Why use a 
Bookkeeping Service?

Answer:  A Bookkeeper is responsible for proper entry of all transactions into the accounting records of a company or individual.  Tasks include:

• Entry of bills (Management of Accounts Payable)
• Payment of bills
• Entry of invoices (Management of Accounts Receivables)
• Preparation and mailing of Monthly Invoices and Statements
• Entry of payments of invoices
• Reconciliation of credit card accounts
• Reconciliation of checking and savings accounts
• Payroll processing
• Tax payments
• Depreciation Processing
• Petty Cash Management
• Certain Required Government Form Preparation

In addition to the above services we will also provide automated invoicing services for regular monthly invoice clients.

Accountants have far greater education and responsibility and are required for financial reviews and verification of statements and entries for submission to banks and other financial institutions, as well as the Internal Revenue Service for certain correspondences.  In addition to their greater skill they cost significantly more per hour and are not cost effective for mundane routine bookkeeping entries.

Question:  My business is small, when is it right to start using a bookkeeping service?  

Answer:  Not all businesses can afford a bookkeeping service.  We will sit down with you and determine if our service will be of benefit, without creating an unnecessary financial burden.  There is no standard formula, but in general a company must have a positive cash flow, and have at least 4 hours of bookkeeping work per month.  Anything less would be better done by yourself.   

Question:  My books are a mess, I am behind on vendor payments, I am often overdrawn, and I am not computer based, What can you offer me?  

Answer:  This is a surprisingly common problem.  Sometimes it can be solved quickly and efficiently through proper bookkeeping procedures and prioritizing vendor payments.  Most often these problems are related to slow sales and high expenses.  Through proper bookkeeping we can determine where expenses are excessive for the income generated.  We can't solve your sales problems through bookkeeping, however, our business consulting services can assist you in determining new sales techniques and targeting methods. 

Question:  My business is seasonal, can I use your services only during my busy season?  

Answer:  Many businesses are seasonal and do not have the cash flow to afford a bookkeeping service year-round.  We offer an alternative that keeps your bills paid timely through minimized service.  If you have a service agreement with A4E we will provide very basic bookkeeping services during the slow periods so all bills are paid promptly, however, the more sophisticated entries are saved until such time as cash flow improves. 

Answer:  By law you must fully declare all income, however, we will only enter what you report to us.  The Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities have formulas to determine what the appropriate income should be based on the purchases you make to sustain your business. Hiding cash, or underreporting is not wise, but many businesses do it, and those are the choices you make, but we do not encourage it.

Answer:  Real time bookkeeping is a specialized service that allows you to monitor your bookkeeping entries anytime you want.  Depending on the service level selected, entries are made within several hours after the documents for entry are received.  All  documents are available on-line and are protected for your safety.

Answer:  There are several variations to this question.  

The FIRST is that we are denied all access to your bank accounts and credit cards.  You maintain full and complete control over your accounts.  We do, however, require copies of your bank account statements and credit card statements, however, you are encouraged to black out the account numbers, however, if you prefer you do not have to.  These statements are used to reconcile your accounts and make sure your accounts are in balance and not overdrawn.  For credit cards the reconciliation process allows us to monitor your credit cards for fraud.  We prepare checks for you using a special program so the checks are prepared for you to print out at your office on your checks.  We never touch or have contact with your bank account or credit card account information.  This variation requires some time on your part to fulfill daily or weekly bookkeeping tasks.

The SECOND variation gives us limited access to your account information and checks.  We prepare checks and then forward them to you to be signed and mailed.  This again requires some effort on your part to complete some bookkeeping tasks, but this gives you more control over payment to vendors and employees.  

The THIRD variation gives us full and complete access to your accounts through on-line banking and make payments using on-line banking.  This is the most efficient and requires no effort on your part.  We only make bill payments that you approve in advance.  Because we have access to your account information we are able to make sure your accounts are in balance at all times and reduce the chance of overdrafts.

Answer:  Either the documents can be faxed, emailed, or mailed to us, or for immediate service we also have pick up and delivery.  Once we receive the documents they are scanned into our computer where they are then processed.  

We have several levels of service, the first being immediate, where all materials are entered as soon as they are received.  This costs a bit more, however, it allows you to quickly review your finances, especially if one or more people needs to review the current financial status of your company or production

Answer:  You decide who is allowed to review materials and who is not.  Your information is password protected and your can issue multiple passwords and limit access to specific information, or you can use one password and issue it to one or more people.