Process
Our Bookkeeping Process
If you are looking for simple and painless bookkeeping you came to the right place! We work hard to make it easy for you- that’s the whole goal!
Here’s all you need to do:
- You write checks as needed
- Provide us with access to your statement info (5 minutes of work, or in many cases ZERO minutes, depending on your bank’s account delegation availability)
That’s it! We can do the rest.
More Details
OK – want a little more detail? Here it is:
Using Checks
You just write them as you normally would or have whoever normally does it for you keep doing it.
We can also show you how to set up online bill pay for almost anything you would write a check for to make it even easier to manage. We can also show you how to have all your bills come to you online already scanned in and ready to review and pay – technology really does make some things a lot easier!
Using Cash
We will explain how to easily track that in the same register we give you for the checks.
What to do with all the receipts, invoices, bills and other junk?
We give you a super simple and foolproof filing system to use in the event anyone ever needs to see that stuff. We don’t need to see it and we don’t need you to send it to us!
Providing Us With Access to Your Info
This depends on you and your bank and credit card companies but the preferred method is for banks that offer “view only” access (such as Chase, Wells Fargo, Union Bank, etc.) you add us as a view only user so we can get the statements, downloads and transactions ourselves. This only requires you to do this once, although you maintain full control at all times over our access and we can only see activity, we can’t move funds, pay bills or do anything else to effect your balance. Some credit card companies also offer this type of access (Amex, Capital One) but many do not.
The second option is for you to go online and download the statements as electronic files and send them to us. This only takes a few minutes, but needs to be done every month.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use you?
Good question! We have a ton of experience and offer great service for small business owners so there are very few people who can do this better than we can.
We have a whole list of reasons here on why we beat the pants off the competition.
In a nutshell, you will get a great value on price, fast turnaround, consistently reliable service and no hidden fees or extra charges. We take security very seriously, we can help you cut costs and improve profits and we never miss work. You don’t need to make space or time for us, we minimize your work and give you great peace of mind.
But don’t take our word for it- check out our tons of reviews from happy, satisfied clients. Once you work with us, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way!
Isn’t it better to have someone local?
While it’s true there are probably good people locally, it’s very unlikely they can match our price, quality, speed or expertise. You can always reach us by phone or email, see us on Skype if you want to know what we look like and come visit our office if you happen to be in the area.
We think you can get a better deal from great people, even if they aren’t right in your neighborhood. And if you don’t like us, you have no risk and no obligation- you can always cancel any time.
So try it- we are sure you’re going to love it!
Isn’t it better to have someone on site?
Probably not. For one thing, that means you have to be there, or someone does, to let them in and then they are taking up space in your very likely small office. And what about when they don’t show, or you can’t make the appointment?
Plus, they are charging one way or another for their travel time. And there is nothing they can do, and probably some things they can’t, using your system. It also means if you like to work from home you need to bring stuff back to the office. And that means you need to pay for the software and update it and make sure the computer is working and on and on.
You also have to keep an eye on someone close enough to reach your actual cash and checks and credit cards, not just the statements.
Our clients who have switched all say they’d never go back to having someone come sit in the office- they just never realized it until they tried something different.
What do I have to do?
You write the checks. For any accounts without online guest access, you grab and email the statements. Email a POS report once a month if you use a POS. Email the payroll report if you can’t grant us access. That’s it.
Usually less than 10 minutes per month on your part.
And no software to buy or learn, nothing to maintain, no ledgers to keep, no piles of receipts to sort for us. It’s very easy and painless and we work hard to keep it that way for you.
What are your rates?
Our very simple and completely transparent bookkeeping pricing is listed here. Our prices are fixed, so you never have to wonder what the charge will be or if you have someone milking the clock or doing busy work to run up the bill. We don’t charge a setup fee and we don’t charge if you have questions and want to call or email.
What do you charge by the hour?
We don’t charge by the hour. Too often we take over accounting from someone who started with a low hourly rate but was soon inflating the number of hours they worked each month to the point where the client was paying three or four times what they had started out paying.
We also don’t have to factor in travel time, down time waiting for a slow computer, broken hardware, lost internet connection or anything else. The price is the price, and you get high quality professional service for lower than most self-taught or uncertified, uninsured and unqualified bookkeepers charge.
How long have you been in business?
CapForge has been working with small businesses since 2000. We have over 500 very happy clients and we are growing every day.
Do you have any reviews/referrals?
Yes, dozens. Just like you we work hard to keep our customers happy and we love it when they take the time to say nice things about us. Check out our reviews here.
Is there a contract?
Yes, we have a short contract that spells out the exact terms. All of our contracts are month to month, so you are never locked in. We want you to be happy so we earn your business every time we work together.
Is there a trial period?
If you aren’t happy after the first month, we will refund 100% of your fees, no questions asked.
Is there a setup fee or any other hidden expenses?
There is no setup fee or other charges. If you need any extra services, we can provide prices, but we never bill you for anything first and everything we do is 100% transparent and clear.
For most clients, there are no other services and the bookkeeping is the only service they need or use.
Can I speak with someone or email questions without being charged extra?
You can always call or email with questions and there is never an extra charge.
Where is the main office located?
Our office is in Carlsbad, CA which is in San Diego County.
Is it secure and is my info safe?
Our servers, internal system and communications systems are all full secured. We also make a point of not dealing in full account numbers, full access passwords or anything else that might compromise the safety of your information. Although we have a $1 million dollar insurance policy, we’ve never had a single claim, payout or problem.
