01
Clean up the past
Unreconciled accounts, balances nobody can support, duplicate and missing activity, payroll that does not tie, loans that never got recorded, and a chart of accounts that stopped making sense.
Bookkeeping cleanupBookkeeping built around the work
Know what your business is earning, not just what is in the bank.
Our team rebuilds records that stopped being reliable, keeps the monthly close on a schedule, and turns the result into numbers you can run the business on. Cleanup, monthly bookkeeping, reporting, and controller support for owner led companies.
No shame. No accounting theater. Dependable books and a clearer business.
Start where it hurts
The right engagement depends on what needs to change first.
Some businesses need the past corrected. Some need a dependable monthly process. Growing companies need reporting, controls, and someone senior watching the numbers. Our team finds the right starting point instead of selling one package.
02
Keep the books dependable
Reconciled accounts, supporting schedules, consistent classification, and a close that lands on the same day every month so the numbers arrive before the decisions do.
Monthly bookkeeping03
Build financial operations
Reporting definitions, cash flow visibility, job level margin, clear ownership of each step, and close oversight as the company adds people, trucks, locations, and systems.
Controller supportWhy this matters
Owners are not imagining the problem.
35%
of small business owners do not know whether they made a profit last month
50%
of finance teams take six or more business days to close a month
44%
of small and midsize businesses report cash flow problems, down from 50% in 2024
22%
of small businesses that applied for financing received none of it, and only 42% got the full amount
Every figure on this site links to the organization that published it. Data years are on the source pages.
What clean books make possible
The bank balance is not the answer. This is.
Once the records tie out, the same data answers the questions owners actually ask. Which work pays. Which crew runs over. What is really collectable. Below is the shape of a monthly job margin review our clients receive.
Margin like this is only trustworthy when revenue and cost are classified the same way every month. That is the part most books get wrong, and it is the part we own.
Illustrative figures. Every engagement reports on its own jobs, services, and cost structure.
| Job type | Revenue | Cost | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service calls | 128,400 | 71,900 | 44.0% |
| Replacements | 96,250 | 62,300 | 35.3% |
| New construction | 214,700 | 188,900 | 12.0% |
| Maintenance plans | 41,800 | 18,200 | 56.5% |
| Total | 481,150 | 341,300 | 29.1% |
More than transaction entry
An outsourced bookkeeping department.
Six lines of work. Most clients start with one and add the next when the business is ready.
01
Bookkeeping cleanup
Get the records back under control so a real close is possible.
Explore02
Monthly bookkeeping
Know where the books stand every month, on a schedule.
Explore03
Payables and receivables
Make money moving in and out controlled and visible.
Explore04
Reporting and cash flow
Turn a closed month into a clearer view of the next one.
Explore05
Systems and workflow
Fix the process behind the numbers, not just the numbers.
Explore06
Fractional controller
Senior financial oversight without a full time hire.
Explore
Built for how the work runs
Bookkeeping should match the operating reality of the business.
A service call, a change order, a maintenance agreement, and a retainer all behave differently in the books. Our team already knows the difference.
Contractors
Job costing, retainage, progress billing, and change orders that never reached the books.
Electrical
Service and project work side by side, material draws, and truck stock that quietly becomes cost.
Plumbing
Call volume, warranty work, parts markup, and technician time that has to tie to revenue.
HVAC
Seasonal swings, maintenance agreements as deferred revenue, and margin by install type.
Field services
Dispatch software that does not talk to accounting, and deposits that land in batches.
Professional services
Utilization, unbilled time, retainers, and revenue that matches the engagement.
Messy books are a business problem, not a character flaw.
Records fall behind for ordinary reasons. The business grew, the software changed, a bookkeeper left, the season got busy. Our team starts with the condition of the records and the decisions you need to make, then does the work. No lecture attached.
How an engagement starts
Four steps, and you know the cost before the work begins.
A 30 minute call
You describe the business, the software, and what is not working. We ask what decisions you are trying to make. Nothing is signed.
A records review
Read only access to the accounting file and recent statements. Our team documents the actual condition of the records rather than guessing at it.
A written scope and price
What we will do, what we will not, what you own, and what it costs. Cleanup is quoted as a fixed project. Ongoing work is a monthly fee.
The work, on a published calendar
Cleanup runs period by period. Monthly work follows a close calendar with a named lead accountant, a review call, and every deliverable in your portal.
Service levels
Starting points for a defined scope.
Every engagement begins with a written scope. Volume, complexity, number of entities, reporting requirements, and how much of the workflow our team owns set the final number.
Financial Clarity
$495/monthstarting point, set by written scope
Routine monthly bookkeeping, reconciliations, standard financial statements, and tax ready books for a straightforward business.
- Monthly close on a published schedule
- All accounts reconciled with schedules
- Standard statement package
Operations Accounting
$1,250/monthstarting point, set by written scope
Operational reporting, job and service profitability, cash flow support, and payables or receivables work when it is in scope.
- Everything in Financial Clarity
- Job, service, or customer level margin
- Rolling cash flow reporting
Outsourced Finance
$3,500/monthstarting point, set by written scope
For businesses asking our team to operate a substantial part of the finance function.
- Controller level oversight
- Close calendar, controls, and documented ownership
- Reporting built for lenders and partners
Displayed prices are starting points subject to a written scope. Software, payroll, and payment processing charges are separate. Cleanup is quoted as a fixed project, not a monthly fee.
Before you get started
Questions owners ask us first.
Can you clean up books that have fallen far behind?
Yes. That is a large part of the work. We scope the cleanup as a fixed project, correct the records period by period, and tell you plainly what can and cannot be supported.
Do we have to change accounting software?
No. Our team works in what you already use. If the software is genuinely holding the business back we will say so, and you will see the cost of moving before anyone commits.
Can you take over the monthly work after a cleanup?
Yes, and most clients do. The cleanup sets the opening balances, then monthly bookkeeping keeps them true.
Can bookkeeping show us which work makes money?
That is the point. Once revenue and cost are classified consistently, job and service margin becomes reportable instead of a guess.
Are you only for the industries listed?
No. Trades and field service are where our team is strongest, and we serve other owner led businesses on the same process.
Are you a CPA firm?
No. Deciphire Bookkeeping LLC provides bookkeeping and financial operations work. We do not provide tax, legal, audit, or assurance services, and we work alongside your tax professional.
Start here
Find where the business and the books stop matching.
Take the assessment for an immediate score and a short list of priorities, or book a call and talk it through with our team. No contact details needed to see your score.
Take the assessment
Book a 30 minute call
Free. About 6 minutes. 25 questions. No contact details required.