Turning Financial Chaos Into Clear, Accurate Books
If your books are a mess or you’re unsure where to
start, I can help you get back on track with ease
for service-based small businesses
INDUSTRIES I’VE WORKED WITH:
Pet Boarding,
Grooming, & Training
Vocational
Counseling
Graphic
Design
Event Consultation
& Planning
Commercial
Architecture
And More!
Let’s Uncomplicate Your Bookkeeping
Most people treat their financial books like a checkbook: they make sure the money coming in matches (or exceeds) the money going out.
But this outlook misses the power of bookkeeping: the clarity it brings.
A good bookkeeper will be able to show you in simple terms:
How to read your P&L to instantly understand how your business is doing
If you’ve been spending too much on payroll or marketing or utilities (or any category)
What subscriptions you forgot about that are costing you serious $$$
How to create a Chart of Accounts that makes sense for your brain
When you need more clients
When you might what to reduce expenditures
Bottomline…
Your books tell you in black in white (or red) what’s really happening in your business
and it’s my job to bring that clarity to you in the simplest, non-headache-inducing way possible.
She is my go-to with all of my clients’ finance needs!
“I’ve been working with Kristen at Lighthouse Business Services for a few years now and she is a much loved member of our team at Reynold’s OBM. She is my go to with all of my clients finance needs. My clients repeatedly tell me how fantastic she is. Her advice and help are always welcome, especially the great suggestions to help them understand their finances so they can make better decisions.”
Kelly Reynolds
CEO, Reynolds OBM Agency
I’m the bookkeeper that can help translate your financial data and monthly numbers into a story that’s easy for you to understand – and it’s one of my favorite things to do!
My business is called Lighthouse Business Services because, well, first I just love lighthouses. 🤭 But also because I love what they represent: a lighthouse is a safe haven for people out on the water. And for people who don’t know what they’re doing with their books, I can be the beacon of light that can help you find your way.
I started bookkeeping over 30 years ago and immediately loved it and have not once looked back. Though the software has changed (we didn’t have computers when I started!), the basics have remained the same. This essentials-focused mentality is what has helped me to provide accurate, current books for all of my clients.
Part of this essential mindset is understanding that there are multiple ways to handle your books.
I believe in setting up systems that help you see your bottom line clearly and in a way that YOU understand. My goal is for you to look at your books or reports and instantly grasp what's happening. We can achieve this by organizing your books effectively and showing you what to look for.
I want you to be stress-free about your finances so you can focus on your zone of genius. Whether you’re more creatively inclined or have a heart for service, freeing you from bookkeeping tasks allows you to do more of what you love.
In my many years of bookkeeping, I've been fortunate to build my business through referrals. I love creating relationships, and these connections help me humanize numbers, revealing the stories and their significance for you, your business, and your family.
Ultimately…
I want you to be as enthusiastic about your business as I am about numbers.
The best way I can help you achieve that is by taking care of YOUR numbers.
How I Work
I don’t have packages because I don’t believe in one size fits all *especially* when it comes to your books. Your situation and business and goals are YOURS so I customize what I do to what you need.
So here’s what it looks like to get started with me
SCHEDULE A CALL
Let’s have a meeting to talk about what you’re looking for, what you’re worried about, and what you most want out of this. This call also functions as a vibe check so we can both ensure the other is not a tin man without a heart.
REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
I’ll do a complementary review of your accounts to determine what you need and what it will take for me to get you current on your books. I’ve been told these calls should be paid because they're so valuable, but right now, they’re still free.
CUSTOM PROPOSAL
I’ll work up a custom package and send it to you in a proposal. I’ll walk you through my recommended course of action and if it sounds like a fit, then we can get started and you can stop stressing about your books.
I want to be the hope you didn't have, empowering you to achieve your dreams by ensuring bookkeeping and numbers never stand in your way.
I could not possibly be as successful without her help!
“I cannot speak highly enough of Kristen and Lighthouse Business Services. Kristen is first rate and of the highest integrity. Not only does she provide reliable and consistent results, but she does so promptly and with pleasure. I am in a creative line of work and rely on Kristen as my left brain! She produces monthly reports that enable me to monitor the direction of the company and maximize profit. Kristen really took the time to learn about our unique business setup so she could cater her services and the features of QuickBooks to our needs. She not only takes such good care of the books but she explains what it means to the expansion of my company so I can keep doing what I do best. I could not possibly be as successful without Kristen's help! What a burden to have lifted!”
Kristin Territo
President & CEO, KTDC
You have gifts that helped you start your business...
and those gifts usually are not in the bookkeeping realm (which is okay!).
We hand things off to professionals all the time, right? You pay for the doctor and take your dog to the vet and any number of other things across your life.
So why not let me take care of this piece for you so you can go on building the best part of your business and not worry about this annoying (but very necessary) piece?
Having updated and current books is going to make tax time with your accountant smoother and give you the peace of mind to know that it’s done.
My ultimate goal is to make your accountant say “wow, these books look great!”
Frequently Asked Questions
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Both! I enjoy working with solopreneurs and micro businesses just getting started. We work together so I can teach you how to always see results with your books and not be in the dark about what’s happening financially. I also love working in tandem with your accountant to help things be as easy as possible on the tax side.
No matter what your business looks like or who’s on your team, I’ll make sure your numbers are up-to-date so you have the ability to pull the reports you need to analyze and make accurate business decisions.
Making data-based decisions means building strong businesses and at the end of the day, that’s what I want for you.
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I work with people across industries but I’ve noticed the people I love working with the most are open-minded, kind-hearted service-based small businesses.
They’re hard workers that create the best experiences for their customers and genuinely care about what they do and who they’re doing it for. These are the people I most want to have their full-brained focus on their own business and growth…not getting confused and frustrated over numbers.
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I promise you, it’s probably not something I haven’t already seen before. I’ve been a bookkeeper for decades and after working with dozens and dozens of businesses, I understand that some people just don’t have a numbers brain. Or maybe it’s not even that – maybe they just don’t have the right system in place (and they don’t know how to set one up).
Regardless of the reason why, I completely understand how you can get caught up in the emotion of your numbers and the stories behind them.
Nobody goes into business wanting to be stressed out of their minds. My #1 specialty is turning your mess into a valid set of books that everyone can make sense of (you, me, your accountant, your partner, the IRS – everyone!).
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This is hard to answer because I customize everything I do. However, I can give you an overview of the phases we typically go through to take you from head in the sand to “holy crap! I’m actually meeting my business goals!”:
Catch your books up to where they need to be
Analyze patterns and trends in the newly-updated books
Keep your books as current as possible (weekly upkeep)
Gentle consulting to help you understand your numbers and guide you with care from where you’re at to where you want to be, at whatever pace you need so you can see what I see when you look at your books.
Create a spending plan or budget for business to stay on target towards your goals
On a quarterly basis, I’ll provide you with a summary of areas of concern so you can see what’s working and what’s given you ROI for your efforts (as well as evaluate your subscriptions…especially the sneaky ones!)
Thanks to Kristen I am hitting my financial goals!
“Before we started working together, I was apprehensive of hiring a bookkeeper. I didn't know if my business was big enough to warrant one and (quite frankly) I was a little embarrassed at the fact that I had been DIYing it for years. Now that we've been working together for a long time, I can't IMAGINE going back to doing it myself! Not only do I know that everything is taken care of (whew!), but I've actually started to create financial goals and HITTING THEM! I was so busy burying my head in the sand before to even THINK about setting goals like that. Thank you so much!”
Heather Terwilliger
Graphic Designer