Controller Works

What Controller Works does

Controller Works is a privately held, founder-owned virtual outsourced accounting firm headquartered in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida and serving clients across the United States. Founded by Mariana Alvarez — a Brazilian-born accountant with an MS in Accounting — the firm provides bookkeeping, controllership, payroll, tax preparation, business advisory, internal controls, and fractional CFO services to family-owned businesses, construction and trade firms, and growing service companies. Its core customer segments are SMB and family-owned businesses with $0–$10M+ in annual revenue, with named testimonial customers including Thais Dos Santos, Lauryn Stone, Suzanne Doty, George Soliman, and Cecylenya Alves.

The firm operates on a flat-fee monthly subscription model with three primary tiers: Essentials Bookkeeping at $500/month (for $0–$750K revenue businesses), Growth Bookkeeping at $1,250/month ($750K–$3M revenue), and Controllership starting at $2,000/month ($3M+ revenue clients). Payroll starts at $100/month plus $10/employee, and tax preparation is priced from $350 for individuals to $1,400 for bundled business+personal returns, with IRS Enrolled Agent representation included. All plans are flat-fee with no long-term contracts, customized by transaction volume and complexity.

The technology stack is built on QuickBooks Online as the primary ledger, with the team holding ProAdvisor and QuickBooks Online Advanced ProAdvisor certifications. Gusto serves as the preferred payroll platform; Financial Cents provides the secure client portal for document exchange; and construction clients are supported through integrations with Buildertrend, JobTread, CoConstruct, Jobber, and Knowify. Additional supported accounting platforms include Xero, Zoho Books, and FreshBooks. The 10-person team is distributed across Tampa Bay FL, Asheville NC, Houston TX, and Jay FL, enabling fully remote service delivery across the US without a centralized office footprint.

Name

Controller Works

Legal name

Controller Works

Website

https://controllerworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Controller Works is a virtual outsourced accounting firm providing bookkeeping, controllership, payroll, tax preparation, and business advisory services to family-owned, construction, and service SMBs across the United States on a flat-fee monthly subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outsourced Accounting Services

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Payroll Services (541214)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

Keywords

• Outsourced bookkeeping services
• Virtual controllership services
• Small business accounting
• Construction industry accounting
• Payroll processing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Retainer - Bookkeeping Services: Flat-fee monthly subscription for ongoing bookkeeping, reconciliation, and financial reporting. Two tiers: Essentials ($500/month for businesses $0-$750K revenue) and Growth ($1,250/month for $750K-$3M revenue). Includes quarterly or monthly check-ins, financial reports, and optional add-ons.
2. Monthly Retainer - Controllership Services: Virtual controller services at $2,000/month starting price for businesses with $3M+ annual revenue. Includes weekly bookkeeping reviews, custom KPI dashboards, strategic check-ins, cash flow forecasting, full-service payroll, AP/AR management, and multi-state tax filings.
3. Payroll Processing: Monthly fee starting at $100/month plus $10/month per additional employee. Includes platform setup, compliance support, payroll processing, direct deposits, and benefits management through Gusto or preferred platform.
4. Tax Preparation Services: One-time and recurring tax return preparation. Individual returns from $350, business returns from $1,000, bundled business+personal from $1,400. Includes IRS Enrolled Agent representation. Pricing varies by complexity, number of states, and form count.
5. Add-On Services: Flat-fee add-ons including payroll processing, sales tax filings, AP management, AR tracking, e-commerce integration, extra state tax filing support ($75/mo each), and payroll management for larger teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Controller Works is a virtual outsourced accounting firm delivering monthly bookkeeping, controllership, payroll, tax preparation, business advisory, and internal controls services to small and mid-sized U.S. businesses, with specialized offerings for family-owned and construction/trade companies. Services are sold primarily as flat-fee monthly subscriptions built on QuickBooks Online, Gusto, and Financial Cents, with deliverables ranging from transaction reconciliation and monthly P&L reports to weekly virtual controller oversight, custom KPI dashboards, multi-state tax filings, and IRS Enrolled Agent representation.

