General & Working Together

  • A bookkeeper organizes your business’s financial activity into accurate records and understandable reports. That includes categorizing transactions, reconciling bank and credit card accounts, tracking assets and debts, and checking for missing information, duplicates, or numbers that don’t make sense.

    But the purpose goes beyond keeping records. When your books are incomplete or unreliable, questions like “Why is cash tight?” “How much did we actually earn?” and “Can we afford new equipment?” become harder to answer.

    I help you build a financial picture you can trust—and keep it current. That gives you a stronger foundation for business decisions, helps you understand your profitability, and provides reliable information for your tax professional and lenders.

  • Accurate bookkeeping helps you understand what your business owns, owes, earns, and spends. You can see whether the business is profitable, where the money is going, and what financial commitments are coming up. A healthy bank balance alone doesn’t tell you all of that.

    Those details matter when you’re considering new equipment, hiring someone, or taking money out of the business. Reliable books help you weigh what you can afford and plan for the effect on cash flow.

    Other people may need those numbers, too. Your tax professional uses your records to prepare your return. Lenders may review financial reports alongside bank statements and other documents. Business partners and potential buyers need dependable information to evaluate the business.

    When the books are incomplete or inaccurate, mistakes can carry into those decisions. Keeping them accurate and current helps you catch problems earlier and reduces the scramble to reconstruct records when someone needs answers.

  • Ongoing bookkeeping clients receive two core financial reports:

    • Profit and loss statement: Shows your income, expenses, and profit or loss for a period, such as a month or year.

    • Balance sheet: Shows your assets, liabilities, and equity—what the business owns, what it owes, and the difference between the two—at a specific date.

    Depending on your business and the agreed scope, additional reports may include bank and credit card reconciliation reports, supporting schedules, and details about particular balances. These help explain and support the numbers in your financial statements and provide useful records for your tax professional or lender.

    I also help you understand what you’re looking at, including important changes in income, expenses, or balances. You’ll have someone to ask when a number surprises you or a report doesn’t make sense.

  • Good bookkeeping matters from the beginning, but monthly professional service may not be cost-effective for every new or very small business.

    Ongoing support starts making sense when keeping the books accurate and current becomes difficult, time-consuming, or more than you want to handle yourself. Common signs include:

    • Transactions are piling up or accounts are becoming harder to reconcile.

    • Payroll, loans, or additional accounts add complexity.

    • You need regular financial reports to plan or make decisions.

    • You’re unsure whether the numbers are correct.

    • Bookkeeping is taking time away from running your business—or getting postponed altogether.

    There isn’t one revenue threshold that fits everyone. A small business with complicated activity may need more help than a larger business with straightforward finances.

    If monthly service isn’t the right fit yet, I also offer setup assistance for QuickBooks Online or Xero, training for QuickBooks users, spreadsheet and software conversions, bookkeeping reviews, and cleanup work. You can get help building a reliable foundation and add ongoing support when it makes sense.

  • I work with owners of small and medium-sized businesses across a wide range of industries, including professional services, skilled trades, retail, automotive, and technology.

    Some need help catching up or sorting out unreliable books. Others want ongoing support so they can spend less time on bookkeeping and still know where their business stands. What they have in common is a need for accurate records, clear answers, and someone they can depend on.

  • I’m based in Dallas, Oregon, and serve businesses throughout Polk County, Salem, and nearby communities. In-person meetings are available.

    I also work remotely with businesses throughout Oregon and across the United States. We can share records securely online and stay in touch by phone, email, or video meetings. You can get dependable bookkeeping support wherever your business is located.

  • I’m an independent bookkeeper with a formal education in accounting. When you hire me, I personally do the work and answer your questions. I use software to support that work, while the judgment and responsibility stay with me.

    I look beyond transaction categories to how the accounts fit together and whether the financial statements make sense. My work is grounded in accounting principles, with attention to assets, debts, equity, and the details that can be missed when bookkeeping is treated as data entry.

    If I find an unexplained balance or an accounting problem, I investigate it. When resolving it requires more information or input from your tax professional, I explain what’s outstanding and what we need to move forward.

