BeanSquad - Franchisee Profile - Steve Bjorkman - The UPS Store - 1851 Franchise

Franchisee Spotlight: How One Boise UPS Store Owner Keeps a Growing Operation Financially Organized

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BeanSquad Gave This ScentHound Franchisee the Financial Clarity to Scale With Confidence

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After buying his first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theupsstorefranchise.com/">The UPS Store</a> in 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-bjorkman/">Steve Bjorkman</a> grew his footprint in the Boise, Idaho, market at a steady clip. Before long, he was managing multiple locations, and the business looked very different from the one he started with. Growth brought opportunity, but it also brought more complexity, especially when it came to the numbers behind the operation.The shift came as the business moved from a single-store operation to a much more layered one. More locations meant more accounts, more reporting and more decisions tied to timely financial information, all at a point when Bjorkman’s attention was needed elsewhere in the business.“I did the books myself for the first store. I know how to do it, but it just became a time thing,” Bjorkman said. “Once we got to three stores, I just could not keep up with everything. There is no way, as a six-store owner, I could even attempt to do the books myself. My time is better spent working on the business or in the business, depending on the day.”<h2>Finding the Right Financial Partner</h2>That pressure led him to look for outside support, though not without some trial and error. After a poor experience with another bookkeeping provider, Bjorkman was referred to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mcobookkeeping.com/">MCO Bookkeeping</a> through another franchisee. MCO Bookkeeping is a specialized brand owned by&nbsp;<a href="https://beansquad.com/">BeanSquad</a> and built specifically to serve The UPS Store franchisees. While&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/info">BeanSquad</a> provides bookkeeping support across the broader franchise space, MCO Bookkeeping focuses on the needs of The UPS Store owners, giving Bjorkman access to a service designed around his business model.That shared structure mattered less to him than the practical results. What stood out was accuracy, responsiveness and a communication system that made it easier to manage questions across multiple locations without creating even more work on his end.“The portal is extremely efficient for communication. I can post a question, get a response quickly and have a record of the back-and-forth,” Bjorkman said. “Anytime I have a question or want to talk to somebody, it is very easy to get someone on the phone, and they are very knowledgeable. Of all the vendors I use with The UPS Store, I would say MCO, or BeanSquad, is one of my favorites.”<h2>Better Reporting, Better Decisions</h2>For Bjorkman, the value of that support goes beyond getting the books done each month. Clean, organized financials have given him better visibility into how the business is performing and where changes can make the biggest difference. That has been especially important as he has worked to improve margins across stores and use financial reporting as a tool for decision-making rather than just recordkeeping.“They do reports in addition to the P&amp;Ls, with some analysis, trending and things like that, and that has given me more of a monthly rhythm,” Bjorkman said. “Without MCO Bookkeeping, I would not have the right data to make adjustments. As a UPS Store owner, gross margin is probably one of the most important financial metrics there is. I’ve had a couple of stores where I’ve been able to improve the gross margin from the high 50s to the low 60s. I want to get to 65. Without these regular reports and all the data I get from MCO, it would be really hard for me to do that.”That kind of visibility has also helped him uncover opportunities that might have been harder to spot otherwise. In one case, better reporting led Bjorkman and his team to rethink inventory management across the business. They centralized inventory for all stores and added a small warehouse, a move he said helped them reduce costs and operate more efficiently. For a multi-unit owner, that is where bookkeeping shifts from an administrative function to a growth tool.<h2>Making Scale More Manageable</h2>The biggest benefit, though, may be the way outsourced bookkeeping has changed Bjorkman’s role as an owner. With confidence in the numbers and trust in the team supporting them, he has been able to spend less time buried in financial tasks and more time focusing on strategy, operations and the bigger picture of how the business grows.“Bookkeeping is very important, but it is not the most valuable way for me to spend my time,” Bjorkman said. “I trust what they are producing is accurate, so I can focus on higher-value things. I am working on my business much more now than in it. Long term, that is how I see MCO Bookkeeping helping me. I can have really good data and great reporting so I know what I need to do from a business standpoint with very little effort on my end.”That kind of operational clarity becomes even more important as franchisees add units and complexity increases. Multi-unit growth depends on more than strong sales. It also depends on clean financials, consistent reporting and reliable systems that give owners confidence in what they are seeing. For Bjorkman, that support has helped turn bookkeeping into something more useful than a back-office necessity. It has become part of the infrastructure that helps him scale with more discipline.To learn more about BeanSquad's bookkeeping services for franchises, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad">https://1851franchise.com/beansquad</a>.

