Quick "About Me" Info My name is Beth, and I have lived in Wisconsin my entire life. I have a husband and one grown son. Having worked as a bookkeeper for over 20 years, I decided to start my own business in 2018 with the goal of helping small business owners succeed in the fast-paced business world. I am a solo-entrepreneur, just like the majority of my clients. I am a virtual bookkeeper, and my business model is designed to offer bookkeeping services that start-ups and existing small businesses can afford. Most entrepreneurs don't enjoy bookkeeping and would rather be working on growing their business. That's where I come in! My services are a great fit for small businesses who don't need a part-time or full-time employee. Working virtually allows a high level of flexibility for both myself and my clients.
What are your qualifications? *Over 20 years of bookkeeping and accounting experience *Over 20 years of experience working with QuickBooks *Extensive experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors *Associate Degree in Accounting *Associate Degree in Business Management *Certified Bookkeeper - National Bookkeepers Association
Why should I use a bookkeeping firm instead of hiring an employee to do my bookkeeping? Adding employees when you don't already have them can be a huge hassle. You must set up payroll processing, file (and pay!) payroll taxes, provide certain employee benefits, worry about human resources landmines, and provide office space and equipment for them to do their job. Recruitment and retention can be difficult in the current workforce climate.
If you already have employees, you know it can be hard to find the right fit. When you calculate the true cost of adding an employee, you must include payroll taxes, benefits, vacation/holiday pay, insurance, and liability issues. When doing bookkeeping in-house, there are also added costs for office supplies (paper, printers, toner) as well as maintenance of computer equipment and software.
I can change the oil in my car myself for much less than I would pay someone else, but I am not an expert on cars. When I pay someone else to do it for me, I am getting more than an oil change - they are looking for other potential problems, and are able to give me recommendations for other maintenance my car needs, preventing more costly problems in the future. Your bookkeeping should be viewed the same way. Even if you perform the majority of your bookkeeping tasks yourself, it is a great idea to have us give you a monthly checkup to look things over.
There are times when I recommend you hire an employee rather than outsource your bookkeeping. If you find you need someone to help you pay bills, collect customer payments, make deposits, communicate with your customers and vendors, etc, this is best managed by an employee who you will be in close contact with on a more frequent basis. They can also assist with answering and returning phone calls, which can be a big weight off of you as a business owner.
How much will this cost me? My monthly minimum for bookkeeping services is $250.00. Please visit my "PRICING" page to get a general idea of pricing options. To provide me with more specific information about your business, please fill out the form on my CONTACT page, carefully selecting the options you need.
Why flat pricing? Because no one likes surprises (like when you go to the doctor and don't know what your bill will be until a month or two later, and let's be honest, that's never a pleasant bill to open!). You will know consistently from month to month what you charges will be. It will be re-evaluated every 3 months and I will discuss any potential changes with you BEFORE your next bill. Especially when I am taking on a new client, you may not know exactly what you need help with until we get into the process, and I may be doing more (or less) work than initially quoted. You can always add or subtract services at the quarterly reviews to adjust to the needs of your business.
Why should you have to pay someone more on an hourly basis because they are inexperienced, or maybe they're just not working as fast as they they could be? Maybe you have more questions in a given month, and need to call or email your bookkeeper more than usual - why pay extra for that time?
Do I have to provide any software, hardware, or office space? No. My monthly fee will include everything needed to get you organized and ready for remote bookkeeping. I work out of my own office, so there is no need to supply me with a computer, software, printer or office supplies. If you do not already have QuickBooks, online access will be set up and you will be responsible for the subscription fee (you own the file).
Do you work with other accounting software besides QuickBooks? QuickBooks has become the industry standard, although there are some up and coming competitors out there. If you are already set up with another software program that you are happy with and it is web-based, I will evaluate the setup and determine if we can continue to use your current software. The cost of the software will remain your responsibility.
Are you my employee? No. I have my own business and you will be paying me as an independent contractor. An independent contractor receives none of the company's normal employee benefits, is not required to work a set schedule, and is contracted on a project basis. What this project will consist of will depend on the services your business needs (whether it is weekly, monthly, annually, or a one-time setup).
