About Cloud Accounting Services

Meet Christopher

I’m Christopher Nelson and I manage Cloud Ledger, an online accounting service. I work in North Idaho, but I’m often no where near the people that I work with. I provide financial services for small business throughout the United States.

I have always been enamored with the idea of entrepreneurship and building something successful. Being close to the heart of a business really interested me so accounting was a good fit. It wasn’t spreadsheets and tax forms that attracted me to this career, it was the opportunity to understand what makes a business tick.

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A Day In The Life

I think a common misconception people often have about my work is assuming that I spend long days in front of spreadsheets. In reality, I spend much more time establishing and maintaining relationships. I am speaking with clients whenever they need me. We are always working together to solve problems as a team.

Another big part of my day is analysis. Just looking at the bigger picture. Often times, when a business owner looks at their financials, they only see the surface. They made money, they have money, etc. It’s my job to see deep inside the machine of their business and figure out what is really happening. My focus is making sure I can offer solid financial data for the business and empowering the users of that data to make the right decisions to maintain a healthy company.

Catering To You

As far as work hours go, there are no average work hours here. My philosophy places the importance of getting the work that the client needs to get done, done. It’s not about showing up at the office on weekdays from nine to five for me. I think that my work hours rely on communicating with clients and keeping them apprised of what they need to know during the hours that are right for them.

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FAQ's

Q. Do you work with QuickBooks?

A : Yes. I work almost exclusively with QuickBooks Online for all bookkeeping projects. I have reviewed several online platforms but have yet to meet a client requesting that I service anything besides QuickBooks. That being said, I do not work with QuickBooks Desktop. The process of file swapping, on-site service, or remote desktop servers, were too difficult and/or a security risk compared to opening a web browser from my home office.

Q. Are you an Accountant?

A : Officially speaking, I am a bookkeeper and a tax preparer. The term "accountant", is often reserved for credentialed CPA's which I am not. What is the difference, you may ask. I am qualified to collect and organize numerical data as well as prepare that data in accordance with the IRS code. I am not qualified to offer business advice.

Q. What do you need to get started?

A : I need the data. All of it. This is best achieved by providing read-only, or "Accountant Access" to all of the data sources. The first three are usually, the bank accounts, credit accounts, and QuickBooks Online account. Everything else is unique to each client's situation. If you don't have a QuickBooks Online account, I can set one up for you.

What locations do you serve?

A : I am only familiar with US tax laws, and US accounting principles. I rarely work outside of the US for this reason. I am willing to help anyone who asks, if it makes sense and I'm capable of doing so.

Q. How do I know my info is safe?

A : I have spent several years developing a work flow around confidentiality and security. Every current and former client's info is private and protected. The privileged data I handle belongs to the client and will only be used for the purposes of serving the client with bookkeeping and/or tax prep services. Every step of my process is backed up with multiple layers of security. I wish I could list the redundant layers I have implemented but it's a secret.

Q. How much will it cost?

A : Unfortunately, I have no idea. I can promise you that I will only bill you conservatively and only for productive time. Full-year bookkeeping projects typically run between $400 and $2,800 which is 1 to 7 working days at $50.00 per hour.

Q. Can I schedule a consultation?

A : Absolutely! Please click the schedule link at the top or bottom of this page to select a 1-hour window. You can ask all the questions you need. The first hour is always free.