You’ve likely heard that a third of businesses fail within their first year or two. Did you know a further two-thirds can fail within ten? While this is due to numerous reasons, there is one critical element that small business owners should not overlook—bookkeeping. Bookkeepers, financial experts engaging in the accurate recording of finances, can reveal key financial details often missed by business owners.
However, that leaves one question: how do you know which service is best for you and your business? This article will serve as your ultimate guide providing you with exactly what to look for in good bookkeeping and an extensive list of the best services available in the USA.
Top 25 bookkeeping services preview
- Precise Ledger
- Digits
- Pilot
- Brainy
- Decimal
- Graphite
- Maventri
- Gift CPAs
- Aspire Tax
- Smartbean
- Whiz Consulting
- Next Generation
- Acuity Accounting
- Omnis Bookkeeping
- InDinero
- CSI Accounting & Payroll
- The Accountrepreneur LLC
- Appletree Business Services
- Quickbooks Online Bookkeeping Service
- Unity Communications
- 1-800Accounting
- Bookkeeper.com
- Bookkeeper360
- Financial Pal
- Ignite Spot
What to look for in a bookkeeper?
The quality of services provided by bookkeepers can vary based on cost, client needs, and the size of the organizations they work with.
You’ll want to look for a bookkeeper who is accurate, current, affordable, strategic, and dedicated to your accounts.
Let’s break down what bookkeeping services are, what difference they make in businesses, and how to spot the best bookkeeping services for you.
Benefits of outsourcing bookkeeping services
When an effective bookkeeping service is used, businesses gain the knowledge and information they need to make the best financial decisions.
With accurate financial records, you can establish a budget, plan for the future, and prepare for taxes. Up-to-date bookkeeping is essential for a small business.
Outsourcing your bookkeeping can save you valuable time, resources, and costly mistakes. It can also reveal where you can afford to be flexible and where you can invest to scale your business.
Top 25 bookkeeping services
With all this in mind, let’s dive right into the top 25 bookkeeping services that will actively shape the success of your growing business.
1. Precise Ledger LLC
Precise Ledger LLC is host to experienced bookkeepers that can handle any, and all your bookkeeping needs. They provide a solid foundation for your accounting and financial management.
Precise Ledger LLC is the best option for a small business owner. They provide all the services a business owner needs while maintaining one of the most affordable pricing models available.
Features
- Full-service bookkeeping
- Hassle-free setups for QuickBooks
- Transaction entry
- Account reconciliation
- Customer invoices
- Payroll services
- Financial reports
Pricing
Their pricing starts at only $140/month for features including (but not limited to) tax filing, tax preparation, and financial analysis. The enterprise package starts at $1,600 and includes the addition of clean-up bookkeeping services, reconciliation, and much more.
Services
Precise Ledger is unique because it includes consultation, customized plans, and non-invasive implementation. Along with their full-service bookkeeping and affordable pricing, they are a small business owner’s best friend.
2. Digits
Digits has an AI bookkeeping software that businesses can leverage. While the service is automated, they have US-based CPA experts available for ongoing support.
Their business package starts with a $350 monthly price for all their features. Digits is perfect for those who want to do their own bookkeeping with advisors ready to help.
3. Pilot
Offering accounting and bookkeeping services for growing businesses, Pilot promises to keep books clean, flexible, and scalable.
They work with startups, online companies, and even e-commerce businesses with pricing starting at $499/month. Note that this pricing scales with monthly expenses. For example, startups between $30,000-$60,000 in monthly expenses will be charged $559/month.
4. Brainy
Brainy is another bookkeeping service for startups and small business owners. They offer catch-up bookkeeping, tax support, and CPA advisory.
This service starts at $195/month for small businesses, $325 for medium, and $595 for large ones. While these are the starting prices, your billing may go up with add-on features.
5. Decimal
With a dedicated accountant team, Decimal leverages technology to provide you with real-time insights and financial data. They specialize in providing businesses with tax plans and book organization.
For daily bookkeeping work, Decimal offers a fixed price with a Plus and Premium package (prices not readily available without talking to sales) with the option for add-ons.
