BizAnalyzer Complete Guide

Introduction

This guide provides detailed instructions for every feature in BizAnalyzer. Whether you are setting up your account for the first time or looking to master advanced analytics, this guide walks you through each step.

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Account Setup

Creating Your Account

Step 1: Navigate to the App Dashboard

1. Go to 2diff.io/apps/dashboard
2. You will see the Sign In screen

Step 2: Choose Your Sign-In Method

BizAnalyzer supports two authentication methods:

Step 3: Complete Sign-In

• Google: Click the Google button and select your Google account
• Email/Password: Enter your email, create a password, and click Sign Up

Step 4: Verify Your Email

If you signed up with email/password:

1. Check your inbox for a verification email from Second Difference Solutions
2. Click the verification link in the email
3. Return to the App Dashboard and sign in again

Subscribing to BizAnalyzer

Step 1: Access the Subscription Page

1. From the App Dashboard, click on BizAnalyzer
2. Or visit the Apps page directly

Step 2: Choose Your Plan

BizAnalyzer Standard is available today. BizInsights is being rebuilt for its full launch and is not open for new subscriptions right now.

1. Select BizAnalyzer Standard
2. Click Subscribe Now

Step 3: Complete Payment

1. You will be redirected to our secure Stripe checkout
2. Enter your payment information
3. Click Subscribe

Step 4: Access BizAnalyzer

After successful payment:

1. You are automatically redirected to your App Dashboard
2. BizAnalyzer now appears in your Subscription Apps section
3. Click BizAnalyzer to launch the application

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Connecting Your Accounting Data

BizAnalyzer uses OAuth 2.0 to securely connect to your QuickBooks® Online accounting software account. This industry-standard protocol means:

• BizAnalyzer never sees your accounting password
• You authorize access directly through the provider
• Access is read-only, so we cannot modify your books
• You can revoke access at any time

Connection Process

Step 1: Launch BizAnalyzer

1. Sign in to your App Dashboard
2. Click BizAnalyzer in your Subscription Apps

Step 2: Initiate Connection

1. In the top bar, you will see Not Connected
2. Click the green Connect button

Step 3: Authorize Access

1. You are redirected to the secure authorization page
2. Sign in to your accounting software if prompted
3. Select the company you want to connect (if you have multiple)
4. Review the permissions requested
5. Click Connect

Step 4: Return to BizAnalyzer

1. You are automatically redirected back to BizAnalyzer
2. The status changes to Connected with a green indicator
3. Your company name appears in the top bar
4. Data begins loading automatically

Verifying Your Connection

After connecting, verify everything is working:

1. Check the status badge: Should show green dot with "Connected"
2. Check company name: Your business name should appear
3. Check Dashboard metrics: Revenue, Expenses, Net Income, and Cash should display actual values rather than empty placeholders

Disconnecting

If you need to disconnect:

1. Click Settings in the Account group in the sidebar
2. Find the Accounting Connection card
3. Click Disconnect QuickBooks
4. Confirm the disconnection

After disconnecting:

• Your data is cleared from BizAnalyzer
• To reconnect, click the Connect button again
• You will need to re-authorize access

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Application Layout

Top Bar

The top bar contains:

Sidebar

The left sidebar is organized into grouped navigation with collapsible control panels:

1. Connection Status - Connection indicator and connect/disconnect button
2. Navigation - Grouped tabs for all sections:
   • Dashboard
   • Financial Statements: Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow
   • Analysis: Ratio Analysis, Goal Center, AI Insights
   • Account: Chart of Accounts, Company Info, Settings, Resources
3. Data Controls - Collapsible panel with Frequency, View Level, Date Range, Analyze mode, and Forecast toggle
4. AI Controls - Collapsible panel with model selection, context toggle, and data type checkboxes
5. Sign Out (mobile) - Available in the sidebar on mobile devices

Main Content Area

The main area displays the currently selected section. Each section may contain:

• Section Header - Title and subtitle
• Sub-tabs - Switch between views within a section
• Data Tables - Financial data in tabular format
• Charts - Visual representations of trends
• Metrics Cards - Key numbers at a glance

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Data Controls

The Data Controls panel sits below the navigation in the sidebar. Click the Data Controls header to expand or collapse it.

Frequency and View Level

At the top of Data Controls, two compact dropdowns let you configure how data is grouped and displayed:

Changes to Frequency or View Level enable the Apply button. Click Apply to refresh all data with the new settings.

