The short answer
Accounting process consulting in Chandler with AZ Easy CPA looks at how your bookkeeping actually gets done, what software you use and where things break down. Chris Badulescu, CPA, evaluates your process, recommends the right tools and setup and helps you build systems that keep records organized all year.
What does an accounting consultant do for a small business?
An accounting consultant looks at how money moves through your business and how it gets recorded, then helps you improve it. That can mean fixing your bookkeeping process, choosing better software, redesigning your chart of accounts or setting up systems that prevent the same problems from coming back.
Bookkeeping records what happened. Consulting asks why the records keep coming out wrong, or why it takes so long to get them right. It is the difference between fixing a leak and fixing the pipe.
Our accounting consulting covers:
- A business consulting foundation: understanding how your business makes money and what you need to see
- Bookkeeping and accounting process evaluation
- Software and accounting needs assessment
- Keeping records organized year round, so tax season is easier
- A customized chart of accounts for your industry
- QuickBooks Online setup and QuickBooks Desktop to Online conversion
- Problem solving and prevention systems
What is accounting process consulting?
Accounting process consulting looks at the steps behind your numbers: how invoices go out, how bills get approved and paid, how receipts are collected, who enters what and when the books get reviewed. We map what happens today, find the weak spots and help you put a simpler, more reliable process in place.
Most small businesses never designed their accounting process. It grew one workaround at a time. A spreadsheet here, a shared inbox there, a card that three people use, and a month-end that depends on one person remembering everything.
Where we usually look
- Sales to cash: how jobs or sales turn into invoices, and how payments get matched
- Bills and spending: how bills come in, who approves them and how receipts get captured
- Payroll recording: whether payroll reports from your provider are recorded correctly
- Month-end: whether reconciliations happen, and who reviews the results
- Access and controls: who can do what in your accounting software and bank accounts
The output is practical: a short list of changes, in order, with the reasons behind them.
Do I need a software and accounting needs assessment?
If you are juggling several apps that do not talk to each other, outgrowing QuickBooks or about to choose new software, an assessment is worth it. We look at what you use, what you need and how the pieces connect, then recommend a setup that fits your business today and where it is heading.
Software decisions are easy to get wrong because every tool looks good in a demo. The real question is how it fits with your bank, your payment processor, your industry tools and your bookkeeping.
For most small businesses, QuickBooks Online is the right home for the books. For companies with more complex needs, Chris also works in NetSuite and can talk honestly about whether it makes sense for you. Either way, the goal is fewer manual steps and fewer places for errors to hide.
See what a cleanup actually changes
Same month, same transactions. Drag the handle to see what happens when every account is reconciled and every transaction lands where it belongs.
| Date | Payee | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/02 | Amazon | Uncategorized Expense | 214.37 |
| 09/03 | Deposit | Ask My Accountant | 2,450.00 |
| 09/03 | Deposit | Duplicate entry | 2,450.00 |
| 09/05 | Home Depot | Meals | 386.12 |
| 09/08 | SBA loan | All booked as expense | 1,150.00 |
| Difference vs bank | 2,450.00 | ||
| Date | Payee | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/02 | Amazon | Office Supplies | 214.37 |
| 09/03 | Deposit | Sales, Invoice 1042 | 2,450.00 |
| 09/03 | Deposit | Removed duplicate | 2,450.00 |
| 09/05 | Home Depot | Job Materials | 386.12 |
| 09/08 | SBA loan | Loan principal and interest | 1,150.00 |
| Difference vs bank | 0.00 | ||
How is consulting different from bookkeeping or fractional CFO work?
Bookkeeping keeps the records current. Consulting improves the process and systems behind those records. Fractional CFO work uses the finished numbers to plan, budget and make bigger decisions. Many clients start with consulting, then move into monthly bookkeeping or CFO support.
| Accounting consulting | Monthly bookkeeping | Fractional CFO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main question | How should our accounting work? | Are the books current and accurate? | What do the numbers mean for our plans? |
| Typical work | Process review, software, chart of accounts, systems | Categorizing, reconciling, closing, monthly reports | Budgets, forecasts, metrics, strategy |
| Timing | Project based | Ongoing every month | Ongoing or as needed |
| Learn more | This page | Monthly bookkeeping | Fractional CFO |
How do problem prevention systems help?
Problem prevention systems are simple habits and settings that stop common errors before they start. Examples include bank rules that suggest categories, a clear receipt capture routine, separate business and personal cards, user permissions and a monthly review checklist. They keep cleanup projects from becoming a yearly event.
Most bookkeeping problems repeat. The same duplicate feed, the same personal charges on the business card, the same pile of unmatched deposits. A prevention system tackles the cause.
- Separate accounts: keep personal spending off business cards and accounts
- Capture receipts as you go: a single routine everyone on the team follows
- Use bank rules carefully: rules that suggest, with a person confirming
- Set permissions: each person gets access to what they need and no more
- Review monthly: a short checklist so issues surface in weeks, not years
"I have worked with Chris Badulescu for the last year and would highly recommend him not only for bookkeeping/accounting services, but as a fractional CFO." (Chris P., Google review)
How does consulting help at tax time?
When records stay organized year round, tax season becomes a hand-off instead of a scramble. We do not prepare tax returns ourselves, but we build processes that keep the books ready and work with trusted tax partners so your preparer gets clean, reconciled numbers.
A good process means your year-end reports are ready when your preparer asks for them, with balances that tie to statements and categories that make sense. The same goes for payroll, which we leave to trusted partners while making sure it is recorded right in the books.
If you are starting a business, consulting pairs well with LLC formation and QuickBooks setup, so the books start on solid ground.
How do we get started?
Free phone call
Tell us what is frustrating about your books or your process today.
Evaluate
We review your bookkeeping process, software and records to see where things break.
Recommend
Chris walks you through a short, prioritized list of changes and why each one matters.
Implement
We help put the changes in place, from a new chart of accounts to QuickBooks setup and training.
Check in
We follow up to see what is working and adjust where needed.
Accounting Consulting questions
What does an accounting consultant cost?
Consulting work is quoted after a free phone call, once we understand what you need. The scope depends on the size of your business and how much needs to change.
Do I need consulting if I already have a bookkeeper?
Possibly. Consulting looks at the process and systems, which can help your bookkeeper work faster and with fewer errors. We are happy to work alongside your current team.
Can you help me pick accounting software?
Yes. A software and accounting needs assessment is part of our consulting. We look at what you use today and recommend a setup that fits, whether that is QuickBooks Online or something larger like NetSuite.
Can you build a chart of accounts for my industry?
Yes. A customized chart of accounts is one of the most useful things we do in consulting, because it decides what your reports can show you.
Do you do tax planning or prepare returns?
We do not prepare tax returns in house. We keep records organized year round and work with trusted tax partners who handle returns.
Is consulting a one-time project?
It is usually project based. Some clients come back for periodic check-ins, and others move into monthly bookkeeping or fractional CFO support.
Do you work with businesses outside Chandler?
Yes. Our home base is Chandler and the East Valley, and we work remotely with clients across Arizona and the US.
Bookkeeping near you
From our Chandler office we work with businesses across the East Valley and Arizona, in person or online.
