Outsourced controller services
Somebody has to own whether the numbers are right.
Right now that person is probably you, at night, in a spreadsheet. Controller-level oversight without a controller-level salary.
The problem
The books get kept. Nobody is accountable for what they say.
Month-end closes three weeks late, or never really closes at all. The chart of accounts grew by accretion and nothing rolls up cleanly. Revenue gets recognized whenever the invoice went out. Job costs land in the wrong period. You have a number for gross margin and no confidence in it.
This is the gap between bookkeeping and finance leadership. A full-time controller in this market runs well into six figures with benefits, which is real money for a business doing a few million in revenue. So the role goes unfilled and the owner absorbs it.
Why it matters
Unreliable numbers cost more than they appear to.
You cannot price work correctly if job costing is wrong. You cannot tell a good customer from a bad one if overhead is allocated by habit. You cannot borrow on decent terms if a lender has to take your word for the earnings. And you cannot delegate any financial decision, because nobody else can be sure the inputs are sound.
Reliable reporting is not an accounting nicety. It is the precondition for every other decision in the business.
Tablerock is led by Ben Wright, CPA, with controller and accounting support assembled around each client's needs. The analysis and the reliable books underneath it come from the same place, rather than findings handed to a bookkeeper in the hope they get implemented.
Tablerock pairs CFO-level advisory with hands-on controller and accounting capacity, so the analysis and the reliable books underneath it come from the same place. You are not handing findings to a bookkeeper and hoping they get implemented.
What the engagement includes
- A defined monthly close calendar with an actual close date
- Chart of accounts restructured so the reports roll up the way the business runs
- Revenue recognition and billing accuracy controls
- Job, project, or service-line costing that ties to the general ledger
- Balance sheet reconciliations and review of the entries that matter
- Management financial reporting built for decisions, not compliance
- Internal controls review, including segregation of duties and cash handling
- Oversight of and escalation support for your existing bookkeeper
Who this is for
- Owner-operated businesses roughly between $1M and $10M in revenue
- Companies whose bookkeeping is adequate but whose reporting is not
- Businesses that need controller capability but cannot justify the salary
- Owners who are personally the last line of review on the financials
Common questions
Before you book.
How is a controller different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records transactions. A controller is accountable for whether the resulting financials are accurate, timely, and structured so they can be used for decisions. Different job, different level.
Do I have to replace my bookkeeper?
No, and usually you should not. The controller layer sits above bookkeeping and makes it more effective. In most engagements your bookkeeper keeps doing what they do and gains someone to escalate to.
Is this the same as fractional CFO work?
Some firms describe this as fractional or outsourced CFO support. Tablerock combines strategic financial guidance with the accounting and controller support needed to produce reliable information in the first place. Controller work is the reliability half; CFO work is the decision half. Most businesses need some of both.
Do you do bookkeeping or tax returns?
Bookkeeping can be part of an engagement. Tablerock can work with your existing bookkeeper or provide and manage the accounting support required for an accurate monthly close, depending on what the business needs. Tablerock does not prepare tax returns. Tablerock coordinates with your existing tax CPA, or introduces one when you need a referral. Tax preparation is contracted separately.
Next step
Get someone accountable for the numbers.
A short conversation about how your close runs today and what it would take to fix it.