{"id":103,"date":"2026-10-09T12:47:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/?p=103"},"modified":"2026-10-09T12:47:55","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:47:55","slug":"monthly-bookkeeping-for-small-businesses-what-you-get-what-it-costs-and-how-the-first-30-days-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/?p=103","title":{"rendered":"Monthly Bookkeeping for Small Businesses: What You Get, What It Costs, and How the First 30 Days Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p>Your books are behind. Month-end never really closes. You are making decisions based on numbers you do not fully trust.<\/p>\n<p>That creates drag everywhere \u2014 cash decisions, hiring decisions, tax coordination, and basic day-to-day planning. This page explains who LunaSi works with, what monthly bookkeeping includes, how onboarding works in the first 30 days, what cleanup usually looks like, and how pricing is scoped.<\/p>\n<h3>Who LunaSi works with<\/h3>\n<p>LunaSi works with small and mid-sized businesses that need reliable monthly numbers without building an in-house accounting team. Most clients have between 1 and 50 employees and want steady monthly support, clear reporting, and a close process that actually finishes.<\/p>\n<p>That includes businesses in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trades and contractors<\/li>\n<li>Professional services<\/li>\n<li>E-commerce<\/li>\n<li>Retail<\/li>\n<li>Manufacturing<\/li>\n<li>Healthcare practices<\/li>\n<li>Similar owner-operated and growing businesses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The fit is straightforward. You need current books, a clean month-end process, and reporting you can use to make decisions.<\/p>\n<p>LunaSi is not the right fit if you need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Audit opinions<\/li>\n<li>SEC or public-company reporting<\/li>\n<li>Attest work of any kind<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Being clear about fit protects both sides. If your business needs public accounting or attest services, those should be handled by the appropriate licensed CPA firm.<\/p>\n<h3>What the engagement includes<\/h3>\n<p>The core engagement is monthly bookkeeping built around an accurate close and usable reporting. The scope is practical. It is designed to keep your records current and decision-ready.<\/p>\n<p>A standard monthly engagement can include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Monthly bookkeeping<\/li>\n<li>Bank reconciliations<\/li>\n<li>Credit card reconciliations<\/li>\n<li>Month-end close<\/li>\n<li>Accounts payable support<\/li>\n<li>Accounts receivable support<\/li>\n<li>Payroll support on the bookkeeping side<\/li>\n<li>Financial reporting<\/li>\n<li>Controller-level and CFO-level reporting support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The reporting package typically includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Profit and loss<\/li>\n<li>Balance sheet<\/li>\n<li>Cash flow reporting<\/li>\n<li>Supporting schedules as needed for management review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Payroll support here means the bookkeeping and recordkeeping side \u2014 mapping payroll correctly, recording liabilities and payroll-related entries, and making sure payroll activity ties into the books. It does not mean legal, tax, or HR advice.<\/p>\n<p>If your books are several periods behind, or the file needs significant historical correction, that work is handled as a separate cleanup engagement. Multi-year cleanup is not folded into normal monthly service by default.<\/p>\n<h3>Your first 30 days, week by week<\/h3>\n<p>A strong start matters. The first 30 days are built to establish access, find issues early, and close the first month on an agreed process.<\/p>\n<h3>Days 1-7: discovery, access setup, and close calendar<\/h3>\n<p>This is where the working plan gets set. The goal is clarity \u2014 what exists now, what systems are involved, and what the month-end timeline needs to be.<\/p>\n<p>What LunaSi does:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reviews the current bookkeeping setup<\/li>\n<li>Identifies the systems in use<\/li>\n<li>Requests the records and access needed<\/li>\n<li>Sets the communication process<\/li>\n<li>Builds the initial close calendar with target dates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What you do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provide access to the accounting system, bank feeds, and key financial tools<\/li>\n<li>Share recent reports and statements<\/li>\n<li>Confirm the right contacts for payroll, banking, and approvals<\/li>\n<li>Flag known issues, unusual transactions, or urgent deadlines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The close calendar matters more than most owners expect. It defines when statements arrive, when questions are resolved, when entries are posted, and when reports are delivered.<\/p>\n<h3>Days 8-14: historical review, cleanup needs, and chart of accounts<\/h3>\n<p>This is the diagnostic phase. The file gets reviewed in enough detail to see what is usable, what is missing, and what needs correction before reliable reporting is possible.<\/p>\n<p>What LunaSi does:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reviews prior periods and transaction history<\/li>\n<li>Identifies unreconciled or questionable balances<\/li>\n<li>Checks the chart of accounts for structure and consistency<\/li>\n<li>Flags cleanup needs, balance sheet issues, and posting patterns that need correction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What you do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Answer follow-up questions on unclear transactions or account use<\/li>\n<li>Confirm how revenue, expenses, owner draws, loans, and payroll should be reflected<\/li>\n<li>Provide missing statements or historical documents if requested<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is also where account structure gets tightened. If the chart of accounts is too messy, too vague, or not aligned with how you actually run the business, that gets addressed early.