Steph's Bookkeeping Service

What Steph's Bookkeeping Service does

Steph's Bookkeeping Service (DBA: Steph's Books; legal entity: Steph's Books LLC) is a privately held, founder-owned remote bookkeeping firm founded around 1999 by Stephanie Conley and headquartered in McHenry, Illinois. The firm delivers outsourced bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, payroll processing, accounts receivable/payable management, tax preparation, catch-up bookkeeping, and QuickBooks training to small and mid-sized businesses, with a stated primary target of professional services firms generating $1MM-$10MM in annual revenue. Service is delivered remotely through QuickBooks Online.

The company's core technology stack is QuickBooks Online, on which the founder holds a Certified ProAdvisor credential, supplemented by integrations with AppFolio, Gusto, Clio, ADP, Paychex, Yardi, A2X, FreshBooks, Wave, TriNet, xTuple, and Priority ERP. Differentiated service components include industry-specific chart of accounts templates (for law firms, property management, construction, and professional services), multi-entity and location tracking configurations, and a recurring monthly close delivered by the 7th of the following month versus an industry standard of the 15th-20th. The firm operates with a lean team of approximately five (Stephanie, Valerie, Grace, Melanie, Christina), each assigned defined industry verticals.

The business model combines recurring monthly retainer subscriptions (starting at $350/month, typically $625-$1,500/month for professional services firms) with one-time project revenue from catch-up bookkeeping and tax preparation (personal returns from $150, business from $250), unit-priced QuickBooks training ($75/class), and a white label channel in which CPA firms resell the firm's services under their own brand at $200-$400/month margin per client. Lead generation runs through 19+ SEO-optimized Chicago metro service pages, a referral partner network, paid Meta advertising, and direct sales with a 60-second online quote tool. The firm claims to serve 300+ clients and positions its offering at 40-60% cost savings versus in-house bookkeeping.

Name

Steph's Bookkeeping Service

Legal name

Steph's Books LLC

Website

https://stephsbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steph's Bookkeeping Service is a privately held, founder-owned remote bookkeeping firm in McHenry, Illinois, delivering outsourced bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and QuickBooks training to 300+ small and mid-sized businesses, primarily professional services firms with $1MM-$10MM in revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outsourced Bookkeeping & Accounting Services

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Office Administrative Services (56111)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Payroll Processing (BPACAIAA), Managed Payroll Services (Full-Service Payroll Outsourcing) (BPAAAHAA), Employer Payroll Processing (SMB & Enterprise) (FSAMAKAA)

Keywords

• Outsourced bookkeeping services
• Small business accounting
• Payroll processing services
• QuickBooks online bookkeeping
• Catch-up bookkeeping services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mchenry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Retainer / Subscription Bookkeeping Services: Recurring monthly retainer model providing outsourced bookkeeping services. Packages start at $350/month and are customized based on business size, industry, and transaction volume. Typical professional services firms pay $625-$1,500/month. Includes monthly reconciliation, financial statements, AR/AP management, and payroll integration.
2. Tax Preparation Services: One-time tax preparation services bundled with bookkeeping packages. Personal tax returns from $150; business returns from $250. Year-end tax packages delivered to client's CPA.
3. QuickBooks Training: Instructor-led QuickBooks training sessions at $75 per class, with multi-class discounts (10% off 2 classes, 15% off 3 classes, 25% off 4+). Same-day registration available for an additional $10. One-on-one personalized training sessions also offered.
4. Catch-Up Bookkeeping: One-time project to bring books current for businesses that are months or years behind. Completed in 2-6 weeks, then transitioned to ongoing monthly service.
5. White Label / Reseller Bookkeeping for CPA Firms: CPA firms offer Steph's Books' services under their own brand. CPA sells bookkeeping to clients and Steph's Books delivers. Generates $200-$400/month margin per client for CPA firms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Steph's Bookkeeping Service provides outsourced monthly bookkeeping, bank and credit card reconciliation, payroll processing, accounts receivable/payable management, tax preparation support, catch-up bookkeeping, and QuickBooks Online training for small businesses and professional services firms. Services are delivered remotely via cloud-based accounting platforms (primarily QuickBooks Online) from the company's McHenry, Illinois headquarters, with packages starting at $350/month.

