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Who this is for
Most small businesses in the county are run by the owner, with a few staff and no finance department. The books get done at night, or by a family member, or not at all. That works until the business gets bigger than the shoebox.
This service fits a handyman in Oceanside, a dental office in Chula Vista, a boutique in La Mesa, a food truck that works events across North County, or a two-person design studio in North Park. The businesses differ. The need is the same: books that are right, current and readable.
What the bookkeeper handles
- Setting up QuickBooks, Xero and more, or tidying the file you have
- A chart of accounts that fits your business, not a generic template
- Monthly coding and reconciliation of bank, card and loan accounts
- Card processor payouts recorded at gross, so fees show as a cost
- Owner draws and personal charges kept out of business expenses
- Sales tax figures for your CDTFA returns, if you sell taxable goods
- Contractor totals for 1099s, ready in January
- Year-end books your CPA can file from
Getting started
- Short call You describe the business, your software and how current the books are. Ten or fifteen minutes is usually enough.
- File review The bookkeeper looks at your file, or your statements if there is no file, and tells you whether you need catch-up or cleanup first.
- Setup Feeds, accounts and rules are set up so the monthly work runs on a routine.
- Monthly close Each month is coded, reconciled and closed, and you get a short report.
Rules that apply to many San Diego small businesses
Inside the City of San Diego, every business needs a Business Tax Certificate, including home-based businesses, self-employed people and independent contractors. Each city sets its own rules, so a business based in Carlsbad or Escondido checks with its own city hall.
If you sell taxable goods, you report to the CDTFA, and combined sales tax rates differ across cities in the county. A seller who works events in several cities needs books that track where each sale happened.
Rules change. Check the city and CDTFA sources below before you rely on them.
Signs it is time to hand off the books
| You notice | What it costs you |
|---|---|
| You do the books on Sunday night | Time you could spend on sales or with family |
| You learn your profit when the CPA calls | Decisions made on guesses all year |
| The bank feed shows hundreds of unreviewed lines | Errors that grow until year end |
| Personal and business spending share one card | Deductions that are hard to support |
| A lender asked for statements and you had none | Slower or smaller loans |
Where to start
If your books are current and you want them to stay that way, start with monthly bookkeeping. If months are missing, start with catch-up bookkeeping. If you are not sure, the call will sort it out. You can also browse bookkeeping by industry or by area.
Where we work
We keep books for businesses across the City of San Diego, North County, the South Bay and East County.
- Carlsbad
- Chula Vista
- Downtown San Diego
- El Cajon
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- La Mesa
- Oceanside
- San Diego
- San Marcos
- Vista
Questions
Is my business too small for a bookkeeper?
Not if the books take you more than a few hours a month or you are behind. Smaller businesses often have simpler books, which keeps the work short.
Do I need to meet in person?
No. The work happens in your cloud software, and questions come by email. A short call starts it.
Can my spouse or office manager keep doing part of it?
Yes. Many owners keep invoicing or bill entry in house, and the bookkeeper handles reconciliation and the close.
What does it cost?
The partner team quotes after it sees your file and volume. Ask on the call.