How do I separate two studios' expenses?

Create a folder per location and tag the location on every expense as you record it. Filtering by that tag shows each site's spend on its own.

Where do shared head-office costs go?

Record them in a 'Shared / Head Office' folder rather than forcing them onto one location, so each site's records stay clean.

Can I compare what each location costs?

You can review each location's recorded expenses side by side by filtering on the location tag. Cash Workspace keeps the records organized; it doesn't compute comparisons for you.

Cash Workspace

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Studio finance · Multi-location

Expense records for each studio location

Run two or three studios and the costs blur together fast: which utility bill was the downtown space, which equipment purchase went to the east-side location, what does head office cost that neither site should carry alone. Folders per location for rent, utilities, local staff, and equipment — plus a shared category for head-office costs — keep each site's spend separate and reviewable. Cash Workspace lets you tag the location on every expense and file each lease and utility receipt where it belongs.

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The problem

Why multi-location costs get tangled

When every location's bills land in the same inbox and on the same card, there's no clean way to see what each site actually costs. Shared head-office spend muddies it further.

Two utility bills arrive the same week and you can't tell which studio is which.
An equipment purchase for one location gets booked against the whole business.
Local staff costs at each site aren't separated, so per-site labor is invisible.
Shared head-office costs get dumped onto one location's records by default.
When you compare locations, the numbers aren't trustworthy because tagging was inconsistent.

The workflow

Keep each location's expenses separate

Set a location folder for each site plus a shared one, then tag the location on every expense as you record it.

1
Create a folder per location
Make a folder for each studio — e.g. 'Downtown', 'East Side' — plus a 'Shared / Head Office' folder.
2
Tag the location on every expense
When you record rent, utilities, staff, or equipment, tag which location it belongs to.
3
Attach the source document
Attach each lease, utility bill, and equipment receipt to its expense record.
4
Route shared costs
Record head-office and group-wide costs in the shared folder rather than forcing them onto one site.
5
Review per location
Filter by location tag to review each site's spend and the shared bucket on its own.

Record structure

What to record for each location expense

Consistent fields make each location's spend easy to separate and compare.

Location: Which studio the expense belongs to, or 'Shared / Head Office'.
Category: Rent, utilities, local staff, equipment, or another product-defined category.
Vendor: The landlord, utility company, or equipment supplier.
Date: When the cost was incurred, so it sits in the right month per site.
Amount: The expense total and currency.
Recurring or one-off: A note on whether it repeats, such as monthly rent versus a one-time purchase.
Receipt or document: The lease, utility bill, or equipment receipt attached to the record.

Example setup

An example multi-location setup

One way to organize two studios plus shared costs inside your workspace.

Downtown studio

Rent, utilities, local staff, and equipment for the downtown site, with lease and bills attached.

East Side studio

The same categories for the east-side site, each tagged to that location.

Shared / Head Office

Group-wide costs that no single location should carry alone.

Leases and utilities

Each location's signed lease and utility receipts, attached to their records.

Common mistakes

Mistakes to avoid

Recording expenses without a location tag, so per-site totals can't be trusted.
Pushing shared head-office costs onto one location instead of the shared bucket.
Mixing two locations' utility bills because neither receipt was attached.
Booking an equipment purchase against the whole business instead of its site.
Tagging locations inconsistently, so comparisons across sites are misleading.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

A folder per site

Give each studio its own folder so rent, utilities, staff, and equipment stay separate.

Tag the location

Tag every expense with its location, with a shared bucket for head-office costs.

Attach the documents

Attach each lease and utility receipt to its record so per-site proof is on hand.

Expense allocation records

Split shared costs across clients or cost centers.

Equipment purchase records

Record equipment buys with receipts and warranties.

Design studio organizer

Organize a studio's full finance picture.

Small business expense tracker

Record and categorize expenses in one place.

All finance workflows

Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.

FAQ

Multi-location expense records FAQ

How do I separate two studios' expenses?: Create a folder per location and tag the location on every expense as you record it. Filtering by that tag shows each site's spend on its own.
Where do shared head-office costs go?: Record them in a 'Shared / Head Office' folder rather than forcing them onto one location, so each site's records stay clean.
Can I compare what each location costs?: You can review each location's recorded expenses side by side by filtering on the location tag. Cash Workspace keeps the records organized; it doesn't compute comparisons for you.

Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance

Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.

See what each studio location really costs

Start a free workspace and tag every expense to its location, with a shared bucket for head office, so each studio's spend is clean and reviewable.