An expense is the cost incurred or amount spent in an organization’s operations to generate revenue. Expenses are the amount of money paid to purchase goods or services by an organization. An expense can be categorized into two major classifications: direct and indirect.
Direct Expense
Direct expense refers to the company’s cost for its core operations. These expenses are related to the purchase of goods for the company. For example, a freelance writer may buy utensils for their writing purpose, or an executive may buy freight for their organization – these are direct expenses.
Direct expenses can be deductible, according to the IRS. However, it must be proven that these expenses generate revenue for the company. Another term for this is direct cost.
Indirect Expense
Indirect expenses are all other expenses that are required to run an organization. The indirect expenses include bills, rent, insurance, office supplies, and legal charges. An Indirect expense is not related to the business operations of the company. However, they are as important as direct expenses to run an organization.
Indirect expenses can vary for different companies. These expenses appear on the debit side of the IRS, which means they are non-deductible. Personal and indirect expenses are not considered IRS deductible.
Tracking Your Expenses
How do I maintain a monthly budget? I cannot save anything by the end of the month; what should I do? I have to pay my tuition; how do I manage? Whether running a household or an organization, these questions run in everyone’s mind.
Many people ask why keeping track of one’s expenses is important. The answer is simple: if you want to maintain your finances, you must keep track of every penny. Keeping track of your expenses will help you maintain a monthly budget and your long-term goals.
There are many ways to keep track of your finances. Most large organizations have an accounts department that performs the bookkeeping for the company. The department keeps track of all the money spent on the company’s expenditures, including the direct and indirect expenses.
Steps to Track Your Expenses
1. Monthly bills
List your monthly bills such as utility, phone, cable, credit/debit card, loans, insurance, salaries, and everything that needs to be taken care of every month. Use a spreadsheet or a notebook to write down these bills.
2. Personal funds
Groceries, clothes, gas, entertainment, and all personal items fall into this category. These expenses are as important as any other expense. Please keep track of these expenses and write them down. Keep your receipts handy or staple them into your notebook. Cash and credit and debit card payments should both be included. These are all considered indirect expenses.
3. Review
When you have everything listed, add up the numbers. Once you see your monthly expenditures, think of strategies that will help you save money. For example, try using ATMs that do not charge any additional fees. Cut down on the extra channels you no longer watch; it will cut down the cost of your cable bill. Getting creative here is fairly easy; you’ll have extra money in your bank account with little effort.
4. Big expenses
These expenses may not be every month but could appear anytime during the year. These include home/office repairs, travel expenses, furniture, education, or family vacations. It is essential to look at your bank records carefully and plan if you see any of these expenses coming up. Be prepared, as it will help you plan better for an emergency.
5. Plan a strategy
After reviewing your expenses, think of a way to cut off anything extra you do not require. Plan for your goals. Set up a target every month to save up a certain amount. If possible, open a savingsaccount and put in monthly money.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
The modern era has offered humanity more than we could have imagined. Each technological and scientific development brings about newer and better concepts. Innovative gadgetry that is sometimes too hard to resist results in overspending.
Often, society determines an individual’s success by their ability to spend less than they can earn. By earning more than they can spend, a person has stability and confidence that is effective when handling emergencies. They are also in a better position to assist others.
Stress-free budgeting helps provide stability to, for example, better caring for the family and meeting their needs. Saving money is, by far, the smartest thing you can ever do, so here are some valuable but simple tips for better management of your money, leading to an easier and hassle-less life.
Some effective habitual changes can enable anyone to enjoy a higher level of economic independence. Stress-free budgeting requires an understanding of seven principles or concepts that must be understood in order to tackle one of the most common reasons for financial turmoil: extravagant spending.
Set a Goal or a Target
One needs to first realize and accept the fact that there is a problem in their spending habits; only then will you be able to tackle it without further aggravating a delicate situation. The goal should not be simply tracking dimes and cents but to create a budget that is reflective of essential needs. A good budget with an achievable goal will better indicate what you need and shed light on where your spending went wrong.
Weekly Observation of Spent Cash
This can tell you a lot about what is happening to your cash. Observing weekly transactions will reveal small change adding up to a good amount. Those small amounts weigh heavily when it is totaled up in stress-free budgeting at the end of the week. This is recommended so that real-time information and facts are laid out for self-realization and modification.
Accumulate an Estimate of Expected Earnings and Expenses
This gives you an effective idea of what is coming in and what is to be spent—for instance, rent, allowances, tuition, car maintenance, etc. Everything needs to be listed and should have an estimate, so keep it factual and realistic. This enables you to make our budget and purchases as cost-effective as possible.
Like groceries and gasoline, expenses need to be tended to first as these are critical categories in stress-free budgeting. It is clothing, apparel, gadgets and equipment, entertainment, etc., that create stressful situations. These need to be pointed out and noted, along with how much the earnings are.
Plastic or Cash?
Paying cash is the easiest way to get lost while conducting purchases or transactions. With small change being used from other categories, all of it ends up being totaled, and the amount will not be cheap! All the payments are billed and recorded by using credit cards, so this is another way of monitoring expenditure.
Paying with plastic will help your stress-free budgeting by showing you how and where you spend your money. Using credit cards has benefits and rewards, which is another perk. If you prefer not to use credit cards, debit cards are effective and an equally suitable alternative, with one significant difference, lower service charges.
