1. Collect and reconcile
Bring agreed bank, card, and processor activity into the accounting file and reconcile it to source records.
Independent consultants • small consulting firms
Monthly bookkeeping for consultants who need clean QuickBooks and clear reports.
ClearClose closes the books for qualified independent consultants and one-to-five-person consulting firms using QuickBooks Online. The monthly workflow covers the agreed accounts, client income, operating activity, owner questions, and reports without hiding scope limits behind a sales call.
Consulting activity
Simple revenue does not always produce simple books.
Consulting firms can collect retainers, milestone invoices, card or ACH payments, and reimbursed client costs while paying software, travel, and subcontractors. A useful close traces that activity through the bank, card, processor, and QuickBooks accounts in scope.
ClearClose reviews the agreed activity and keeps unresolved business questions visible instead of guessing.
A qualified monthly file can include
- One legal entity using QuickBooks Online
- Client invoices, retainers, and ordinary service revenue
- Bank, credit-card, and agreed processor activity
- Software, travel, reimbursements, and limited subcontractor costs
- Owner draws, contributions, transfers, and loans
- No inventory and no more than 350 monthly transactions
Monthly close
From client payment to reports you can review.
2. Resolve consulting exceptions
Review owner activity, subcontractor costs, transfers, reimbursements, retainers, and unclear client-related items with the owner.
3. Deliver the close
Provide profit and loss and balance-sheet reports, plus owner notes and open questions through the secure portal.
Published plan path
Choose by monthly volume and actual complexity.
Starter Close — $125/mo
For one clean entity with no more than 75 monthly transactions and a small, defined close scope.
Core Books — $199/mo
The primary path for an active consulting business with 76 to 175 monthly transactions, monthly close, reports, and quarterly tax-readiness review.
Growth Close — $349/mo
For a current, one-entity consulting file with 176 to 350 monthly transactions, no inventory, and a straightforward close.
Books behind or uncertain
Buy the $49 Books Health Check for a written diagnosis before cleanup or monthly work is scoped.
Scope boundary
Some consulting firms need more than a transaction-capped close.
Request an assessment before checkout when the business has multiple entities, more than 350 transactions, material project-costing or utilization reporting, complex retainers, deferred revenue, multi-currency activity, or commingled personal spending.
Payroll administration, bill pay, collections, invoicing, tax filing, sales-tax work, multi-state compliance, setup, and catch-up work are not silently included in the monthly plan.
What checkout means
Checkout starts onboarding. Work begins only after ClearClose accepts the scope, the engagement is signed, payment is active, the secure portal is ready, and required records are available.
See sample deliverablesInspect a fictional diagnostic and monthly close packet.Find the right planRoute by volume, book condition, and accounting complexity.Monthly close detailsSee the recurring reconciliation and reporting workflow.QuickBooks supportReview cleanup and monthly file support.Books are behind?Understand catch-up and cleanup scope.Bookkeeping for marketing agenciesSee the fit path for small agencies.
Questions owners ask
Bookkeeping answers before you commit.
Which consultants are a good fit?
The clearest fit is an independent consultant or one-to-five-person consulting firm with one entity, QuickBooks Online, no inventory, a straightforward close, and no more than 350 monthly transactions.
How are retainers and client invoices handled?
ClearClose reviews the agreed invoices, payments, deposits, and open questions in the monthly close. Complex milestone billing, deferred revenue, collections, or project accounting requires separate assessment and scope.
Can subcontractor costs be included?
Ordinary subcontractor payments can be reviewed and categorized when the records and business purpose are available. Payroll administration, contractor onboarding, and filing work are separate services unless specifically included.
What reports arrive each month?
Applicable plans include a profit and loss statement and balance sheet, with owner notes and open questions delivered through the secure portal.
What if the QuickBooks file is behind?
Start with the Books Health Check or request an assessment. Cleanup and catch-up work are scoped separately from the recurring monthly plan.
Does the monthly fee include tax filing?
No. The monthly plans support tax-ready records and applicable tax-readiness review. Tax preparation, filing, payroll, and sales-tax work require separate confirmed scope.
How are records transferred?
Sensitive records and access steps use the secure client portal. Do not email credentials, tax returns, statements, tax IDs, or customer financial data.
Next step
Put the next consultant close on a defined monthly plan.
Core Books fits 76 to 175 monthly transactions; Growth Close fits 176 to 350 when the file stays simple. Choose the $49 review first when the file is behind, inconsistent, or hard to scope. Do not send financial records through the public form.