Date Range

All analysis in BizAnalyzer is filtered by date range. To change it:

Step 1: Locate the Date Selectors

In Data Controls, find the Date Range section with two fields:

• From: Starting month
• To: Ending month

Step 2: Select Dates

1. Click the From field
2. A month picker opens
3. Click the desired starting month
4. Click the To field
5. Select the ending month

Step 3: Apply Changes

1. Click the Apply button
2. A loading indicator appears
3. All sections refresh with the new date range

Common Date Ranges

Analyze Mode

The Analyze dropdown controls how financial statement values are displayed:

The Analyze dropdown is visible when viewing Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, or Cash Flow sections. Selecting a mode immediately updates the displayed statement.

Forecast Toggle

The Forecast dropdown enables or disables forecast projections on financial statements:

• Off (default) - Only actual data is shown
• On - Projected future periods are appended to the statement

When Forecast is set to On, additional sub-controls appear:

Forecast settings apply immediately when changed. Forecast columns are visually distinguished from actual data columns.

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Dashboard

The Dashboard provides a snapshot of your business health.

Accessing the Dashboard

1. Click Dashboard in the sidebar
2. The Dashboard is the default view when you launch BizAnalyzer

Key Metrics

Four metric cards display at the top. Together they answer: Am I selling? Am I keeping any of it? What is it costing me? How much is actually in the bank?

Financial Charts

Below the metrics, four trend charts display in a 2x2 grid. They respond to the Frequency dropdown in Data Controls (Annual, Quarterly, Monthly) so you can zoom in or out on the same data.

Together the four charts tell one story:

1. Growth Rates: is the business moving?
2. Revenue & Margins: is the growth profitable?
3. Cash: is the profit actually turning into money in the bank?
4. Balance Sheet Health: is the underlying foundation getting stronger or weaker?

Chart 1: Revenue & Margins

What it shows: Revenue as bars on the left axis, Gross Margin % and Net Margin % as lines on the right axis.

What an owner can learn:

• Is revenue growing, flat, or shrinking? Bar height tells you scale.
• Is the growth healthy? The classic trap is bars going up while the margin lines drift down. You are selling more but keeping less of every dollar. Often a sign of rising cost of goods sold, discounting, or a mix shift into lower-margin work.
• What is your overhead load? The gap between Gross Margin and Net Margin represents operating overhead (rent, admin, SG&A). A strong gross margin but a weak net margin points to operating-cost pressure, not pricing.

Chart 2: Balance Sheet Health

What it shows: Total Assets and Total Liabilities as bars on the left axis, Current Ratio as a line on the right axis.

What an owner can learn:

• Equity wedge. The visible gap between the Assets bar and the Liabilities bar is your net worth in the business. You want that gap growing.
• Leverage direction. When liabilities climb faster than assets, growth is being financed with debt and the cushion is shrinking.
• Short-term solvency. The Current Ratio line (Current Assets divided by Current Liabilities) shows whether you can cover near-term obligations. Above 1.0 means yes; 1.5 to 2.0 is typical for healthy small businesses. A falling line is an early warning even when the rest of the business feels fine.

Chart 3: Cash

What it shows: Operating Cash Flow as bars (period-by-period activity) and Cash Position as a line (the balance at each period end). Both plot against a single dollar-denominated axis.

What an owner can learn:

• Did the business itself generate or burn cash this period? The bars separate operational activity from financing and investing.
• Is cash actually accumulating? Profit on the P&L does not always translate to cash. Accounts receivable grow, inventory builds, customers pay slowly. The line tells you what is actually in the account.
• The "profitable but broke" warning. A profitable P&L combined with negative operating cash flow bars and a flat or falling Cash line almost always means a receivables or inventory problem.

Chart 4: Growth Rates

What it shows: Revenue growth percentage as bars and Net Income growth percentage as a line, both period-over-period (MoM, QoQ, or YoY depending on the selected frequency).

What an owner can learn:

• Direction and momentum. Bars above zero = revenue is expanding vs. the prior period. Below = contracting. Dollars charts tell you where you are; this one tells you which way you are moving.
• Operating leverage. When the Net Income line sits above the Revenue bars, profit is growing faster than sales, meaning you are getting more efficient as you scale. When the line sits below, profitability is decaying as you grow.
• Annual mode caveat. In Annual mode, the rightmost bar is year-to-date against a full prior year. Treat it as directional, not final.

