Sutton Smith, the 21-year-old entrepreneur known for turning LA Airsoft into a multimillion-dollar e-commerce operation, is taking his expertise to new heights. His latest venture, Flow Keeping, is set to transform the way small businesses manage their finances. Combining full-service bookkeeping with innovative software integration, Flow Keeping is tailored to meet the unique needs of small businesses and e-commerce entrepreneurs. With a soft launch planned for Q2 2025 and a hard launch in Q3 2025, Flow Keeping is already making waves in the financial tech space.
Bridging the Gap Between Financial Data and Business Insights
Flow Keeping isn’t just another bookkeeping service—it’s a comprehensive financial dashboard designed to address the inefficiencies many small businesses face. The platform integrates real-time financial data from tools like Xero and QuickBooks with selling channel data from platforms like Shopify and Amazon. By centralizing this data into one platform—alongside bank account data and payment processors—Flow Keeping gives businesses access to real-time analytics and live financial overviews, eliminating the delays and manual exchanges typical of traditional bookkeeping systems.
Most small businesses operate on cash-basis accounting, which can obscure the true financial health of the business,” Sutton explains. “Flow Keeping bridges that gap by providing both a tax-optimized view (net income) and a real-time operational view (operating income). By taking the Cost of Goods data from selling channels and backing into the actual COGS number, Flow Keeping allows businesses to see their operating income as their real net income, while their net income remains lower due to the ability to expense inventory purchases immediately—since they operate on a cash basis of accounting.”
For instance, during LA Airsoft’s busiest seasons, Sutton experienced firsthand the challenges of reconciling inventory purchases and cost of goods sold (COGS). Under traditional cash accounting, inventory purchases are expensed immediately, often skewing financial reports. Flow Keeping addresses this by categorizing purchases and pulling in sales data in real time, enabling users to distinguish between operating income acting as “real net income,” and net income acting as their taxable income. This approach provides clarity and actionable insights, empowering business owners to make informed decisions.
Development and Features
Flow Keeping’s development is well underway, with API integration through Quickbooks, Xero, Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, and others. The platform’s AI-driven dashboard is designed to provide tailored insights, helping small businesses make better financial decisions. Sutton has also prioritized hiring top talent, including experienced bookkeepers and a specialized web development team with expertise in UI/UX design and API integration, ensuring that Flow Keeping delivers both accuracy and value.
The platform’s features include:
- Real-time Data Integration: Combines sales data, accounting data, and banking data from tools like Shopify, Xero, QuickBooks, and payment processors, providing a unified and live view of a business’s financial health while eliminating manual entry and back-and-forth communication.
- Streamlined Reconciliations: Simplifies the reconciliation process, saving time and reducing errors.
- Actionable Insights: Offers detailed financial overviews, helping businesses identify growth opportunities and optimize operations.
Strategic Launch Plan
Sutton’s strategy for Flow Keeping’s launch is as meticulous as its design. Starting with a soft launch in Q2 of 2025, the platform will onboard a select group of businesses, many of which have personal connections to Sutton. This phase will focus on gathering feedback, refining features, and addressing any operational kinks.
“We want to ensure Flow Keeping delivers real value before scaling,” Sutton says. “The hard launch in Q3 will be our opportunity to reach a broader market with a polished and proven product.”
To support the launch, Flow Keeping has established a strong presence on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. These channels will serve as hubs for customer engagement and education, while targeted Google Ads campaigns will drive traffic to the platform’s website.
Lessons from LA Airsoft
Sutton’s experience with LA Airsoft has been instrumental in shaping Flow Keeping. From building a decentralized team to scaling operations during peak seasons, he’s applied the lessons learned from e-commerce to his new venture. This entrepreneurial journey highlights the importance of identifying inefficiencies and turning them into opportunities for innovation.
Looking Ahead
As Flow Keeping prepares for its hard launch, Sutton’s vision remains clear: to empower small businesses with tools and insights that simplify financial management and drive growth. With its unique combination of full-service bookkeeping and cutting-edge technology, Flow Keeping is poised to become an indispensable resource for small business owners.
To stay updated on Flow Keeping’s progress or learn more about Sutton’s entrepreneurial journey, visit flowkeeping.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.
