Getting Started
Geekonomics is a self-hosted bookkeeping app designed for small businesses with one or more business lines. This guide walks you through the first-run setup and gives you an orientation to the app.
First-Run Setup Wizard
When you visit Geekonomics for the first time, you'll be redirected to the setup wizard. This is a one-time process that creates your company and admin account.
Step 1 — Create Admin Account
Enter your name, email, and a password. This becomes the first admin user. Additional users can be added later in Settings → Users.
Step 2 — Company Profile
Enter your company name, address, invoice prefix (e.g. INV), and default tax rate. These values appear on PDF invoices. You can edit them later in Settings.
Step 3 — Business Lines
Business lines let you track income and expenses across different parts of your business (e.g. "Consulting", "Products", "Photography"). Add at least one to get started. You can add more at any time in Settings → Business Lines.
Once the wizard is complete you'll be logged in and taken to the Dashboard.
Navigating the App
The left sidebar contains all main sections:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Financial overview and recent activity |
| Transactions | All income and expense entries |
| Accounts | Bank and clearing account ledgers |
| Clients | Client list and per-client history |
| Invoices | Create and track invoices |
| Reports | P&L, expense breakdowns, exports |
| Square Sync | Import Square transactions |
| Stripe Sync | Import Stripe charges |
| AI Assistant | Chat with Claude about your finances |
| Settings | Company info, users, credentials |
What to Do First
- Add your accounts — Go to Accounts and create at least a checking account. If you use Square or Stripe, the app automatically creates clearing accounts for those.
- Enter opening balances — When you create an account, set its opening balance to match your real bank balance as of the date you start using Geekonomics.
- Connect your payment processors — Go to Square Sync or Stripe Sync to connect and pull in past transactions.
- Enter any manual transactions — Add income or expenses that didn't come through Square or Stripe.
- Reconcile — Once your transactions match your bank statement, run a reconciliation to lock them in.
Roles
Geekonomics has two roles:
- Admin — full access including settings, user management, and credentials
- Viewer — can view all data but cannot add users or change settings
The first account created in the wizard is always an admin.