Product overview

Controller Works is an outsourced accounting firm (not a software product company) offering a suite of professional accounting and financial services to family-owned, growing, and construction/trade businesses. The core portfolio consists of five integrated service tiers: (1) Bookkeeping Services — delivered via the Essentials ($500/month) and Growth ($1,250/month) plans covering transaction recording, reconciliation, and reporting; (2) Controllership Services — a $2,000/month virtual controller package providing weekly financial oversight, KPI dashboards, and forecasting for businesses with $3M–$10M+ revenue; (3) Payroll Services — platform setup and ongoing processing starting at $100/month, with Gusto as the preferred platform; (4) Business Advisory Services — strategic planning, KPI development, cash flow management, and M&A advisory; and (5) Internal Controls & SOP Development — workflow design, segregation of duties, and compliance system setup. Additional services include Tax Preparation (EA-led, covering business and personal returns) and Construction & Trade Accounting (job costing, subcontractor oversight, and Buildertrend/JobTread integration). Add-on services such as multi-state tax filings, extra payroll employees, and e-commerce integration are available. The Fractional CFO offering provides part-time senior financial leadership as an add-on to the core packages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Essentials Bookkeeping Plan Entry-level monthly bookkeeping package covering up to 3 bank/credit card accounts, transaction categorization, loan tracking, monthly P&L and Balance Sheet reports, quarterly accountant check-ins, and cash-based accounting for businesses with $0-$750K revenue, starting at $500/month.
• Growth Bookkeeping Plan Mid-tier monthly bookkeeping package including everything in Essentials plus accrual-based adjustments, journal entries, monthly accountant check-ins, insight-driven financial reporting, payroll support, sales tax tracking, and reconciliation of up to 6 bank/credit card accounts, starting at $1,250/month for businesses with $750K-$3M revenue.
• Controllership Services Virtual controllership package for businesses with $3M-$10M+ annual revenue, offering weekly bookkeeping reviews across 6+ accounts, custom KPI dashboards, monthly or biweekly strategy check-ins, budgeting and cash flow forecasting, full-service payroll, multi-state sales tax filings, AP/AR management, and revenue/margin reporting, starting at $2,000/month.
• Payroll Services Full-service payroll management including platform evaluation and recommendation (Gusto preferred), system setup, automated onboarding, time tracking, compliance surveys, direct deposits, benefits and withholdings, and full tax and labor law compliance support, starting at $100/month plus $10/month per additional employee.
• Business Advisory Services Strategic advisory service covering financial planning, KPI development, internal control evaluations, cash flow and budget management, software and system assessments, segregation of duties, M&A due diligence, and turnaround/restructuring support for growth-stage, scaling, and distressed companies.
• Internal Controls & SOP Development Internal control and standard operating procedure development service that includes financial and operational SOP creation, approval workflow design, segregation of duties implementation, compliance checks, process mapping, risk assessment, policy development, team training, and ongoing monitoring for scalable business operations.
• Tax Preparation Services IRS Enrolled Agent-led tax preparation for businesses and individuals, covering federal and state returns (1065, 1120, 1120-S, Schedule C, 1040), K-1s, multi-state filings, asset depreciation, secure electronic filing, and IRS representation for audits, payment plans, and back-tax resolution, starting at $350 for individuals and $1,000 for businesses.
• Construction & Trade Accounting Services Specialized accounting package for construction firms, general contractors, residential/commercial builders, and trade businesses (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping), offering job costing and project tracking, subcontractor oversight (W-9s, 1099s), cash flow forecasting, progress billing, budget variance analysis, and integration with Buildertrend and JobTread job management platforms.
• Fractional CFO Services Part-time virtual CFO engagement providing professional financial management, strategic guidance, and leadership integration for businesses that need senior financial oversight without the cost of a full-time hire.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves clients 30-40% compared to in-house accounting teams
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• QuickBooks OnlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary accounting software platform used across all service lines. The team holds QuickBooks ProAdvisor and QuickBooks Online Advanced ProAdvisor certifications. QuickBooks serves as the core ledger for bookkeeping, controllership, and financial reporting services delivered to clients.
• GustocoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred payroll platform for client payroll processing, people management, automated onboarding, time tracking, compliance surveys, and employee self-service features. Recommended in payroll service descriptions and included in Controllership packages.
• BuildertrendsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationJob management system integration for construction clients. Services include reconciling job costs between Buildertrend and QuickBooks, cleanup of duplicate or mis-coded entries, tracking actual vs. estimated costs and margins per job, and real-time sync of project updates with the accountant.
• JobTreadsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationJob management system integration for construction clients. Includes linking cost codes and categories across systems, ensuring vendor and subcontractor payments are tracked properly, custom reporting for cash flow and profit per project, and collaboration with JobTread onboarding team.
• Financial CentscoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure client portal used for document sharing and communication with clients. All financial documents are shared exclusively through this secure platform. Clients access the portal at app.financial-cents.com/client-portal/login.
• XerosecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCloud accounting software alternative used for client bookkeeping. Mentioned alongside QuickBooks and FreshBooks as a technology tool the firm works with for remote and online bookkeeping services.
• Zoho BookssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCloud accounting software alternative used for client bookkeeping. Listed alongside QuickBooks and FreshBooks as a technology tool for secure, accurate bookkeeping and real-time financial visibility.
• FreshBookssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCloud accounting software used for client bookkeeping. Mentioned as part of the trusted software stack alongside QuickBooks, Xero, and Zoho Books for remote bookkeeping services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Belay: Belay provides virtual bookkeeping, accounting, and CFO support to SMBs and nonprofit organizations across the U.S. — overlapping with Controller Works on the controllership and fractional-CFO portions of the service catalog, and serving as a comparable SMB-bookkeeping peer.

