Question 1

How much does monthly bookkeeping cost?

Accepted Answer

Flat monthly fees start at $700 for straightforward, low-volume books and rise with transaction volume, number of accounts, and payroll. Most Chicago small businesses land between $700 and $1,450 a month. You receive an exact number in writing before any work begins.

Question 2

What do the monthly packages include?

Accepted Answer

Each package combines monthly bookkeeping and reconciliation with a report pack on a fixed schedule. Larger packages add payables and receivables tracking, payroll recording, multi-entity support, and scheduled review calls. Every package is month to month, with the fee agreed in writing before the first month.

Question 3

What does catch-up work cost if I am behind?

Accepted Answer

Catch-up is quoted separately from ongoing bookkeeping because it is a repair job, not late monthly work. Six to twelve months behind typically runs $950 to $2,500 depending on volume and record condition. We review your records first and give you a fixed number before starting — the quote does not change mid-project.

Question 4

Why might my final price differ from the advertised starting price?

Accepted Answer

Starting prices assume a typical scope. Your written quote reflects your actual transaction volume, account count, record condition, reporting frequency, and any added work like payables or payroll. The starting price is real — simpler books genuinely start there — but we confirm your number in writing before you commit to anything.

Question 5

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept credit cards, debit cards, checks, and cash. Monthly engagements are invoiced on a predictable schedule, and project work is billed as set out in the written quote.

Question 6

Do you offer refunds?

Accepted Answer

Bookkeeping work is performed and delivered continuously, so fees for work already completed are not refundable. Monthly engagements can be ended with thirty days notice, and no further months are billed after the engagement ends. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact us and we will review it promptly.

Question 7

Am I locked into a contract?

Accepted Answer

No. Engagements are month to month. If it is not working, you give thirty days notice and leave with your books and full access to your accounting file.

Question 8

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Send a short intake describing your business and the state of your records. We review what you have, confirm scope, and issue a written quote. Once you approve it we connect accounts and set a close schedule. Most businesses are fully onboarded within two weeks.

Question 9

What happens in a consultation request?

Accepted Answer

A consultation is a conversation about your records, not a sales pitch. We ask about your transaction volume, accounts, software, and how current your books are, then tell you plainly what the work would involve and what it would cost. There is no obligation to proceed.

Question 10

Who do you work with?

Accepted Answer

Individuals, independent contractors, freelancers, entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, growing businesses, and professional service companies — primarily across Chicago and Cook County. The common thread is an owner who wants accurate, current records without doing the bookkeeping personally.

Question 11

Do you work with businesses outside Chicago?

Accepted Answer

Our focus is Chicago and Cook County, and we know the local landscape well. We also work remotely with businesses elsewhere in Illinois when it is a good fit.

Question 12

What does monthly bookkeeping actually cover?

Accepted Answer

Every transaction across your bank, card, and processor accounts categorized against your chart of accounts, every account reconciled to its statement, adjusting entries documented, and the month closed by the tenth business day. You receive a report pack and a short written note about anything unusual.

Question 13

What is the difference between catch-up and cleanup work?

Accepted Answer

Catch-up rebuilds missing periods — months where transactions were never recorded or reconciled. Cleanup repairs books that exist but are wrong: duplicates, mis-postings, broken balances. Both are quoted as fixed-price projects after a free records review, and many businesses need a bit of each.

Question 14

Why do reconciliations matter so much?

Accepted Answer

Reconciliation is how you know the books are real. Matching every account to its statement each month catches bank errors, duplicate entries, missing transactions, and unauthorized charges while they are still easy to fix. Unreconciled books can look plausible for months while quietly drifting from reality.

Question 15

How often will I receive reports?

Accepted Answer

Monthly, by the tenth business day after the month closes — a profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and a short written note. Quarterly review clients receive a written findings report each quarter. More frequent or custom reporting can be added to an engagement and is priced accordingly.

Question 16

Can you handle multiple bank accounts, cards, and processors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Multi-account work is routine — bank accounts, business credit cards, payment processors, and loans are each connected, categorized, and reconciled to their own statement. Account count is one of the factors reflected in your monthly quote, so the price stays proportional to the actual work.

Question 17

Which accounting software do you work in?

Accepted Answer

We work inside your existing accounting platform wherever possible, including QuickBooks Online. If you do not have one yet, or your current setup is fighting you, we handle setup or migration as a one-time project and document the monthly routine.

Question 18

How do I send you documents?

Accepted Answer

Bank and card feeds connect directly, so most transactions arrive automatically. Anything else goes through a secure shared folder. We never ask you to email statements or account credentials.

Question 19

Do you file my tax return?

Accepted Answer

No. We are a bookkeeping and small-business accounting support service, not a CPA or tax firm. We prepare a clean, reconciled year-end package and coordinate directly with whoever prepares your return.

Question 20

Can you give me tax or financial advice?

Accepted Answer

No. We do not provide tax, legal, investment, audit, or attest services. What we do is keep your records accurate and current so the licensed professionals who provide those services have something reliable to work from.

Questions people actually ask

Pricing and payment

Getting started

Working together

What we do and do not do