Save, Save, Save
That is the motto in the world of personal budgeting. This is also our goal and should be focused on excessively. A budget can precisely comprehend how much they have earned while also showing how much they need to spend and save. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you start saving money during stress-free budgeting and then spend the remainder by allocating the rest to their respective categories. Using this effective method, you will not be able to overspend and can reinforce savings!
50/20/30 Scheme
Senator Elizabeth Warren, in her book “All Your Worth,” promoted this method, and it is beneficial because it is so straightforward. She says 50% of all income is allocated to requirements, 20% is reserved for saving, and 30% is allotted to lifestyle preferences. Facing difficulty? Trying this simple plan is duly advised.
Using Schedules and Other Relevant Tools
The beauty of stress-free budgeting is the vast choices of available tools to assist in everyday expenditures. Also, there is no single tool that is effective universally and works for everyone at the same time. For some, scheduling and daily monitoring are sufficient, while others might need a range of budgeting applications connected to personal accounts in banks that utilize smart technology.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
The cumulative cost of selling a particular product is the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). This varies from product to product and increases with factors such as the complexity of the manufacturing process or the cost of raw materials. The volume of the product manufactured may also directly impact the overall Cost of Goods Sold. As a business owner, it is imperative that you know and understand COGS for your particular business so that you can keep your inventory and financial books under control.
COGS is important because it is necessary to refer to when filing your tax returns. Being as accurate as possible on your taxes is very important. Adding it to the equation will reduce your total income, giving you a particular advantage. Unfortunately, calculating this cost of goods sold is not as simple as it sounds. Getting it right is crucial to getting your taxes right.
How Can You Calculate the Cost of Goods Sold?
Naturally, calculating the Cost of Goods Sold varies from product to product. There are many factors to consider. However, to simplify the explanation, let us look at an example of one product and see how it is done. Remember, this explanation exists for the sake of understanding. It is in your business’s best interest to work with a CPA or a tax professional to accurately calculate the cost of your business income tax returns.
The first things you must have are the starting and inventory amounts and the cost of all inventory purchased that year. There are a few different evaluation methods. Talk to your CPA to determine which one they recommend using. This will give you a better idea of the components you need for the calculation.
What Are the Essential Components for the Calculation of the Cost of Goods Sold
The first step is to identify and analyze the following components:
Cost of inventory at the beginning of the year
Cost of the inventory purchased during the year
Inventory left at the end of the year
The sum of the first two components minus the last component will determine the Cost of Goods. It does not matter if you are a manufacturer or reseller; this calculation will help you deduce the direct and indirect cost of goods sold.
Direct and Indirect Costs – Direct and indirect costs are calculated in the next step. The direct costs include:
The cost of raw material
Cost of merchandise
Packaging costs
Cost of supplies for production
Direct overhead costs are involved in the production
The indirect costs include labor costs, storage costs, salaries, equipment costs, and the cost of depreciation. Facility costs include mortgage, rent, utilities, etc. This is perhaps the most complicated part of the entire process. It is nearly impossible for any business to determine these costs without the help of a CPA.
The LIFO and FIFO Methods
LIFO and FIFO are ways to calculate the inventory left at the year’s end. The IRS is very critical of the valuation method you use. If you decide to use a different valuation method than the previous year, you must seek the IRS’s approval.
Different COGS calculation forms are used for different types of businesses. For instance, sole proprietors use Part III for calculation and include the cost of income in Part I. Corporations or partnerships use Form 1125A. This process may be complicated and best left to professional CPAs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, comprehending and precisely calculating the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is a crucial responsibility for business owners, serving as a measure of cumulative selling costs and a cornerstone in tax filings. This involves analyzing components such as beginning inventory, purchases, and year-end inventory, shedding light on direct and indirect expenses like raw materials, labor, and overheads.
Furthermore, the choice between LIFO and FIFO methods for inventory valuation adds complexity, necessitating consistency or formal IRS approval for method changes. Given these intricacies, seeking guidance from certified public accountants (CPAs) or tax professionals is prudent to ensure accurate COGSdetermination and compliance with IRS regulations, ultimately aiding in financial decision-making and regulatory adherence, thus fostering the overall fiscal health of a business.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Overhead Rates for Small Businesses: Master Your Hidden Profit Killers
Overhead rates for small businesses measure the percentage of revenue consumed by indirect costs like rent, utilities, and administrative expenses—typically ranging from 10-35% depending on your industry. Calculating this rate involves dividing your total monthly overhead by either your sales revenue or labor costs, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage that reveals how efficiently your business operates behind the scenes.
Small business owners lose an average of $40,000 annually to unmanaged overhead costs, yet 67% never calculate their overhead rate. I’ve spent over 20 years as CEO of Complete Controller working with businesses across every sector imaginable, and I’ve watched smart entrepreneurs transform their operations by mastering this single metric. This article walks you through the exact formulas, industry benchmarks, and cost-cutting strategies that have helped our clients reduce overhead by up to 30% while maintaining quality service delivery.
What are overhead rates for small businesses, and how do you calculate them?
