What this covers
Your books match your bank, your open invoices and bills are visible, and month-end doesn’t turn into a scramble. When someone asks where a number came from, you can point to a reconciliation and a note, not a guess.
You reached out because the balance in your accounting file and the balance at the bank no longer match, and you need clean reporting for a lender, a landlord, or your tax preparer. I reconcile first, then I code with notes you can follow later, and I don’t move money or change settings without your say-so. If you’d like to go ahead, you’ll sign, then I’ll collect access and start on the first month.
I start by lining up what happened in real life with what’s in the file: bank and card reconciliations first, then transaction coding and rules, then an A/R and A/P ageing check so nothing gets missed. If something is unclear, I ask once with a short list, then I document the decision the same day.
A bit about me
I’m Mara Bourne, a bookkeeper. I started doing this work inside small businesses where the owner was running sales all day and trying to do the books at night. The same problems showed up again and again: transactions that never got coded, months that never got reconciled, and a report that looked fine until the bank balance didn’t.
Clients hire me when they want the books cleaned up without mystery edits. I work in the file you already use when it makes sense, and I write down what I changed and why. I also stay out of your money movement. If you want bill pay or payroll handled, I set up an approval step so you decide what gets paid and when.
Recent work
Here are a few recent bookkeeping cleanups and ongoing monthly bookkeeping engagements, with the kind of before-and-after you can check against the bank.
Portfolio
Monthly close for retailer. Brought bank, card, and deposit activity into the same month-end close so reports stopped changing after the fact. Set rules for repeat vendors and wrote coding notes for the few categories the owner cared about most.
Catch-up for service business. Cleaned up a backlog by reconciling month by month, then re-coding only the transactions that were clearly miscategorized. The owner kept their existing chart of accounts, and every change was tracked with a note.
A/P and bill pay setup. Organized outstanding bills, added due dates, and put an approval step in place so payments only went out after a yes. Weekly ageing review kept late fees down and made cash needs visible before payroll week.
“Everything matched the bank again, and I could finally trust the reports.”
Owner-operator, a growing small business
How the month runs
Each month follows the same rhythm: you hand off the few things I can’t see in the bank feed, I reconcile and code, then we do a quick review so you know what changed and what needs a decision.
1. Intake and access To start I confirm what system you’re in now and what “done for the month” needs to mean for you. You’ll share bank and card access, your bookkeeping login, and any recurring bills or invoices that don’t flow through the bank. I’ll also confirm who is allowed to approve payments. 2. Reconcile first Each month I reconcile each bank and credit card account to the statement balance, month by month. If something doesn’t match, I trace it to a specific item: a duplicate, a missing transaction, a timing issue, or a transfer coded wrong. I keep a short list of questions for anything I can’t verify. 3. Code and tighten Each month Once accounts reconcile, I code transactions to the right categories and add notes where a future question is likely. For repeat activity, I set rules so the same vendor doesn’t land in three different places. If a category needs your preference, I’ll ask and then stick to that decision going forward. 4. Ageing and close Month-end I review A/R and A/P ageing so open invoices and bills are accounted for, not hidden in email threads. If you want me to handle bill pay, I prepare the payments and send them for approval before anything is released. Then I close the month and flag any follow-ups for next month.
Pricing
Pick the tier that matches how much is flowing through the books right now. If you are behind, I’ll quote the cleanup separately and then move you onto a monthly plan. Prices are per month.
Priced items
Get started
If you want me to take this on, you can start here and I’ll send the intake checklist the same day.
1. Sign this proposal. 2. Pay the first invoice when it arrives at the start of the period. 3. Share access and send the month’s items from the checklist so I can begin.
Signature
Fee summary
Payment
Monthly bookkeeping is invoiced at the start of each month. Each invoice is payable within 7 days of its date. If an invoice goes unpaid, I pause work until the account is brought current.
What I need from you. Each month, you’ll send or connect bank and card statements, sales reports, and any invoices or bills that hit outside the bank feed. If items come in late, they land in the next close.
Access and security. I work in QuickBooks Online, Xero, or your current setup if it supports proper audit history. I’ll ask for user access, not shared passwords, and I only request the permissions I need.
No money moves without approval. I do not move money, add payees, or change payment settings without your go-ahead. For any bill pay or payroll step, you approve amounts and timing before anything is submitted or released.
Changes and surprises
If your monthly volume jumps, new accounts get added, or you want A/R, A/P, payroll, or sales tax support added midstream, I’ll confirm the added scope and the monthly price before I do it.
Month-end timing. Month-end close starts after I have your month’s statements and supporting documents. I’ll tell you the target close date during intake, then keep it consistent as long as inputs arrive on the same rhythm.
Cleanup and catch-up work. Cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping for past months or years is priced separately from monthly bookkeeping. I’ll start by reconciling first, then document what changed so you can explain the numbers later.
Your records and my workpapers. You own your accounting file and reports. I keep my own reconciliation notes, checklists, and support schedules as my workpapers, and I’ll share the pieces you need to answer a lender or tax question.
