Consultants
You solve problems for everyone else. We make sure your own financial records are accurate, organized, and ready when you need them.
You Help Everyone Else
Consultants spend their days solving problems for other people. Strategy, operations, technology, human resources. You are the person clients call when things get complicated. But when it comes to your own financial records, there is a good chance they have been sitting untouched for longer than you would like to admit.
It makes sense. You built your practice because you are excellent at what you do, not because you enjoy categorizing bank transactions. The books get pushed to the weekend, the weekend fills up with client deliverables, and suddenly you are months behind with no clear picture of where your business actually stands.
Variable Income
Variable Income
Some months bring in multiple retainer payments and project deposits. Other months are quiet while you are between engagements or waiting on a proposal. This inconsistency makes it hard to plan for taxes or understand your true financial position without consistent bookkeeping underneath it.
The Corporate Safety Net Is Gone
The Corporate Safety Net Is Gone
In your previous role, payroll was automatic. Taxes were withheld. Benefits were deducted before you saw a paycheck. Now all of that falls on you. Quarterly estimates, self-employment tax, retirement contributions. The learning curve is steeper than most people expect when they go independent.
The Details That Add Up
Consulting looks straightforward on the surface. You send an invoice, the client pays, you deposit the money. But underneath that, there are quarterly estimated tax payments to calculate, business expenses to track properly, and deductions you are probably leaving on the table because nobody set up a system to capture them consistently.
If you bring in subcontractors for larger projects, that adds another layer. You need to collect W-9s before the first payment goes out, track what you pay each person throughout the year, and file 1099s when January rolls around. Home office deductions, software subscriptions, travel, professional development, and client meals all add up over a year. But only if they are actually recorded and categorized when they happen.
Quarterly Estimates
Quarterly Estimates
The IRS expects payment four times a year when you are self-employed. Underpay and you face penalties. Overpay and your cash flow suffers during months that are already tight. We track your income throughout the year and help you calculate estimates that reflect what you actually owe based on real numbers, not last year’s guess.
Expense Tracking and Deductions
Expense Tracking and Deductions
Home office square footage, mileage to client sites, software subscriptions, conference fees, professional memberships. These are legitimate business deductions that get missed when receipts pile up and transactions sit uncategorized for months. Proper tracking throughout the year turns these into real tax savings instead of forgotten line items.
What Usually Happens
Tax season arrives and the books haven’t been touched since summer. You spend a weekend sorting through bank statements and credit card charges, trying to remember what was personal and what was business. Your CPA receives a messy file and does their best, but deductions get missed because the documentation is not there to support them. The tax bill ends up higher than it needed to be.
Or maybe you have been tracking things yourself in a spreadsheet. It doesn’t quite match QuickBooks and it definitely doesn’t match the bank. The numbers feel close enough, so you move on. But “close enough” means you don’t actually know your profit after taxes. And you cannot tell which clients or types of engagements generate the best return on your time and effort.
The Tax Season Scramble
The Tax Season Scramble
Months of neglected bookkeeping compressed into a few panicked days in March. This is when mistakes happen, deductions get overlooked, and penalties show up for missed quarterly payments. It also means your CPA spends more time sorting through the mess, which costs you more in preparation fees on top of the tax bill itself.
No Visibility into Profitability
No Visibility into Profitability
Revenue is not profit. A $15,000 project that required $4,000 in subcontractor costs and travel looks very different from a $10,000 retainer with almost no overhead. Without clean books, every project feels roughly the same. You end up taking on work that keeps you busy but doesn’t actually move the business forward financially.
What Changes
Your books stay current every month. You know what came in, what went out, and what you should be setting aside for taxes. When your CPA needs financials at year end, they get a clean QuickBooks file that is organized and ready to go. No weekend scramble. No guessing at expense categories. No missed deductions because the records were not there.
You get to make decisions based on real numbers. Whether that means raising your rates, stepping away from a client that is not worth the effort, or investing in a tool that could save you time, you have the financial picture to back it up. The bookkeeping runs quietly in the background while you focus on the consulting work that actually generates revenue and grows your practice.
Clean Records at Tax Time
Clean Records at Tax Time
Your CPA receives organized financials with every deduction documented and every transaction categorized. Tax preparation goes faster, costs less in professional fees, and captures everything you are entitled to. Quarterly estimates are already calculated and paid throughout the year, so April is just a filing deadline and not a financial surprise.
Confidence in Your Numbers
Confidence in Your Numbers
Monthly reporting shows exactly where your money goes and what your business actually earns after expenses. You stop guessing and start making decisions based on information you can trust. That clarity is the difference between running a consulting business and just freelancing with extra steps.
Long Beach's Trusted Bookkeeping Partner
The Next Step:
A Quick Discovery Call
Tell us where things stand with your books. We'll listen, ask a few questions, and give you a clear quote to get it handled.
