Honest answers to the things Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach County business owners ask before they hire a bookkeeper — including the big one most people are too polite to Google.
This is the most common question we hear — and it's a good one. Most people use the terms interchangeably, but they're actually two different roles that work together. Here's the plain-English version.
Most small business owners need both — but they need a bookkeeper first. Your CPA can only do their job well if your books are accurate and organized. When they're not, you end up paying CPA rates for someone to do bookkeeping work, which is expensive and inefficient.
Lucky Ledgers handles your bookkeeping every month and works directly with Jon Gitman of Gitman Associates CPAs, Inc. when tax strategy, filing, or advisory services come into play. You get both — under one relationship, without the confusion.
Still not sure? Book a free 30-minute call and we'll tell you exactly what you need — even if it turns out it's not us.
It's a free 30-minute call — no pitch, no pressure. We talk through your business, your current books, and what you actually need. At the end, you'll know exactly what we'd recommend and what it would cost. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you that too.
We charge flat monthly rates based on your transaction volume and business complexity — not by the hour. Most small businesses in Palm Beach County fall in the $300–$800/month range for monthly bookkeeping — competitive with any bookkeeper in Palm Beach Gardens or West Palm Beach. Catch-up and one-time projects are quoted at a flat rate before any work begins. You'll always know your exact cost upfront — no surprises.
Usually within a week or two of the initial consultation. We gather access to your accounts, review your history, and get everything set up correctly before we begin. If you have a catch-up project, we typically complete most projects within 2–4 weeks depending on volume.
We use secure, cloud-based tools — primarily QuickBooks Online. You grant us access to your accounting software and connect your bank and credit card feeds. From there, we handle everything. We communicate by phone, email, or video call. Most of our clients never meet us in person and love the flexibility.
Not at all. We work with clients anywhere in the US. Our workflow is fully cloud-based, so your location doesn't matter. We're based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL (33418), and our client base spans Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and well beyond South Florida.
However works best for you — email, phone, or video call. Most clients prefer a quick monthly check-in after receiving their financial reports. We're responsive and typically reply to any question the same business day.
Absolutely. We use bank-level encrypted platforms — primarily QuickBooks Online — and secure file sharing. Your data is never stored locally on any personal device. Access is limited to you and our team, and we follow strict data handling practices. QuickBooks Online carries the same security standards used by major financial institutions.
We need read/write access to your QuickBooks account and read-only access to your bank and credit card feeds for reconciliation. We do not need — and will never ask for — the ability to move money or make transactions. We're here to record and report, not to touch your funds.
We're QuickBooks Online Certified and do the majority of our work in QBO. We can also work with Xero and FreshBooks. If you're not on any platform yet, we'll help you choose the right one and set it up correctly from scratch — training included.
Totally fine — we see this often. We'll help you transition to a proper accounting platform, migrate what history makes sense, and get you set up for the future. The spreadsheet era is over once you work with us.
Yes — and this is one of the most common things we do. We've untangled books that were months or years behind, across every industry and business type. No judgment, no lectures. We give you a flat-rate quote for the catch-up project, complete it as fast as possible (usually 2–4 weeks), and then you have the option to move into ongoing monthly bookkeeping so it never happens again.
Flat rate, quoted upfront after the free consultation. Most projects start at $2,500 — the exact cost depends on how many months need to be reconciled and the volume of transactions. You'll know the full cost before any work begins. No hourly surprises.
The free consultation is the fastest way to get a straight answer for your specific situation.