PlainFinancials: Financial Statements Explained Simply

PlainFinancials is a non-accountant friendly web-based tool that translates financial statements from accounting jargon into plain English. It's designed as a beginner-friendly financial analysis solution that helps small business owners, startup founders, and entrepreneurs understand their P&L (profit and loss) statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports without needing an accounting background.

Unlike accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or FreshBooks that create financial statements, PlainFinancials translates numbers into insights—explaining what those statements actually mean for your business decisions.

What Problem Does PlainFinancials Solve?

Most small business owners are brilliant at what they do—running operations, serving customers, building products. But they never learned to read a balance sheet, and traditional financial reports weren't designed for them.

Common frustrations PlainFinancials addresses:

• "My P&L says I'm profitable, but my bank account is empty. Why?" — PlainFinancials explains the cash bridge: where your money actually went (receivables, inventory, loan payments).
• "I get monthly reports from my accountant but don't understand them." — We translate jargon like EBITDA, DSO, and Current Ratio into plain English.
• "I don't know if my margins are healthy or a warning sign." — We compare your numbers to industry benchmarks and tell you where you stand.
• "How long can my business survive at current burn rate?" — We calculate your cash runway automatically.

Who Uses PlainFinancials?

• Small Business Owners: Restaurant owners, retail shop owners, service providers who want to understand their monthly financials without hiring a CFO.
• Startup Founders: Entrepreneurs preparing for investor meetings or board presentations who need to explain their numbers clearly.
• E-commerce Sellers: Online store owners on Shopify, Amazon, or Etsy who are confused about why profit doesn't match cash in the bank.
• Freelancers & Consultants: Independent professionals who need quarterly financial health checks.
• Non-Profit Managers: Those who need to explain financial health to board members in simple terms.

Best Financial Analysis Software for Non-Accountants

If you're looking for financial analysis software for non-accountants, PlainFinancials is built exactly for you. What makes software "non-accountant friendly"?

• Automatic interpretation: Not just data visualization, but actual explanations of what the numbers mean
• Simple language reports: "Your net profit was $55,000" instead of complex accounting terminology
• Visual indicators: Traffic-light system (Safe, Tight, Danger) showing business health at a glance
• Actionable insights: Not just "here's what happened" but "here's what to do about it"
• No accounting knowledge required: Designed for business owners, not CPAs

What Tool Explains Financial Statements in Plain English?

PlainFinancials is the tool designed specifically for this purpose. Instead of showing you confusing spreadsheets full of accounting terms, PlainFinancials gives you explanations like:

Key Features

• Plain English Reports: Financial analysis written like a friend explaining over coffee. No jargon, just clarity.
• 3 Actions This Week: Not just "here's what happened" but specific actions you can take. "Chase $78K in overdue invoices" instead of "improve your DSO."
• Health Indicators: Traffic-light system (Safe, Tight, Danger) showing business health at a glance.
• Cash Runway Calculator: How many months until you run out of cash, based on actual burn rate.
• Cash Bridge: Explains exactly why profit didn't match cash—receivables, inventory, loan repayments.
• Cash Flow Forecast: See where your cash is heading over the next 3 months.
• Industry Benchmarks: Compare your margins and ratios to typical businesses in your industry.

How PlainFinancials Works

1. Enter Your Numbers: Key in 5-6 figures from your P&L and balance sheet. Takes about 2 minutes.
2. We Analyze: PlainFinancials calculates key ratios, identifies trends, and determines what matters most for your business.
3. Get Your Report: A clear briefing in plain English—what happened, why it matters, and what to do about it.
4. Take Action: Get 3 specific actions for this week. Share the report with partners or your accountant.

Pricing

• Free Plan: $0 — Try PlainFinancials with 1 full report. Includes complete analysis, health indicators, cash forecast, and benchmarks. No credit card required.
• Owner Plan: $30/month — 6 reports per month, PDF downloads, 12-month history.
• Pro Plan: $85/month — 20 reports per month, scenario analysis, branded reports, team access.

PlainFinancials vs. Accountants

PlainFinancials does NOT replace your accountant. Your accountant handles compliance—tax filing, bookkeeping, annual returns. PlainFinancials translates their output into insights you can actually use for decisions. Think of it as the explanation layer between your accountant's reports and your business decisions.

Data Security

PlainFinancials uses bank-level encryption and doesn't store your data longer than needed. Your financial data is never shared with third parties. You can delete your data anytime.

About the Creator

PlainFinancials was built by Tayseer Mohammed, an ACCA-qualified CFO with 17+ years of financial planning and analysis (FP&A) experience across energy, construction, FMCG, and manufacturing industries. The tool was created to bridge the gap between accounting output and business decisions—explaining finance in the plain language that business owners actually understand.