Overhead rates measure indirect costs as a percentage of sales or labor: Calculate by dividing total overhead by monthly revenue × 100
Total overhead includes: Fixed costs like rent, utilities, insurance, and administrative salaries
Two calculation methods exist: Overhead-to-sales ratio (most common) and overhead-to-labor ratio (for service businesses)
Industry benchmarks vary: Service businesses target 10-20%, retail aims for 20-30%, manufacturing often runs 25-35%
Monthly tracking matters: Overhead rates fluctuate with seasonal business changes and market conditions
Understanding Your Small Business Overhead Components
Your overhead costs fall into three main categories that directly impact profitability. Fixed overhead includes expenses that stay constant regardless of sales volume—rent, insurance premiums, and salaried administrative staff. Variable overhead fluctuates with business activity, such as utilities that increase during busy seasons or office supplies that scale with employee count. Semi-variable overhead combines elements of both, like a phone plan with a base rate plus usage charges.
Most small business owners mistakenly include direct costs in their overhead calculations. Direct costs like raw materials, production labor, and shipping fees belong in your cost of goods sold (COGS), not overhead. This distinction matters because mixing these categories inflates your overhead rate and obscures your true operational efficiency. A manufacturing client once showed me overhead calculations including steel costs—after correcting this, their actual overhead dropped from 45% to 28%, revealing a much healthier business than they thought.
The most straightforward calculation divides total monthly overhead by gross sales revenue. A boutique clothing store with $15,000 in monthly overhead and $75,000 in sales has a 20% overhead rate ($15,000 ÷ $75,000 × 100 = 20%). This method works best for retail businesses, restaurants, and companies with consistent sales patterns.
Track this metric monthly to spot trends. One Complete Controller client discovered their overhead jumped from 22% to 31% during slow months, prompting them to negotiate variable rent terms with their landlord based on sales performance. This single change saved them $18,000 annually during off-peak seasons.
The labor-based overhead rate formula
Service businesses often prefer calculating overhead per labor hour or as a percentage of labor costs. A consulting firm with $25,000 monthly overhead and 1,000 billable hours calculates a $25 per hour overhead burden. This helps set accurate hourly rates that cover all costs plus profit margins.
For percentage-based calculations, divide overhead by total labor costs. An accounting firm with $30,000 overhead and $100,000 in labor expenses has a 30% labor-based overhead rate. This method reveals whether your team generates enough revenue to justify indirect support costs.
Activity-based overhead allocation
Modern businesses increasingly use activity-based costing to assign overhead more precisely. Instead of spreading costs evenly, you allocate overhead based on actual resource consumption. A digital marketing agency might assign overhead based on client project hours, server usage, and software licenses per account.
This granular approach prevented a Complete Controller client from underpricing their smallest accounts. They discovered these clients consumed 40% more overhead per revenue dollar than larger accounts, leading to minimum service fees that improved profitability by $8,000 monthly.
Industry Benchmarks and Overhead Standards
Recent data shows 24% of small businesses cite inflation as their top challenge impacting overhead costs, with typical rates now ranging from 36.31% to 72.97% across industries—well above the traditional 35% ceiling many advisors recommend. These higher figures reflect post-pandemic realities including increased technology costs, remote work infrastructure, and supply chain complexities.
Service industry overhead rates
Professional services maintain the lowest overhead percentages:
Consulting firms: 15-25%
Accounting practices: 20-30%
Marketing agencies: 25-35%
IT services: 20-30%
Low overhead stems from minimal inventory requirements and virtual service delivery options. A marketing agency called Polongo cut their overhead by 20% through strategic changes—renegotiating software contracts saved $2,000 monthly, switching to remote work eliminated $5,000 in office costs, and consolidating tools reduced expenses by another $1,500.
Retail and manufacturing standards
Physical product businesses face higher overhead burdens:
Retail stores: 25-35%
E-commerce businesses: 20-30%
Light manufacturing: 30-40%
Heavy manufacturing: 35-50%
A Polish manufacturing firm achieved remarkable results by reducing overhead 30% through operational improvements. They streamlined shift patterns, reduced equipment changeover times, and optimized workflow layouts. These productivity gains freed up $50,000 monthly for expansion into new product lines.
Regional and size variations
Geographic location significantly impacts overhead rates. Urban businesses typically run 10-15% higher overhead than rural counterparts due to rent premiums and higher wages. Company size also matters—businesses under $1 million revenue average 42% overhead, while those over $5 million often achieve 25% through economies of scale.
Proven Overhead Reduction Strategies
Fixed cost optimization techniques
Start your overhead reduction journey with fixed costs since these offer the most predictable savings. Renegotiate every contract annually—insurance, rent, software subscriptions, and service agreements. One retail client saved $3,000 monthly by bundling insurance policies and switching to annual software payments for 20% discounts.
Consider these high-impact tactics:
Sublease unused space or downsize locations
Switch to cloud-based systems eliminating server costs
Zero-based budgeting forces you to justify every expense from scratch each year. This approach helped a Complete Controller client identify $7,000 in monthly subscriptions for unused services—from forgotten software licenses to redundant insurance coverage.
Variable cost management
Variable overhead requires different tactics focused on efficiency rather than elimination. Energy costs respond well to LED lighting upgrades, programmable thermostats, and off-peak usage scheduling. One manufacturer reduced electricity costs 35% by shifting non-critical operations to evening hours with lower rates.
Implement usage-based policies for supplies and services. Track actual consumption patterns before setting budgets. A law firm discovered partners used 3x more office supplies than associates, leading to individual supply budgets that cut costs 25% without impacting operations.
Technology and automation solutions
Modern technology offers powerful overhead reduction opportunities. Cloud accounting software eliminates bookkeeping errors that cost small businesses an average of $10,000 annually. Automated billing systems reduce collection times from 45 to 22 days, improving cash flow for reinvestment.