As his UPS Store portfolio expanded in the Boise area, Steve Bjorkman needed cleaner financial visibility, stronger reporting and more time to focus on the business.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://beansquad.com/services-franchise/">BeanSquad</a>, the financial services provider specializing in bookkeeping, compliance and KPI-driven advisory for franchise systems and multi-unit operators, is celebrating strong momentum in the first quarter of 2026.&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/beansquad-2025-year-end-recap-2026-growth-vision-2731165#stories">Building on a “momentous” 2025</a>, the company added approximately 75 to 80 new clients in Q1 while continuing to refine its service model and expand into new industries.“It’s been an interesting quarter,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegreenblatt/">Mike Greenblatt</a>, partner and senior vice president of business development and strategic growth. “We are ever-evolving to keep up with technology and the current marketplace. Our focus this quarter has been to better serve our clients. Our job is to understand the industry's needs. There is always a need, whether you want financial statements or financial services.”<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/info">BeanSquad’s</a> steady growth aligns with its consistent monthly client acquisition pace, bringing in approximately 25 new clients per month. That sustained performance reflects both the strength of its existing franchise relationships and its ability to attract new business across a broader range of industries.A key driver of that demand has been BeanSquad’s active presence at major industry events, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.franchise.org/annual-convention/">International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.multiunitfranchisingconference.com/">Multi-Unit Franchising Conference (MUC)</a>.“We just got back from IFA and MUC,” Greenblatt said. “There is definitely a need for reliable financial information, and we are one of the leading firms to meet that need. It is our job to land those clients. Those conferences were great. It’s been great to see how strong the need is for what we do.”As BeanSquad scales, the team is rethinking how they deliver value. They are moving away from just checking boxes with traditional bookkeeping and toward a more hands-on, performance-driven partnership. By collaborating closely with their clients, BeanSquad is helping franchisees and operators dig deeper than surface-level reports to find what really moves the needle.“We always want to ensure the conversation shifts from P&amp;L to profitability,” Greenblatt said. “If I am just looking at your P&amp;L, I am typically not doing enough. We need to understand your KPIs, your margins, what makes your business tick. We want to focus on that.”After a standout year where the firm grew to nearly 1,000 clients, BeanSquad is using this first quarter as a springboard. By leaning into the high demand across franchising and related fields, the team remains focused on growing the firm’s client base and proving its value as a trusted financial ally.“Our focus continues to be on understanding the industry and delivering what our clients actually need,” Greenblatt said. “That’s where the opportunity is, and that’s what will continue to drive our growth.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad">https://1851franchise.com/beansquad</a>.ABOUT BEANSQUAD:BeanSquad is the premier financial services provider built exclusively for the franchise industry. Founded in 2019 by industry veterans Lance Diamond, Mike Greenblatt, Bruce Patz and Henry Uy, BeanSquad delivers scalable, franchise-specific bookkeeping, compliance, KPI analytics and advisory solutions. With a client roster that includes top brands like Dunkin’, Subway, The UPS Store and Cold Stone Creamery, BeanSquad supports over 100 franchise systems and is redefining what financial clarity looks like in franchising. Through exclusive partnerships, affordable pricing and proven results, BeanSquad empowers franchisors and franchisees to streamline operations, drive growth and stay focused on what matters most — running their businesses. Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.beansquad.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=beansquad-2025-year-end-recap-2026-growth-vision-2731165">www.beansquad.com</a>.

The franchise-focused financial services company continues to scale thanks to profitability-driven insights, strategic partnerships and growing demand across industries.

BeanSquad Reports Strong Q1 2026 Growth, Adding Nearly 80 Clients and Expanding Industry Reach

