Getting started with Black Oak Bookkeeping

If you’re thinking about seeking our bookkeeping services, let’s talk about what it looks like - how the process works, both for getting started and once we’ve gotten going.

In summary, these are the steps… 

1. Submit a Questionnaire

2. Get a Free Discovery Call

3. Get a Quote

4. Quote Acceptance and Contract

5. Google Drive Setup & Doc Share

6. QBO Setup/Clean-Up/Catch-Up

7. Begin/Continue Routine Bookkeeping 

Submit a Questionnaire and Get a Free Discovery Call

First, we start out with collecting your Questionnaire and booking a Free Discovery Call. To fill out a questionnaire go to our Contact page, and click the button “Questionnaire and Booking”. In our call, we get to meet and ask each other questions to see if we’re a good fit.

Get a Quote

After our call, we’ll send you a quote for the services you have requested. This will be prepared specifically to your circumstances.

For new businesses and organizations that have yet to open their doors, this would include the one-time cost of Set-Up. To read more about the set-up process, see our other blog post, “Setting Up your books in Quick Books Online”.

For businesses and organizations that are already up and running, this could include one-time costs: Catch-Up or Clean-up;

Routine Bookkeeping services are quoted at a monthly flat rate. You then have up to a month to consider. 

Quote Acceptance and Contract

When you accept a quote, we’ll both sign a contract stating the services Black Oak Bookkeeping will provide and for the agreed price. The contract is non-binding to both parties, and may be exited at any time. 

Google Drive and Doc Share Set-Up

Now we prepare for doc-sharing, Black Oak Bookkeeping will set up a shared Google Drive where documents can be shared back and forth, and kept for mutual access. Routine documents required will likely include bank statements, credit card statements, most recent financial statements, receipts, etc… 

Additionally, we can start a shared calendar either in iCalendar or Google Calendar. This way we can see deadlines and meetings, as well as update them when changes are made. 

Set-Ups

At this point, work on the books begins, we either set-up your books, or review your existing books. A set-up will be necessary if you’re getting started fresh, or if you’re migrating to Quick Books Online.

Catch-Ups and Clean-Ups

If you’re already in Quickbooks Online, some catch-up and clean-up work may be needed. Catching-Up requires getting bank and credit card accounts reconciled up to the most recent period. Cleaning-Up is required if accounts won’t reconcile and some records are apparently either missing or incorrect. 

Begin/Continue Routine Bookkeeping

Every period we repeat the same general bookkeeping process: 

• Collect Documents

• Categorize Transactions

• Apply Adjustments

• Reconcile Accounts

• Produce Financial Statements

• Review Reports and the General Ledger

Each business and organization is unique; naturally, details of the steps will vary, and additional steps may be included. To read more about the details of the Routine Bookkeeping Process, check out our blog post, “Docs Your Bookkeeper Needs Every Month”.

What Your Books Will Look Like

Thank you for taking the time to read about how we help you manage your books. We believe its crucial to help you to see the process from beginning to end in the hopes that this blog post will help you anticipate what your bookkeeping will looks like. Please visit our Contact page so submit any questions you may have.