Why would I get a bookkeeper?

Bookkeepers have three important purposes. First, they take a time consuming task off your plate so you can maximize your time and energy on your passion. A bookkeeper will probably do a better job keeping track of your transactions than you will. Second, a good bookkeeper will have you prepped and ready to go at tax time. Connect your bookkeeper with your accountant, and you can sit back and observe the process moving along smoothly and concluding on time. No last minute searching for receipts or typing data into a spreadsheet or stressing. Finally, and most importantly, a good bookkeeper provides timely and accurate information about your business. You should review your Profit and Loss statement every month, and think about trends in income and expenses. The trends help to put together realistic projections. With a bookkeeper, you have actionable accurate data in front of you so you can decide when you can hire your next employee. Or how much revenue your business needs each month to end up with an ideal (or at least adequate) income for you. Your first (and only) step is decision-making instead of dealing with transactions, taxes, or putting together the data.

I have an accountant. Do I still need a bookkeeper?

Accountants and bookkeepers have different roles. Usually, accountants develop tax strategies, file taxes, perform audits, and can represent you when dealing with the IRS. But accountants generally don’t categorize daily transactions that go into calculating your taxes. Most CPAs prefer to do higher-value work for which they need their CPA designation. They are also probably not going to help you out with day to day transactions like paying bills, sending invoices, managing cash, or running payroll. Nor will they provide you with the monthly reporting you need to make good business decisions in real time (the foundation for that is dialed-in categorizing!). A bookkeeper can do all that *and* makes sure your books are in tip top shape at tax time!

Do I need to have my books in order before I contact you?

Nope! Just as you wouldn't trim your own hair before going to the salon or give yourself a physical in lieu of going to the doctor (we hope!), it's our job -- the job of bookkeeping professionals -- to clean up your books a.k.a do the bookkeeping. During our consult we'll ask you the following types of questions: What is your annual revenue? How many accounts do you use (checking, savings, etc)? When were they last reconciled? How often do you run payroll? How many invoices do you send out per month? After we get the lay of the land we will develop the best bookkeeping and money management plan for you going forward, so you can get back to running the business you love!