    You also deserve honest, understandable answers about your own business. My goal is to give you useful financial information you can trust—and a clear understanding of anything that still needs attention.

  • I handle the bookkeeping side of payroll, including recording payroll expenses, reconciling payroll accounts, and accounting for payroll liabilities and accruals when applicable.

    With accountant access to a provider such as Gusto, I can review payroll reports, investigate accounting discrepancies, and coordinate with your payroll provider to help resolve issues affecting the books.

    I do not offer payroll setup or run payroll. If you need those services, I can refer you to a dedicated payroll provider while helping keep the accounting accurate.

  • Sales tax support is available as an optional service, depending on the states involved and your business’s needs. This may include tracking sales tax collected, reconciling sales tax accounts, and preparing and filing returns within the agreed scope.

    Oregon does not have a general sales tax, but selling to customers in other states can create sales tax obligations. The support you need also depends on how your sales platforms and accounting software handle those transactions.

    During your consultation, we’ll review your situation and determine what I can support. If you need specialized advice about where you must register or which sales are taxable, I can help coordinate with a qualified sales tax professional.

  • Yes. You don’t need an accounting background to understand your own business’s numbers. I explain your reports in plain language and help you connect them to questions like “Why did profit drop?” “Where did the cash go?” or “Which expenses are increasing?”

    We can review income, expenses, profitability, cash balances, and significant changes together. I also explain how the reports fit together—for example, why showing a profit doesn’t necessarily mean you have that much cash available.

  • My services focus on recording, reconciling, and reporting your business’s financial activity. I do not provide tax preparation or tax advice, legal or investment advice, audits, medical billing, physical inventory counts, or day-to-day inventory management.

    I also do not pay bills, issue customer invoices, set up payroll, or run payroll. I do account for the related financial activity—such as recording payroll, reconciling payment accounts, and maintaining inventory balances using records you provide.

    Bookkeeping workflow assistance within QuickBooks Online or Xero may be included when agreed upon. If you need a service outside my scope, I can help you identify an appropriate professional or provider.

  • Yes. I can provide remote bookkeeping services to businesses in Oregon and other states using cloud-based accounting software and secure document-sharing tools.

    The availability of additional services—such as sales tax or payroll support—may depend on your location and applicable state requirements. We will confirm the appropriate scope during your consultation.

Services & Bookkeeping Clean-Up and Catch-up

  • Yes. I provide catch-up bookkeeping for businesses that are months—or even years—behind. I personally review the condition of your books and explain the scope and pricing before work begins.

    There’s no judgment. Bookkeeping can fall behind while you’re busy running the business, and you don’t need to fix it before asking for help. We’ll start where you are and work toward current and complete books you can trust.

    Catch-up fills in missing periods; cleanup corrects problems in the records already there. Your business may need both.

  • Yes. You deserve financial reports you can trust and use to make informed business decisions. I provide cleanup work to investigate and correct problems in your existing records.

    This may include correcting inaccurate or duplicate entries, reconciling accounts, investigating old or unexplained balances, and simplifying an overly complicated chart of accounts. I look for the cause of a discrepancy, so the correction is supported—not just an adjustment that makes the number disappear.

    I begin by reviewing your books and explaining what needs attention. You’ll receive a clear scope and estimate before cleanup begins. If something requires missing records or input from your tax professional, I’ll explain what’s needed.

    There’s no judgment about how the problems developed. The goal is to resolve them and build a reliable foundation going forward.

  • Absolutely. You don’t need to diagnose the problem before reaching out. “What does this account mean?” “Why is that balance so high?” or simply “These numbers don’t seem right” are all good reasons to ask for help.

    I can review your records, investigate unusual balances, and explain what I find in plain language. Sometimes a number is correct but needs explanation. Other times, the confusion points to missing information, an accounting error, or a setup that makes the reports difficult to follow.

    If corrections are needed, I’ll explain the issues and recommend a practical path forward. If I need more information to reach an answer, I’ll tell you what’s missing and why it matters. You deserve a clear response to your questions.

Software & Systems (QuickBooks)

  • Yes. QuickBooks Online is the primary software I use for bookkeeping. I’m a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor with Level 2 certification and Gold-tier status in the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program.

