USA
UK
Australia
UAE
Canada
QuickBooks provides an opportunity for you to track and maintain all your business's financial data. To get accurate information from that data requires you to be consistent with your record keeping (bookkeeping), make sure that each of your accounts is reconciled on a regular basis, and review them periodically. As long as some of the transactions you have entered into QuickBooks are not classified properly, as long as there is an inconsistency between the balance of one of your accounts and the actual balance of that account, or as long as you receive your monthly reports late, it will become increasingly difficult for you to determine how profitable your company is and how much money you should spend.
When selecting small business bookkeeping services, Canadian business owners and financial managers will need to evaluate more than just the monthly cost of those services. The most appropriate service provider will also have knowledge about your QuickBooks process, be able to clarify which aspects are included in their service and provide you with reporting that allows you to make daily decisions.
What Makes a QuickBooks Bookkeeping Service the Right Fit?
A provider may offer transaction recording without managing the full month-end close. Another may include financial statements but charge separately for payroll, cleanup, or management reporting.
Before comparing accounting providers, define what you need them to take responsibility for.
| Comparison criterion | What to look for | What to ask |
| QuickBooks experience | Support for your edition, integrations, and workflow | Will you work within our existing QuickBooks file? |
| Service scope | Clear responsibilities for recording, reconciliations, and close | Which tasks are included, optional, or excluded? |
| Reporting | Reports that explain financial performance | What will we receive, and when? |
| Support | A named contact and an escalation process | Who answers questions, and what response time is agreed? |
| Canadian requirements | Experience supporting relevant Canadian bookkeeping workflows | Who prepares, reviews, approves, and submits any filings? |
| Pricing | A written scope with clear additional charges | What triggers a fee increase? |
| Ownership and access | Continued access to records and an orderly handover | What happens to our data if we change providers? |
QuickBooks Bookkeeping Providers to Compare in Canada
OBG Outsourcing: For Businesses Seeking Tailored Outsourced Support
OBG Outsourcing provides QuickBooks Online bookkeeping and monthly bookkeeping services to small and medium-sized businesses, expanding businesses, and accounting practices. Additionally, OBG Outsourcing's Canadian website provides information about the company's payroll, accounts receivable and payable, GST/HST support, and management reporting services.
Suggested use: For businesses looking for a customized outsourced bookkeeping arrangement based on their existing workload, with the possibility of discussing other accounting-related services.
Request a proposal when reviewing an OBG that provides details on the recurring tasks, reporting package, review responsibility, and communication arrangement. If you are currently working with a Canadian accountant, please provide us with a list of responsibilities that will continue to be provided by your Canadian accountant and what type of support is needed from an operational standpoint.
Prior to starting, make sure you know what will be cleaned up, when reports are due each month, what time support is available, and what exactly you are responsible for regarding Canadian taxes.
Enkel: For Businesses Seeking Bookkeeping and Broader Finance Operations
Enkel: For Businesses Seeking Bookkeeping and Broader Finance Operations
Enkel is a bookkeeping service that includes transaction classification, bank/credit card reconciliation, monthly financial reporting, custom reporting and year end assistance. Enkel is compatible with both QuickBooks Online and Xero. In addition to bookkeeping, Enkel provides payroll services, accounts payable management, controller services and chief financial officer services. Enkel's delivery model includes a customer support team.
Suggested use: Startups and non-profits seeking an alternative to internal bookkeeping with an expanded scope of outsourced financial services.
When buyers compare various packages, they will want to determine which of the service options provided are included in their baseline agreement, versus those that will incur an additional fee. On Enkel's website, payroll and accounts payable are listed under "additional services," therefore it is recommended that you receive a formal, written quotation from Enkel for all of your business needs.
Prior to beginning, confirm the timeline for each month's end close, the level of customization available in the reports you will receive, the cost of any additional features, and who has what responsibility when working with your year-end accountant.
Ledger Labs: For Businesses With More Complex Reporting and Workflows
Ledger Labs’ Canadian service page lists QuickBooks Online support, reconciliations, month-end close, accounts payable and receivable, and financial reporting. It also describes cash-flow forecasting, budget-versus-actual analysis, multi-currency transaction handling, and support by email or phone.