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For franchisors, the end of the first quarter is more than just another date on the calendar; it is a defining moment that sets the pace for the months ahead. Brands that use this window wisely step into Q2 with a clear sense of direction and confidence. Those who let it slip by often find themselves wrestling with incomplete data and inconsistent reporting, facing financial blind spots that can quickly stall their momentum.At the center of that equation is one critical decision: choosing the right financial partner.“It has to align with what you are looking for,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegreenblatt/">Mike Greenblatt</a>, partner and senior vice president of business development and strategic growth at&nbsp;<a href="https://beansquad.com/">BeanSquad</a>. “You want to make sure, from a financial standpoint, especially in franchising, that you are working with a partner that understands how you operate.”<h2>Why Q1 Sets the Foundation for the Year</h2>By the end of Q1,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/beansquad-last-call-clean-books-franchise-tax-season-2731466">franchisors should have a clear understanding of their system-wide performance</a>: what’s working, what’s not and where growth opportunities exist. This includes clean financial reporting across locations, accurate benchmarking and the ability to identify trends early.That kind of clarity doesn’t just happen. Franchise systems are naturally complex, juggling royalty structures, sales tax duties and compliance needs across many different owners. Managing those moving parts requires more than a standard accounting approach; it needs a specialist who knows the industry inside and out.“You have an obligation to the franchise concept itself,” Greenblatt said. “There are sales tax obligations, there are avenues towards success and there are avenues towards commoditization. Sometimes the cheapest option is not the best option.”Too often, franchisors or franchisees opt for low-cost accounting solutions that lack the franchise-specific expertise needed. While it may save money upfront, it can create costly inconsistencies later — especially when it comes to reporting, compliance and growth planning.<h2>Clean Data, Clear Growth Strategy</h2>For franchisors, Q1 is the time to validate that their financial house is in order. “Franchisors want to ensure that the books are done the right way, with a clear line toward growth,” Greenblatt said. “They want visibility into whether the books are managed the right way. You can use it to better sell your product line.”Keeping things consistent across the board is vital for a few reasons. For starters, it lets franchisors see exactly how each location is performing and spot the real winners. Beyond that, having solid, reliable numbers makes it much easier to tell a convincing story to potential new franchisees, showing them exactly what the brand is capable of.While franchisors benefit from system-wide visibility, franchisees also gain a significant advantage from clean, structured financials, especially early in the year. “From a franchisee perspective, you want clean books to make better operational decisions towards profitability,” Greenblatt said.When franchisees understand their numbers, they can make smarter decisions about staffing, marketing and day-to-day operations. This not only improves unit-level performance but also strengthens the overall brand.And perhaps most importantly, it ensures that franchisors are building toward one of the most critical documents in franchising:&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/understanding-the-franchise-disclosure-document-whats-inside-and-why-it-matters-2729366">the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)</a>.<h2>The FDD Advantage: Why Accuracy Matters</h2>A clean, accurate FDD is one of the most powerful tools a franchisor has — but it is only as strong as the financial data behind it.Without standardized, reliable financials across the system, franchisors risk inconsistencies that can raise red flags during validation, slow development or even create compliance issues. On the flip side, a well-structured financial foundation allows brands to present credible performance representations that support franchise sales.<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/info">BeanSquad</a> plays a critical role in this process by ensuring that financials are not only accurate but also aligned across the system. By standardizing bookkeeping practices, managing compliance reporting and supporting revenue recognition, the firm helps franchisors build FDDs with confidence.<h2>Beyond Bookkeeping: A Strategic Growth Partner</h2>What separates BeanSquad is its ability to go beyond basic accounting and serve as a true financial partner for franchise systems.While traditional bookkeepers focus on recording transactions,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/franchise-financial-health-check-beansquads-diagnostic-approach-to-bookkeeping-2730207">BeanSquad takes a diagnostic approach</a>. “We understand what the books look like so we can best support you,” Greenblatt said. “Working with a franchise expert in the accounting space, we understand how franchisors and franchisees think.”This franchise-first mindset allows BeanSquad to act as a bridge between franchisor and franchisee, ensuring consistency across the system while also empowering individual operators.From analyzing KPIs and identifying profitability drivers to ensuring compliance with royalty reporting and financial submissions, BeanSquad helps franchisors turn financial data into actionable strategies.<h2>Start Strong to Finish Strong</h2>As franchisors wrap up the first quarter, the real goal is to look past the spreadsheets and understand what the numbers are actually saying about where the business is headed. That takes a partner who lives and breathes franchising—someone who keeps every location in sync and helps turn raw data into a practical roadmap for the rest of the year.“It’s about finding that middle ground,” Greenblatt said. “That is the challenge and the opportunity.”With the right financial partner in place, franchisors can move forward with confidence — knowing their foundation is solid, their data is clean and their system is positioned to grow. Because in franchising, how you start the year often determines how far you can go.To learn more about BeanSquad's bookkeeping services for franchises, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad">https://1851franchise.com/beansquad</a>.

As the first quarter closes, franchisors must move beyond basic bookkeeping and ensure their financial foundation is aligned for growth.

