CSI Won’t Let Your Books Fall Apart (Again)

You got burned by your last bookkeeper. CSI says we can clean up your books. You wonder if it’s worth it… because what if they just get messed up again?

At CSI Accounting & Payroll, we’ve provided monthly accounting and back work services for 60 years. We know how to get you cleaned up and stay clean. Here’s what we’re often asked by small business owners in your shoes:

• How does CSI know that I need back work handled?
• How does CSI keep my books clean moving forward?
• What if my bookkeeper is new at CSI? How do I know their work is accurate?

4 Signs You Need Back Work Done

We have four key signs to determine whether or not you need back work. Do any of the following apply to you?

• You have not filed a tax return every year. This means you not only need back work done, but you also need back taxes filed.
• You switched accountants, but not overnight. Any gap in your books, even if it’s just for one month, needs to be caught up.
• You are not confident in the accuracy of your books. Back work will need to be done, going back until the numbers look right. This usually means going back to your last tax return, but it can also just be a month.
• Your books have switched hands… often. Whether it’s done by you, your staff, or a service, things may be coded differently from person to person. Changing your bookkeeper too often can mean details get miscommunicated and need to be fixed.

If your books are behind or incorrect, back work is not optional if you want to work with CSI (and shouldn’t be if you want to work with anyone else, either). Back work is how we’re able to “audit-proof” your books and represent you in the event of an audit at no additional cost.

Back work can be a big investment! Worried about the cost? Learn more about the cost of back work here.

Clean Books Moving Forward

After back work is completed, how do we ensure accuracy moving forward?

Much of this would already be addressed. During onboarding, we take the time to really get to know your business, current books, and Chart of Accounts. We educate you on how we categorize certain items (and why) and which new or one-off items you’d need to let us know about.

Each month, you’ll receive financial statements and a report that shows the transactions behind the numbers. We’re always happy to answer any questions you might have about your numbers or our processes!

Ultimately, we believe that communication is key. If you keep us up to date on what your business is up to and ask questions when you have them, we’ll keep you confident in the accuracy of your books.

... Even From New Staff Accountants

CSI is always growing our client base, so we’re also always hiring more Staff Accountants. How do you know they’re up to par with CSI’s promised level of service? (I’ll admit that this is not a common concern, but it does come up on occasion.)

To relieve this concern, I’d offer these three points:

• Staff Accountants undergo robust training and ongoing education. CSI provides initial one-on-one training and sends staff to annual training conferences through PASBA (Professional Association of Small Business Accountants).
• Account Managers approve their work. We work as a team, so your Account Manager will always be the second pair of eyes on your Staff Accountant’s books. Any errors would be apparent while generating your monthly financial statements and corrected right away.
• Your work is always handled in-house. A thoroughly trained Staff Accountant is preferable to bookkeeping that’s secretly outsourced overseas (an unfortunate industry norm and source of many errors).

Nothing to worry about!

Get Clean Books That Stay Clean!

Now that you know how CSI knows you need back work and how we keep your books clean moving forward (even with new staff members), are you ready to check out our monthly accounting services?

To see if we can be a good fit for your business, click the button below for a free consultation:

Not ready to talk? That’s okay! First, learn what your monthly accounting fee may look like by clicking the image below: