What Are the Types of Outsourced Bookkeeping Services?
Outsourcing your bookkeeping doesn’t mean giving up control – it means gaining accuracy, consistency, and expert support. But not all outsourced bookkeeping services are the same.
In this article, we’ll break down the most common types of outsourced bookkeeping services, who they’re best for, and how to choose the right level of support based on your business size and complexity.
Why Businesses Outsource Bookkeeping
Whether you’re a small business owner, an independent contractor, or a CPA firm, outsourced bookkeeping can:
- Save time and reduce overhead
- Improve financial accuracy and compliance
- Deliver clear monthly financials
- Scale with your business
- Provide peace of mind for tax season
At RemoteBooksOnline, we offer flat-rate bookkeeping services that match each of these needs – without hourly billing or long-term contracts.
1. Full-Service Monthly Bookkeeping
This is the most comprehensive type of outsourced bookkeeping. It includes everything you need to stay organized and compliant:
- Categorizing all income and expenses
- Reconciling bank and credit card accounts
- Accounts payable and receivable tracking
- Monthly P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow reports
- Sales tax tracking
- Payroll recording
- Year-end tax package for your CPA
Best for:
- Small to mid-size businesses
- Business owners who want to hand off bookkeeping entirely
- Companies looking for consistent monthly support
2. Catch-Up Bookkeeping
Fell behind on your books? Catch-up services are designed to bring months – or even years – of unrecorded transactions up to date.
Includes:
- Review and reconciliation of past statements
- Categorization of historical transactions
- Corrections for misclassified expenses
- Delivery of past financial statements
Best for:
- Businesses that haven’t done bookkeeping in months
- Clients preparing for tax season
- Startups catching up after their first year
RemoteBooksOnline specializes in QuickBooks Bookkeeping and catch-up bookkeeping with fast turnaround and CPA-ready reports.
3. Cleanup Bookkeeping
Cleanup services focus on fixing existing books that are messy, inaccurate, or miscategorized. This isn’t about catching up – it’s about correcting what’s already there.
Includes:
- Resolving reconciliation errors
- Correcting chart of accounts
- Fixing duplications or missing entries
- Preparing corrected reports
Best for:
- Businesses switching bookkeepers
- Companies using multiple platforms with inconsistent data
- Clients preparing for an audit or due diligence
4. Industry-Specific Bookkeeping
Some providers offer services tailored to specific industries such as:
- Construction (job costing, progress billing)
- Real estate (commission tracking, escrow reporting)
- Medical and legal practices (trust accounting, HIPAA-aware systems)
- E-commerce (sales platform integration, inventory tracking)
- Nonprofits (fund accounting, grant tracking)
Best for:
- Businesses with unique workflows or compliance requirements
- Companies using industry-specific tools or billing models
RemoteBooksOnline offers customized bookkeeping support across these industries, mapped to your accounting software.
5. White-Label Bookkeeping for CPA Firms
CPA firms can outsource the day-to-day bookkeeping workload to a white-label provider. This allows them to expand services without increasing overhead.
Includes:
- Branded portals for client interaction
- Back-office bookkeeping team under your firm’s name
- CRM access for tracking deliverables
- Catch-up and monthly support for clients during tax season
Best for:
- CPA firms overwhelmed during tax season
- Bookkeeping firms looking to scale
- Advisory firms seeking to add recurring revenue without adding staff
Learn more about our white-label bookkeeping program for CPA firms.
Test Case: SaaS Business Combines Cleanup and Monthly Bookkeeping
Business: A growing software company with messy DIY books
Problem: In-house staff categorized expenses inconsistently. Reports were unreliable, and taxes were delayed.
Solution: RemoteBooksOnline first provided a cleanup service to fix chart of accounts and reconcile errors, then transitioned into full-service monthly bookkeeping.
Results:
- Clear financial statements delivered monthly
- Owner now uses reports for budgeting and forecasting
- No issues during tax prep or CPA review
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I combine multiple types of services?
Yes. For example, many clients begin with catch-up or cleanup, then move to monthly services for long-term support.
Is industry-specific bookkeeping more expensive?
Not always. Pricing depends on transaction volume and complexity. The benefit is more accurate books tailored to your business.
Can I upgrade later if my needs grow?
Absolutely. RemoteBooksOnline’s flat-rate services are designed to scale with your business.
Is white-label bookkeeping secure and compliant?
Yes. We use secure client portals and provide branded CRM access for CPA firms without compromising data privacy.
What if I already use QuickBooks or Xero?
Perfect. We work inside your existing software, so you retain full access and control at all times.
Find the Right Fit for Your Bookkeeping Needs
Whether you’re catching up, cleaning up, or looking for ongoing support, RemoteBooksOnline offers the right type of outsourced bookkeeping for your business. With flat pricing, expert staff, and industry-specific experience, we take the stress out of financial management.
Explore our bookkeeping services, or start a free trial to see how it works.
