Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

Am I locked into a contract?
We do not believe in locking our clients into using our services for a set period of time. We want you to stay with us because you are happy with our service, not because you have to. Thus, we do not have contracts with time commitments.

We do, however, have an Engagement Letter that you will be asked to sign when you become a client. This Engagement Letter outlines the quote we have provided for your file and some general terms of engagement. There is no time commitment outlined on the Engagement Letter -- all of our clients are considered to be working with us on a month-to-month basis.

 

How do I get you my information “remotely”?
We are very flexible and always find a way to make this part convenient for the client.

view-only logins
Most of our clients set up separate view-only logins to their bank account, which allow us access to view and download statements, but give us no access to your other sensitive account information. This allows us to pull the information we need to do your books each month without having to bother you for each document or check copy.


the “shoebox”
If you have a lot of paper receipts that you believe we will need in order to do the books, you may be surprised to find out that we may not even need them. How is that possible? We try to work efficiently, so we will first use the information on your monthly statements to categorize all the transactions we can. If you use mostly checks and debit/credit cards for your transactions, we will see the vendor come through on your statement and can categorize a large portion of the information already. Then, we will export to a spreadsheet for you to look over, which will contain any transactions we are unsure of or need more clarification on, so that you can let us know what was purchased. Exchanging receipts is usually not necessary.

 

How does remote bookkeeping work?
Remote bookkeeping basically allows us to do your books without actually having to be on location.
There are a few different ways we usually work with our clients:

we house the file
We can keep the Quickbooks file on our systems, and possibly save you money because you don't have to buy QuickBooks! You own the file, so if you ever choose to take the QuickBooks in-house or stop utilizing our services, we would just send you a copy of the file to move it to your computer.
remote login/cloud hosting
Remote Access or Cloud Hosting are good solutions for clients who need to use their QuickBooks file on a daily basis or want constant access to their account. We use softwares like GotomyPC or Teamviewer to set up remote access to your computer, allowing us to login and work on your file on your system. Some of our clients choose to host their QuickBooks file using a cloud hosting provider, so that they can access the file from anywhere.
accountant’s copy
We can also have you provide us with something called an “accountant’s copy,” which basically lets you keep doing your day-to-day tasks in Quickbooks while we work on the clean up and reconciliations from past months!
quickbooks online
If you use QuickBooks Online, you would just need to grant us accountant level access to your account.

 

Why should I trust you with my books?
We are a family-owned business. Our owners, Helena Wolfand and Tina Keyes, are a mother and daughter team. This business is our family's livelihood and we take our client's security very seriously.

We only hire people after a thorough review of their knowledge, background, and character.
All of our employees have been vetted to make sure they are trustworthy and have the necessary experience. We do extensive background checks before bringing anyone into our work family. Many of our employees have been with us over 10 years.

We take every precaution to ensure your information is transferred securely, by using a secure document portal.

 

Will I work with the same person every month?
Yes. We will assign a bookkeeper to your account, so that you can build a relationship and she can get to know your business. You will be able to reach out to her via phone or email anytime.

 

Who will be assigned to my account?
We assign bookkeepers to accounts based on who will be the best fit for that particular new client as well as the availability in each person's schedule to take on additional clients.

All of our bookkeepers have 20 - 30 years of experience in bookkeeping and/or QuickBooks. They are experts in what they do and they have done bookkeeping for clients in various industries. To learn more about our employees, please take a look at the "meet our team" page.

Why would I choose you over your competitors?
Our competitors fall into 3 categories:

1. solo practitioner bookkeeper:
Often people come to us after their previous bookkeeper just stopped doing the work or disappeared on them due to a family issue or illness. With us, we have many bookkeepers, so another person is always there to backup your assigned bookkeeper should an emergency pull them away unexpectedly.

We are a bookkeeping firm rather than a solo practitioner, so there is a high level of accountability and checks/balances in place. You can rest assured that your financials will be handled with the highest degree of integrity and precaution.

2. large franchises:
With a large franchise, you do not usually know who is doing your books. Often, the processing centers are even located in other countries.

We are a family-owned and operated business based out of Florida, not a large impersonal corporation. There is no red tape...no hoops to jump through. If you have a question or concern, you can reach the owners of the company, Helena and Tina, at any time. We post the pictures and names of the bookkeepers that will actually be assigned to your account and work with you every month, so you know exactly who you are working with.

3 cpa firms:
While some CPA firms do bookkeeping, we are usually cheaper than your CPA firm when it comes to bookkeeping.


Why do I need a bookkeeper?
Your company’s financials will make or break your business. It is very important to keep up with your bookkeeping consistently to make sure that you know where your business stands. It is not enough to look at your books once per year -- you could find ways to save money, gain more business, and prevent costly mistakes by looking at your financial statements multiple times per year.

Also, a good bookkeeper will classify your transactions properly and save you money at your accountant’s office, since there will be no need to spend time fixing the books or trying to figure out where you stand. By keeping up with your bookkeeping monthly, you will not only have a better picture of your business, but you will also be able to avoid the headache and stress of having to catch up with your bookkeeping come tax season.