Slow close. The truth arrives too late to act.
You end up running the business in the dark.
Why controller-led beats basic bookkeeping
Bookkeepers record the past. A controller guarantees accuracy, explains what changed, and gives you the confidence to act on the numbers.
Talk to an expertThe problem with just bookkeeping
The problem with just bookkeeping
You get data, not decisions. No one owns accuracy, speed, or the story.

A controller leads your account from day one

A controller leads your account from day one
You get accuracy, speed, and answers without adding headcount.
Bookkeeper vs Controller: What's the difference?
Understand the scope of each role and the results you can expect.
| Bookkeeper | Accountant | Controller | CFO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary scope | Record and reconcile transactions | Apply GAAP rules and adjustments | Own accuracy, cadence, and controls | Set financial strategy and capital plan |
| Questions they answer | What happened and where did it go | How to treat revenue, accruals, and schedules | What changed, why it changed, what to fix | Where to invest, when to raise, how to maximize value |
| Typical outputs | Categorized entries, bank recs | Accruals, deferrals, schedules, adjusting entries | Signed close, variance analysis, cash discipline, policies | Capital plan, pricing and unit economics, board narrative |
| Time horizon | Past month | Past month to quarter | Month to quarter | Quarter to multi-year |
| Ownership in tools | Operates in QBO, bank feeds | Owns schedules and journals | Owns the close and reporting, sets controller rules | Directs finance stack, partners with CEO |
| Typical annual cost | 40K to 60K plus benefits | 70K to 110K plus benefits | 150K to 180k plus benefits | 250K+ plus equity |
| Hire when | You need reliable data entry | You run accruals, deferred revenue, inventory | You want numbers you can act on every month | You are raising or operating at real scale |
| Red flags if you rely on this alone | Variances unexplained, close drifts, miscoding accumulate | No cadence, schedules go stale, surprise adjustments at tax time | Numbers are late, lenders doubt them, decisions feel like guesses | Using a CFO to do month-end close work wastes money and time |
Most six to low-eight-figure companies do not need a CFO. They do need a controller.
Controller-led, plus a tax CPA, covers 95 percent of what most startups and growing businesses need.
Controller-led, plus a tax CPA, covers 95 percent of what most startups and growing businesses need.
Signals you have outgrown basic bookkeeping

Signals you have outgrown basic bookkeeping
- Close takes weeks and key decisions stall
- You keep finding mystery balances nobody can explain
- Lenders or partners ask for GAAP and you cannot produce it quickly
- Revenue recognition, prepaid, or multi-entity keeps breaking
- You want one place to ask “Can we afford this” and get a straight answer
We play nice with your team and partners
Talk to an expertController-signed close in 30 days
Three steps, zero downtime.
What we do
Your outcome
After onboarding, we deliver your plan’s close cadence and respond within the 2 to 4 hour SLA.
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