What Our Work Looks Like in Practice
Case studies from real businesses we've helped. The problems they brought us, what we did, and what changed.
Commercial Cleaning Company Two Years Behind
The Problem
A commercial cleaning business had grown from a handful of accounts to over twenty contracts in just a couple of years. The owner was great at landing new clients but had completely neglected the books. Two full years of transactions sat untouched in her bank account.
Her CPA couldn't file taxes without organized records, and the IRS had already sent a notice about the missing returns.
What We Did
We took on the full two-year backlog. Every bank statement and credit card transaction was reconciled and categorized. We separated expenses by contract so she could see the cost of servicing each client.
Once the catch-up was complete, we packaged the financials for her CPA to file the overdue returns.
The Result
Both years of taxes were filed and IRS penalties were minimized because she came forward before further enforcement. The contract-level breakdown revealed that three of her largest accounts were barely breaking even after factoring in supplies and labor. She renegotiated two of those contracts and dropped the third.
Her monthly profit improved without adding a single new client. We now handle her books monthly so the backlog never builds again.
Landscaping Business Bleeding Cash Every Winter
The Problem
A landscaping company in Jacksonville did strong business from March through October but hit a wall every winter. The owner would max out credit cards to cover payroll and truck payments during the slow months, then spend the spring digging out of debt instead of building savings.
He had no budget, no forecast, and no idea how much he needed to set aside during peak season to survive the off-season.
What We Did
We set him up on QuickBooks Online and categorized a full year of expenses to establish a baseline. We built a cash flow forecast that mapped his seasonal revenue pattern against his fixed monthly costs.
From there, we created a simple savings target for each peak month so he would have enough cash to cover the winter without borrowing.
The Result
The following winter was the first in five years where he didn't carry a credit card balance. The forecast showed him exactly how much to set aside each month, and because the number was based on real data instead of a guess, he actually trusted it enough to follow through.
He also discovered his mowing crews were significantly more profitable than his installation jobs, which changed how he allocates labor during the busy season. The credit card interest he stopped paying covers more than the cost of monthly bookkeeping.
General Contractor Bidding Without Real Numbers
The Problem
A general contractor running residential remodels was constantly busy but never seemed to have money at the end of a project. He bid jobs based on experience and rough material estimates but had no system to track actual costs against those bids.
His gut told him he was leaving money on the table, but he couldn't pinpoint where.
What We Did
We implemented job costing in QuickBooks Online so every material purchase, subcontractor payment, and labor cost was tracked by project. We set up a reporting structure that compared the original bid to the actual spend for each completed job.
The Result
The numbers told a clear story. His kitchen remodels were profitable, but his bathroom jobs consistently ran 15 to 20 percent over budget because he was underestimating the plumbing subcontractor costs and tile work. He adjusted his bathroom bids accordingly, and on the next three bathroom projects he actually made money.
He also stopped taking on small handyman-style jobs that looked easy but ate up time and barely covered gas. The job costing reports now go out monthly, and he reviews them before bidding anything new.
Real Estate Investor Who Couldn't Get a Loan
The Problem
A rental property investor with eight units across Northeast Florida was tracking income and expenses in a spreadsheet that hadn't been updated in over a year. When he applied for financing to acquire a new property, the lender asked for financial statements he couldn't produce.
Everything was mixed between personal and business accounts, and he had no property-level detail.
What We Did
We cleaned up eighteen months of records and moved everything into QuickBooks Online with class tracking by property. Every rent payment, repair invoice, insurance premium, and mortgage payment was assigned to the correct unit. We separated his personal spending entirely and produced a clean P&L for the portfolio along with individual property reports.
The Result
The lender approved the financing within three weeks of receiving the updated financials. Beyond the loan, the property-level reports revealed that two of his units were cash-flow negative after accounting for all expenses. One had a recurring maintenance issue he hadn't fully appreciated until the numbers were in front of him.
He addressed the deferred maintenance, raised rent on both units to market rate, and the portfolio is now cash-flow positive across the board. He reviews the property reports monthly and uses them to evaluate any new acquisitions against his real operating costs.
Nonprofit That Almost Lost Grant Funding
The Problem
A nonprofit organization had received several grants over the past two years but had no system to track how the money was being spent. Restricted and unrestricted funds were all sitting in the same account with no separation.
When a grantor requested a report showing how their funds were used, the executive director couldn't produce one. The next round of funding was at risk.
What We Did
We set up fund tracking in QuickBooks Online to separate restricted grant money from general operating funds. We went back through two years of transactions and allocated every expense to the correct fund based on receipts and board meeting records. We created a reporting template the director could send to grantors showing exactly how each dollar was spent.
The Result
The grantor report was delivered on time and the next round of funding was approved. The board of directors, who had been frustrated by the lack of financial visibility, now receives clear monthly reports that show the health of each fund.
The director no longer worries about accidentally spending restricted money on general operations because the system flags it. When a new grant opportunity came up six months later, the application process was straightforward because the financial documentation was already in order.
Electrician Three Years Behind Who Was Afraid to Call a CPA
The Problem
An independent electrician had been so focused on growing his business that he let three full years of bookkeeping pile up. He knew he needed to file taxes but kept putting it off because he was afraid of what he might owe.
The anxiety had grown to the point where he avoided opening mail from the IRS altogether.
What We Did
We started from scratch with three years of bank and credit card statements. Every transaction was categorized and reconciled. We identified deductions he didn't even know he could take, including vehicle expenses, tool purchases, and insurance premiums he had been paying out of pocket. Once the books were complete, we worked with his CPA to get all three years filed.
The Result
He actually owed less than he expected. The deductions we captured significantly reduced his tax liability, and his CPA was able to negotiate a manageable payment plan for what remained. He told us the weight of three years of avoidance had been affecting his sleep and his ability to focus on work.
Now he sends us his bank access at the beginning of each month and doesn't think about it again. His books stay current, his CPA gets clean numbers at year-end, and the IRS letters have stopped.
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