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Financial Statements

Accessing Financial Statements

Each financial statement has its own tab in the Financial Statements group in the sidebar. Click Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, or Cash Flow to navigate directly to the statement you need.

Use the Analyze dropdown in Data Controls to change the display mode (Dollars, Change, Common Size) and the Forecast toggle to add projected periods.

Profit & Loss (Income Statement)

What it shows: Revenue, expenses, and profit for the selected period.

Sidebar tab: Click Profit & Loss

Table columns:

• Account Name - Category or line item
• Period columns - Values for each period in range
• Total - Sum across all periods

Key sections:

1. Income - Revenue sources
2. Cost of Goods Sold - Direct costs
3. Gross Profit - Income minus COGS
4. Expenses - Operating expenses by category
5. Net Operating Income - Profit from operations
6. Other Income/Expense - Non-operating items
7. Net Income - Bottom line profit

Balance Sheet

What it shows: Assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in time.

Sidebar tab: Click Balance Sheet

Key sections:

1. Assets
   • Current Assets (cash, receivables, inventory)
   • Fixed Assets (equipment, property)
   • Other Assets
2. Liabilities
   • Current Liabilities (payables, short-term debt)
   • Long-Term Liabilities
3. Equity
   • Retained Earnings
   • Owner's Equity

Cash Flow Statement

What it shows: How cash moved in and out of your business.

Sidebar tab: Click Cash Flow

Key sections:

1. Operating Activities - Cash from business operations
2. Investing Activities - Cash for equipment, investments
3. Financing Activities - Cash from loans, owner draws

Table Features

All financial statement tables include:

The Combined Statements view shows every year side by side. Use the Download Workbook (CSV) button there to export the full statement set, including forecast columns.

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Common-Size Analysis

Common-size analysis expresses each line item as a percentage, making it easy to compare periods or benchmark against industry standards.

Accessing Common-Size Analysis

1. Navigate to Profit & Loss or Balance Sheet in the sidebar
2. In Data Controls, set the Analyze dropdown to Common Size
3. The statement immediately updates to show percentage values

Profit & Loss (Common-Size)

Each line item is shown as a percentage of Total Revenue.

How to read it:

• Revenue = 100%
• All other items are percentages of revenue
• Example: If Payroll shows 25%, labor costs are 25% of revenue

What to look for:

• Gross Margin % - Higher is generally better
• Expense ratios - Compare to prior periods
• Net Income % - Your profit margin

Balance Sheet (Common-Size)

Each line item is shown as a percentage of Total Assets.

How to read it:

• Total Assets = 100%
• Each asset category shows its proportion
• Liabilities and Equity also sum to 100%

What to look for:

• Cash % - Liquidity position
• Receivables % - Collection efficiency
• Debt % - Leverage level

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Ratio Analysis

Accessing Ratio Analysis

1. Click Ratio Analysis in the sidebar
2. View Financial Ratios or Automated Insights sub-tabs

Financial Ratios

The ratios table displays calculated metrics organized by category:

Profitability Ratios

Liquidity Ratios

Efficiency Ratios

Leverage Ratios

Automated Insights

The Automated Insights sub-tab provides rule-based observations about your data:

• Highlights ratios outside normal ranges
• Identifies significant changes from prior periods
• Flags potential areas of concern
• Suggests areas of strength

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Goal Center

Goal Center is included with your BizAnalyzer Standard subscription.

What It Does

Goal Center lets you set financial targets and track actual performance against them:

• Define revenue, profit, expense, asset, and liability goals
• Set target dates (annual, quarterly, or monthly)
• Track progress with visual indicators
• Use goals as forecast inputs
• Quick-fill goals from existing forecasts

Accessing Goal Center

Subscribers see Goal Center in the Analysis group in the sidebar. The editable grid displays your current goals with inline editing for all fields.

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Trend Analysis

Trend analysis is integrated directly into financial statements through the Analyze dropdown in Data Controls.

