Services
Clear, accurate bookkeeping services designed to keep your records organized, reliable, and CPA-ready — without surprises.
We focus on monthly bookkeeping, with additional services available for businesses that need cleanup, catch-up, or help getting started the right way.
Monthly Bookkeeping
Monthly bookkeeping is the foundation of everything we do. The goal is simple: keep your books accurate, current, and CPA-ready throughout the year — not just at tax time.
What Monthly Bookkeeping Includes
- Categorizing income and expenses consistently
- Reconciling bank and credit card accounts each month
- Maintaining a clean chart of accounts
- Tracking assets, liabilities, and loans
- Reviewing transactions for accuracy and issues
- Preparing monthly financial reports (P&L and Balance Sheet)
- Noting anything unusual so nothing gets missed later
Scope & Deliverables
Every business is different. During the initial scope discussion, we’ll define what’s included based on your activity level and complexity.
In addition to the core bookkeeping tasks above, additional deliverables can be included as part of the initial scope, depending on your business needs.
This ensures pricing is clear, expectations are aligned, and there are no surprises later.
Pricing
Monthly bookkeeping is billed in advance at a flat monthly fee, based on expected activity and complexity.
(See Q&A below for details on flat pricing.)
Cleanup Services (When Books Are Behind)
Cleanup services are designed for businesses whose books are incomplete, inconsistent, or no longer reliable. This work is separate from monthly bookkeeping because it involves correcting historical issues before ongoing maintenance can begin.
What Cleanup Typically Involves
- Reconciling overdue bank and credit card accounts
- Correcting misclassified transactions
- Removing duplicates or missing entries
- Resolving owner draws and personal expenses
- Cleaning up payroll and sales tax liability accounts
- Producing clean, usable financial reports
Once the cleanup is complete, clients typically transition into monthly bookkeeping.
(See Q&A below for details on cleanup services.)
Catch-Up & Start-Up Services
Catch-Up Bookkeeping
For businesses that have fallen behind, but the books are otherwise clean. Catch-up work focuses on bringing the books current so normal monthly bookkeeping can resume.
Start-Up Bookkeeping
For new businesses that want to start with clean books from day one.
This may include:
- Setting up QuickBooks Online properly
- Establishing a clean chart of accounts
- Confirming how transactions will flow
- Ensuring the system supports future CPA reporting
Starting correctly avoids expensive fixes later.
Questions & Answers
How did you come up with the name “Bay Bookkeeping?
I have lived on the bank of Netarts Bay for 12 years. Netarts Bay is a shallow, protected estuary along Oregon’s northern coast, shaped by tides, sand spits, and gentle coastal hills. With no river flowing into it, the water stays unusually clear, revealing broad mudflats and eelgrass beds at low tide and a calm, reflective inlet at high tide, framed by forests and open farmland.
The bay supports abundant wildlife throughout the year. Shorebirds feed along the exposed flats, while herons, egrets, and osprey are regular visitors. Beneath the surface, eelgrass shelters crabs, fish, and shellfish—including the oysters the bay is known for—and seals are often seen resting on quiet sandbars. These are all pictures of Netarts Bay. Scroll or swipe to see more.
Are any other services available?
As we learn about your business, you can let us know which services you would like included. The scope of work is flexible to meet your needs.
What does “CPA-ready” mean?
CPA-ready books are accurate, reconciled, and organized so your tax professional can prepare returns without guessing or re-creating history.
Why do you charge a flat monthly fee?
A flat fee aligns with What Working Together Looks Like and our commitment to delivering CPA-ready books. It provides predictable pricing and allows us to focus on accuracy and consistency — not tracking hours. If your needs change, the scope and fee are adjusted transparently.
What causes a flat fee to change?
A flat fee may change if your business activity or complexity changes significantly — such as higher transaction volume, added accounts, payroll, sales tax, or work outside normal monthly maintenance. Any change is discussed in advance and applied going forward.
How do I know if cleanup is required?
If accounts haven’t been reconciled, balances don’t make sense, or reports can’t be trusted, cleanup is usually required before monthly bookkeeping can begin.
What does bookkeeping include — and not include?
Bookkeeping includes maintaining accurate financial records and reports. It does not include filing tax returns, tax planning, or IRS representation.
Downlaod: What Bookkeeping Includes
How long does cleanup take?
Cleanup timelines vary depending on how far behind the books are and how complete the records are. Most cleanups are measured in weeks, not months.
How much does cleanup cost?
Cleanup is priced separately from monthly bookkeeping because it involves correcting historical issues. Pricing is based on scope and complexity and is quoted upfront.
Experience & Credentials
Bay Bookkeeping is built on a foundation of systems thinking, accuracy, and disciplined process.
My professional background required precision, consistency, and accountability — skills that translate directly into reliable bookkeeping. That approach shows up in how accounts are structured, how reconciliations are handled, and how issues are identified early rather than deferred.
Services are delivered remotely using QuickBooks Online, with a focus on maintaining clean, organized, CPA-ready books throughout the year.
