Congrats, you've made a wonderful step towards getting your books together and understanding your business better!
Now, we need to set up a time for your free consultation. The easiest way is to go here to select a time on my calendar that works for you.
Our consultation will be done via phone call and generally lasts about 30 minutes. We'll talk about your business, goals, fears, frustrations, etc. I want to get to know you & your business as well as see if we'll be a good fit to work together.
If we both decide we'd like to move forward with a proposal, I'll need view-only access to your cloud accounting software as well as some other documents. I'll take a look at where your books are currently and send you over a proposal outlining the services I'd be performing and your unique quote.
If you're satisfied with the proposal, you'll sign an engagement letter, pay, and I'm off to work! I know it sounds like a lot of steps, but it's important to get started off on the right foot for what I hope will be a long-term relationship.
I charge a flat monthly fee, not by the hour. That way you know exactly how much you'll be paying each month/quarter and I can devote the time I need to get your books right instead of watching the clock.
I will need to take a look at your books before I can give you a quote. Each business is unique, and therefore so is your quote.
Absolutely! That's the beauty of the internet, I can be across the country and it doesn't matter.
I'll get you set up on QuickBooks Online that both of us can access from anywhere, and utilize other tools like Google Drive, Hubdoc, Zoom, email, phone calls, etc. so we can communicate and share information without leaving the comfort of our own office.
If you're used to working with a bookkeeper who is just down the street, it'll take a little adjusting to a virtual bookkeeper like me. But I'll work with you to make the transition as smooth as possible.
And if I'm ever in your neck of the woods or you're in the Philadelphia area, I'd love to meet up!
I have a bachelor's degree in accounting as well as several years' experience at a CPA firm. There I did a little bit of everything - preparing personal and business tax returns, assisting with payroll, and of course bookkeeping.
I have worked with many types of businesses, including restaurants, a bowling alley, a realtor, a piano technician, counselor, and attorneys.
I prefer to work with service-based businesses as opposed to product-based.
"Bookkeeping services" is a broad and vague term, be sure to ask what's included! Some bookkeepers just classify transactions, reconcile your bank accounts, and make sure nothing looks unreasonable in the reports. Others offer payroll assistance, budgeting, bill-pay, monthly financial reports, a video call to go over those reports, etc. (hint, hint: like me) Like most things - you get what you pay for. Paying more for a professional who can help you understand your business' finances can help your business grow to new levels.
Also, do you "click" with the professional? This is an ongoing relationship and someone you'll be interacting with on at least a monthly basis, you want to make sure you'll enjoy working with them.
I work exclusively with QuickBooks Online (QBO). It's a robust platform that the developers are constantly updating and adding new features.
To be able to better serve you, I find it's better for me to be an expert in the software I'm using. That way if you're having an issue, I will either have the answer or be able to figure it out.
If you're not currently using QBO, part of the onboarding process will be to get your information migrated into QBO and training you on how to utilize the software.
No, I don't do tax returns, just bookkeeping. I worked at a CPA firm for a few years where I prepared both business and individual tax returns, but I am not a licensed tax preparer or CPA. So while I can't prepare your tax return, I know what your CPA is looking for and how to make their job easier.
During tax-time, I will communicate with your CPA to get them the information they need. Having a top-notch bookkeeper who provides clean books will make getting your tax return filed much smoother. With someone else doing all the heavy lifting, filing your taxes has never been this easy!
All consultations are FREE. Payment only starts after you sign on as a client.
Payments are due at the beginning of each month (or quarter if you have a quarterly package) via ACH. We'll get this all set up so you don't have to remember to pay me each month. I cannot start working on that month until I have been paid, another reason ACH makes the process smoother.
Many business owners do the best they can with their bookkeeping throughout the year and have their CPA clean-up for the tax return. While this may work out okay for tax compliance, this usually leads to less accurate financial data and a higher bill from your CPA.
In my experience, CPAs tend to be more big-picture, while bookkeepers are more detail-oriented. Having both professionals on your team instead of just a CPA is a great combination! Being detail-oriented is important when classifying transactions, reconciling accounts, and preparing financial statements. Thinking big-picture is important for tax-planning and business strategizing, which requires good, detailed financial information. A “big-picture” person usually doesn’t enjoy the tedium and detailed work that goes into bookkeeping, which results in books that are cleaned up as quickly as possible to the “good enough” point.
It’s also helpful to have two professionals looking at your books. Your bookkeeper takes care of the details and bookkeeping throughout the year and your CPA acts as a second set of eyes or review at year-end.
There is also the cost aspect of having a CPA do your bookkeeping at year-end. A CPA will charge their hourly rate (which is usually in the $150 to $250 per hour range) for a typically lower-quality end product. Having a bookkeeper do your bookkeeping throughout the year will result in a higher-quality end product and thus better financial information for decision making.