How Much Does It Cost to Make a Donut
A Business Book for People Who'd Rather Not Read One
This isn’t accounting theory. And it’s not a how-to guide for spreadsheets. It’s the book every business owner wishes they had before they started making financial decisions in the dark.
Through the lens of a fictional donut shop, this book walks readers through five years of growth—from concept to operations to financial turning points—without ever getting buried in jargon, debits, or textbook math.
Each chapter introduces a real business challenge and the accounting logic behind how to solve it. It’s not about doing the accounting. It’s about understanding how it works—so decisions get better, not just bigger.
If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or just someone who wants to learn what the numbers actually mean, this book was written for you.
Quotes
“This book presents accounting concepts in an entertaining and engaging storytelling format. It provides pragmatic, real world applications that will make it easy for any accountant or non-accountant to communicate accounting concepts that are important for business owners to understand.”
J. Michael McGuire, CPA – CEO Emeritus, Grant Thornton, LLP
“Cass takes the complex subject of accounting and turns it on its head. A masterful story of how to be an effective scorekeeper is woven into a wonderful series of entrepreneurial sagas that can be translated into any business setting.”
Chuck Bamford, Ph.D – Adjunct Professor Duke University & University of Notre Dame/Author of The Strategy Mindset 2.0
“Spending my career in the middle of accounting technology, accountants ,and everyone else, there needed to be a book to help everyone talk the same language and get stuff done… this book does that!”
Chris Elmore – AvidXchange Evangelist and Co-Founder
“Let’s face it, accounting is intimidating and not the skill that many entrepreneurs have mastered, yet it is a vital tool for starting, running, and growing a successful business. How Much Does it Cost to Make a Donut does a masterful job of making a complex subject seem easy. This is a must read for every business owner, manager, or aspiring entrepreneur.”
Louis J. Foreman, Founder & CEO of Enventys Partners
See the Numbers Behind the Donut
Download the financial model and interactive worksheet that bring the book’s lessons into your business.
