You can also generate reports and get a better idea of what to set aside for tax season. The good news is you don’t have to be an accountant in order to manage your cleaning business finances like a pro. While you can do bookkeeping without accounting, you can’t do accounting without bookkeeping. Even though we generally prefer Xero to QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online remains the most popular accounting software for US-based accountants, bookkeepers, and auditing clerks. For instance, most virtual and outsourced bookkeeping services still use QuickBooks or proprietary in-house software—though some, like Bookkeeper360, also sync with Xero. Along with its reasonable starting price, Xero’s freelance-friendly features include integration with more than a thousand third-party apps.

However, you can share most accounting solutions with an accountant or bookkeeper, including accounting software that otherwise limits its users by plan. As an online cloud-based accounting software, QuickBooks Online was made specifically for non-accountants (unlike the clunkier QuickBooks Desktop, which was made for accountants). Plus, if you spend more time traveling to on-site jobs and less time sitting in front of a computer, QuickBooks Online includes a fantastic mobile accounting app. You can use it to create invoices, capture receipts for easier expense tracking, and access the same financial reports displayed on the online interface.

Create a Cleaning Log

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to pricing your bookkeeping services. It’s about finding a balance between what’s fair to your clients and what’s sustainable for your business. Start with these guidelines, and over time, you’ll find the pricing strategy that works best for you.

Banking services provided by our partner, Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. If you enjoy organization and numbers and have experience with bookkeeping, starting your own business offering this service might be a smart career choice. Over time, as you gain experience, and get to know the kind of work and clients you most enjoy, you can begin to narrow down and specialize. This niche might find you naturally, emerging from an area where you’ve unwittingly developed expertise and built up a client base.

Learn How to Get More Bookkeeping Clients and Grow Your Business

With the advancement of technology, client bookkeeping solutions have evolved, offering a range of features that can simplify the process, reduce errors, and save time. This guide will walk you through the various options available and help you choose the best solution for your business needs. QuickBooks Online sets the standard for bookkeeping software with thorough, easy-to-understand financial reporting. Its cheapest plan includes all the financial reporting basics (profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements), plus sales tax and mileage tracking.

• After assigning a weighted score to each category, we formulated rankings for each company.
• Its cheapest plan includes all the financial reporting basics (profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements), plus sales tax and mileage tracking.
• Kelly Main is staff writer at Forbes Advisor, specializing in testing and reviewing marketing software with a focus on CRM solutions, payment processing solutions, and web design software.
• Bookkeeping is the practice of organizing, classifying and maintaining a business’s financial records.
• These trends will enable businesses to unlock more value from client bookkeeping services in the future.

So don’t feel rushed into selecting a niche from the start; instead, allow your experiences to guide you towards your specialism at a pace that feels right for you. Compare features, pricing, and expert reviews for your business software needs – all in one place. In fact, a study from PYMNTS found client bookkeeping solutions that companies that take advantage of receivables automation see a 23% improvement in collections over companies that use manual accounts receivable methods. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of apps in the cloud accounting/small business ecosystem, and you can’t be an expert on all of them.

Best Bookkeeping Services

Whether you want to outsource your entire back-office accounting department or need help with basic accounting needs, our CAS team can work with you to create a customized solution for your business. Small cleaning business owners spend a lot of time traveling between clients’ houses or offices, and you can claim a tax deduction for those miles. Next, you will want to create a cleaning log in order to keep track of your clients and the revenue coming in.