6. Graphite Financial
Graphite is another great option for startups. Their services include financial reporting, tax compliance, bill pay, expenses, and even fundraising.
Their pricing starts at $1,250/month but also includes accounting services with its annual bookkeeping and monthly financial reporting.
7. Maventri
For small to mid-size businesses who want financial support along with their bookkeeping, Maventri is another good option.
They provide tools and accounting software to help business owners make the best possible financial decisions. They also include payroll, HR, and digital marketing services. Their pricing is tailored toward your needs and requires filling out a form to give you a customized estimate based on what you’re looking for.
8. Gift CPAs
Gift CPAs are specifically for small businesses looking for financial advisors. They offer QuickBooks setup, training, and cleanup.
They offer a customized plan for your bookkeeping needs and a dedicated CPA to help with business operations. This is a full-stack CPA service for businesses who need a more hands-on, advisory approach.
9. Aspire Tax
For businesses looking to offshore their financial management, Aspire Tax has expert accountants ready to keep your financial records using the latest software and tools.
Their services include accounts payable and receivable, invoicing, payroll services, reconciliation, and reporting; all using a strict internal process. They specialize in industries like real estate, banking, healthcare, and more.
While their pricing is not readily available on their website, they can be contacted for pricing based on your needs.
10. Smartbean
Smartbean is another bookkeeping solution for businesses looking to maximize growth and profit. They use QuickBooks Live and Xero to streamline the process and verify transactions.
They also have a USA-based support team and assign clients a dedicated accountant. Their pricing starts at $179/month at their most basic package and $249/month to include reconciliation and multiple accounts.
11. Whiz Consulting
Whiz Consulting is specifically geared toward growing businesses. While they have all the same features as previous companies, they also include forecasting and budgeting.
Their pricing starts at $750/month for weekly bookkeeping. Whiz is a great choice for those looking for a very consistent approach with a team working for you around the clock.
12. NextGen Bookkeeping
NextGen is another on the list of small business bookkeeping services with a personalized approach to essential reporting, tax preparations, clean up, and setup.
For most clients, they offer a flat rate of $200/month and utilize automation, apps, and live support.
13. Accuity
For owners looking specifically for the tax management aspect of bookkeeping, Acuity is another good option. Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs alike, they ensure accurate financials, reporting, and tax filing.
Acuity’s lowest pricing starts at $479/month for all bookkeeping features, then scales up to $2,179/month to allow the outsourcing of critical tasks, monthly meetings, and other add-ons.
14. Omnis Bookkeeping
Omnis is a day-to-day service for small to medium businesses. They also work with startups and entrepreneurs in a fully remote capacity.
Their services include bookkeeping, system implementation, and business consultation. They can also work alongside your current CPA if you have one. Their pricing is not readily available on their website.
15. InDinero
Tax, accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll services; InDinero does it all. They blend modern software with human intervention to give the most accurate and strategic insights possible.
Their base package starts at $750/month and scales up to $1,250/month to include QuickBooks services.
16. CSI Accounting & Payroll
A small business owner looking mainly for help with payroll may do well with CSI Payroll & Accounting. They help by streamlining the payroll process and also provide tax and accounting services.
Their pricing is not fixed but they claim that the average sits around $225/month for basic payroll activities.
17. The Accountrepreneur LLC
Accountrepreneur is like having a dedicated financial team but with an outsourced capacity. Along with financial reports they also have KPI reporting and analytics automation.
Their goal is to help businesses grow by giving actionable insights from transactions and other financial data. Their pricing is not readily available on their website but they can be contacted to talk through business needs.
18. Appletree Business Services
Appletree is a service geared toward owners who want to build their business. They help owners get ahead by cleaning their books and giving cash flow and tax planning with the help of expert consultation (done monthly).
Their pricing and rates fall between $700 to $4,000/month and they are ideal for small businesses that gross sales around $250,000 and have more than one employee.
19. QuickBooks Online Bookkeeping Services
Here is a name you’ve seen mentioned several times. QuickBooks is an accounting software made for small businesses to monitor their financial health and create insights based on accurate data.