    I help businesses get started with the software, clean up existing records, improve bookkeeping workflows, and keep their books accurate and current.

    Knowing the software is only part of the work. I also examine the accounting behind the entries, investigate discrepancies, and help make sure your reports provide useful, understandable information about your business.

  • You don’t need to have accounting software in place before we begin working together. As part of getting your business ready for ongoing bookkeeping, I can help you choose an appropriate platform, set up your accounts, and establish a practical process for sharing financial records.

    QuickBooks Online is the primary software I use, and I also work with Xero when it’s a better fit or your preference. The setup will reflect how your business operates and the information you need from your reports.

    From there, I handle the ongoing bookkeeping—recording activity, reconciling accounts, and keeping your financial reports accurate and current.

  • Neither is the best choice for every business. The right fit depends on how you operate, the reports you need, the other software you use, and who needs access—including your tax professional.

    QuickBooks Online is my primary bookkeeping platform and my usual recommendation for businesses starting fresh. I also provide ongoing bookkeeping using Xero when a business already uses it or it better suits their needs.

    If your current software works well, switching may add cost and disruption without much benefit. We can review your situation and choose a practical option that supports reliable bookkeeping without unnecessary complexity.

  • Yes. If moving feels overwhelming—or you’re worried about losing records or carrying old bookkeeping problems into the new software—I can help.

    I manage the transition, address accounting issues, and check that your financial reports agree after the move. The goal is to get your business working smoothly in QuickBooks Online with reliable books and ongoing support.

  • Yes. If your spreadsheets are becoming difficult to maintain or aren’t giving you a clear picture of the business, I can help you move to QuickBooks Online.

    There’s no judgment about where you started. Your spreadsheets may contain valuable records, even if they can’t be imported directly. I use that information alongside supporting documents to build accurate books and address gaps.

    The goal is to make your finances easier to manage, with understandable reports and ongoing bookkeeping support.

Taxes & CPA Collaboration

  • I help with the bookkeeping that supports tax preparation. I don’t prepare tax returns or provide tax advice, but I reconcile accounts, resolve bookkeeping issues, and organize financial reports and supporting records for your tax professional.

    That means fewer unexplained balances and less scrambling to reconstruct what happened during the year. Your tax professional handles tax planning and preparing the return; I help make sure they have dependable numbers to work with.

  • A bookkeeper maintains your business’s financial records: recording activity, reconciling accounts, investigating discrepancies, and producing reports that help you understand the business.

    A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is licensed by a state board of accountancy. CPAs may specialize in tax, accounting, auditing, or advisory services—not every CPA does the same work.

    An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a tax professional federally credentialed by the IRS. EAs can prepare returns, provide tax guidance, and represent taxpayers before the IRS. CPAs also have broad IRS representation rights.

    These roles can overlap. My service focuses on ongoing bookkeeping and resolving accounting problems, while your tax professional handles tax advice and return preparation.

  • Absolutely. With your permission, I can communicate directly with your tax professional, share financial reports and supporting records, answer bookkeeping questions, and record the accounting adjustments they provide.

    You shouldn’t have to act as the messenger for every accounting question. Direct collaboration helps resolve issues efficiently and keeps your books aligned with adjustments made during tax preparation.

Getting Started

  • Simply click Schedule Your Consultation on the website. You’ll answer a few brief intake questions so I can understand your business and current bookkeeping setup. We’ll then meet for a free initial consultation to discuss where things stand, what you need, and whether my services are a good fit.

    There is no obligation to move forward. The consultation is simply the first step toward determining what kind of support makes sense for your business.

  • We’ll begin with a free initial consultation to discuss your business, your current bookkeeping setup, and the kind of support you’re looking for.

    If it appears that I can help, the next step is usually a review of your existing books. You’ll provide secure accountant access to your bookkeeping software and, when necessary, relevant reports or records. I’ll use that review to understand the condition of the books, identify the work involved, and define a clear scope.

    You’ll then receive a proposal explaining the recommended services, pricing, and responsibilities. If you decide to move forward, we’ll complete the engagement paperwork, set up secure access and communication, and begin the agreed-upon work.