Consider these automation investments:
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Automated inventory management
Digital document management
Online scheduling and booking systems
Automated marketing platforms
The key lies in selecting tools that integrate seamlessly. Disconnected systems create data silos that increase rather than decrease overhead through duplicate work and reconciliation needs.
Using Overhead Rates for Pricing and Profitability
Strategic pricing formulas
Accurate overhead allocation transforms pricing from guesswork to science. The complete pricing formula includes: Direct Costs + (Overhead Rate × Direct Costs) + Desired Profit Margin = Selling Price. A landscaping company with $50 direct costs per job, 30% overhead rate, and 25% profit target prices at $50 + ($15 overhead) + ($16.25 profit) = $81.25.
Many businesses underprice by ignoring overhead in quotes. A Complete Controller client discovered they quoted projects at 15% margins but actually lost money after overhead allocation. Implementing proper pricing formulas increased their net profit from 2% to 18% within six months.
Project and customer profitability analysis
Apply overhead rates to evaluate individual projects and customers. A graphic design firm found their smallest clients generated negative profits after overhead allocation, despite positive gross margins. They instituted minimum project fees and annual retainers, transforming these accounts into profitable relationships.
Create a customer profitability matrix:
Calculate direct costs per customer
Allocate overhead based on resource usage
Compare total costs to revenue
Identify and address unprofitable relationships
Reward and retain highly profitable accounts
Break-even analysis integration
Your overhead rate directly impacts break-even calculations. Higher overhead means needing more sales to cover fixed costs. A restaurant with $40,000 monthly overhead and 60% gross margins needs $66,667 in sales to break even ($40,000 ÷ 0.60). Reducing overhead to $35,000 drops break-even to $58,333—making profitability achievable with 12% less revenue.
Common Overhead Management Mistakes
Misclassifying expenses
The most expensive mistake involves treating variable costs as fixed or vice versa. A printing company classified ink as overhead rather than direct materials, inflating overhead rates and underpricing large jobs. Correcting this misclassification revealed their actual overhead was 18% not 35%, completely changing their competitive position.
Watch for these classification errors:
Including owner salary in overhead (should be separate)
Mixing production utilities with office utilities
Counting sales commissions as overhead
Including freight costs in overhead calculations
Misallocating shared employee time
Ignoring seasonal variations
Overhead rates fluctuate throughout the year, yet many businesses use annual averages for all decisions. A lawn care company with 25% overhead in summer might hit 60% in winter when revenue drops but fixed costs remain. Plan for these variations through flexible staffing, seasonal pricing, and cash reserves.
In 2024, 23% of small businesses named inflation their primary overhead driver, up from 17% in 2022—a 35% increase demanding dynamic rather than static overhead management. Build quarterly overhead reviews into your planning cycle to catch trends before they impact profitability.
Overlooking hidden overhead costs
Many overhead expenses hide in plain sight. Employee turnover costs—including recruiting, training, and productivity losses—average 33% of annual salary per departure. A company with 10 employees and 20% turnover spends an invisible $20,000+ yearly on replacement costs.
Other frequently missed overhead includes:
Credit card processing fees (2-4% of revenue)
Inventory carrying costs (20-30% of value)
Quality control and rework expenses
Compliance and regulatory costs
Opportunity costs of owner time
Advanced Overhead Analysis Techniques
Overhead variance analysis
Compare actual overhead to budgeted amounts monthly to spot problems early. A favorable variance means spending less than planned, while unfavorable variances signal overspending. Set 5% as your variance threshold—anything beyond triggers investigation.
Create variance reports showing:
Budget vs. actual by category
Percentage and dollar variances
Year-over-year comparisons
Trending patterns
Root cause explanations
One manufacturer discovered $4,000 monthly unfavorable variances in maintenance costs. Investigation revealed deferred preventive maintenance causing expensive emergency repairs. Implementing scheduled maintenance reduced costs 30% while improving equipment reliability.
Overhead absorption rates
Manufacturing and project-based businesses benefit from predetermined overhead rates. Calculate expected annual overhead divided by estimated activity base (labor hours, machine hours, or units). This rate gets applied to jobs throughout the year, with adjustments at period-end for over or under-absorption.
A cabinet shop set a $45 per labor hour overhead rate based on 10,000 expected annual hours. Actual hours reached 11,000, creating $45,000 in over-absorbed overhead—pure profit from spreading fixed costs across more production.
Competitive overhead benchmarking
Study competitor overhead structures through industry reports, financial statements, and professional associations. Join trade groups sharing anonymized financial data for benchmarking. Understanding competitor overhead helps identify improvement opportunities and pricing strategies.
Implementing Overhead Tracking Systems
Selecting the right tools
Choose overhead expenses in small business management software matching your business complexity. Simple service businesses might use spreadsheets, while manufacturers need robust cost accounting systems. Essential features include:
Real-time expense tracking
Category customization
Multi-location capabilities
Integration with existing systems
Automated report generation
Popular options range from QuickBooks ($25/month) for basic needs to NetSuite ($999+/month) for complex operations. The investment pays for itself through improved visibility and control.
Creating actionable reports
Design overhead reports that drive decisions, not just document history. Include trend lines, ratio analyses, and exception highlighting. A construction company’s one-page overhead dashboard shows:
Current month overhead rate with traffic light indicators
12-month trending graph
Top 5 expense categories with variances
Overhead per project type
Action items for unfavorable variances
Schedule monthly overhead review meetings. Make them brief but mandatory, focusing on variances and improvement opportunities. One Complete Controller client reduced overhead 15% simply through increased visibility and accountability from regular reviews.
