FAQ

The primary difference between a CPA/accountant and a bookkeeper are their job responsibilities.  While a CPA/accountant’s key role is to provide financial advice, a bookkeeper is mainly responsible for maintaining an organized record of all financial transactions.  A bookkeeper keeps a history of every day-to-day financial transaction in the accounting books. A CPA/acountant then analyzes these books and offers appropriate financial advice. When you have both a good bookkeeper and CPA/accountant, you have a powerful team that will give you the tools to make better business decisions.

Outsourcing your bookkeeping needs is a very cost-effective option for small business owners.  Hiring an on-site bookkeeper can be very expensive.  In addition to salary, you’ll have to account for other costs like insurance, vacation time, sick days and retirement benefits.  Don’t forget about physical costs either:  the bookkeeper will require office space as well as computer equipment, software and other supplies to do their work.  When you outsource your bookkeeping, you gain expert support without having to hire a full-time employee.

All of my services are done virtually; I do not come to your office or business.  Through online bookkeeping software and mobile apps, I work remotely to manage all your company’s day-to-day financial tasks.  You provide me with information and/or source documents via email or uploaded online so that I can ensure I have recorded your income and expenses properly.

I use QuickBooks Online cloud-based accounting software.  As the small business industry standard, QuickBooks Online allows you to track expenses, income, inventory, payroll and more. It also offers advanced features like invoicing and payment processing capabilities.  With convenient remote access, you, your bookkeeper, your CPA/accountant can log in to your QuickBooks account from any web browser, which gives you powerful access to information on the go.

I don’t have set one-size-fits-all pricing for my services because EVERY business is unique:

• How is your business legally structured?
• How many transactions do you have every month?
• Are your business and personal transactions kept separately?
• How many bank, credit card and loan accounts do you have?
• How do you get paid from your customers?
• How do you pay your vendors and suppliers?
• Do you use any industry-specific apps or software?
• Do you have employees?
• Do you use subcontractors?
• Do you have inventory?
• Do you pay sales tax?
• How frequently do you want your books updated?

I take all these factors into consideration before giving you a price for services. And, because all my services are designed specifically for YOUR business and YOUR needs, you’ll only pay for what you need and nothing more.

As a general rule, small business owners typically spend between 1% and 3% of their gross income on bookkeeping services, depending on the size and complexity of their business. For example, if your gross revenue averages $15,000 per month, you can expect to pay between $150 and $450 per month.

There is a one-time fee to set up your QuickBooks Online account if you do not already have one.  There is also a one-time fee to clean up and catch up historical transactions, if needed.

Communication is of the utmost importance.  I might be outsourced, but I am still on your team. I am always available to answer your questions by phone or email. And I will always respond to you within our agreed upon time frame.

I recognize that confidentiality and security is of the utmost importance. All applications and data are kept in secure, encrypted cloud storage.

Absolutely!  I do not make deposits and I do not write checks; I only maintain an organized record of all your financial transactions.   And with this information up to date, you’ll spend less time managing your books and more time focusing on what you do best:  running your business.