How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost for a Small Business in Tennessee?
Most small businesses pay a monthly fee for bookkeeping that depends on transaction volume, the number of accounts, and extras like payroll. At Stark Bookkeeping Solutions, monthly bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online starts at $300 a month, and cleanup of past months is quoted separately as a project.
It's usually the first question business owners ask me, and it's a fair one. You want to know if hiring a bookkeeper actually makes sense before you spend time looking into it.
Here's an honest look at what goes into bookkeeping pricing, so you can compare options with confidence.
Why bookkeeping prices vary so much
Two businesses with the same revenue can need very different amounts of work. A consultant with one bank account and 40 transactions a month is a quick, tidy set of books. A restaurant with two card processors, three delivery apps, tipped employees, and 1,000 transactions a month is a different job entirely.
That's why most bookkeepers, including me, quote based on the work involved instead of a one size fits all price.
The five things that drive your price
- Transaction volume. More transactions means more to categorize and review each month.
- Number of accounts. Every checking account, credit card, loan, and payment processor needs to be reconciled.
- Payroll. Running payroll and reconciling payroll accounts adds time based on your team size.
- Invoicing and bills. Managing accounts receivable and accounts payable is ongoing work.
- Complexity. Inventory, job costing, multiple locations, or several businesses in one file all take extra care.
What $300 a month gets you with me
My monthly bookkeeping starts at $300 a month. For that, a small business gets:
- Every transaction categorized in QuickBooks Online
- All bank and credit card accounts reconciled to statements
- A monthly profit and loss and balance sheet
- A plain English note about what stood out
- Direct access to me by text, phone, or email
If your business needs more, like payroll or invoicing, I'll build that into a clear quote before we start. You can see more on my pricing page.
Cleanup work is priced separately
If your books are several months or years behind, that catch up work is a separate, one time project. It's priced based on how far behind things are and how much needs fixing. Once you're current, monthly bookkeeping keeps you there.
Tip: The longer books sit, the more a cleanup costs. If you know you're falling behind, it's almost always cheaper to get help now than next spring.
The hidden cost of cheap bookkeeping
A very low price can be tempting, but it's worth asking what's included. Bookkeeping that only categorizes bank feed transactions without reconciling accounts can look fine for months while errors quietly pile up. Those errors often surface at tax time, when your CPA has to fix them at CPA rates, or worse, when numbers get filed incorrectly.
Good bookkeeping pays for itself by saving your CPA time, catching mistakes and missed deductions early, and helping you make smarter decisions every month.
Bookkeeper versus doing it yourself
Doing your own books can work when you're just starting out. But if you're spending several hours a month on bookkeeping, or avoiding it altogether, it's worth comparing that time to what you earn doing the work you're actually good at.
Get a real number
The fastest way to know what bookkeeping will cost for your business is to ask. Text, call, or email me, tell me a little about your business, and I'll send a straightforward quote.
Kari Stark is a certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and the owner of Stark Bookkeeping Solutions, helping small businesses across Tennessee keep clean, accurate books. More about Kari