Bookkeeping Clean-Up & Catch-Up Services

person calculating business profits and expenses on a calculator

Getting behind on your bookkeeping happens more often than most business owners would like to admit.

Sometimes it's because you've been focused on running the business. Sometimes a previous bookkeeper left things incomplete. And sometimes there simply wasn't a bookkeeping system in place to begin with.

Whatever the reason, getting your books back in order is the first step toward making confident business decisions.

At J Ralston Advisors, we help business owners rebuild accurate financial records so they can move forward with confidence—not confusion.

Catch-Up vs. Clean-Up: What's the Difference?

Although they're often grouped together, these are two different types of projects.

Catch-Up Bookkeeping

Catch-up bookkeeping is for businesses that have fallen behind or never established a reliable bookkeeping process.

Maybe several months of transactions still need to be entered. Maybe bank accounts haven't been reconciled. In some cases, financial records need to be reconstructed from bank statements, receipts, and other supporting documents because there isn't an organized accounting system to work from.

The goal is to rebuild a complete, accurate financial picture so you can move forward with confidence.

Bookkeeping Clean-Up

Clean-up bookkeeping is different.

Here, the books already exist—but they can't be trusted.

Previous entries may be incomplete, accounts may not reconcile correctly, transactions may have been categorized incorrectly, or reports simply don't reflect what's actually happening in the business.

Rather than starting over, the focus is on identifying problems, correcting errors, and restoring confidence in your financial records.

Every Situation Is Different

No two clean-up or catch-up projects are exactly alike.

Some businesses need only a few months brought up to date. Others require a more detailed review that involves correcting years of records or rebuilding financial information from available documentation.

Before any work begins, Jeff reviews your current records, explains what needs to be done, and outlines the best path forward. You'll know what to expect before the project starts.

Pricing for Backlog & Recovery Projects

Because clean-up and catch-up work requires additional investigation, reconstruction, and error correction, these projects are priced separately from ongoing bookkeeping services.

Most projects include a premium of approximately 15% to 25% above standard bookkeeping rates, depending on the condition of the records and the amount of work required. After everything has been brought current, many clients transition into one of our regular bookkeeping service plans to keep their records accurate moving forward.

If your books are behind, incomplete, or simply don't look right, don't wait for the problem to grow.

Contact J Ralston Advisors to discuss your bookkeeping clean-up or catch-up project and get your financial records back on track.