notice window, so a cancellation lands in time. Two of the most common exits are covered already: leaving an Angi contract and cancelling QuickBooks.

Insurance premium audit bills

Year-end premium audits can bill thousands more than the policy quoted, often for payroll in the wrong class or for subcontractors the auditor counted as employees because no certificate was on file. Those are rule-based errors with a dispute process, not a negotiation.

We check the audit worksheet against your payroll and subcontractor records and list what looks disputable, and your broker files. Keeping subcontractor insurance certificates on file is what prevents the most expensive version next year.

Lead platform charges and credits

Pay-per-lead platforms charge for leads that were wrong numbers, out of area or not the service you offer, and each one has a short window to request a credit. Credits that are never requested are simply kept.

The scan lines up your lead charges with what each lead actually was, and lists the ones still inside their window. The process for disputing a bad lead is the same shape on every platform.

Money you are owed but have not collected

Late invoices, short-paid invoices and holdback that was never released are money already earned. The deadline that matters most is often a lien deadline, which can run out while an invoice is still being politely chased.

We sort what is owed by age and by the deadline that protects it, using the lien deadlines for 54 states and provinces. For invoices that are simply slow, start with getting paid faster and what to do when a customer won't pay.

Tax money left on the table

Missed HST/GST input tax credits, credits a business qualified for but never claimed, and sales tax paid twice are among the few leaks where money comes back for past years. These are also the items where a wrong claim costs more than no claim.

We flag what looks worth a closer look and hand your accountant a list with the evidence attached. We do not prepare or file returns.

How a leak scan works

  1. Step 1

    Tell us what you use

    Your business type, processor, the main contracts and platforms you pay for, and anything on a statement that looked off.

  2. Step 2

    Send exports, not logins

    Statements, invoices, audit notices and CSV exports. We never ask for passwords or card data.

  3. Step 3

    Get a written list

    Each item we found, what it looks to be worth, the deadline that applies and who acts on it.

  4. Step 4

    Decide what to do

    Act on the list yourself, hand the tax and insurance items to your accountant or broker, or ask us to help with the rest.

Free leak scan

Find out what your business is leaking

Send exports, not logins: processor statements, contracts, audit notices and aged receivables. We return a written list of what looks recoverable or avoidable, what each item is worth and which deadlines are still open. Tax and insurance items go to your accountant or broker to file.

Request a free leak scan

Frequently asked questions

What is a money leak scan?
A free review of the statements, contracts and bills a small business already has, to find fees it overpays, contracts about to renew on bad terms, audit bills worth disputing and money it is owed. You get a written list of each item, what it looks to be worth and the deadline that applies.
Do you need my logins or card numbers?
No. We work from exports and documents you send: processor statements, contracts, audit notices, invoices and CSV files. We never ask for passwords or card data.
Who is the scan for?
Small businesses in Canada and the US with the usual money trail: card payments, a few recurring contracts, insurance with a year-end audit, and customers who pay on invoice. Restaurants and salons have their own versions at /restaurants and /salons.
Do you file tax or insurance claims for me?
No. For tax and insurance items we flag what looks worth a closer look and give your accountant or broker the evidence, and they file. We are not accountants, lawyers or insurance brokers.
How long does it take?
A person replies within one business day to say what we need. How long the review takes depends on how many documents there are, and we tell you before we start.