How Much Do Bookkeeping Services Cost for Small Businesses?

average cost for bookkeeping services

I often mention that, starting out as a bookkeeper, you can charge $40 per hour to your clients. Then, as you gain experience and niche down, you can charge up to $80 or sometimes more per hour. However, there is quite a bit that goes into the pricing beast, and it’s not always as cut and dry as this.

The AIPB has been this industry’s national association since 1987 and is the US certifying authority. The certification exam costs less if you are an AIPB member, and the membership and exam are recognized nationwide. Once you’ve passed the exam, you are known as a Certified Bookkeeper. Remember that you might not need a highly qualified professional to sort out receipts and other mundane tasks.

Professional bookkeeping with no surprise costs. Ever.

The typical cost of outsourcing your accounting and bookkeeping can range from $500 to $5,000 per month for small businesses. There are a wide variety of factors to consider to determine the price to outsource the accounting for any business. Although this may appear complex or intimidating, the accounting partner you are talking to does this every day and should be able to simplify the scoping process and perhaps make it a bit fun.

The cost of our bookkeeping and consulting help ultimately depends on the depth and breadth of service. While bookkeeping and consulting is at the heart of our operating strategy, we also offer payroll processing, tax compliance, accounting software training and virtual CFO services. The cost of our accounting and bookkeeping services varies based on your needs. The industry standard is to pay 1-2% of revenue for internal accounting functions and related support.

What to Look For in a Bookkeeper

The bookkeeper’s exact services will also impact the cost, along with how experienced the bookkeeper is and their reputation. Although most start-up firms don’t engage accountants until they are established, you would need to do so later on even though you would first require a bookkeeper rather than an accountant. Internal, part-time pay ranges from $15 to $20 per hour, depending on the position and location. A full-charge bookkeeper controls all daily accounting operations in a small or mid-sized business. Staying on top of bookkeeping with an eye for precision pays off to receive an accurate overall picture and prevent last-minute work, mistakes, and fines.

Small businesses and even mid-size companies don’t always hire the best talent to handle their daily and monthly bookkeeping responsibilities. Without significant prior experience in bookkeeping, it is impossible for a business bookkeeping services pricing owner to gauge the expertise level and capabilities of an in-house bookkeeper. This is highly beneficial to companies entering a growth stage without having to provide additional office space or pay salary benefits.

Average Costs for Outsourcing Bookkeeping Service

If you spend too much time on bookkeeping, it’s easier to hire a bookkeeper to keep track of your financial records, financial statements, and other elements. They will keep your books in order and ensure your business has the financial strength required to operate. For medium to large-size business owners, full-charge bookkeepers can also manage payroll. This is why accounting & bookkeeping service firms are so useful to businesses worldwide. They know how to hire the best talent to handle the workload efficiently and have a system of internal checks and balances to make sure clients receive the best possible service.

average cost for bookkeeping services

On top of this, it is also a bookkeeper’s job to keep everything organized. That way, when it is time to file your small business taxes, you can easily access all the data you need. Investing in your business is essential to its success and growth. Some of the best investments you can make as a business owner are those which allow you to focus on the core of your business while outsourcing tasks that aren’t your specialty.

The WORST kinds of bookkeeping clients

That sounds good in practice, but it’s sometimes difficult for a business owner to know who to trust with their accounts and confidential financial data. Larger companies that have more employees and have been trading longer require more in-depth accounting services. So do companies that have high volume and high monetary transactions. So before we go any further, you need to decide whether you need simple and basic bookkeeping or the more complex solutions of full-service accounting.

We are dedicated to providing best-in-class services for your business today, tomorrow, and into the future. Rather than tracking time spent on individual activities, businesses are charged a fixed fee based on what kinds of services are being provided and how long, on average, they take. Between $250-2,000, depending upon the amount of transactions and the complexity of the work. This article will dive into outsourced bookkeeping rates, including how much you can expect to pay based on what kinds of services you need and the type of provider you choose to work with. In addition to this, we’ll explore other factors—such as location and the complexity of services—and how they impact pricing, too.

Accountants who have a bachelor’s degree in accounting – or a finance degree considered an adequate substitute – and interpret, classify, analyze, report and summarize financial data. Whatever structure and pricing you go with, make sure to lay it all out on the table for current and prospective clients. That way, there are no surprise fees, and clients know what to expect from you. Look at the types of services you offer and compare what you currently charge to others. If a client takes advantage of multiple services, charge accordingly. You may also want to increase pricing depending on what services are in demand and when they’re being taken advantage of (e.g., last-minute requests).

average cost for bookkeeping services

Steve Jano Author