Bookkeeping Services for Self-Employed Creatives & Service-Based Individuals

What does it really mean to be a “self-employed creative or service-based individual”?

Gosh that’s a mouthful. I should probably change the wording, but words aren’t always my thing. Numbers are. Let’s break this down further.

Creative. You use your creative mastermind to produce what the world needs to make it worth living in. No one wants to live in boring stark surroundings. You make them beautiful. You are the tattoo artists, web designers, writers, dancers, photographers, etc.

Service-Based. You provide a service to people that help them heal and live healthier lives. You improve their every day with the services you provide. You are the acupuncturists, massage therapists, fitness trainers, aestheticians, energy workers, etc.

Self-Employed. You work for yourself! You are paid directly from your clients or you receive a 1099. CONGRATULATIONS!! THIS IS SO FREAKING COOL. Now you also are the Marketing Manager, Bookkeeper, Sales Rep, Customer Service Rep, and IT Support — in addition to the actual service or product you offer. Yayyy…..

Invest in your business & get more

TIME · ENERGY · PROFIT

Why invest in bookkeeping services?

My guess is that you didn’t get into your line of work to do all of the extraneous tasks that are required for a healthy business. Like me, you probably wanted to do a job where you get to use your skillsets in a way that YOU want to and get paid for it too.

Whether you have just started out, or your business has been going for a while, how comfortable are you with what your profit is per month? No, not the sum of the [ number of clients ] * [ price of offering ], but what the amount AFTER expenses.

If you knew what your profit was per month, how could that change how you invest in your business? In your life?

What would it mean if you didn’t have to scramble at tax time to remember transactions from 10 months ago?

What would it mean for you if you truly understood what you owe and own in your business?

Investing in bookkeeping services invests in your personal time, energy, and profits.

Let me do the measuring & managing for you.

They say “what gets measured, gets managed”.

Okay, okay — I stole this from macro counting for weight loss, but a similar principle applies here. If you have clarity in where and how your money is spent and received within your business, it becomes much easier to make business decisions. Bookkeeping services do the measuring and managing for you. In return, you get to:

  • Spend less time worrying about money and how your business is doing.

  • Waste less energy on a task you never wanted to do in the first place.

  • Make more in profit. Paying less in taxes is a beautiful thing.

What should you expect working with me as your bookkeeper?

Support.

I get to know you, your business, how your money flows, and what you want to accomplish.

Empathy.

Everyone has made mistakes. Everyone WILL make mistakes. You’re not the only one and you won’t be the last. It’s okay to not know what is going on with your finances as they are today. That’s why you’re here. I will not judge you and I’m proud of you for wanting to get clarity around your money.

Knowledge.

I want you to understand your finances so that you can feel good about your money. I will provide you with the following so you can feel confident making money decisions:

  • Up-to-date Bookkeeping — I categorize & reconcile all of your accounts to ensure your numbers are organized & accurate.

  • Easy-to-Read Reports — I provide financial reports and answer questions so that you can understand where your money is coming from and where it is going.

  • Accountability — I will never judge you, but I will hold you accountable. For example, mixing your business and personal transactions stops here!

  • Stress-Free Tax Season — Bookkeeping year-round means tax season is a breeze. Bookkeeping is provided by the end of January. I can work directly with your accountant, as needed.

Pricing

Clear, straightforward bookkeeping for self-employed creatives & solo service-based businesses priced by what your business actually needs.

NOTE: All of my bookkeeping is done in Xero — it's the platform I've built my systems around, and it's what lets me keep pricing this transparent. Coming from QuickBooks or another tool? No problem! I handle the migration as part of your onboarding.

  • Starting at $100/month of backlog

    Your rate depends on the volume and complexity of the backlog period.

    For getting your books current before starting ongoing service — whether you've fallen behind, a DIY attempt got messy, or you’re just getting Xero for the first time.

    • Full categorization and reconciliation for the backlog period

    • One clean report per completed period, so you have something usable right away

    • Your first month of ongoing reporting is included — no double charge while you transition to monthly service

    • Total fee can be split into a payment plan as needed

    Already using Xero? You may not need the full Foundations engagement — but every new client gets a review of their existing setup (chart of accounts, bank feeds, categorization) before ongoing service begins. If updates are needed, we'll scope that as a smaller Foundations project sized to what's actually there.

    Xero subscription not included for Foundations engagements booked on their own; included automatically once you move to ongoing service.

  • Starting at $195/month

    Ideal for:

    • Solo practitioners

    • Straightforward bookkeeping

    • One business owner

    • Minimal financial complexity

    Includes:

    • Monthly categorization and reconciliation in Xero

    • Simple monthly report (profit & loss + balance snapshot) delivered monthly

    • Email support throughout the month (response time 1-3 business days)

    • 60-minute video call after your first month's reports

    Pricing is based on the overall complexity of your business, including transaction volume, connected accounts, number of locations, and reporting needs.

    New client with existing records? Start with Foundations above — that's where we get you current before ongoing service begins.

  • Starting at $295/month

    Ideal for:

    • Multiple revenue streams

    • Multiple Locations

    • Contractors or employees

    • Multiple payment processors

    • Growing practices

    • Higher transaction volume

    • More involved month-end bookkeeping

    Includes:

    • Everything in Essentials, plus:

    • Payroll entries recorded from Gusto/ADP each pay period (we don't run payroll, calculate withholdings, or file payroll taxes — that stays with your payroll provider)

    • Quarterly 60 minute check-in video call

    Pricing is based on the overall complexity of your business, including transaction volume, connected accounts, number of locations, and reporting needs.

    New client with existing records? Start with Foundations above — that's where we get you current before ongoing service begins.

Let's do this!

A note on pricing

Your quote reflects your business's complexity at the time we start working together — transaction volume, connected accounts, number of locations, and reporting needs all factor in. I don't adjust pricing for one unusually busy month or a temporary extra account.

If your complexity changes in a lasting way — more locations, added staff, a real jump in volume — we'll revisit pricing together, either at your regular contract review (every 6–12 months) or sooner if the change is clearly permanent. Whichever comes first.

Tend & Balance Company LLC doesn't provide income tax preparation, filing, or advice — that stays with your tax preparer. We keep your books clean and ready for them.