Why Franchisors Need the Right Financial Partner by the End of Q1

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The calendar reads mid-February and for franchise owners, that date carries weight. In only a few weeks, the window for a relatively smooth tax season begins to close. By March 1, many CPAs stop taking on new files and start preparing extensions.&nbsp;For franchisees and franchisors alike, mid-February is often the last real opportunity to turn a year of transactions into a clear financial picture.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegreenblatt/">Mike Greenblatt</a>, vice president of operations and strategic growth at&nbsp;<a href="https://beansquad.com/services-franchise/">BeanSquad</a> — the financial services company that delivers outsourced bookkeeping and compliance support for franchises — said he sees the same pattern year after year. Waiting doesn’t just create stress; it can wind up being costly, too.<h2>The Hidden Costs of Waiting</h2>Some operators believe they can hand everything to their CPA at the end of the year and let them sort it out while preparing the return. Greenblatt said that approach often leads to higher bills and weaker results. When CPAs are buried during peak season, even routine cleanup work can come with premium hourly rates.“If you’re working directly with just your CPA, they revel in this opportunity to charge you their hourly rate and throw journal entries in so they can run a tax return for you that may not even be that accurate,” Greenblatt said. “If you don’t handle your bookkeeping on a monthly basis, even at worst quarterly, and you wait until the end of the year, you’re going to cost yourself an arm and a leg. A CPA can charge you hundreds of dollars an hour just to get your books cleaned up for the year. And that’s a lot more expensive than a monthly bookkeeping cost.”Accuracy tends to be an issue under such circumstances, too. Compressing 12 months of activity into a short window increases the likelihood of mistakes. If revenue isn’t properly categorized, a CPA may treat every deposit as income. That can mean paying taxes on money that’s not even actual profit.<h2>Systemwide Consequences</h2>In franchising, the impact of disorganized books doesn’t just stop at a single location. Weak or incomplete data can affect the system as a whole. Franchisors depend on accurate financial reporting, which helps build dependable Item 19 disclosures in the Franchise Disclosure Document while providing benchmarking information across the network.When regular financial submissions aren’t required, the franchisor may lack visibility into what’s actually happening on the ground. Greenblatt said some brands lean heavily into point-of-sale data, which may capture sales but fails to paint the full financial picture.“Item 19s are incredibly important to a franchise concept, right? If they have a proper Item 19, it allows them to sell more. But I talked to a lot of different concepts where they never required financial submission. Which means they may have been making a lot of assumptions,” Greenblatt said. “So, being disorganized can create a lot of ripple effects.”Without reliable data, measuring true profitability becomes more difficult. It can also stall growth. Plus, lenders typically require clean, reconciled profit-and-loss statements and balance sheets before even considering potential financing. If those documents aren’t in order, expansion plans may fall to the back burner.<h2>Bookkeeping vs. Tax Preparation</h2>Bookkeeping and tax preparation aren’t the same function, and the misunderstanding of these roles can create problems. Greenblatt said&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad/info">BeanSquad’s</a> focus is on preparation: reconciling bank accounts, organizing balance sheets and properly categorizing profit-and-loss statements.That groundwork allows a CPA to step in with a cleaner financial package, but timing matters too. Even the most efficient cleanup team depends on the information an owner provides and the timeline in which it’s provided.“Last-minute cleanups are only as messy as the information presented to you,” Greenblatt said. “At the end of the year, we’re at the disposal of the access points our clients give us. However, there’s a much shorter deadline we can play with.”<h2>Using Data as a Compass</h2>For Greenblatt, the urgency around March isn’t just about meeting IRS deadlines. It’s about giving operators better visibility into their business before the year gets going. Too many franchise owners rely on bank account accounting: judging performance by whether there’s money in the account.Still, that mindset can be misleading. Without financial statements that are actually reliable, owners lose the ability to run a meaningful gap analysis, which can make it difficult to properly assess how actual results compare with expectations.“You don’t want to look up and say, ‘I’m making money and I have more than I did at the start of the year,’ and think that means you’re succeeding,” Greenblatt said. “If I’m supposed to be at a 22% bottom line and I’m at 4%, sure, technically, I made money. But I’m off by 18%! So, I should want to know why.”Cleaning up the books now allows operators to review seasonality, identify trends and adjust course for the months ahead, enhancing the odds of successfully scaling a business.“The financial facts give you the foresight to make proper decisions,” Greenblatt said. “It’s taking what’s happening operationally, what you see with your eyes, and what’s on paper. Then it’s putting them together to make operational decisions that truly impact your business.”To learn more about BeanSquad's bookkeeping services for franchises, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/beansquad">https://1851franchise.com/beansquad</a>.

BeanSquad VP Mike Greenblatt breaks down why disorganized financials do more than just stress out accountants; they actively drain profit through high cleanup fees and missed deductions.