Frequently Asked Questions

We work with businesses at all stages, from early operations to more established companies. Our services are structured to meet each business where it currently is, providing the level of support needed today while allowing room to scale as the business grows. As complexity increases, our services can expand to match evolving needs without requiring a change in provider.

Every business is different, and we meet you where you are, whether you need reliable monthly bookkeeping, proactive tax planning, or a strategic financial partner to help you grow. What makes Summit different is the depth behind everything we do. With a CPA and CFP at the helm and years of experience spanning bookkeeping, business advisory, tax strategy, and personal wealth management, you're getting far more than someone recording transactions. You're working with someone who understands how your books, taxes, and personal financial goals connect. As your business evolves, we scale with you, and the advisory support is there whenever you need it. All services are offered at a fixed monthly price with no surprise fees.

Separating bookkeeping and advisory services from tax preparation allows each function to remain focused on its core responsibilities year-round. Bookkeeping and advisory teams can provide consistent attention and ongoing support, while tax professionals remain focused on compliance, filing deadlines, and estimated payments. When one firm handles both, senior advisors are often pulled away during tax season, limiting availability outside of tax work. Many firms also bundle these services and charge a premium for the combined offering, even though separating them often results in better service and more consistent support.

An ideal client values accurate financials, timely communication, and a structured approach to bookkeeping. They understand the importance of keeping records up to date and are willing to collaborate by providing information when needed. Most importantly, they see bookkeeping as a partnership that supports better decision-making, not just a compliance task.

No. Our agreements can be canceled at any time. Our goal is for clients to stay with us because our services continue to meet their needs, not because a contract requires it. If a client decides to move on, we work with them to make the transition as smooth and straightforward as possible.

Yes. Our services are billed at a fixed monthly fee, which includes reasonable access to calls, emails, and text messages. Clients can reach out with questions without worrying about being billed for every minute of communication.

If we have everything we need, financial statements are delivered by the 15th of the following month. If a client needs statements sooner, we’re happy to work with them to accommodate an earlier timeline when possible.

That’s very common. Before any work begins, we review how far your books are behind and provide a clear, upfront quote for the cleanup. Cleanup work is typically priced at approximately 80% of what it would have cost if the bookkeeping had been done in real time. Once everything is brought up to date, we transition you to monthly bookkeeping.

Cleanup timelines vary based on how far behind the books are, transaction volume, and the quality of available records. Most cleanup projects are completed within a few weeks, though more complex situations may take longer. After reviewing your books, we’ll provide a realistic timeline upfront so you know what to expect before any work begins.

Yes. We regularly work and partner with our clients’ CPAs and tax preparers to ensure financial information is accurate, complete, and delivered promptly. We coordinate as needed, provide requested reports, and help streamline the tax preparation process so everyone is working from the same information.

Yes. We work with startups at various stages, from newly formed businesses to those beginning to scale. Our services are structured to meet startups where they are, providing the level of bookkeeping and advisory support they need today while allowing services to grow as the business evolves.

That's something we'll walk through together on our intro call. We take the time to understand your business and where you are today before making any recommendations. Our goal is to place you in the level that actually fits your current needs, not push you into a higher tier just to increase fees.
And if things change? That's okay too. As your business grows or your needs shift, we can adjust your service level up or down. You'll never be locked into something that no longer makes sense for you. We view this as a long-term partnership, and that means making sure the structure works well for both sides at every stage

First, we request access to your QuickBooks Online account so we can review your records and accurately quote the service cost. Once you approve the pricing, we’ll send a service agreement for review and signature. After the agreement is signed, we’ll work with you to gather the remaining information needed to begin your bookkeeping and advisory work.

Strategic Bookkeeping delivers accurate financials, enhanced reporting, reviews, and insights to help business owners understand how their businesses are performing. It builds on monthly bookkeeping by adding structure, consistency, and visibility into the numbers.
CFO Advisory goes a step further and is more forward-looking. It focuses on financial strategy, forecasting, cash flow planning, and decision support, often tied to growth initiatives, hiring, capital needs, or long-term planning. CFO Advisory is typically more hands-on and tailored to the specific decisions a business is facing.

A fractional CFO provides high-level financial guidance on a part-time or as-needed basis, without the cost of a full-time CFO. This role focuses on helping business owners understand their financials, plan ahead, and make informed decisions around cash flow, growth, hiring, pricing, and capital needs.

We offer several tiers of fractional CFO services, so the level of support is tailored to where your business actually is. During our intro call, we'll walk through what each tier includes and figure out together what makes the most sense for you. Fractional CFO support is most valuable for businesses that need strategic financial insight but are not ready for, or do not need, a full-time executive. Our goal is to ensure you get exactly the right level of support.

Clean, accurate bookkeeping is one of the most effective ways to avoid overpaying taxes. When books are kept current, all eligible expenses are captured properly, and income is recorded once and correctly, reducing errors that can increase taxable income.

Separately, we offer tax planning as a standalone advisory service. Using your financial statements and prior-year tax returns, we help identify planning opportunities throughout the year and coordinate with your CPA or tax preparer so strategies can be implemented proactively rather than identified after year-end.