The Way We Do Business

We are passionate about our work. We want to provide our clients with the accounting tools and guidance they need, so they can focus their talents and energy on what they do best. Our success depends on the happiness of our clients.

Smart business owners recognize which tasks are best delegated to those who can most efficiently perform them.

Accurate accounting and bookkeeping requires the oversight of a professional with natural aptitude and expertise. Modern accounting systems have reduced the need for raw data entry, but they do require finesse to properly set up and maintain.

We believe in honesty and transparency. Healthy business relationships are built on trust. We recognize that when small businesses entrust us with their financial information, they are sharing a very private part of themselves. Confidentiality of sensitive personal and business information is of utmost importance to us.

Read our privacy policy

Our focus is the daily routine – the accounting processes that will provide the information needed to invoice your clients, pay your employees, meet your tax deadlines, manage cash flow, and analyze the success of your business. If these internal processes are running smoothly, reporting and year-end tasks will be very straight forward.

Although we have valuable industry experience we will gladly share, we are not your business managers. Our job is to provide solid financial data that will allow you to make informed decisions about your business.
We are also not forensic auditors. If we note irregularities in your accounting system, we will certainly let you know, but we are not responsible for the integrity of your accounting system. Businesses must establish and maintain proper security measures and accounting procedures to ensure that their data is kept safe and accurate.
Accounting records start with good documentation. We strive to be a paperless office and request that our clients provide documents in digital format or grant us direct access to that information. We expect our clients to follow accepted practices for document management and to refrain from sharing potentially confidential information via insecure delivery methods (such as email attachments).

Our clients are responsible for purchasing and maintaining the necessary licenses for any locally installed computer programs used by their systems. Although we extensively research software and other business applications before recommending them to our clients, we cannot be held liable for glitches or problems resulting from the use of third-party products and services.

The On-boarding Process

The needs of every business are unique, so a “one-size-fits-all” approach won’t result in an efficient accounting system. Various factors will dictate the process: the quality and integrity of the original accounting system, the quantity of data being processed, and the complexity of the transactions.

If you have a relatively new business or a very clean accounting file that can be easily converted, the process may be relatively painless. When a lot of cleanup and historical entry is required, the conversion will be take some time to do right. But it will be well worth the effort.

A well designed and maintained accounting system is an important business asset.

1.

Analyze current accounting processes and consider potential solutions

How well is the current system working? Is it up-to-date and accurate?
What are the pain points? Where could improvement be made?
Is raw data being captured in a useful and efficient manner?
What systems, methods, and integrations could streamline the accounting process?

2.

Implementation and oversight

Initial setup and testing of selected processes and integrations.
Training and support of staff during early phases of the transition.
Final review and fine-tuning of processes.

Ongoing Support

At Level and True Accounting Services, we believe in the power of collaboration and teamwork. We expect our clients to be active participants in the accounting process, and enjoy working together with them.

The level of support provided to our clients is determined by their needs and abilities. Many of our clients successfully manage their daily bookkeeping processes with a minimum of outside support. Those with more complex systems or less accounting experience may need more frequent involvement. A few prefer to outsource the bulk of the process to our staff, and we are happy to accommodate them.

After considering the level of advisory and support most appropriate to your needs, we may recommend a fixed monthly price for the scope of work and services to be provided. The contract will clearly establish expectations and deadlines, and determine how information and documents will be shared between the parties.

When considering pricing, try not to get hung up on the monthly cost. Determine how much value a particular service plan or App will provide you.

Here’s some factors to consider:

  • In the daily routine, how much time and frustration will the integration or process save?
  • What is your best use of time? Selling and providing services? Or shuffling paperwork?
  • Could employee time be better utilized for activities beneficial to the growth of the business?
  • Will real-time analysis of business data have a positive impact on decision-making?
  • Will the App or feature substantially improve cash flow?

The up-front cost of an integrated App may actually save or even make money in the long run.

Down the Road

If at any time your accounting needs change, we will gladly reevaluate our service contract and adjust it accordingly. The more basic XERO subscriptions limit functionality but do not change the underlying data structure. If a file is downgraded to a basic plan like Ledger, all data will remain intact. If it is later moved back to a full feature plan, all functionality is immediately restored. There is one exception: multiple currency cannot be turned off once initiated, so please don’t try it unless you plan to keep it permanently.
A valid concern of business owners who are considering cloud accounting is ownership and access to the file if the business relationship changes. Technically whoever pays the subscription to Xero owns the file, but ownership can be transferred. If a client chooses to take over full access and billing of any of their software services, they are free to do so as long as their balance due has been paid in full.