How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost for a Small Business?
Short answer
Outsourced bookkeeping for a small business is usually billed as a fixed monthly fee based on transaction volume, the number of bank and card accounts, and extra services such as payables, receivables or CFO reporting. At Suits Consultants, monthly bookkeeping starts at $150 per month, with a fixed quote for larger or more complex businesses.
Key takeaways
- Most outsourced bookkeepers charge a fixed monthly fee, not hourly.
- Price depends on transactions, number of accounts, complexity and add-ons.
- Catch-up or cleanup work is usually quoted separately as a one-time project.
- Suits Consultants plans start at $150/month with a dedicated bookkeeper.
What affects the price of bookkeeping?
- Monthly transaction volume
- Number of bank, credit card and payment-processor accounts
- Industry complexity (inventory, multiple entities, real estate)
- Add-ons: accounts payable, receivable, payroll coordination, sales tax
- Reporting needs: management reports, KPIs, virtual CFO
- How far behind the books are (catch-up work)
Outsourced vs in-house vs DIY bookkeeping: which costs less?
| Option | Cost structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DIY (owner) | Software subscription + your time | Very early businesses with few transactions |
| Outsourced bookkeeper | Fixed monthly fee | Small and mid-size businesses wanting accuracy without a hire |
| In-house bookkeeper | Salary, benefits, training, software | Larger businesses with daily, on-site needs |
What is included in a $150/month bookkeeping plan?
Suits Consultants' Essential plan covers transaction categorization, bank and credit card reconciliations, a dedicated bookkeeper, monthly financial statements and tax-ready financials for small businesses with straightforward volume.
How do I get an accurate bookkeeping quote?
- 1
List your accounts
Count your bank, card, loan and payment-processor accounts.
- 2
Estimate monthly transactions
A rough count from last month's statements is enough.
- 3
Note your software
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zoho Books, Wave or spreadsheets.
- 4
Say how current your books are
If you are behind, a cleanup is quoted separately.
- 5
Book a free consultation
We send a fixed monthly price — no hourly surprises.
What are the signs a small business needs a bookkeeper?
- You are more than a month behind on reconciling bank or card accounts
- You cannot quickly say whether last month was profitable
- Tax season means a scramble to find receipts and categorize a year of transactions
- Invoices go out late or overdue customers are not followed up
- You are spending evenings or weekends on data entry instead of growing the business
- A lender, investor or buyer has asked for financial statements you cannot produce
Do outsourced bookkeepers follow US accounting and tax rules?
A good outsourced bookkeeper keeps your records in line with generally accepted US accounting conventions (US GAAP-style accrual or cash basis, as your CPA prefers), tracks 1099 contractors, supports sales-tax tracking and prepares a clean year-end package so your CPA can file with the IRS without rework.
Suits Consultants works inside your US accounting platform — QuickBooks Online, Xero or Zoho Books — and coordinates directly with your CPA or tax preparer.
How is my financial data kept secure?
- Work happens inside your own cloud accounting system — you keep ownership and control
- Access is granted through user roles you can revoke at any time; we never ask for bank passwords
- Documents are exchanged through secure shared folders, not email attachments
- Each client has a named bookkeeper and reviewer, bound by confidentiality
What happens in the first month with an outsourced bookkeeper?
- 1
Onboarding call
We review your accounts, software, chart of accounts and reporting needs.
- 2
Access & setup
You grant user access; we connect bank feeds and set categorization rules.
- 3
Catch-up if needed
Any backlog is cleaned up so the monthly close starts from accurate balances.
- 4
First month-end close
Reconciliations, statements and a short review call on your numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Is outsourced bookkeeping worth it for a small business?
For most small businesses, yes: it costs less than a hire, frees the owner's time and produces accurate, tax-ready books every month.
Do bookkeepers charge hourly or monthly?
Most outsourced bookkeeping firms, including Suits Consultants, charge a fixed monthly fee. One-time cleanup projects are quoted at a fixed price.
How much does catch-up bookkeeping cost?
It depends on how many months are behind and the transaction volume. We review your statements and send a fixed project quote before starting.