How the monthly cycle runs
Five stages, on the same dates every month, with reconciliation before anything is issued.
Transactions processed
Bank feeds, receipts and bills entered and categorised through the month rather than in a scramble at close. Queries are raised as they arise rather than saved up.
Reconciliation
Bank, credit card and loan accounts reconciled in full. Nothing is issued until this is clean, and where it cannot be, the reason is documented.
Review
A second pair of eyes on unusual items, uncategorised balances and anything that moved materially against the prior period, before the client sees it.
Reporting
Statements issued on a fixed date, with a covering note on anything outstanding and an explicit statement where a question cannot be answered reliably from the records.
Conversation
A short monthly call included in the fee. Questions do not generate an invoice here, which is why clients actually ask them.
What this approach costs us
We deliver later than some. A firm reporting on the third of the month is not reconciling first, and we lose prospects who compare on that date alone.
We turn away work we cannot do properly. Books in a state that cannot be reconciled without a cleanup engagement get quoted as a cleanup, and some clients want the monthly service without the honest first step.
We do not bill for questions. A fixed fee including the monthly call removes the incremental revenue most practices earn from ad hoc advice.
We keep the ledger in your name. Practices that hold the subscription make leaving awkward, and we have given that up deliberately.
Frequently asked
What does reconciled actually mean?
Bank, credit card and loan accounts agreed in full to the statements, with no unexplained differences and no balances parked in suspense. Until that is true, no report is issued.
What if our books are a mess?
We quote a cleanup separately, tell you honestly what can and cannot be recovered from the records that survive, and move to monthly service once it is done.
Do you prepare tax returns?
No. We work alongside your CPA, which keeps the person preparing the return independent of the person maintaining the records.
How are fees structured?
A fixed monthly fee agreed against scope, including the monthly call. We do not bill hourly and we do not invoice for questions.
Who owns the accounting file?
You do. The subscription is in your name and we are added as users, so ending the relationship takes an afternoon.
Can you answer job profitability questions?
Only if the records are structured to support it. Where they are not, we will tell you what would have to change rather than producing a figure you cannot rely on.
Do you handle payroll across state lines?
Yes, Missouri and Kansas, which is a common requirement in this metro and a common source of filing errors.
What about nonprofit restricted funds?
Tracked separately as standard, so board reports show what is genuinely available rather than a single unrestricted-looking balance.