    The goal is for you to understand what will be done, what it will cost, and what I’ll need from you before the engagement begins.

  • To get started, I’ll need access to your bookkeeping software and relevant financial accounts, along with any available bank or credit card statements. Depending on your business, I may also request payroll reports, loan documents, or information from other systems you use.

    From time to time, I’ll have questions about transactions or business activity that cannot be identified from the records alone. I’ll keep these questions organized and focused so you can provide what I need without bookkeeping becoming another job on your list.

  • Most clients receive a Microsoft OneDrive file-request link for uploading statements, receipts, and other bookkeeping records. It is simple to use and can be bookmarked for future uploads.

    Depending on your bookkeeping software and workflow, secure document sharing through QuickBooks Online or Hubdoc may also be available. We will use the method that works best for your business, and sensitive records should not be sent through ordinary email.

  • No. In most cases, you can invite me through your accounting software or provide separate accountant or read-only access through your financial institution. If a bank connection requires your login credentials, you will typically enter them yourself.

    Statements and other documents can be shared through a secure file-sharing system. Passwords should never be sent by email or text.

  • Yes. Your company’s books and financial data remain yours. You will retain appropriate administrative access, while I receive accountant access to perform the work we agree upon.

    If our work together ends, your records stay with your business and your access remains intact.

  • I handle the bookkeeping so it does not become another job for you. Your role is to provide the records only your business can supply, answer questions I cannot resolve from the available information, and review the completed reports.

    During onboarding, we will establish a clear, manageable routine for document uploads, any recordkeeping your business will continue to handle, and monthly questions. The exact process depends on the complexity of your business, but you will know what is expected of you—and I will keep the bookkeeping moving.

  • Bookkeeping services typically cost $300–$500 per month, although prices vary widely among independent bookkeepers. That is because every business has a different scope and level of complexity.

    Price matters, but so does knowing what is included—and whether you can trust that your books are complete and accurate. A bargain can become expensive if errors go unnoticed and must be corrected later.

  • You can pay the software company directly, or the subscription may be billed through my accounting practice. Qualifying QuickBooks subscriptions billed through my practice currently receive an ongoing 30% discount from the standard price.

    When billing is handled through my practice, you still control your company file and data. If you later want to pay QuickBooks or Xero directly—or move to another accountant—the subscription billing can be transferred without losing your accounting records. The accountant-provided discount may end after a transfer.

  • Most ongoing bookkeeping is completed monthly, with financial reports available after the month’s statements and records have been received and any outstanding questions resolved.

    Quarterly or annual bookkeeping may also be available when monthly reporting is unnecessary or information is gathered less frequently. We’ll choose a schedule that keeps your books accurate, useful, and ready when you need them.

  • Yes. I can review your existing books, identify what is needed, and create a transition plan designed to minimize disruption. When appropriate, I can also coordinate with your current or previous bookkeeper to transfer access, records, and important background information.

    If the books need corrections or cleanup, we will address that separately and agree on the scope before additional work begins. The goal is a professional handoff and a clear path forward—not an uncomfortable transition.

  • You are not stuck with bookkeeping mistakes from the past. Before relying on existing balances, I assess the prior work to identify errors, inconsistencies, and accounts that may need further attention.

    Some problems can be corrected as part of getting started, while others may require a more thorough cleanup. Either way, I will explain what I find, recommend the appropriate next steps, and establish a dependable starting point for your bookkeeping going forward.

  • The timeline depends on more than how many months need attention. The condition of the books, complexity of the business, availability of records, and response time for outstanding questions all affect how quickly the work can be completed.

    After reviewing your books, I can provide a clearer estimate and identify anything that could delay the process. Keeping records and answers readily available helps the cleanup move forward efficiently.

  • No. Ongoing bookkeeping does not require a year-long commitment and may generally be ended with 30 days’ notice. That notice period allows time to complete the final month, bring your information up to date, and coordinate an orderly transition to you or your next accounting professional.

    Catch-up and cleanup work is usually handled as a separate project with its own scope and terms. In some cases, limited catch-up work may be included in a monthly service proposal. Engagement terms may be updated annually so the services and responsibilities remain clearly defined.