Service 01 - The Foundation
Bookkeeping that's
actually built to last.
Clean, accurate, and coded correctly — every transaction, every month. Not because it's tidy,
but because everything else in your business depends on getting this right.
Who it's for
Builders & subcontractors doing their own books
You started doing the books yourself because it seemed manageable. Now the business has grown, the transactions are multiplying, and you're spending Sunday nights in Xero instead of recovering from the week. It's time to hand it over.
Trade businesses coming in with messy books
The books haven't been touched in months. Transactions are miscoded, GST is a mess, and year end is looming. We've seen it before — we'll fix it before we build on it.
Growing businesses that need a proper foundation
You're taking on bigger jobs, hiring subbies, maybe bringing on staff. The financial complexity is growing faster than your current system can handle. Now is exactly the right time to get the foundation right.
Businesses switching from another bookkeeper
You've had someone doing your books but the reports don't make sense, nothing ever gets explained, and you're not sure the numbers are actually right. A proper review and clean start makes all the difference.
NOT THE RIGHT FIT IF —
You're looking for the cheapest option in the market. Our bookkeeping is thorough, trades-specific, and built to support everything else we do together — it's not a commodity service, and we don't price it like one.
What we actually do
01
Monthly transaction processing & reconciliation
Every transaction coded to the right account, the right category, and the right job — every month without fail. Bank feeds reconciled, credit cards cleared, nothing sitting unmatched at month end.
04
BAS preparation & lodgement
GST collected and reconciled, BAS prepared and lodged every quarter. No last-minute scramble, no missed deadlines, no penalties. Your obligations handled before they become a problem.
02
Accounts payable — bills processed
and tracked
Supplier invoices processed accurately and on time. Materials, subbies, equipment — everything allocated to the right job so your job costing actually works.
05
Xero setup, maintenance
& health checks
Your Xero chart of accounts, tracking categories, and job costing structure set up to work properly for a trades business — not a generic template. Regular health checks to catch coding errors before they compound.
03
Accounts receivable — invoices raised and followed up
Progress claims, final invoices, retention tracking — raised correctly and followed up so cash keeps moving. No invoices sitting unpaid and forgotten.
06
Document management via Hubdoc
Receipts, bills, and supplier invoices captured, matched, and stored. No more lost receipts or chasing paperwork at tax time — everything where it needs to be.
TRADES-SPECIFIC SETUP
Most bookkeepers use a generic chart of accounts that doesn't reflect how a trades business actually operates. We set up tracking categories for each job or project type, subcontractor cost allocation, materials vs labour splits, and retention tracking — so your books work as a management tool, not just a compliance record.
What changes
BEFORE
Receipts in a shoebox. Transactions coded wrong or not at all. BAS prep is a panic. You're not sure if the numbers are right. Your accountant spends half their time fixing your books instead of advising you.
BEFORE
You spend Sunday nights doing the books. You're always behind. The financial side of the business is a source of stress and avoidance, not clarity.
BEFORE
Your reports don't reflect the real picture. Job costs are mixed up. You can't tell what any individual job made. Decision-making is based on gut feel and bank balance.
AFTER
Books up to date every month. Transactions coded correctly to the right job and category. BAS handled before you think about it. You open Xero and the numbers make sense. Your accountant can actually focus on strategy because the foundations are solid.
AFTER
You focus on running the business. The books are handled. 10–15 hours a week back in your pocket — and the financial side of your business is no longer the thing you're avoiding.
AFTER
Clean books create the foundation for everything else — accurate job costing, real cash flow visibility, and reports you can actually use to make decisions about your business.
The plumbing business doing their own books — until they couldn't anymore
THE SITUATION
A plumbing business owner had been doing his own books since he started. Small business, manageable — he could stay on top of it. But as the business grew, so did the complexity. More subbies, more jobs running at once, more supplier invoices every week. The books started slipping.
By the time he came to us, he was three months behind, BAS was overdue, and he had no idea which jobs were actually making money.
WHAT WE DID
We started with a clean-up — three months of transactions processed, coded correctly, and reconciled. Xero was restructured with the
right tracking categories for his job types. Hubdoc was set up so supplier invoices stopped getting lost. BAS was lodged, super was reconciled,
and a proper month-end process was put in place so it never fell behind again. Within 60 days, his books were current and his Xero actually reflected how his business was running.
THE RESULT
"I honestly don't know how I managed without them. It's taken a massive load off my plate and let me focus on running the business."
— Thomas Masters, Plumbing business owner
FAQs
Do I need to be on Xero already?
No — if you're not on Xero yet, we'll set it up for you properly from the start. If you're already using Xero, we'll review your current setup and restructure anything that isn't working for a trades business before we take it over. Either way, you'll end up with a Xero file that's actually built for how your business operates.
My books are a mess. Is that a problem?
No — it's one of the most common situations we step into. We do a proper clean-up before we begin ongoing bookkeeping, so we're building on solid ground, not perpetuating the mess. We'll let you know upfront what's involved and how long it will take.
How much involvement is needed from me?
Minimal — that's the point. You'll need to provide access to your accounts and share documents via Hubdoc, but the day-to-day processing is handled entirely by us. Most clients spend less than 30 minutes a week on anything finance-related once we're up and running.
What's the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper manages the day-to-day financial records — transactions, reconciliation, BAS, payroll. An accountant typically handles tax returns, financial statements, and strategic advice at year end. Good bookkeeping makes your accountant's job easier and cheaper — because they're not fixing your records before they can advise you.
Do you work with my accountant?
Yes — and it works best when we do. We keep the books accurate and current so your accountant has everything they need at year end. We're happy to liaise directly with your accountant and respond to any queries they have. The cleaner the books, the less time (and money) your accountant needs to spend.
Ready to get started?
Let's get your books
working properly.
Whether you're starting from scratch, switching from someone else, or digging out of a backlog — the first conversation is free, no-pressure, and focused entirely on what your business actually needs.
No commitment. Just clarity.
Financial clarity for builders & trades businesses.
Know where your money is actually going.
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