Direct peers

• Ignite Spot: Ignite Spot is a U.S.-based outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services firm serving SMBs with monthly plans — directly comparable to Controller Works in target customer and flat-fee recurring model.
• Bench Accounting: Bench is a subscription-based outsourced bookkeeping service for SMBs, combining dedicated bookkeepers with proprietary software on top of QuickBooks — the closest direct competitor to Controller Works' recurring monthly bookkeeping tier.
• Botkeeper: Botkeeper combines AI-driven bookkeeping software with human accountants for SMB recurring bookkeeping — comparable to Controller Works in offering recurring monthly bookkeeping and a hybrid tech-plus-accountant delivery model.
• Pilot: Pilot provides outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, and CFO services primarily to startups and SMBs via a tech-enabled platform — directly comparable in service model, recurring pricing, and target customer to Controller Works' Growth and Controllership tiers.
• Bookkeeper360: Bookkeeper360 offers subscription-based bookkeeping, payroll, and advisory to SMBs integrated with Xero and QuickBooks — a direct competitor in tiered monthly bookkeeping and controller-style services.

Broad incumbents

• 1-800Accountant: 1-800Accountant is a large virtual accounting and tax services firm serving SMBs across the U.S. — overlapping with Controller Works across bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and advisory for the same small business segment but at significantly greater scale and national brand presence.
• KPMG Spark: KPMG Spark is a virtual bookkeeping and tax service from Big Four parent KPMG, targeting SMBs and startups — overlapping with Controller Works on subscription bookkeeping, tax, and CFO-style advisory but backed by a global incumbent brand.

Emerging players

• Foundrry / Foundrry Books: Foundrry Books provides virtual bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses, including family-owned and construction-adjacent clients — partially overlapping with Controller Works' SMB and construction vertical focus.
• Xendoo: Xendoo provides subscription bookkeeping, accounting, and tax services for SMBs and small businesses with a tech-enabled platform — comparable in service packaging to Controller Works' bookkeeping and tax offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100091949612677
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/controller-works
• Instagraminstagram.com/controllerworks2023

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Controller Works