This app can be on your phone and allows owners to manage their own records. For this do-it-yourself approach, packages start from $1.80 for your first six months, going up to $76/month for their full range of tools and automation.
20. Unity Communications
While not specifically a bookkeeping service, Unity Communications helps owners outsource their business processes, bookkeeping included. They serve FinTech, technology, real estate, healthcare, and e-commerce sectors.
For those needing assistance in outsourcing their bookkeeping to professionals, pricing can be settled after a discovery call.
21. 1-800Accountant
Small businesses who are a bit newer to the financial aspects of ownership and need an easy-to-understand approach should check out 1-800Accountant.
You are assigned a dedicated accountant to maintain your books and break down your reports. Pricing starts at $179/month for essential bookkeeping along with tax optimization.
22. Bookkeeper.com
Bookkeeper.com is a service for small and medium businesses looking to work together with a live team who are willing to get to know your finances in and out.
They include payroll, bill pay, and tax preparation with bookkeeping at $399/month. This includes banking reconciliation and monthly financial statements.
23. Bookkeeper360
Bookkeeper360 is a bookkeeping software in an easy-to-use app that captures your financial insights, goals, and business performance in one place.
Their pricing starts at $49/month with the option of $125/hr for support or $399 for full support and monthly meetings.
24. Financial Pal
Financial Pal was one of Forbes’ picks for best small business bookkeeping. They also provide accounting, tax preparation, payroll, and catch-up bookkeeping.
Clients get a dedicated team to handle their finances. Their pricing is not immediately transparent but they set prices depending on individual needs offering the option to get a custom quote.
25. Ignite Spot
On the Inc. 5000 list, Ignite Spot offers a dedicated virtual bookkeeper to manage and maintain your finances. They also have the option for an outsourced CFO.
Their plans start at $417/month but may change depending on what package you choose and your revenue, industry, or current software. Users of Ignite Spot will have to convert to Xero or QuickBooks.
How to pick the right bookkeeping services
With so many options for small businesses, owners need to keep certain factors in mind when hiring a top-of-the-line bookkeeper.
You will want to identify a bookkeeper’s online reviews, what technology they integrate (ex: QuickBooks or Xero), and even aspects like data security.
When it comes to your business and finding a bookkeeper that fits, there are three other factors to consider:
- Business size
- Growth stage
- Industry
Access your current size
Take a step back and look at your current status as a business. Answer the questions:
- How much revenue do you bring in?
- How many employees do you have?
- What are your current bills and expenses?
Once you understand where you are, you can easily find a bookkeeper that matches your budget.
Plan for your growth
Things that grow first need to stretch past their limits. With a solid budget in mind, look for a bookkeeping service that aligns with where you want to take your growth.
Once you gain momentum, and get your finances in order, you’ll be in a position to scale with your business and bookkeeping.
Industry
What industry are you in? Are you in e-commerce servicing hundreds of transactions at once? Or are you in real estate and in need of tax planning and preparation?
Assess what your specific industry needs are, and find the bookkeeper that specializes in those areas.
Precise Ledger LLC: Your trusted bookkeeping partner
When finding the right bookkeeper for you, it’s crucial to find a partner you can trust. After all, they will be handling an intimate part of your business.
Precise Ledger is the best option for small and medium businesses looking for a full-stack bookkeeping service with experts who provide actionable insights for the most affordable prices available.
Set-up is easy and owners can relax during tax season knowing everything is organized, accurate, and optimized.
Everything is customizable, and with your tailored plan, you’re guaranteed expert support to help you along your growth trajectory.
Conclusion: Grow your business with a bookkeeper that fits you
Full bookkeeping services can account for up to 80% of your future business success and boost your survival rate. Small businesses, in particular, should seriously consider outsourcing their bookkeeping to save money, time, and hassle.
With so many options available, make the right choice by partnering with Precise Ledger LLC; the most affordable and efficient bookkeeping solution for your growing business.
Start building a better business with Precise Ledger when you get in touch and receive a personalized quote.