Building an overhead-conscious culture
Transform overhead management from a finance function to a company-wide mindset. Share overhead metrics openly, celebrate cost savings, and reward efficiency improvements. Create overhead reduction suggestion programs with shared savings incentives.
Train employees on overhead impacts through budgeting for small businesses workshops. When team members understand how their actions affect overhead, they make better daily decisions. A distribution center reduced overhead 12% after warehouse staff suggested consolidating shipments and optimizing delivery routes.
Final Thoughts
After two decades helping businesses master their finances, I’ve learned that overhead management separates thriving companies from struggling ones. The businesses that systematically track, analyze, and optimize their overhead rates consistently outperform their peers—not through massive changes but through dozens of small improvements compounding over time.
Start your overhead transformation today with these three steps: First, calculate your current overhead rate using the formulas provided. Second, compare your rate to industry benchmarks to identify improvement potential. Third, implement one cost reduction strategy this month—even a 2% improvement drops straight to your bottom line.
Your overhead rate tells a story about operational efficiency, pricing accuracy, and profit potential. Master this metric, and you’ll discover hidden profits throughout your business. The tools and strategies exist—success depends on taking action. For personalized guidance on optimizing your overhead structure and maximizing profitability, connect with our team of experts at Complete Controller who can help you implement these strategies with precision.
FAQ
How do I calculate overhead rate for a small business?
Divide your total monthly overhead costs by your monthly sales revenue, then multiply by 100. For example, if you have $10,000 in overhead and $50,000 in sales: ($10,000 ÷ $50,000) × 100 = 20% overhead rate.
What’s a good overhead percentage for a small business?
Target 10-30% depending on your industry. Service businesses typically achieve 10-20%, retail aims for 20-30%, and manufacturing often runs 25-35%. Any rate above 35% signals a need for cost reduction strategies.
Should I include my salary in overhead calculations?
Owner salaries should be tracked separately from overhead for accurate analysis. Include administrative staff salaries in overhead, but keep owner compensation as a distinct line item to better evaluate true operational efficiency.
How often should I calculate and review overhead rates?
Calculate overhead rates monthly and conduct thorough reviews quarterly. Monthly tracking catches trends early, while quarterly analysis provides enough data to identify patterns and make strategic adjustments.
What’s the difference between overhead rate and markup?
Overhead rate measures indirect costs as a percentage of sales or labor. Markup is the amount added to direct costs to cover both overhead and profit. A 25% overhead rate might require a 40% markup to achieve desired profit margins.
Sources
CFODive. “Small business uncertainty hits record high: NFIB.” 2024. https://www.cfodive.com/news/small-businesses-uncertainty-hits-record-high-nfib-inflation-jobs-employment-Fed-Federal-Reserve/729270/
QuickBooks. “How to Calculate Overhead Costs: Essential Formulas for 2025.” 2025. https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/expenses/how-to-calculate-overhead-costs/
SMB Compass. “A Guide to Overhead Costs for Small Businesses.” 2022. https://www.smbcompass.com/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-overhead-costs-for-small-businesses/
U.S. Small Business Administration. “Analyze Your Costs.” 2024. https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/analyze-your-costs
Wall Street Prep. “Overhead Costs | Formula + Calculator.” 2024. https://www.wallstreetprep.com/knowledge/overhead-costs/
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Jennifer BrazerFounder/CEO
Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.
Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.
From personal expenses to business costs, life is expensive. It may seem as if you must open your wallet wherever you go. One way to save more money every year is to identify and deduct legitimate tax write-offs that intersect your personal and business expenses.
Dental and Medical Expenses
You may be able to deduct dental and medical costs for yourself, your partner, and any dependents when the total costs exceed ten percent of your adjusted gross earnings. In addition, when you or your spouse is 65 years old or over, you can deduct all medical costs that exceed your adjusted gross income of 7.5%.
Home Renovation
Home renovation expenses are not typically deductible on an individual’s tax return. However, when you make specific improvements to your house mainly for medical purposes, such as lowering cabinets for better accessibility or adding wheelchair ramps, you can deduct such home renovations as medical costs. However, when the upgrades specifically improve your home’s value, one cannot claim them as medical expenses.
Tax Preparation Charges
Whether you pay someone to prepare your taxes or do it yourself, you can write off charges on your miscellaneous tax deductions using a tax calculator and bookkeeping concepts. Expenses can include electronic filing and tax return preparation fees. However, the preparation charges should exceed two percent of your adjusted gross income to qualify for such a deduction.
Moving Expenses
When you satisfy the IRS time and distance test requirements upon your relocation for new employment, you can deduct moving expenses from your taxes. In this regard, the movement of military personnel due to service obligations does not require them to meet any time or distance qualifications.
Jury Duties Pay
When you return your jury pay, as you also received your paycheck while serving on a jury, you can deduct such pay from your overall taxable income.