Suggested fit: Businesses evaluating support for multiple sales channels, more detailed management reporting, or accounting system improvements.
If your business needs more than standard monthly statements, ask for a sample reporting package that resembles your operations. Clarify whether forecasting and system optimization are recurring services or separate projects.
Before engaging: Confirm implementation costs, reporting frequency, support response times, and which specialist services are included in the proposal.
Which Provider Should You Shortlist?
| Your main priority | Provider to explore | Key point to validate |
| Tailored recurring bookkeeping with related accounting support | OBG Outsourcing | Exact monthly scope, review process, and reporting commitments |
| Bookkeeping alongside broader finance operations | Enkel | Base package versus payroll, AP, controller, or CFO add-ons |
| Detailed reporting and more complex accounting workflows | Ledger Labs | Reporting deliverables, integration work, and specialist service fees |
What Should Your Monthly Bookkeeping Package Include?
In order to make sure that the differences in the scope of work are easy to see, when you request a proposal for bookkeeping services from several different small businesses, provide each business with the exact same set of requirements.
Transaction Recording and Account Reconciliations
Indicate the specific bank accounts, credit card accounts, loan accounts, and/or payment processor accounts that need your focus. Agree upon how you would handle missing receipt documentation, ambiguous transactions, and/or discrepancies in reconciliation.
When it comes to your e-commerce business, find out if the contract covers the reconciliation of sales, platform fees, refunds, and payouts—not just a record of each deposit.
A Defined Month-End Close
I am requesting a documented close process along with an anticipated delivery date. I would like to know what documents my team will need to provide and how late providing them will affect the completion of the process.
Where relevant, you may want to address how to handle prepaid expenses, accrued expenses, payroll liabilities, and outstanding customer or supplier accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are bookkeeping and small business accounting services the same?
The two types of services are similar; however, the range of each type of service can be different. Typically, bookkeeping focuses on keeping track of transactions and reconciling account balances. In addition to bookkeeping functions, small business accounting services can include performing financial analysis, completing year-end activities, preparing taxes, and/or providing advice. Instead of assuming what the service includes based upon the title of the service, verify exactly which services are provided by the provider.
Can I keep my existing accountant when outsourcing bookkeeping?
Ask potential providers if they can set up the service based on how you have structured it. Be clear about who will be responsible for your monthly records, your year-end adjustments, your questions, and your tax related work so there is no overlapping responsibility or lack of accountability.
Can a provider clean up an existing QuickBooks file?
I need you to request a preliminary assessment and a separate clean-up project. This must detail the time frames in question, any missing documentation, any unpaid balances, what is expected from the project, and when the business's day-to-day accounting will take place.
Should Canadian businesses consider bookkeeping services in the USA?
When you are looking at USA-based bookkeeping service providers versus Canadian-based providers, evaluate each provider's experience with the Canadian market. Find out if they have supported your Canadian QuickBooks installation, what kind of experience they have with the workflow of various Canadian provinces, what their experience is with handling currencies used in Canada, and how well they will work with your Canadian accountant. It should be noted that location alone does not determine whether or not a provider can meet your needs.
What is the best QuickBooks bookkeeping service for my business?
How to choose the most suitable provider is based on how many transactions occur, the amount of business complexity involved, what types of reports you need, and the amount of help you want. When choosing providers, evaluate each provider based on the same criteria, review examples of their work, and compare all of their written proposals prior to making your selection.
Discuss Your QuickBooks Bookkeeping Needs With OBG Outsourcing
Your team may spend too much time working on QuickBooks and looking for information regarding monthly numbers, so an effective outsourcing arrangement with a clearly defined scope will allow your company to create a more consistent workflow.
At OBG Outsourcing, we would like to invite Canadian based business owners and/or finance managers to have a conversation about their bookkeeping workload, what they expect from their financial reporting and how they are currently handling their accounting. To ensure the support that is suggested matches the actual work required, begin by sharing your current challenges.
Contact OBG Outsourcing to discuss your QuickBooks bookkeeping requirements.
_(6).jpg)
1.png)
_(5).jpg)
.jpg)
_(4).jpg)
_(1).jpg)
_(2).jpg)
.png)