Product overview

Steph's Bookkeeping Service offers outsourced bookkeeping as a unified service for professional services firms with $1MM-$10MM revenue. The core offering comprises six integrated service modules: Bookkeeping (monthly reconciliation and financial statements), Bank Reconciliation, Payroll Processing, Tax Preparation, Catch-Up Bookkeeping (for businesses behind 2+ months), and AR/AP Management. Add-on services include QuickBooks Training (certified ProAdvisor sessions) and industry-specific resource hubs. The company also operates partner programs including White Label Bookkeeping for CPA firms, Financial Advisors Partner Program, Business Attorneys Partner Program, and a Referral Partner Program — enabling accountants, advisors, and attorneys to offer branded bookkeeping services to their clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bookkeeping Services Monthly bookkeeping with transaction classification, reconciliation, and financial statement delivery (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) by the 7th of the following month for small businesses and professional services firms.
• Bank Reconciliation Monthly reconciliation of all bank and credit card accounts with discrepancy detection and resolution.
• Payroll Services Payroll processing including tax filings, direct deposit, and year-end W-2 issuance integrated with client bookkeeping.
• Tax Preparation Personal tax returns from $150 and business returns from $250, plus year-end tax-ready packages delivered to client CPAs.
• Catch-Up Bookkeeping One-time project to bring months or years of delinquent books current, typically completed in 2-6 weeks, with transition to ongoing monthly service.
• AR/AP Services Professional invoicing, payment tracking, bill entry, and vendor payment management to maintain cash flow.
• QuickBooks Training Instructor-led QuickBooks training at $75 per class with multi-class discounts, plus personalized one-on-one training, delivered by a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor.
• White Label Bookkeeping for CPA Firms Bookkeeping delivered under CPA firm branding with transaction coding, reconciliation, AP/AR, payroll, and financial statements; CPA firms earn $200-$400/month margin per client.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-60% cost savings vs. hiring in-house ($4,000-$6,000+/month in-house vs. $350-$2,500/month outsourced)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QuickBooks Online (Intuit)coreTechnology or IntegrationQuickBooks Online is the primary accounting platform used for all client bookkeeping services. Steph's Books is a QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor with deep expertise in QuickBooks configuration, migration, and management. The company connects to client QuickBooks accounts, handles cloud-based bookkeeping, and offers QuickBooks training as a standalone service.
• CPA Firms (White Label Program)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCPA firms white-label Steph's Books' bookkeeping services under their own brand. CPA firms retain clients, earn $200-$400/month margin per client, and deliver books under their brand. Steph's Books provides all service delivery including transaction coding, reconciliation, AP/AR, payroll, and financial statements. CPA firms review finished work and add advisory insights.
• CPA Firms (General Referral)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCPA firms refer clients to Steph's Books for bookkeeping services and receive referrals back. Company prepares year-end tax packages for client CPAs.
• Financial AdvisorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial advisors partner with Steph's Books for clean, timely financials to support client financial planning. Monthly reports delivered on schedule. Strategic partnership for delivering client bookkeeping services.
• Business AttorneysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness attorneys refer clients to Steph's Books for bookkeeping during entity formation, transactions, and ongoing compliance. Clean financials delivered when clients need them most.
• Referral Partners (Consultants, Coaches, Insurance Agents, Real Estate Professionals, Marketing Agencies, IT Providers, HR Consultants, Bankers)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessionals who work with small business owners refer clients to Steph's Books. Simple referral process with no paperwork or commitments. Partners include business consultants, coaches, insurance agents and brokers, real estate professionals, marketing agencies, IT service providers, HR consultants and PEOs, and bankers and loan officers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Botkeeper: AI-assisted bookkeeping service combining automated transaction processing with human bookkeepers for SMB clients. Comparable subscription-based model and SMB target market, with technology-led differentiation that competes with Steph's Books' manual service.

Direct peers

• Bench (now part of Elsewhere Partners): Tech-enabled outsourced bookkeeping service targeting SMBs with monthly financial statements. Directly comparable subscription model ($249+/mo), though Bench operates at much larger scale with proprietary software vs. Steph's Books' QuickBooks-led delivery.
• Pilot.com: Outsourced bookkeeping, CFO, and tax services primarily for startups and SMBs with recurring monthly subscriptions. Comparable business model with higher price points and technology-enabled delivery; Steph's Books competes in the same SMB outsourced-bookkeeping category.
• Ignite Spot Accounting Services: Outsourced bookkeeping, payroll, and CFO services for SMBs across the U.S. Comparable subscription model, multi-industry coverage, and remote delivery — competing directly with Steph's Books for the same professional services and small business clients.
• Bookkeeper360: Outsourced bookkeeping, CFO advisory, and tax services for SMBs, with strong Xero/QuickBooks expertise and a partner program for CPA firms. Comparable subscription model, Xero/QuickBooks platform expertise, and CPA white-label partnership structure.
• AccountingDepartment.com: Outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services for small to mid-sized businesses across multiple industries. Closely comparable service suite including catch-up bookkeeping, monthly closes, and AR/AP — competing with Steph's Books in the same SMB segment.
• Merritt Bookkeeping: Subscription-based bookkeeping service targeting SMBs with low-touch monthly delivery. Direct competitor in the price-sensitive end of the SMB outsourced-bookkeeping market where Steph's Books also competes ($300+/mo entry point).

Broad incumbents

• 1-800Accountant: National accounting and bookkeeping services firm serving SMBs with a broader portfolio that includes tax, advisory, and bookkeeping. Larger scale and broader service catalog than Steph's Books; overlaps in outsourced bookkeeping for SMBs.
• KPMG Spark: Big Four-affiliated online bookkeeping service for SMBs and startups. Comparable QuickBooks-led delivery and subscription model, with a larger institutional brand competing for the same professional services and SMB clients.

Regional players

• Kruze Consulting: Bookkeeping, CFO, and tax services primarily for venture-backed startups. Comparable subscription model but Steph's Books focuses on professional services and SMBs while Kruze focuses on startups; both compete for outsourced finance operations clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stephsllc
• Facebookfacebook.com/stephsbooks.sbs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stephs-bookkeeping-service

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Steph's Bookkeeping Service