Engagement 01 · Accounting
Monthly accounting, closed and reviewed by a CPA.
Owner-led businesses rarely fail for lack of a bookkeeper. They get into trouble because the ledger is a month behind, the balance sheet has never been reconciled, and nobody can say what the last quarter actually earned. This engagement fixes that permanently: a real close, on a calendar, every month.
Request an introduction →What you receive
- Monthly close
- Cutoff, accruals, and a documented close checklist
- Reconciliations
- Cash, receivables, payables, loans, and equity tied to support
- Coding
- Revenue and cost accounts matched to how the business earns
- Statements
- Balance sheet and income statement issued by the 15th
- Job reporting
- Project, job, or departmental margin where it is useful
- Year-end
- Trial balance and workpapers delivered to your tax preparer
The monthly rhythm
Days 1–5. Bank and card activity is imported and coded, payables reviewed with you, and any open billing questions resolved while the month is still fresh.
Days 6–12. The close runs: accruals and deferrals booked, every balance-sheet account reconciled to a source document, and unusual variances traced before they become next year’s audit question.
By day 15. Statements are issued with a short written commentary: what moved, what it cost, and anything I think you should look at before the next payroll or distribution.
Common questions
- Is this bookkeeping or accounting?
- Both, done by one person. Transactions are recorded and coded, then the month is actually closed: accruals booked, balance-sheet accounts reconciled to supporting documents, and statements reviewed by a CPA before they reach you. Most bookkeeping engagements stop at the first half.
- Do you prepare my tax return?
- No. This practice does not provide tax preparation or attest services. I prepare clean year-end workpapers and a trial balance for your tax preparer, and I answer their questions directly so you are not in the middle.
- What accounting software do you work in?
- Typically QuickBooks Online or Xero, in your own subscription so you always own your data. If you already run a specific system for billing, payroll, or project costing, I work inside it rather than asking you to convert.
- When do I get my financial statements?
- By the 15th of the following month. You receive a balance sheet, income statement, and a short written summary of what changed and why — not just a file drop.
- How much does monthly accounting cost?
- Fixed retainers start at $1,000 per month, quoted in writing before any work begins. Final fees depend on entity count, transaction volume, and whether you need job or departmental reporting.
- My books are behind. Can you still help?
- Yes. Catch-up work is scoped and quoted separately as a one-time cleanup, then the monthly retainer begins once the ledger is current and reconciled.
Accounting keeps the record straight. Advisory decides what to do about it.
Many clients begin here and add the advisory engagement once the numbers are dependable enough to plan against.