Switching bookkeepers happens all the time. Maybe your current bookkeeper is retiring, or they’ve gotten too busy, or the relationship just isn’t working anymore. Whatever the reason, the transition is usually smoother than people expect.

The first step is getting access to your existing books. If you’re already in QuickBooks Online, that’s straightforward. You add us as an accountant user, and we can see everything right away without disrupting your current bookkeeper’s access until you’re ready to make the switch. If your books are in desktop software or somewhere else, we’ll work with you to get a backup or export of the data so we can bring it into QuickBooks Online.

Once we have access, we review the last few months of work. We’re looking at bank reconciliations, how transactions are categorized, whether the balance sheet makes sense, and whether the numbers actually match your bank statements. This review usually takes about a week, sometimes less for simpler businesses.

If we find issues, we fix them before moving forward. Maybe the previous bookkeeper was categorizing owner draws as expenses, or the credit card wasn’t being reconciled properly, or there are transactions sitting in “Uncategorized” going back months. We clean that up so you’re starting from a solid foundation. For some clients, this review-and-fix phase is essentially catch-up bookkeeping. For others, everything is in good shape and we just pick up where your last bookkeeper left off.

Your part in this is minimal. You give us access, answer some questions about your business so we understand how things work, and let us know your preferences for communication. The review and cleanup happen in the background. You don’t need to be involved unless we find something unusual that needs your input.

Once the books are clean and we understand how your business operates, we start the ongoing monthly work. We close each month with reconciled accounts and financial statements you can rely on. The whole transition typically takes two to three weeks from start to finish, depending on the condition of your existing books.

This is routine for us. Most of the bookkeeping and tax services clients we bring on are switching from someone else, not starting from scratch. We know what to look for in the handoff and how to get you onto a clean foundation without creating extra work for you.

If you’re thinking about making a change and want to talk through your situation, reach out for a consultation. We can look at where your books are now and give you a realistic picture of what the transition would involve.