Can a bookkeeper handle everything remotely?
Yes. A bookkeeper can handle nearly all bookkeeping remotely when your bank, cards and accounting software are online. SmartGrowth Bookkeeping works this way: bank feeds bring transactions into QuickBooks or Xero, you share receipts and statements through secure document sharing, and questions are settled by email, phone or video. Approving payments and signing documents stay with you, because SmartGrowth never needs to move your money.
- Transactions arrive through bank feeds, no statements to mail
- Receipts are photographed with the software's receipt capture
- Documents are shared through secure cloud folders, not email attachments
- Reviews of your reports happen on a video or phone call
- Your CPA can be given their own access to the same file
Paper still works. Snap a photo when the receipt is handed to you, or scan a stack once a month. The goal is that nothing has to be driven anywhere.
Security questions are covered in our guide on security, ownership and control.
Can I get bookkeeping help without signing a long-term contract?
Yes, many bookkeeping companies offer ongoing service without a long-term commitment, and it is worth asking before you sign anything. SmartGrowth Bookkeeping puts the scope and price in writing after a free call, and its ongoing service runs month to month: give 30 days’ notice before the first day of your final month, and the account closes with final reports. Catch-up or cleanup work is normally a defined project with its own quote, separate from the monthly routine.
- What exactly is included each month
- The price, and what would make it change
- How much notice either side gives to end the service
- What happens to your file and documents when you leave
- Who owns the accounting software subscription
The last two points matter more than most owners expect. If the bookkeeper owns the subscription, leaving can mean losing easy access to your own history.
What happens if I decide to change bookkeeping companies?
Changing bookkeeping companies is straightforward when you own your accounting file. You remove the old firm's access, add the new firm as an accountant user, and the books stay where they are. SmartGrowth Bookkeeping takes over from the last reconciled month, reviews the earlier work and fixes gaps before the monthly routine begins. If you ever leave SmartGrowth, your QuickBooks or Xero file, history and records stay yours.
- Confirm you are the owner of the QuickBooks or Xero file. If the old firm holds it in its name, ask them to transfer ownership to you first.
- Ask the old bookkeeper for the last reconciliation reports and any documents they hold for you.
- Add SmartGrowth as an accountant user, then remove the old firm's access.
- SmartGrowth reviews recent months, flags problems and agrees any fixes with you.
- The monthly routine starts from a reconciled point.
It is common to find miscategorized transactions or unreconciled accounts at handover. SmartGrowth explains what it finds and quotes any bookkeeping cleanup separately, so you decide before anything is changed.
What is included
Free call
Talk through your business and your books with no obligation.
Written scope
What is included and what it costs, agreed before work starts.
Accountant access
You grant access in QuickBooks or Xero; no passwords shared, no money moved.
Secure document sharing
Statements and receipts shared through cloud folders instead of email.
Monthly routine
Books categorized, reconciled and reported every month.
Works with your CPA
Clean books handed to your CPA or tax preparer at tax time.
How it works
Free call
A no-obligation conversation about your business, your software and where your books stand.
Written scope and quote
You receive what is included and the price, in writing, before any work begins.
Access and setup
You add SmartGrowth as an accountant user in QuickBooks or Xero, and bank feeds are connected or checked.
Catch-up if needed
Missing or messy months are brought up to date so the books start from a clean base.
Monthly routine
Transactions categorized, accounts reconciled and reports delivered every month.
What we need from you to start
- Accountant access to your QuickBooks or Xero file, or permission to set one up
- Recent bank and credit card statements
- Your payroll provider's reports, if you run payroll
- Loan statements and any prior-year tax return your CPA prepared
- Your CPA's contact details
The full checklist is in our guide on documents a bookkeeper needs. If the books are months behind, setup includes catch-up bookkeeping before the monthly routine.
The monthly routine
Once the books are current, each month follows the same rhythm. Transactions flow in through bank feeds and are categorized. Every bank and credit card account is reconciled to its statement. Questions about unclear transactions come to you in one batch, not one at a time.
Then you receive your profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow statement, with a short summary of what changed. If something needs a decision, such as rising costs or a customer who stopped paying, it is raised while it can still be acted on.
Answer the batch of questions, upload any receipts the bank feed cannot explain, and read the reports. That is usually all.
Working alongside your CPA
SmartGrowth keeps the books; your CPA or tax preparer files the tax returns. The two roles work well together when your CPA can see the same file. With your permission, your CPA gets their own accountant access, so year-end questions are answered from the books directly instead of through a chain of emails.
At tax time, your CPA receives reconciled accounts, year-end statements and the supporting records for contractors, payroll and any Texas sales or franchise tax items. If your CPA asks for adjustments after the return is prepared, those are recorded in the books too, so next year starts from the same numbers.
More questions
How do we communicate?
By email, phone and video calls during business hours, 9 AM to 5 PM Central. You can reach SmartGrowth at (469) 579-5242 or [email protected].
How long does it take to get started?
It depends on where your books stand. Current books with connected bank feeds move to the monthly routine quickly; books that are months behind need catch-up first. The quote after your free call explains what comes first.
Can I look at my books whenever I want?
Yes. The QuickBooks or Xero file is yours, so you can log in and see your transactions and reports at any time. The monthly reports are a summary, not the only window into your numbers.
Will SmartGrowth ever need my bank login?
No. Bank feeds connect inside QuickBooks or Xero under your control, and SmartGrowth works with accountant or view access. Your money stays in your accounts, moved only by you.