Neighbors

Our business address is in Birmingham on Highland Avenue.  All our clients are in the Birmingham.  We are not a virtual bookkeeping firm from out of state and will gladly work with you on-site at your place of business. 

Most online bookkeepers offering virtual bookkeeping services are just that—”virtual.” You still end up doing most of the work, inputting all of your information into a spreadsheet, double checking each number, and never quite knowing if you’ve done things properly.  At John Hollister, we do the work with you and even keep an eye out for ways that your business could save money at the same time. 

The convenience and efficiency of our cloud-based bookkeeping and business management solutions does not detract from our being accessible and present when a face-to-face meeting is optimal.  When we need to talk over coffee or celebrate your success after work, you'll be greeted with a handshake.

First and foremost, when we work on your books everything we see remains confidential.  In fact, at our very first meeting your John Hollister representative will review and sign our non-disclosure agreement.  From the beginning we will learn the key positive benefits your organization offers and be able to speak positively about your skills, talents and products.

The advantage to you of having an external bookkeeping resource is that you improve accounting control.   You reduce the chance of bookkeeping mistakes and  you offer employees a guide and reference resource.  You also reduce the chance for employee theft or embezzlement.  The key to stopping embezzlement is implementing a dual control system on accounting functions.

A dual control system requires the authorization or approval of two individuals to complete a transaction. It’s that simple. One individual should not be responsible for an entire financial transaction from beginning to finish. Many small companies fall into the trap of having one bookkeeper handle all accounts payable and accounts receivable and write, sign, and deliver the checks.  The dual control system puts a second set of eyes on transactions, greatly lessening the risk of embezzlement.

By being able to share your books in real time with a cloud based system as well as being able to physically inspect records at your office, we provide two ways of improving your confidence that your finances are professionally managed.