Minding My Business: Bookkeeping

For those of us trying to figure out how to look at the numbers of our business and make sense of them. If you have questions like the ones below, but do not want to embark on a journey that will lead to an accounting or fiscal management degree you never wanted, look inside.  When can I afford a new employee? A new piece of equipment?  Am I actually making any money?  How much do those benefits actually cost?  How do I learn to speak the same language as bankers and investors? People I will need to expand my business.  Why can't I find someone else to run this business so I can do other things?  How do I make sure my business is not running on a thin wire?