Job Search Costs
Looking for employment can cost you money. You should add these expenses to the list of your write-offs. Itemizing them can help you deduct costs that occurred during your job search. It would help to remember that your job search must be relevant to your current or most recent employment. Moreover, the search expenses that you may deduct include:
Preparation, printing, and sending your resume
Transportation that provides for a deduction of tolls, cab, parking, and 54 cents per mile fees
Employment agency fees
Other fees related to job searches
Investment Fees and Costs
Certain charges you pay for your investments’ management qualify as miscellaneous deductions. Such fees and expenses can include:
Investment counseling charges
Custodial charges paid outside of the account
Safe-deposit rental fees
Online and software services you utilized to manage your investments
Legal costs you paid to collect taxable income
All transportation expenses to and from a financial or investment advisor’s office
Costs needed to replace your lost security certificates
Airline Baggage Fees
If you are an entrepreneur, freelancer, or simply a self-employed individual, always deduct your baggage fees for the travel you do for business purposes. Your mind might be blown to see how they add up and cost you.
Home Appraisal Charges
One can deduct home appraisal fees as a miscellaneous itemized deduction only when the real estate property was an integral part of a charitable donation.
Mortgage Points
When you itemize your mortgage points or prepare interest you paid to buy or construct your primary house, you can deduct them. Typically, when you can deduct the entire interest paid on your mortgage, you can also deduct all the points.
Charges to Collect Dividends and Interest
Any charges you pay to a bank, trustee, broker, or similar agent simply to collect taxable dividends on shares of stock or interest on bonds are deductible. However, the actual securities, bonds, or stocks are not deductible.
Home Sale
When you sell your house at any profit, you can deduct up to $250k of profit from your income. Remember, if you are married or filing jointly, you can exclude a maximum of $500k.
Casualty, Theft Loss, and Disaster
It is a significantly painful experience to suffer damage or loss to your house, household items, and vehicles. If your insurance coverage does not pay for them, they are, at the very least, tax-deductible.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
An accounting professional is a secret weapon for the faster growth of any company. Sketching a clear picture of finances and cash flow is intimidating for most business owners. Managing finances requires vast accounting knowledge, skills, perseverance, and wisdom. Moreover, a qualified individual will help you nurture your start-up with better decision-making, minimize your tax bills, and save you much time on administrative work. A professional accountant or bookkeeper can change the entire dynamic of a business with better financial rulings and projections for the future.
Why Hire an Accountant or Bookkeeper for a Start-up?
Hiring the right person for the job is always challenging for most organizations. Initially, entrepreneurs may feel reluctant to hire professional accounting services as they consider them costly. However, hiring a top-notch accountant or bookkeeper can change the entire fate of a company in an incredibly positive way.
Time and time again, it always pays off during a business journey. Since most entrepreneurs lack in-depth financial knowledge and skills, it is ideal to hire professional services so that they can focus more on running their business and less on the accounting side of it.
Accounting Professional
According to studies, most start-ups fail to make their mark in their first year of business. When you examine the core of failure, you find accounting and financial inefficiencies, poor financial management, planning, and forecasting of cash flow and resources. Specific inabilities restrict organizations from managing their internal and external managerial affairs, which further confines them from impacting the market. This indicates that cash, borrowing, and resource management have unique significance and must be managed professionally.
Entrepreneurs may lack the financial wisdom to tackle complicated issues such as debt and tax requirements, debt repayment, filing income tax returns, managing financial books, credit accounts, etc. However, that does not mean they cannot understand and comprehend their company’s financial standing with help from a professional.
Here are a few reasons entrepreneurs and business adventurists should work with an accounting professional.
They Help You Find Work-life Balance
Whether it is a new business start-up or an established business, the need to find the perfect work-life balance never dies. A professional accountant’s job is to provide peace by taking on specific finance-related tasks you are less than passionate about handling. Delegating some responsibilities to experienced and qualified accountants is ideal for ensuring faster growth and success.
They Help You Focus on Achieving Your Strategic Goals
Hiring a seasoned accounting professional is necessary to manage your business’s finances effectively. Entrepreneurs usually have a particular state of mind that keeps them passionate about their business, which means they will be more than excited to see their business grow significantly at any cost. Companies can only expect to grow at a tremendous speed if they share some of the responsibilities with specialized third-party service providers.
A Professional Reputation
Start-ups can only expect to grow if they keep all their stakeholders, clients, employees, accountants, promoters, distributors, financiers, etc., happy. This indicates that building and retaining a strong relationship with your stakeholders can help you succeed quickly. By maintaining integrity and upholding standards, an accounting professional will earn a name and positive rapport for themselves and represent your company in the best possible way.
They Understand Accounting Matters More
From developing a new financial perspective to providing a safe method for saving more time and money, an accounting expert has become the need of the hour for handling core financial matters. Plus, they know the legal tricks to minimize your tax bills, which is huge. They help you make better financial decisions for your business, which is vital to business success. An accounting professional is the ultimate game-changer as they can put a company on the right track to succeed and grow
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Provided are the top 5 ways to guide you in selecting the right inventory management system for precise estimations in your business.
Have a Financial Plan
Right off the bat, you have to settle on a financial plan. The finances are always going to be the lifeblood of any business. This means a business needs an obvious strategy. It will be relatively complex to locate the correct fit if you don’t have the foggiest idea about your value extension. This is normal for a new business owner. A characterized spending will limit your pursuit, sparing you the time and exertion it would take to consider frameworks outside your spending range.
Stock administration frameworks can run in cost from upwards of $100,000. Thus, there are numerous alternatives in wording quality, capacities, and versatility. Not comprehending your value will constrain your ability to locate the correct fit. So, it is necessary to ensure you understand your business’s financials.
