Bookkeeping business offers 'peace of mind'

A new bookkeeping company has opened in Thompson Falls catering to small businesses, with a focus on nonprofit organizations. Owner Kayla Mosher officially launched Elk Ridge Bookkeeping Services the first of the year. Utilizing QuickBooks Online to handle financial aspects of her client's small businesses and nonprofits, Mosher says the versatility of being able to work online allows her to help anyone, anytime. "Pretty much everyone needs some form of bookkeeping," Mosher said. "For smaller business owners, it's a huge peace of mind to know how your finances are doing. With having a bookkeeper, you will have everything done right."

Searching for a way to stay home with her two children and still have a career, Mosher decided running a bookkeeping business from her home was the perfect fit. Coordinating transactions many business owners may struggle with turned into an enjoyable job for Mosher. "I've always excelled at math and I enjoy organizing," Mosher said of the reason why she chose bookkeeping as a new career path. Taking an online training course, Mosher was able to learn at her own pace becoming certified as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. While Mosher can travel to a client's office, she prefers to work from home. "It's just easier for both of us," she said. "I can do almost everything through email and with QuickBooks Online, we both have constant access to the books."

A common myth Mosher comes up against, she says, is a lot of small-business owners believe a bookkeeper is only a necessity for larger businesses. "It's always good to have an idea of what your income is," Mosher said. "Having an organized way of keeping track of your month-to-month expenses saves a lot of time when it comes to tax season." Mosher says another benefit of having the books up to date and organized is when a bank becomes involved and an owner needs to show proof of income, or when someone is dealing with an audit.

Elk Ridge offers several services which allow small business and nonprofits a way to save time and money, including account reconciliation and payroll. Whether a business is just starting out or an owner needs a major overhaul done on their books, Mosher can do it all. "I can come in, take charge and do everything for them, or we can start from scratch," she stated. Mosher says she also offers several other additional services in order to find what works best for each individual. "I offer QuickBooks training and set up if someone wants to do the books themselves," she said. Pricing is based on each individual and is customized based on what the needs of the business are.

While Mosher does work with several small businesses in the area, her passion is to work with nonprofits. "Bookkeeping is even more complicated for nonprofits, so it's definitely more needed," she said. "It's extremely important to have their books in order, and it's usually too much for a director to take on." Mosher continued, "99% of nonprofits are set up to help people and that's what I love that their main goal is to help."

Mosher is still in the process of building up her business and is currently taking on new clientele. An online scheduler through her website, elkridgebooks.com, allows potential clients to easily set up a consultation to see if her services are the right fit for them.