Andrea is a creative entrepreneurial person. Unfortunately, due to some extenuating life events, she was two years behind in her taxes. It was always lingering in the back of her mind, weighing on her. She knew she had to do those taxes, but with everything else going on in her life, she couldn’t figure out where to get started. So, she called Janet.
When Janet arrived, Andrea handed her a paper box full of receipts and bank statements (along with a couple of stowaway birthday cards, some crayons, and a Matchbox car). Janet was able to create a clean and organized company file for both years of activity. She printed out the reports that Andrea needed for her tax returns on four sheets of paper. Andrea was able to take them to her accountant and relax. She was over-the-moon and told everyone she knew what a great job Janet did taking care of her in a difficult time.
Michael is a plumber. When he was laid off from a union job, he decided it was time to step out on his own so he could continue working. Michael thought all he would need to do was continue plumbing. What he discovered was there is a lot more to running your own business than being skillful at your trade. He had no basic accounting knowledge and didn’t know how to use QuickBooks to make it easier. On top of that, he had to add payroll, figure out how to pay himself, file his tax forms, and pay his taxes on time. When he learned that state and federal tax schedules were different, his frustration only grew.
All he wanted to do was his job. He worked all day plumbing and then had to spend nights and weekends trying to get his books caught up. It was a stressful time for him. He came to us for QuickBooks training. We taught him how QuickBooks works and created some “cheat sheets” for all the tax information he needed to remember. His confidence in his ability to handle his business finances soared. He also knew that from that time forward, we were just a phone call away. Because we knew him and his business, he could always call if a question popped up.
Sarah had worked with other firms in our area. Then one day, she called us in tears. Sarah had no idea what shape her financials were in. To top it off, she received her itemized bill from her current provider and was shell-shocked. Her current firm was charging her for every single item of work and every question she asked. Even worse, they gave her next to no communication in return.
When she came to our office, we worked with her to get the records she needed from the previous firm. We rebuilt her financials in QuickBooks Online and set up a payroll program she could easily run on her own if she wanted. In no time at all, we had her up and running. Best of all, if she needed help or had questions, we were just a phone call away, and we wouldn’t nickel and dime her for every minute she spent talking to us. Our flat-rate pricing was far more reasonable than the huge invoices she was receiving from the prior firm.
*Names have been changed to protect our customer’s privacy.
Hiring a bookkeeper doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. It means you care enough about your business to partner with experts who can support you. In the long run, this will save you time, money, and mental anguish.
We work with small businesses in a variety of industries. Craft Breweries are one of our specialties. We understand the ins and outs of bookkeeping, unique to your business. Bookkeeping is a burden that takes away from the time you need to run your business. Let us do what we do best–bookkeeping, so you can do what you do best–brew great beer!
