Can a bookkeeping company set up an accounting system for my new business?
Yes. SmartGrowth Bookkeeping sets up accounting systems for new businesses in QuickBooks or Xero: entering company settings, building a chart of accounts that fits your industry, connecting bank and credit card feeds, creating bank rules and adding user roles. You start with books organized the way your CPA and future lenders expect, instead of fixing a messy file later.
Decisions made in the first week shape every report you will ever run. A chart of accounts built for a dental office looks nothing like one built for a Shopify store or a general contractor.
| Setup step | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Company settings | Legal name, entity type, fiscal year and accounting basis (cash or accrual) |
| Chart of accounts | Income and expense accounts that match how you sell and spend |
| Bank and card feeds | Transactions arrive automatically |
| Bank rules | Repeat transactions are categorized consistently |
| Products, services and sales tax | Invoices and sales receipts calculate correctly |
| User roles | Your CPA and bookkeeper get access without your password |
Choosing your entity type and tax elections is a decision for your CPA or attorney. Once it is made, we set up the books to match. For new LLCs, see our page on bookkeeping for startups and new LLCs.
How do I know if my accounting software is set up correctly?
Your accounting software is set up correctly if your reconciled balances match your bank statements, your profit and loss uses categories that reflect how your business really works, and few transactions land in Uncategorized or Ask My Accountant. SmartGrowth Bookkeeping can review your QuickBooks or Xero file, list what is wrong and fix the setup so your reports become reliable.
Run this quick check yourself. Each yes points to a setup problem:
- The cash balance in your books differs from your last bank statement.
- A large balance sits in Uncategorized Income, Uncategorized Expense or Ask My Accountant.
- The chart of accounts has many accounts you never use, or duplicates with similar names.
- Loan payments are recorded only as expenses, with no loan account on the balance sheet.
- Sales tax collected shows up as income.
- A bank feed stopped updating and nobody noticed.
The fix may be a quick reorganization, or a fuller bookkeeping cleanup if the errors have run for a while.
Can a bookkeeper help me track business income and expenses automatically?
Yes. A bookkeeper can automate most routine tracking by connecting bank and card feeds, building bank rules for repeat transactions, linking your payment processor or online store and setting up receipt capture. SmartGrowth Bookkeeping sets this up in QuickBooks or Xero, then reviews the automated entries each month, because automation still needs a person to catch the mistakes it repeats.
| What can be automated | What still needs a person |
|---|---|
| Importing bank and card transactions | Deciding what an unusual transaction was |
| Categorizing repeat vendors with bank rules | Spotting a rule that misfiles a new vendor |
| Capturing receipts from a photo or email | Matching receipts to the right transaction |
| Syncing sales from a store or processor | Separating fees, refunds and sales tax from payouts |
| Recurring bills and invoices | Reconciling every account to its statement |
Automation without review is how many messy files are born. A bank rule that sends every Amazon order to Office Supplies will file a personal purchase or a new laptop there too.
Online stores need extra care because a single payout combines sales, fees and refunds. See bookkeeping for e-commerce businesses.
Can a bookkeeper connect my bank accounts to accounting software?
Yes. A bookkeeper can help connect your business bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks or Xero so transactions flow in automatically as they clear. With SmartGrowth Bookkeeping, you authorize the connection inside your own file and grant us an accountant or bookkeeper user role, so you never share banking passwords and you stay the owner of every account.
- You log in to QuickBooks or Xero and choose to connect a bank account.
- You sign in to your bank on the secure connection screen. Your bank login is never shared with us.
- You pick which accounts to connect and how far back to import, where the bank allows it.
- We map each account to the right place in the chart of accounts and set up rules.
- We review the first imports to catch duplicates and gaps.
Bank feeds can disconnect after a password change, a new card number or a bank merger. A disconnected feed quietly leaves gaps in the books, which monthly reconciliation catches.
Feeds are a convenience, not a guarantee. Monthly bank and credit card reconciliation confirms nothing was missed.
What is included
Company file setup
Settings, fiscal year, accounting basis and entity details entered correctly.
Chart of accounts
Income and expense accounts built for your industry and your CPA.
Bank and card feeds
Every account connected so transactions arrive automatically.
Bank rules
Repeat transactions categorized consistently without manual work.
User roles
Access for your bookkeeper and CPA without sharing passwords.
Setup review
An existing file checked and corrected so the reports make sense.
QuickBooks or Xero: how to choose
Both are cloud accounting systems that support bank feeds, bank rules, receipt capture and an accountant user. SmartGrowth works in both, so the choice comes down to your business, not our preference.
| Consider | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What your CPA uses | Sharing a file is simpler when your CPA knows the software |
| Apps you rely on | Check that your POS, store, payroll or job costing app connects |
| How you invoice | Some businesses need progress billing or detailed job tracking |
| Number of users | Plans differ in how many users they include |
| Existing history | Moving years of data takes work, so staying put may be smarter |
On the free call we look at these factors with you and suggest the system that fits.
Already have a file: start with a review
Plenty of owners set up QuickBooks or Xero themselves in an afternoon and have been working around the result ever since. A setup review looks at the chart of accounts, rules, feeds and opening balances, and fixes what is causing bad reports.
Once the system is right, monthly bookkeeping keeps it that way, and the setup work pays off every month in reports you can use.
The company file stays in your name. If you ever change bookkeepers, you remove our user access and keep everything.
More questions
Can you move my books from another program to QuickBooks or Xero?
Usually, yes. How much history moves over depends on the old program and what your CPA needs. We go through the options on the free call.
Do you set up payroll inside QuickBooks or Xero?
Payroll itself is usually run through a payroll provider, such as Gusto, ADP or QuickBooks Payroll. SmartGrowth connects it to your books and records every run, so payroll lands correctly in QuickBooks or Xero.
Should I use cash or accrual accounting?
Both are normal choices for small businesses. Cash basis records income and expenses when money moves; accrual records them when they are earned or owed. Your CPA should make the call for tax purposes, and we set up the books to match.
Is a setup a one-time project?
It can be. Some owners only want a correct setup and then keep their own books. Others continue with monthly bookkeeping so the system stays clean.