Straight Answers About Working With LBS.

LBS works primarily with growing small businesses that need dependable monthly bookkeeping, better-organized financial records, or help getting books that have fallen behind back on track.

We are a particularly good fit for owners who have outgrown do-it-yourself bookkeeping, inconsistent support, or financial reports they do not fully trust.

No. Geographic location does not determine whether a business is a good fit for LBS.

Bookkeeping records, supporting documents, and monthly communication can be handled securely through cloud-based systems, allowing us to work with clients regardless of location.

You do not need to determine that before contacting us. During the initial consultation and bookkeeping review, we will learn about your business, discuss your concerns, and evaluate the current condition of your books.

From there, we can determine whether you are ready for ongoing monthly bookkeeping or whether cleanup and catch-up work should come first.

The initial consultation is a conversation about your business, your current bookkeeping process, the problems you are experiencing, and the type of support you need.

If it appears that LBS may be a good fit, the next step is usually a review of the available bookkeeping records so we can recommend an appropriate scope of work.

The exact scope is based on your business, but monthly bookkeeping generally includes transaction review and coding, bank and credit card reconciliations, review of open or unusual items, and preparation of monthly financial statements.

Your written proposal will clearly identify the responsibilities, reporting, communication procedures, and services included in your engagement.

A monthly close is a structured process for reviewing, reconciling, and completing the books for a specific period.

Rather than simply entering transactions, we check that accounts are reconciled, identify missing or unusual activity, resolve open items, and prepare the financial reports for the month. This helps prevent unresolved problems from accumulating over time.

Monthly bookkeeping clients generally receive financial statements after the monthly close is completed. The exact reports, timing, and any additional reporting requirements will be established in the engagement scope.

That is what cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping is designed to address. We can review the file, identify the periods and accounts requiring attention, and develop a defined project scope.

Once the books are current, reconciled, and reasonably reliable, we can determine whether ongoing monthly bookkeeping is the appropriate next step.

We can identify and address many common bookkeeping issues, but the available records ultimately determine what can be corrected or verified.

Missing statements, incomplete documentation, unresolved prior-period activity, or inaccurate information from earlier years may require additional research or assistance from your CPA. We will explain what can be corrected, what information is needed, and where limitations remain.

CPA-ready means your bookkeeping records have been reconciled, reviewed, and organized with tax preparation and CPA coordination in mind.

It does not mean your CPA will never have a question. It means your CPA receives cleaner financial reports, more organized supporting information, and a clearer starting point—rather than beginning tax season with a bookkeeping cleanup project.

When appropriate and with your authorization, we can coordinate with your CPA by providing financial reports, reconciliations, and requested supporting information included within the engagement.

This can reduce unnecessary back-and-forth and help you, your bookkeeper, and your CPA work from the same organized information.

No. Bookkeeping and tax preparation serve different purposes.

LBS focuses on maintaining clean, reconciled, and organized financial records throughout the year. Your CPA or tax professional remains responsible for tax advice, tax planning, and preparation of your business and personal tax returns unless those services are covered under a separate engagement.

Clean books cannot eliminate every tax question or guarantee a particular tax result. They can, however, give your CPA a more reliable set of financial records and reduce the time spent correcting preventable bookkeeping problems.

The goal is a smoother handoff, fewer avoidable questions, and less last-minute scrambling.

LBS takes a technology-flexible approach and can work with the accounting system your business already uses rather than requiring every client to use the same platform.

We also consider the payroll systems, payment processors, expense tools, and industry-specific applications connected to your books. During the consultation, we review your current setup and determine the best way to support an efficient and reliable bookkeeping process.

Not necessarily. We do not recommend changing technology simply for the sake of changing it.

We first evaluate how your current systems work together, where information is being duplicated or lost, and whether the existing setup supports accurate bookkeeping. If a change would materially improve the process, we will explain why before recommending it.

Our goal is to manage the recurring bookkeeping process while keeping your involvement focused and predictable.

We will need timely access to records, responses to questions, and clarification of unfamiliar transactions when necessary. A consistent process for exchanging information helps keep the monthly close moving without creating unnecessary interruptions for you.

The specific tools will depend on the systems used by your business. Whenever possible, we use secure digital access, connected systems, and organized document-sharing procedures rather than relying on scattered emails or repeated manual entry.

The process and your responsibilities will be explained before the engagement begins.

Pricing depends on the amount and complexity of the work required. Factors may include monthly transaction activity, number of accounts, payroll and sales tax activity, reporting needs, system integrations, business structure, and the current condition of the books.

After learning about your business and reviewing the available records, we provide a written proposal describing the recommended scope and fee.

Ongoing bookkeeping is generally provided for a defined monthly fee based on the agreed scope.

If your business or bookkeeping requirements change materially, we will discuss the effect on the scope and fee rather than making an unexplained adjustment.

Cleanup and catch-up work are normally evaluated and priced separately because they address issues that existed before ongoing monthly bookkeeping begins.

You will receive a defined cleanup scope and project fee before that work starts.

Yes. Before the engagement begins, you will receive a written proposal identifying the recommended services, responsibilities, timing, and applicable fee.

The goal is for both sides to clearly understand the engagement before work begins.