Accessing Trend Views

1. Navigate to Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, or Cash Flow in the sidebar
2. In Data Controls, set the Analyze dropdown to one of the trend modes:
   • Change ($) - Shows the dollar change between consecutive periods
   • Change (%) - Shows the percentage change between consecutive periods

Reading Trend Data

When using Change ($) or Change (%) modes:

• Positive values indicate growth or increases from the prior period
• Negative values indicate declines or decreases from the prior period
• The first period column will not show a change value (no prior period to compare against)

Interpreting Trends

Upward trends: Growth in revenue, improvement in cash

Downward trends: May indicate declining sales or increasing costs

Seasonal patterns: Regular peaks and valleys tied to business cycles

Anomalies: Unusual spikes or dips worth investigating

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AI Insights

Accessing AI Insights

1. Click AI Insights in the sidebar
2. The AI chat interface loads

AI Controls

The AI Controls panel in the sidebar (below Data Controls) configures how AI Insights analyzes your data.

Model Selection

Choose from a curated selection of AI models across three providers (new models added as they ship):

• OpenAI: GPT-5.5, GPT-5, GPT-5 Mini, GPT-5 Nano
• Anthropic: Claude Opus 4.8 (Premium), Claude Opus 4.7 (Standard default), Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Haiku 4.5 (Lite default)
• Google: Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite

Each model displays a tier label:

Financial Context Toggle

Controls whether AI has access to your financial data:

• OFF: General business questions, no data access
• ON: AI analyzes your actual financial statements, ratios, and trends

When ON, sub-controls appear:

Financial Data checkboxes:

• Profit & Loss: Income statement data
• Balance Sheet: Assets, liabilities, equity
• Cash Flow: Cash movement analysis
• Ratios: Calculated financial ratios

Company Info checkboxes (no PII):

• Industry & Fiscal Year: Your industry context and fiscal calendar
• Chart of Accounts: Your account structure for detailed questions

Unchecking data types reduces context size for focused queries.

Saved Preferences

From Settings > AI Settings, you can set your default model. This preference persists across sessions.

Quick Actions

Pre-built queries for common questions:

• Financial Summary - Overview of your financial position
• Key Ratios - Analysis of important ratios
• Cash Flow - Cash flow trends and observations
• Red Flags - Potential areas of concern

Click any Quick Action button to submit that query.

Custom Questions

To ask your own question:

1. Type in the input field at the bottom
2. Press Enter or click Send
3. Wait for the AI response (may take 5-15 seconds)

Example questions:

• "What are my top 5 expense categories?"
• "How does my gross margin compare to last year?"
• "What's driving the change in net income?"
• "Are there any concerning trends in my receivables?"

Understanding AI Responses

AI Insights analyzes your actual financial data to provide:

• Specific numbers from your financials
• Calculated ratios and percentages
• Period-over-period comparisons
• Contextual observations

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Forecast

Enabling Forecast

Forecast is controlled through the Data Controls panel in the sidebar:

1. Navigate to Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, or Cash Flow
2. In Data Controls, set the Forecast dropdown to On
3. Projected future periods are appended to the statement

How Forecasting Works

BizAnalyzer forecasts use your actual data to project future periods:

1. Actual periods - Months with real data (shown normally)
2. Projected periods - Future months appended to the right (visually distinguished)

Forecast Settings

When Forecast is enabled, sub-controls appear below the toggle:

Method

• Level - Projects future periods at the same level as the most recent actual period (flat projection)
• Growth - Applies a growth rate to project increasing or decreasing values
• Goals - Uses targets from Goal Center to project future values

Future Periods

• Set the number of future periods to project (1-24)
• The label adjusts based on your Frequency setting (years, quarters, or months)

Growth Rate (%)

• Only visible when Method is set to Growth
• Set a rate from -50% to 100%
• Positive values project growth; negative values project decline

Goals Method

When you have goals defined in Goal Center, a Goals button appears in the forecast method toggle:

1. Set goals in Goal Center for key metrics
2. Enable Forecast on any financial statement
3. Click the Goals method button
4. Statements display projections based on your goal targets

Annual goals are used directly for annual forecasts. For quarterly forecasts, targets are divided by 4. For monthly forecasts, targets are divided by 12. If no goals have target values, the system automatically falls back to the Level method.

This feature is included with your BizAnalyzer Standard subscription.