Why should my bookkeeper and tax preparer be separate? This is a great question. The greatest benefit of separating your bookkeeping and tax prep is getting two different perspectives. When you have both a good bookkeeper and tax preparer, you have a powerful team giving you the tools to make smart business decisions. "Teamwork makes the dream work."
Tax preparers are looking at the big picture; bookkeepers are all about the details. When you work with someone that only provides bookkeeping services, you get a much more powerful and focused bookkeeping system compared to other combined service providers. I am doing more than data entry. I am constantly analyzing your data to make recommendations to better refine your bookkeeping processes to give you the clearest picture of how your business is performing throughout the year, not just at tax time.
CPA firms and tax preparers may also offer bookkeeping tasks. However this work is generally passed to lower-level bookkeepers, but you will likely pay CPA rates. It is possible that when you make a cost comparison, you may end up paying the same fees to have the tasks separated as you would if they were all done in the same office, but having two sets of eyes looking after your financial health is priceless.
Do I have to sign a contract? As part of your customized package, I will present you with an agreement, NOT a contract, that we both sign. This will outline the services chosen by you, and responsibilities of each party to ensure a professional and productive working relationship. The agreement will outline everything in clear, concise wording.
Will there ever be charges above my package cost? My goal is to have one flat rate that you can count on every month based on the services you choose. This amount will change if you add or remove services. Other things that may incur added expenses: *Postage (mailing bill payments, paychecks, W2s, etc) *Work required to be completed onsite at your location (travel fee) *Expense of additional software added at your request *Not receiving complete documents from you (causing added working time)
Don't I need a CPA? Most CPA’s aren't interested in doing bookkeeping work, but clean books are necessary in order for them to do your taxes. If your organization is required to have an audit, don’t rush out to hire a CPA when the first step is to simply get the books in order. Hire a bookkeeper to get the records in order first, then visit the CPA.
Generally, most small businesses only need an actual CPA if you need "certified financial statements" – something only 3% of businesses will ever need. You will enjoy estimated savings of 35% or more by using a bookkeeper instead of an Accountant/CPA for day-to-day business functions. The average CPA charges $150-$250 per hour, much more than a bookkeeping service.
However, if you can afford the cost, I do highly recommend having a CPA prepare your tax return. One great benefit in this scenario is that they can represent you in front of the IRS should a problem with your return arise. Think of it like having an insurance policy. You may not ever need it, but if you do, you'll be glad to have that option.
Do you do taxes? I have chosen to focus solely on bookkeeping tasks. I do not enjoy preparing taxes, and feel that during the first 4 months of the year I would not be able to give your day-to-day bookkeeping tasks the attention they need to get your year off to a good start. I would also have to spend additional time throughout the year researching and keeping up on tax changes, again leaving less time for me to focus on your needs. I believe in focusing on what you're good at, and what you enjoy (hopefully you are practicing that in your business!).
If you have your own tax preparer, I will gladly work closely with them throughout the year and at tax time to make the hand-off of information as seamless as possible, saving you money in tax preparation fees (because you will be organized and ready!). If you do not have someone already preparing your taxes, don't worry - I have a network of contacts and I can assist you in finding a good fit. Their fees will vary depending on the complexity of your return.
Will I still be in control of all my business decisions? There is a common misconception that an owner will lose control if they outsource their bookkeeping. I only take over the process of tracking transactions such as sales, accounts payable/receivable, and balancing the books, but only the business owner makes management decisions. You will always have the final word on who gets paid and when.
I need other professional services. Can you help? I have a network of business contacts, and would be more than happy to help you make connections for your other needs, including: *Commercial Lending *Small Business Startup Assistance (Financial planning, SBA loans, Marketing) *Investment Management *Real Estate Appraisal *Real Estate Agents *CPA/Tax Filing/Audit Services
Why don't you specifically offer training services? I've learned over the years that I am a terrible 'teacher' and I don't like doing it. I am a 'doer' instead, so I have chosen not to offer training. There are plenty of professionals out there that have developed in-depth training programs, so there is no need for me to reinvent the wheel. I can provide you with resources so that you can learn at your own pace, or have a trainer work with you one-on-one.