<\/p>\n<h3>Days 15-21: catch-up work, reconciliations, and clearing problem accounts<\/h3>\n<p>This is the working phase. Catch-up and correction work starts, reconciliations move forward, and the file begins to stabilize.<\/p>\n<p>What LunaSi does:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Performs agreed catch-up work<\/li>\n<li>Reconciles bank and credit card accounts<\/li>\n<li>Clears suspense balances where support exists<\/li>\n<li>Reviews and resolves uncategorized transactions<\/li>\n<li>Records needed bookkeeping adjustments within scope<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What you do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Respond to transaction questions<\/li>\n<li>Clarify owner or related-party activity<\/li>\n<li>Approve treatment decisions where business context matters<\/li>\n<li>Provide support for unusual deposits, transfers, loans, or payments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This part is often where hidden problems show up \u2014 duplicate entries, payroll mapping issues, stale liabilities, old transfers, and personal charges mixed into business activity. Finding them early is the point.<\/p>\n<h3>Days 22-30: first closed month, reporting package, and walkthrough<\/h3>\n<p>The first milestone is not just \u201cbooks updated.\u201d It is a closed month with reports you can review and use.<\/p>\n<p>What LunaSi does:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Finalizes the first completed close within scope<\/li>\n<li>Prepares the reporting package<\/li>\n<li>Notes material changes, open items, and follow-up points<\/li>\n<li>Schedules and leads the walkthrough call<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What you do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Review the reports<\/li>\n<li>Ask questions about changes and account movement<\/li>\n<li>Confirm any recurring needs for future months<\/li>\n<li>Align on the ongoing monthly cadence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By the end of this phase, you should know what has been completed, what still requires separate cleanup if applicable, and how the monthly process will run going forward.<\/p>\n<h3>What cleanup usually looks like<\/h3>\n<p>Most new clients need some level of cleanup. That is normal. The amount varies, and the difference between light cleanup and heavy reconstruction is significant.<\/p>\n<p>There are usually three broad scenario shapes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Light cleanup<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Books are mostly current<\/li>\n<li>A few accounts are unreconciled<\/li>\n<li>Some transactions are uncategorized<\/li>\n<li>The balance sheet is usable but needs attention in specific spots<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Moderate cleanup<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Several months are behind<\/li>\n<li>Bank and credit card accounts are not fully reconciled<\/li>\n<li>Payroll or sales tax liability entries need review<\/li>\n<li>Prior entries may be inconsistent across periods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Heavy cleanup<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Multiple years are behind<\/li>\n<li>The balance sheet is not reliable<\/li>\n<li>Prior cleanup attempts created more confusion<\/li>\n<li>Personal and business activity are mixed<\/li>\n<li>Several accounts carry significant unreconciled balances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The review call determines which bucket your business is in. Cleanup is quoted separately from monthly service. No timeline or outcome is guaranteed until the file has been reviewed in context.<\/p>\n<h3>What you get every month<\/h3>\n<p>Monthly bookkeeping only matters if the output helps you run the business better. The reporting package is built for that.<\/p>\n<p>Each month, you can receive:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A reconciled balance sheet<\/li>\n<li>A profit and loss statement with prior-period comparison<\/li>\n<li>A cash flow view<\/li>\n<li>Accounts receivable aging<\/li>\n<li>Accounts payable aging<\/li>\n<li>A short written summary of what changed and what to watch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here is what those reports help you do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reconciled balance sheet<\/strong><br \/>You see whether the underlying accounts actually tie out. That helps you spot stale assets, unknown liabilities, owner-balance issues, and items that need explanation before they become bigger problems.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Profit and loss with prior-period comparison<\/strong><br \/>You see what changed month over month or period over period. That helps you track margin movement, overhead shifts, seasonality, and unusual expense activity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cash flow view<\/strong><br \/>You see where cash is moving \u2014 not just whether profit exists on paper. That helps you plan owner draws, vendor timing, payroll pressure, and near-term operating decisions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accounts receivable aging<\/strong><br \/>You see who owes you, how old the balances are, and where collection follow-up is needed. That supports cash planning and helps prevent revenue from sitting unpaid.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accounts payable aging<\/strong><br \/>You see what is due, what is overdue, and where payment timing needs attention. That supports vendor management and reduces avoidable surprises.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Written monthly summary<\/strong><br \/>You get a plain-English explanation of major changes, issues that need attention, and the items worth discussing. That reduces the time you spend trying to interpret the reports on your own.