Supported Statements

Forecast works on all three financial statements:

• Profit & Loss - Projects revenue and expenses
• Balance Sheet - Projects asset and liability positions
• Cash Flow - Projects operating, investing, and financing cash flows

Reading the Forecast Table

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Chart of Accounts

Accessing Chart of Accounts

1. Click Chart of Accounts in the sidebar
2. Your complete account listing loads

Table Contents

Using the Chart of Accounts

• Search: Use the filter row to find specific accounts
• Sort: Click column headers to reorder
• Verify: Confirm your account setup is correct

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Company Info

Accessing Company Info

1. Click Company Info in the Account group in the sidebar
2. Business profile information displays

Information Displayed

• Company Name - Legal business name
• Legal Name - If different from company name
• Address - Business address on file
• Email - Company email
• Phone - Business phone number
• Industry - Business classification
• Fiscal Year Start - Beginning of fiscal year

Connection Details

• Connected Company ID - Company identifier
• Connection Status - Current connection state
• Last Data Refresh - When data was last loaded

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Settings

Accessing Settings

1. Click Settings in the Account group in the sidebar
2. The Settings page displays configuration cards

Account Information

View your account details:

• Email address
• User ID
• Account created date
• Last sign-in time
• Subscription status

Accounting Connection

Manage your data connection:

• Connect Account - Initiate OAuth connection
• Disconnect QuickBooks - Remove the connection and clear stored tokens

Data Source

View information about your current data source:

• Source type (Live or Demo/Sandbox)
• Connected company details

Data Management

Options for managing your cached data:

• Refresh Data - Force a fresh data pull from your accounting software
• Clear Cache - Remove all locally stored data

The cache status section shows details about stored data including age and size.

Forecast Defaults

Set your preferred forecast settings. These will be applied automatically when you enable Forecast on any tab:

• Method - Level or Growth
• Future Periods - Default number of projected periods
• Growth Rate - Default annual growth rate

AI Settings

Choose your preferred AI model from the card-based selector. Saved preferences apply on each visit.

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Resources

Accessing Resources

1. Click Resources in the Account group in the sidebar
2. Links to support and compliance documents display

Available Links

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Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: Cannot connect to your accounting data

Solutions:

1. Ensure you are signed in to BizAnalyzer
2. Check that pop-ups are not blocked
3. Try a different browser
4. Clear browser cache and cookies
5. Contact support if issue persists

Problem: Connection expires frequently

Solutions:

1. Tokens refresh automatically
2. If you see "Not Connected" after being connected, refresh the page
3. If connection fails repeatedly, disconnect and reconnect

Data Issues

Problem: Data shows empty placeholders or does not load

Solutions:

1. Verify your data connection is active
2. Check your selected date range has data
3. Try refreshing the page
4. Use Settings > Refresh Data

Problem: Data seems incorrect

Solutions:

1. Verify date range matches what you expect
2. Check the same report in your accounting software
3. Remember: BizAnalyzer shows read-only data
4. Contact support with specific discrepancies

Display Issues

Problem: Tables or charts do not display properly

Solutions:

1. Refresh the page
2. Try a different browser (Chrome recommended)
3. Clear browser cache
4. Ensure JavaScript is enabled

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Getting Help

Support Channels

Email Support

Contact us at info@2diff.io

When contacting support, please include:

• Your account email
• Description of the issue
• Screenshots if applicable
• Steps to reproduce the problem

Response Time: 1-2 business days

Additional Resources

• Quick Start Guide - Simplified overview
• BizAnalyzer FAQ - Common questions
• Security Information - Data protection details

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Disclaimers

Data Accuracy

BizAnalyzer displays data retrieved directly from your accounting software. The accuracy of this data depends on:

• Correct data entry in your accounting software
• Proper account classification
• Timely transaction recording

BizAnalyzer does not modify, create, or delete any data in your accounting software.

Financial Analysis

BizAnalyzer provides financial analysis tools for educational purposes only. The information presented:

• Is not professional financial, tax, or legal advice
• Should not be the sole basis for business decisions
• Does not replace consultation with qualified professionals

Always consult with your accountant, bookkeeper, or financial advisor for important business decisions.

AI-Generated Content

AI Insights and other AI-powered features:

• Use artificial intelligence to analyze your data
• May occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information
• Should be verified against source data for critical decisions

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This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, accounting, or legal advice. Consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. AI-generated insights may contain errors; verify information before taking action. Intuit and QuickBooks^® are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc. Used with permission. Second Difference Solutions^®, LLC is an independent software provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit Inc. Our applications integrate with QuickBooks^® products via Intuit's official APIs.