Bookkeeping and accounting services for US small businesses
SF Business Solutions keeps the books for US small and mid-size businesses: monthly bookkeeping, cleanup of past years, payroll, business tax returns prepared and filed, reconciliations, financial statements and forecasting.
The work is done by our accountants in QuickBooks Online or Xero, and monthly bookkeeping starts at $250 a month.
What you can hand us
Most clients start with monthly bookkeeping and add the rest as they need it. Every service below runs in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file, so the books stay yours.
- Monthly bookkeeping: transactions categorized, every account reconciled, books closed between the 5th and 15th of the following month, depending on when your documents arrive.
- Cleanup and catch-up: months or years of missing or wrong entries rebuilt and reconciled.
- Accounts payable and receivable: bills scheduled, invoices sent, overdue invoices followed up.
- Bank and card reconciliation: every account tied to its statement, including payment app payouts.
- Month-end close and financial statements: profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow each month.
- Payroll: pay runs, payroll tax filings, W-2s.
- Tax preparation: we prepare and file your business tax return from reconciled books.
- Audit support: the schedules and records your auditor asks for.
- Budgeting and forecasting: budgets, cash flow forecasts and financial models.
- A dedicated accountant: one person on your books full time.
How to choose a bookkeeping service
The best service for a small business is the one whose accountants know your software, close your books on a fixed schedule and tell you the price up front. Brand size matters less than who actually touches your file each month.
Before you sign with anyone, including us, ask these questions and compare the answers in writing.
- Who does the work, and will it be the same person each month?
- Which software are they certified in? Ours: QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor, QuickBooks Online Advanced, Xero Advisor and Xero Payroll.
- By what date is each month closed, and which reports do you get?
- Is every bank and card account reconciled to its statement every month?
- What does it cost, and what is extra? How is cleanup priced?
- If you leave, do the books stay in your own subscription?
When outsourcing makes sense, and when it doesn't
Outsource when you are more than a month behind, when the books take more than a few hours of your month, or when a lender or investor asks for statements you can't produce. If you also want the tax return prepared and filed from those books, one team can do both. Outsourcing costs less than a full-time in-house bookkeeper for most small businesses, and it doesn't stop when someone goes on leave or quits.
It is not hands-off. You still answer questions about transactions we can't identify, upload receipts and approve payments. And if you need someone physically in the office every day, an in-house hire fits better.
Real accountants, not just software
Bank feeds and rules in QuickBooks Online and Xero speed up the routine coding, but an accountant reconciles every account before the month is closed. Software alone doesn't catch a personal charge on the business card or a loan payment booked as an expense.
SF Business Solutions was founded in 2022, and the team brings 10+ years of industry experience. It includes one licensed CPA.
Switching from another bookkeeper
If your books live in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero subscription, switching loses nothing. You invite us as your accountant user, we check the opening balances against your bank statements and pick up from the last month that was properly reconciled. If the previous service kept the books in its own system, ask it for a full export and your statements first; we rebuild from those.
How to start
Three steps. The first one is free.
- 1
Book a free consult
A 1-hour call about your books, your software and what you need.
- 2
Give us access
Invite us to QuickBooks Online or Xero and share your bank and card statements.
- 3
We take it from there
Cleanup first if you are behind. Then we close each month between the 5th and 15th of the following month, depending on your documents.
SF Business Solutions is very diligent and responsive. I can tell they are passionate about their work, which I particularly appreciate about them. My project was rather complex but they managed to get it done according to my needs.
What is the best outsourced bookkeeping service for a small business?
The one whose accountants know your software, close your books by a fixed date and publish their prices. SF Business Solutions works in QuickBooks Online and Xero, closes the books between the 5th and 15th of the following month depending on when documents arrive, and starts at $250 a month, so you can compare us directly.
Can you do my bookkeeping remotely?
Yes. The work is done remotely in your QuickBooks Online or Xero file, using bank feeds and the documents you upload.
Are affordable bookkeeping services reliable?
Price alone doesn't tell you. Check that every account is reconciled monthly, that reports arrive on a fixed date and that the staff are certified in your software.
When should a small business start outsourcing its bookkeeping?
When you are more than a month behind, when the books take more than a few hours a month, or when someone asks for financial statements you can't produce.
Will I lose data if I switch bookkeeping services?
No, if the books are in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero subscription. We join as your accountant user and pick up from the last reconciled month.
Related
Hand us this month’s books.
Pick a day for a free 1-hour consult.