<\/p>\n<h3>Systems we work in<\/h3>\n<p>QuickBooks Online is the primary platform. It is the most common fit for monthly bookkeeping, close management, and reporting in small and mid-sized businesses.<\/p>\n<p>LunaSi can also work within other common systems when the setup is workable, or recommend a better structure when the current setup is creating reporting problems. That includes businesses with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Multi-entity structures<\/li>\n<li>Payroll-integrated setups<\/li>\n<li>Multiple bank and credit card accounts<\/li>\n<li>System workflows that require cleanup or redesign<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The objective is not to force unnecessary change. It is to make sure the accounting system supports a dependable close and usable reporting.<\/p>\n<h3>Why owners choose LunaSi<\/h3>\n<p>There is a gap between basic bookkeeping and public accounting. LunaSi is built to fill that gap.<\/p>\n<p>LunaSi handles the ongoing accounting work that owners need every month:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keeping the books current<\/li>\n<li>Closing the month<\/li>\n<li>Working through multi-year backlogs<\/li>\n<li>Producing Controller-level and CFO-level reporting<\/li>\n<li>Handing your CPA a clean, complete package at year-end<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That line matters. LunaSi is not a CPA firm and does not perform:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Attest services<\/li>\n<li>Audits<\/li>\n<li>Reviews<\/li>\n<li>Compilations<\/li>\n<li>Opinions<\/li>\n<li>Tax return preparation<\/li>\n<li>Legal work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Those services are referred to your CPA or attorney as appropriate. The advantage is practical \u2014 your books get real attention every month, and your CPA can spend time on tax planning and year-end coordination instead of chasing missing records and unresolved bookkeeping issues.<\/p>\n<p>Owners choose LunaSi because the service is built around:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reliability<\/li>\n<li>On-time delivery<\/li>\n<li>Plain-English explanations<\/li>\n<li>Accuracy<\/li>\n<li>Clear monthly follow-through<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The value is not noise. It is a close process that finishes and reporting you can actually use.<\/p>\n<h3>What it costs<\/h3>\n<p>Monthly bookkeeping is priced as a flat monthly fee. The fee depends on scope, because the work changes meaningfully from one business to the next.<\/p>\n<p>Pricing is typically based on factors such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Transaction volume<\/li>\n<li>Number of bank accounts<\/li>\n<li>Number of credit card accounts<\/li>\n<li>Payroll complexity<\/li>\n<li>Number of entities<\/li>\n<li>Reporting depth<\/li>\n<li>Whether cleanup is included<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The monthly fee is quoted after the review because scope drives price. Cleanup is quoted separately when needed. Pricing is confirmed in writing before any engagement begins.<\/p>\n<h3>Start with a free 20-minute books review<\/h3>\n<p>This is the starting point. You get a focused review of the current state of your books and a clear recommendation on what needs to happen next.<\/p>\n<p>After the call, you receive a short written summary covering:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The current state of your books<\/li>\n<li>The top three issues found<\/li>\n<li>Whether cleanup is needed and roughly what kind<\/li>\n<li>A recommended monthly scope<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There is no cost and no obligation.<\/p>\n<p>On the call, the goal is simple:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Understand how your books are currently being handled<\/li>\n<li>Review the recent reports available<\/li>\n<li>Identify visible risk areas or process gaps<\/li>\n<li>Clarify what support you need month to month<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To make the call useful, have these ready:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your most recent profit and loss statement<\/li>\n<li>Your most recent balance sheet<\/li>\n<li>One recent bank statement<\/li>\n<li>Any questions about system access or how the work would start<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To request the review, contact LunaSi and ask for the free 20-minute books review. The next step is a short conversation and a practical written summary \u2014 not a sales pitch.<\/p>\n<h3>What business owners should do now<\/h3>\n<p>If your books are behind or your reports are not dependable, do not wait for year-end pressure to force the issue. Gather your recent profit and loss, balance sheet, and one bank statement, then request the free 20-minute books review so you can see the current state clearly and decide on the right monthly scope.<\/p>\n<h3>Closing<\/h3>\n<p>If you need monthly bookkeeping that closes on time, stays accurate, and gives you reports you can use, contact LunaSi to request the free 20-minute books review. It is a direct way to see what needs cleanup, what monthly support should include, and how to move forward with a cleaner close process.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><em>Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your CPA, attorney, or other qualified advisor regarding your specific situation.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Internal note \u2014 remove before publishing<\/h3>\n<p>Actual price points and the booking link or contact form URL must be supplied by Sorin before this page goes live. Linda&#39;s compliance sign-off is pending.<\/p>\n<p>29.09.2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your books are behind. Month-end never really closes. You are making decisions based on numbers you do not fully trust. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lunasiaccounting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}