Resources
Why Bookkeeping
The business world is full of tricky jargon. Hiring a financial professional is no exception. Bookkeepers. Accountants. CPAs. Auditors. Enrolled Agents. Tax Advisors. Financial Advisors. The titles and terms are confusing, sometimes redundant, and sometimes distinct.
Bookkeeper leads the list for a reason. The act of bookkeeping precedes the rest. Bookkeeping is needed before accounting analysis. Before tax filings. Before an audit. Before advisory services.
Simply put, bookkeeping puts your financial data in order. The process typically uses software like QuickBooks Online to track and reconcile every transaction that impacts your business’s bottom line.
Before hiring a CPA or any other financial professional, they will ask for and require access to your financial reports created by a skilled bookkeeper like myself. They need the snapshots of your finances. As your bookkeeper, I was busy in the dark room producing clear, accurate snapshots throughout the year.
It is absolutely possible for small business owners to DIY their bookkeeping. In fact, I encourage start-up entrepreneurs to do just that. The process allows you to get to know your business from a new and fundamental angle. But oftentimes, the DIY option is not feasible as a business takes off.
Partnering with Heather Byron Bookkeeping will deliver bookkeeping services that fit your business needs. If you are in need of ongoing bookkeeping services, learn more about my approach here. For support getting your books up-to-date, ad hoc QBO training, or a short-term bookkeeping project, check out my Coaching services.
Need a bit more information? For a primer on all things business bookkeeping, dive into this handy tutorial from The Balance Small Business: The Beginner’s Guide to Bookkeeping.
Ready, Set, Go! When you’re ready to connect, contact me to schedule your free and confidential bookkeeping consultation.
Why QBO
QuickBooks Online is the name of the game. The QuickBooks brand may induce shudders like running into your ex...or the comfort of seeing an old friend.
Wherever your allegiances lie, QuickBooks Online delivers a robust cloud-based accounting software for businesses, large and small alike (even companies of one). The full suite of QuickBooks products sets industry standards for accounting software, and their continuous innovation leads to new, user-friendly features and functions.
Each level of the subscription-based software allows for at least one primary user (you) plus two accounting users (me and your tax preparer). This makes remote bookkeeping and data management a breeze for all users.
A not-so spoiler alert: QBO is my specialty and the only platform I use with clients. It’s not perfect. Like all technology, QBO has its shortcomings. I extensively test-drove other accounting software, cloud-based and desktop alike, before doubling down on QuickBooks Online.
How does one double down on QBO? A few years into my business, I dove into QuickBook Online ProAdvisor Certification. Yes, it’s a mouthful. And, yes, the badge on my website is correct - I am now an Elite ProAdvisor.
What does all this mean? Simply put, I completed many hours of training and an extensive exam provided by Intuit (parent company of QuickBooks) to build my expertise. Plus, I have years of QBO experience with over 50 clients. As a ProAdvisor, I participate in continuing education, beta testing new features, and providing feedback directly to QBO’s developers and customer support.
My status as a ProAdvisor should provide you with peace of mind - I truly am a pro. I am also committed to seeing QBO evolve to best serve all of my unique clients.
Test drive QBO with a free trial or review the introductory subscription (Simple Start) level here.
Getting Started
Send me an email to book a free and confidential consultation. Business owner to business owner, our time is precious. Let’s touch base with serious inquiries only. Once I receive your email, I will send you back a quick questionnaire and available times for us to meet.
CALL
Our 30-minute consultation call will be an opportunity for us to get to know one another and for me to get to know your business. I promise - we’ll keep it less awkward than a bad first date. Be prepared to chat about your current accounting system, tax filings, bookkeeping expectations, and cute puppy memes.
PROPOSAL
Assuming we’re a good fit, I will customize a bookkeeping proposal for you to review. The proposal will include fees, timelines, service deliverables, and all that legalese jazz to ensure data privacy and confidentiality.
CHECKLIST
Trust me, my proposal will offer what your business needs. With your signature, we’ll be ready to hit the ground running with a simple on-boarding checklist. This initially takes a bit of heavy lifting on both of our ends, pulling together all the bookkeeping puzzle pieces. But it will save time – and sanity – moving forward.
CELEBRATE
Sit back and relax. JK, you’re a business owner! At least take a moment (accompanied by a sip of bourbon) to celebrate this business victory. You’ve hired a bookkeeping phenom who cares about your business and is tracking your financial data in an organized accounting system.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve made it as easy as 1, 2, 3…
1. Send me a quick email to book a free and confidential consultation. I will respond with available times and a quick questionnaire to help guide our conversation.
2. Our 30-minute consultation call will be an opportunity for us to get to know one another and for me to get to know your business.
3. If our businesses are a good fit, I will send over a bookkeeping proposal with customized options based on your needs.
Correct! I am a fully remote bookkeeper. You don’t need to worry about finding desk space for me or commuting to in-person meetings. I’m just an email, call, or text away. I leverage online tools like QuickBooks Online (QBO), Zoom or Google Meet, and your preferred document storage system (or good ol’ fashioned email attachments).
Intuit – the parent company of QuickBooks, TurboTax, Mint, and more – sets the industry bar for accounting software. QuickBooks has long been offered as a desktop software and now offers a robust online platform for small businesses and solopreneurs. QuickBooks Online – or QBO – is not without its faults but as a Certified QBO ProAdvisor, I know all the ins and outs, workarounds, new feature rollouts, beta testing opportunities, and how to build an accounting system that works for you.
I completely understand your hesitation. Sharing a bank statement can feel a bit…intrusive. But, here’s the thing. Technology has this annoying way of messing up. It’s my job to catch those inevitable goofs.
Next, whether accounting on a paper ledger or an online software, a statement is a necessary tool to reconcile your data. Simply put, I make sure your statements and your accounting system match up without any discrepancies or technological hiccups.
Luckily, for you and I both, most online banking systems offer view-only access. This means you can set me up as a separate user on your account but only to view banking data and download PDF statements. This ensures your financial security and makes it super easy for me to snag statements at the end of each month or quarter. Bonus - this process saves you time!
Additionally, I am registered as a bookkeeper with a number of financial institutions and payroll processors. This means I have a secure profile already set up and sync with your data through view-only access.
I can refer you to affordable, third-party payroll processors that will fit your needs as an employer. As your bookkeeper, I will ensure the payroll data (from your third-party processor) is tracked and reconciled in QBO.
Yes, you found the right place. I can set up your bookkeeping system via QuickBooks Online and bring this system up-to-date so you have the historical data needed for tax purposes and financial analysis. Learn more here. From this point, I can provide ongoing bookkeeping services.
Spreadsheets are only a starting point. Businesses need a comprehensive accounting system. I can set you up with QuickBooks Online, customizing its features to fit your business needs. Learn more here.
Yes, through my Coaching service, I can answer specialized QuickBooks Online questions on an as-needed basis and support your sales tax compliance. Learn more here.
I applaud you for your entrepreneurial efforts! I encourage you to get started with QuickBooks Online and learn the mechanics of basic bookkeeping. At this time, however, I do not work with start-up clients. When your business takes off, please contact me to schedule your free consultation call.
© 2021 Heather Byron Bookeeping. All rights Reserved.