How can you help protect me from theft?
We keep track of every dollar going into and out of your bank as well as your business credit card. We also track your income and expense percentages and if things go out of range, we alert you.
The difference between us and an internal bookkeeper is we have no access to funds, only the ability to track them. So we can spot anything that doesn’t make sense and alert you immediately but we can’t be the cause of it ourselves since we have no way to move money, shrink inventory, short deposits, etc.
With us watching over the books, it is nearly impossible for someone else to steal from you and not get caught very quickly.
Do you have access to everything on my computer?
No, we don’t have or want any kind of remote access to your entire computer. In 99% of cases we don’t access your computer at all. We work strictly from “View Only” accounts at your bank or credit card company, or else from electronic statements.
What reports do I get?
We can provide almost any reports you want. Normally we provide a Profit u0026amp; Loss Statement and Balance Sheet, We can also provide reports on payments to vendors, payroll, sales tax, cost of goods sold, fixed costs vs. variable, etc.
What else can you do for me?
We have great resources for marketing, coaching, and everything else business related. Let us know what you need and if we can help, we will!
I have investors/lenders- can they get reports?
We will CC any additional people you want when we send reports. We never release your financial information to anyone however without your prior consent.
How do you track my inventory?
We can do it either of two ways. The easiest way it record all current month purchases of inventory as cost of goods sold. This isn’t exact each month but it tends to wash out over time and be very close to the actual number.
The other option is we can enter a starting inventory amount, add all purchases in the month to inventory, the get your inventory count at the end of each month and move the difference to cost of goods sold. This give you an accurate monthly cost of goods sold number, but it requires more time for you each month to do an inventory.
It just depends on your needs, the size of your business and the amount of time you want to devote to inventory.
How do you track my payroll?
We use the payroll reports provided by your payroll company and drawn from your bank to enter payments of wages, payroll taxes, etc. With our advanced payroll tracking, we further break it down to account for different departments if needed and make sure that the payroll expense goes into each month when it was used, not necessarily when the paycheck was cut.
If your payroll isn’t set up for this, we can help.
What about paying sales tax?
We will track sales tax collected and sales tax paid from the bank account. We can also file the sales tax reports for you.
What about when I spend cash for things- how do you track that?
Entering your cash spending is part of our bank tracking. When you spend cash, you just enter the amount you started with and the items you spent it on. You don’t need to send us receipts or keep a complicated ledger. Just note what you bought and we’ll add it right in to the books.
I am an S-Corp/LLC/C-Corp/General Partnership- can you do that?
Yes, definitely. We can also let you know if you would benefit from switching to a different type of entity based on income or for other reasons and what you would save by doing so.
And we can do the paperwork and change over for you if you like as well.
I am part of a franchise- can you do that?
Yes, definitely. If your franchise requires a specific Chart of Accounts, we can do that, no problem. We are also familiar with royalty payments, shared advertising and other quirks of franchise accounting.
I use my POS system for accounting- why do I need bookkeeping?
POS systems can be great for tracking sales and depending on how sophisticated they are and how much time you spent setting it up it can also help you track things like labor cost and food cost in a restaurant, for example.
What they don’t do is track all the other expenses or create a Profit and Loss Statement or Balance Sheet, which tells you how the business is actually doing financially and which you need at tax time. A good POS system is very helpful but it does not replace the need for accounting.
Can you do multiple locations?
Yes, we can. We can do them under one set of books with each location tracked separately (such as if a corporation owns three locations, for example) or with each location tracked as a separate entity (if each location was a separate corporation or LLC, for example). However it is structured, the answer is Yes!
I have more than one bank account- can you handle that?
We can do that. Sometimes people set up a second bank account to handle payroll or one to hold sales tax.
I have more than one credit card- can you do that?
Yes, we can handle more than one account. We can do one card with multiple users, and mutliple cards. We also can do debit cards, which are normally part of the bank account transactions anyway.
I am a few months (years) behind on my books- how does that work?
We can get you caught up whether you are a few months or a few years behind. To get a free consultation and an exact quote for the work, just give us a call so we can evaluate and help you get it done.
My business is seasonal- so do I need a bookkeeper in the off season? Are the rates different?
If the business is open year round but busier sometimes and slower others then that is just the normal package and we don’t raise the price just because business is booming certain times of year.
If you actually close the business down for some months, we can do a modified rate to account for the minimal activity in the off season- just give us a call so we can provide an exact quote based on your circumstances.
I haven’t opened yet- do I need you?
It’s good to get started before you open the doors so you make sure you capture all of your startup expenses- those are things you are going to want to help reduce your taxes when you do start making money. Give us a call now, and we can help figure out the best time to actually start service and how to get ahead of the curve before the doors open.
I just opened- what about all the expenses I had from before I opened?
Yes- we want to add those in. We can give you a quote on getting all those one time items in separate from the regular bookkeeping needed once the doors are open.
Do you handle payroll?
Do you handle income tax?
Yes, we can help with that. We can do tax returns for your business and also for you (and any partners) as well, if the business is a separate entity (LLC or Corporation) You can find our more about our CPA tax service here.
Bottom Line
When we get started, we will review everything with you and make sure you understand your part and how to do it and how to make it as simple as possible. We will work with you to make sure we are doing as much on our side as we can to minimize your efforts in getting the books done each month or week.
And if you ever have questions, need help or something changes, just let us know and we can help.
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