Know your Stock Difficulties
As there are a wide variety of costs, framework capacities, and usefulness are expanded. Ensure you know your stock procedures and what moves with your current work process. This data will make it simple for stock administration experts to suggest arrangements to illuminate your stock difficulties. Finding out where your system lacks is important for the success of your business.
Decide How to Track Framework
There is a wide range of approaches to tracking stock. It’s essential to realize what technique you will utilize. You can track inventory using standardized identifications, serialization, RFID labels, part control, and kitting. There are also numerous strategies; some will work better with specific stock procedures. This is why you should choose a technique before scanning for a stock framework.
Not all frameworks can utilize the following, particularly in the mid to small-office markets. Compelling your stock procedures to fit a framework can be risky and expensive. To maintain a strategic distance from this, characterize which strategies will work best before you begin your hunt.
Depending on your decision, you may need to buy equipment and scanners. You need to ensure the scanners you pick are usable with your framework. On the off chance that you select your scanners after your framework, they may not be correct. Then again, the compatible scanners may not be appropriate for your necessities. It is vital to settle on these choices beforehand.
Association
Do you have solid stock administration investigators? Is it accurate to say they are talented in working with your frameworks? By what method can your staff be sorted out to design and oversee stock undertakings all the more adequately? When we look at the cost and advantage expenses of staff associated with these capacities, it adds up to far under 1% of net deals.
This is a minor cost contrasted with the significance. Numerous organizations are as yet taking a look at stock administration as an administrative action. Having the correct stock accessibility plays a considerably more critical part. Do you have an adequate and experienced workforce set up thinking about the significance?
Framework Bolsters
Including special case detailing, stock nearby, and on-arrange accessibility by area. In addition, a projection of how SKUs are offered versus when buying orders should be set to avoid stock-outs. This additionally incorporates saving an SKU amount to a client request, merchant administration to screen, and tracking seller-transported orders.
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the right inventory management system requires careful consideration. From establishing a clear financial plan to understanding your stock challenges and tracking methods, each step is crucial. Additionally, a well-organized workforce and system support are essential for seamless operations. By following these top 5 tips, you can make informed decisions that lead to precise estimations and efficient inventory management in your business.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have an essential role in the private division of each country. Furthermore, as globalization has risen, they have begun to play a significant role in opening local products and services to the global markets and contending with multinational opponents in the local markets. In the process of internalization, there appear to be numerous pros and cons for SMEs in the global market. The advantages of size, flexibility, and rapid change response allow SMEs to prosper. On the other hand, the disadvantages of size may provide SMEs with different paths in the globalization phase. The features that will provide SMEs through internalization differ from one country to another based on economic, geographical, and cultural variances.
The crippling outcome of poor cash flow on SMEs has been identified as one of the most critical issues facing companies today, according to business groups, including the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Even profitable companies with proper bookkeeping can sometimes suffer liquidity difficulties that cause them to be unable to invest in growth and development. Slow-moving growth for small businesses in recent years is one of the reasons why the UK’s economy remains stagnant, and there are a few signs that significant national growth is coming any time soon.
Top 10 Causes of Failure in SMEs
Cash flow issues
Small companies that should have no liquidity concerns can find themselves struggling due to poor cash flow management.
Lack of knowledge about the marketplace
Small business holders get carried away with their desires and fail to do suitable research about their challenges, demands, customers, and the market.
Lack of liquidity
Lack of wealth can reduce choices as far as expansion is concerned. The lack of liquidity and bookkeeping caused by bad debt and failure to collect accounts receivable can eat into the day-to-day operations and flow of cash used to run the enterprise and allow it to trade.
Faulty people
If the industry takes on an individual whose morals are not in line with the purposes of the business, this can prevent growth and stunt productivity. When considering taking on someone new, try to find a way of cooperating with them before formalizing problems into something more concrete.
Lack of financial understanding
Often, people and small groups are obsessive about their ideas but lack the necessary financialunderstanding and bookkeeping needed to entirely appreciate where the business stands financially at any given point.
Not having a plan B
Making substitute preparations and having countermeasures in place should anything go wrong will mean you are well-prepared to handle anything unanticipated. Yet, many small businesses fail to do this.
Money is king
Emergency budgets and placing profit back into your business can help finance any unforeseen costs and allow tractability and subsidiary plans for steady growth. Small commercial owners usually fail to see the prominence of doing this.
Failure to react to change
The slightest changes to the market, opponents’ activities, and sometimes influences that seem entirely unrelated can cause changes in demand. If companies fail to react to these changes, this could harm their reputation and cost time and money.
Incorrect pricing
Whether you underestimate the cost of your merchandise, incorrect pricing or bookkeeping is a sure way to not gain the most out of your company.
Unrealistic anticipation of cash flow
Giving clients 30 days to pay and planning around them paying within ten is impractical. The more honest you are with yourself about your cashflow, the less likely you are to find yourself in hot water.
Conclusion
Market liquidity risk is an imperative driver of security prices, risk management, and the speed of arbitrage. Funding circuits for small businesses stay largely local, imitating proximity effects between small companies and their investor base. Liquidity crises evolve through liquidity spirals in which losses, increasing limits, tightened risk management, and amplified instability feed on each other.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Establishing a good working relationship with your vendors in the business is vital. A company must keep track of its payments by keeping accurate and punctual bookkeeping and maintaining its accounting records. Establishing and maintaining excellent and successful vendor relationships is essential and is the key to cost-effective operations. The success of your business can easily depend upon effective vendor management. Every business needs to know how to have exceptional vendor management and the success tips behind this idea.
