Texas bookkeepers – what are you charging per month?

What Are Texas Bookkeepers Charging Per Month?

I’m currently assessing whether I’m undercharging a client. My business is based in South Florida, but my client operates out of Texas.

I charge $2,500 per month, which covers operations, administration, full-charge Bookkeeping, and several weekly meetings. Altogether, this amounts to approximately 12-14 hours of work per week. If I focus solely on the financial aspects, the time commitment is around 5-8 hours weekly.

With the arrival of a new COO, there’s a possibility they might want to renegotiate my rate.

Here’s a snapshot of what I manage:

  • 5 bank accounts
  • 1 credit card
  • 2 lines of credit
  • PayPal account
  • Bank transfers
  • Year-end tax preparation
  • Monthly reconciliations
  • Monthly, weekly, quarterly, and annual reports
  • Bill payments
  • Invoicing for approximately 12 clients
  • Employee onboarding
  • Two 30-minute finance meetings every week
  • Quarterly and monthly meetings on an hourly basis
  • Monthly payroll for 5, soon to be 6, employees
  • Miscellaneous financial tasks, such as researching unusual expenses

I’m contemplating raising my rate to $75 per hour, but I’m firm that the current workload cannot be sustained at a reduced rate or on an hourly basis.

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One response

  1. Determining fair compensation as a bookkeeper involves considering the range of tasks performed, the hours worked, regional pricing norms, and the value you provide to your client. Based on the details you’ve shared, let’s break down and analyze your current situation:

    Current Compensation and Responsibilities

    • Monthly Fee: $2,500
    • Categories of Work:
    • Operations + Administration
    • Full Charge Bookkeeping
    • Meetings (Multiple Weekly)
    • Estimated Hours:
    • 12-14 hours per week for the complete package
    • 5-8 hours per week for just finance tasks

    Responsibilities Managed

    Your responsibilities as described suggest a wide range of duties:

    • Management of financial accounts, including:
    • 5 Bank Accounts
    • 1 Credit Card
    • 2 Lines of Credit
    • PayPal Account
    • Financial operations:
    • Monthly reconciliations
    • End-of-year tax preparation
    • Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports
    • Administrative tasks:
    • Bill pay and invoicing for approximately 12 clients
    • Employee onboarding
    • Payroll management for 5 (soon to be 6) employees monthly
    • Frequent meetings:
    • Two 30-minute finance meetings per week
    • Quarterly and monthly meetings
    • Additional tasks:
    • Researching unusual expenses

    Market Considerations

    Before deciding whether to adjust your rates, consider the following factors:

    1. Regional Norms: Though your client is in Texas, your presence in South Florida might affect your pricing due to cost of living differences. Typically, bookkeepers in metropolitan and high-cost areas charge more.

    2. Scope of Work: The breadth of your duties goes beyond typical Bookkeeping, indicating more of a managerial or CFO-lite role, especially when considering admin and ops involvement.

    3. Industry Standards: Bookkeepers in the U.S. on average charge anywhere from $30 to $60 per hour, but this can escalate to $75+ for complex tasks, additional responsibilities, or more specialized financial management roles.

    Financial Analysis

    You mentioned wanting to charge $75 per hour. Let’s analyze your potential earnings based on your weekly hours:

    • Comprehensive Role (12-14 hours/week):
    • 12 hours/week x $75/hour x 4 weeks = $3,600/month
    • 14 hours/week

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