Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What kinds of clients do you serve?

We specialize in working with Creative Agencies with 5-45 employees. In addition, we do work with businesses and non-profit organizations in other industries.

Will you do my taxes?

Sure, if you want us to. However, the real value you get from us won’t be a tax return, but from strategic business planning and financial guidance.

How do I know if the services you provide will benefit my business or not?

Try our online business assessment to see if there are areas in your business accounting that could use some improvement. After you fill out the assessment, someone will be in touch to discuss options with you.

Outsourced Accounting & Bookkeeping

I do not have any in house accounting staff. Can you handle everything for me?

Yes!  We can be your entire accounting department if you’d like. All you will need in-house is a basic administrative function and we’ll do the rest.

What are the biggest challenges in making the switch to outsourced bookkeeping & accounting?

Trust and the ability to let us manage everything for you. We realize that takes some time and will do everything in our power to earn your trust through integrity and honesty in all situations. A willingness to have all accounting functions through cloud-based programs is also a big step.

What are the benefits to outsourcing accounting?

There are plenty of benefits to outsourced accounting, including:

  • Less risk of fraud
  • No risk of employee turnover
  • A team of financial professionals rather than just 1 or 2 siloed in-house people
  • No need to train us like an in-house person
  • Less time to onboard us compared to an in-house person
  • Easily scales up or down with your business
  • Industry expertise that may be hard to find if hiring in-house

Virtual CFO

I have an in-house bookkeeper but need a CFO. How does that work?

We work closely with your in-house accountant to be sure all bookkeeping and data entry are completed accurately so that virtual CFO work is meaningful. We’re a resource, not a boss for your internal person.

Working with Kauffman CPA Company

How long does onboarding take?

Generally, 2-4 weeks depending on the specific services that are selected. Of course, we ensure vital activities like sending out invoices, paying bills or running payroll are all completed on time even during the onboarding phase.

Who will I communicate with and how?

Every client has an assigned Outsourced CFO and Client Advocate on our team. You’ll communicate with them mostly via email and phone/zoom. We are also happy to plug into any communication tools you might use such as Slack.

How is my information kept safe?

We have a 3rd party IT Services firm who manages our data security needs and protection. We use a password management program, maintain a secure file sharing platform and utilize 2 step verifications wherever possible.

What safeguards are in place to protect against fraud?

The biggest is insurance. Unlike an in-house employee, if someone on the Kauffman team were to perpetuate a fraud against your business, it would be covered by our professional liability policy. Because we are a team, we also have redundancy that is often not possible with an in-house team (i.e., two team members assigned to each client).

What software programs do you work with?

Primarily QuickBooks Online. But we also work with some agency specific software programs and have a whole tech stack for other accounting functions. For instance, we use bill.com for bill pay services.