Today, many companies want to know how to have effective vendor management. Many companies and managers share their experiences regarding vendor management and how to deal with them on several issues effectively. They offer tips on establishing a proactive dialogue and two-way proactive communication with them. This eventually leads to building strong relations with vendors and maintaining flexibility through successful vendor management tips. This further ensures successful outcomes for your business.
Vendor Management
A wide variation exists among business owners and vendors regarding procurement processes, logistics, autonomy, and payment processes. Business owners must take various approaches to ensure vendor management is performed effectively and efficiently. Several success tips have emerged through effective vendor management techniques to maintain a good relationship with your vendors.
Successful Tips
Vendor management should be an integral part of your business, and for that reason, here are some success tips that you, as a manager or business owner, should know about.
Clearly define your vendor management processes upfront to all stakeholders and employees involved. Effective vendor management involves service-level agreements, processes, documentation, etc. All of these are completed before contractual execution, which is effectively considered.
Effective vendor management also builds a solid base foundation with an explicit framework. It further involves striving for collaboration and partnership with vendors and practicing it efficiently.
It is essential to document every interaction with the vendor, from contractual terms or payment negotiations to logistic support documents. Documenting every process with the vendor on the front end further improves the relationship and maintains all the necessary legal documentation.
It is essential to continue the vendor relationship properly by creating contractual amendments and pricing adjustments based on a mutual consensus and an agreement that can benefit both parties. You should allow vendors to bring in solutions and innovative ideas as your vendors know their market situation better than anyone. This also involves you making sound judgments based on your analysis and research.
Further Strengthening Vendor Relationships
To ensure proper vendor management, both parties must be fully aware of the expectations, processes, and all legalities before agreeing to contractual terms. Both parties’ needs and requirements should be explained clearly to ensure the vendor’s and business processes’ alignment. The vendor should also clearly define all deliverables and how they shall be held accountable for managing those outcomes.
The contract should clearly define Proper terms and conditions to hold both parties accountable. All the processes, including the tasks, responsibilities, and key deliverables, must be defined concisely for both parties. This further ensures top vendor management and allows collaboration and give-and-take for both sides of the relationship. Careful documentation protects each side when legal problems arise and clarifies the vendor and owner’s needs and expectations.
Top vendor management success tips involve a vendor evaluation process. Extra responsibility should be assigned to the vendor to ensure successful engagement. The business owner or manager should maintain their strong presence, as relationships can be complex. When required, vendor management should be given priority and full attention to ensure smooth running processes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurturing solid relationships with vendors is paramount for business success. Effective vendor management, supported by clear communication, defined processes, and mutual collaboration, ensures streamlined operations and optimal outcomes. By implementing these success tips, businesses can fortify their vendor relationships, align processes, and navigate challenges effectively, leading to sustained success in the competitive market.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Jennifer BrazerFounder/CEO
Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.
Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.
Managing HR in a workplace can be arduous, especially if your business periodically must take on projects that require changing employee hours. In this fast-paced world, many companies offer round-the-clock services because they serve their target market in more than one geographical location. Consequently, employees must continuously work rotatory shifts, so their work hours will also be variable.
This situation might be unavoidable; however, a company can take specific measures to ensure employees can change their hours better. It is most appropriate to ask your employees before any such measures are taken. However, even before asking, you need to take certain steps to find answers to certain vital questions.
Key Steps to Changing Employee Hours
Are the employees exempt or non-exempt?
It is crucial to differentiate exempted employees from non-exempted ones starting with the process. Exempted employees work at a fixed salary regardless of whether they put in extra shift hours. However, non-exempt employees are paid hourly, and if they exceed their weekly hours, they must also be compensated for those. You may not be able to hire everyone on a fixed salary because that also requires adherence to certain federal laws.
What are the requirements?
Businesses often want to run for a prolonged number of hours and usually have a fixed number of employees to work with. Therefore, it will not solve the problem if everyone is coming and leaving simultaneously. Instead, changing the hours for some employees can ensure that your business is open for maximum hours with the same number of employees. Essentially, you must figure out your requirements to find the optimum solutions.
What do the employees want?
You can spend hours and weeks planning and scheduling; if none of your employees agree, it will end in disappointment. Therefore, it is recommended that you consult with your employees before coming to any conclusions. Someone might be willing to come early and leave early, or others might want to work for 10 hours over four days a week instead of five. You will never know how to solve the problem of changing employee hours until you ask them.
Is there an alternative to changing employee hours?
Often, it is good to have alternatives. Although, at times, you must face reality. If the employee hours need to be increased because of a sudden increase in demand or any other reason, you may have to do it. For exempt employees, you can do that without an increase in wages. However, that might result in dissatisfied employees, leading to decreased productivity and many other problems.
The best way to avoid a scenario where changing employee hours becomes necessary is by offering something in compensation for their additional services. You can plan a trip or offer them a bonus at the end of the month, reinforcing their loyalty to your company. Get an idea of what they want and take their suggestions seriously, as they are critical assets to your organization.
Maintain a clear line of communication.
Keeping your employees in the dark by not giving them an accurate picture is never a good idea. If your business is going through hard times and you need some extra push from your workforce, informing your employees and getting them on the same page is the best way to move forward instead of maintaining a false image. Someone loyal to you will likely stay with you no matter what. