Catch-Up & Clean-Up
Behind on your books? You're not the first.
Three months or three years — it's fixable, and it's most of what I do. Records rebuilt from the source, every account reconciled, and a flat one-time price agreed before anything starts.
Falling behind isn't a character flaw. It's a backlog.
Nobody sets out to stop doing their books. It slips because a job runs long, then a quarter closes, then the file gets big enough to feel unopenable — and the longer it sits, the more it costs to look at it. That's not carelessness. That's what happens when the person doing the books is also the person running the business.
So the first conversation isn't a lecture. It's a scoping call: how far back it goes, what records still exist, and what it will take to get current. I've seen shoeboxes of receipts and I've seen years of untouched files, and neither one shocks me.
The reason to deal with it now rather than later is simple: the cost of a clean-up grows with the backlog, and the moments when accurate books suddenly matter are rarely ones you schedule.
What "behind" usually looks like.
Most people who call don't say "my books need a clean-up." They describe one of these instead.
- Accounts that haven't been reconciled in months — or ever.
- A pile of transactions sitting in "Uncategorized" or "Ask my accountant."
- Balance sheet numbers nobody can explain, including balances that should be zero.
- An extension filed last year because the books weren't ready in time.
- Personal and business spending tangled together in the same accounts.
- A CPA asking for records you can't produce.
- A loan or line of credit that stalled because the financials didn't hold up.
From backlog to current.
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Step 01
A scoping call
You tell me how far back it goes and what records you still have. Free, and there's no obligation attached to it.
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Step 02
A flat quote and a timeline
Once I've seen the scope you get a one-time price in writing, plus how long it will take — before any work starts.
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Step 03
The rebuild
Transactions entered and categorized from the source records, every account reconciled to its statement, and the balances that never made sense traced back and explained.
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Step 04
Current — and kept that way
You get clean statements for the catch-up period and a file your CPA can work from. From there you can take it back over yourself or move onto monthly bookkeeping so it never rebuilds.
Common questions.
How far behind is too far behind?
There isn't a point of no return. I've taken on books that were years behind. As long as the source records exist — bank and credit card statements, invoices, and payroll records — the history can be rebuilt, even if nothing was ever entered.
How long does it take?
It depends on how far back it goes, how many accounts and transactions are involved, and how complete your records are. You'll get a timeline along with the quote, before any work starts, so you know exactly what you're committing to.
What does it cost?
Clean-up is quoted as a flat one-time project after I've reviewed the scope, separately from ongoing monthly work. You get the price in writing before anything begins — no hourly billing, no surprises.
I need this done before a tax deadline. Is that possible?
Often, yes — but it depends on how far behind you are and how soon the deadline is. Tell me the date you're working toward on the first call and I'll tell you honestly whether it's achievable, rather than promising it and missing.
Do I have to switch software?
No. I work in QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, and Wave. If you're already on one of those, I'll work in yours. If your records aren't in any system yet, I'll set one up properly as part of the project.
Are you going to judge me?
No. Falling behind is what happens when you're busy running a business, and it's the single most common reason people call me. The first conversation is about finding out where things stand — nothing else.
Let's find out where your books really stand.
First consultation is always free. Call (303) 656-3763 or send a note.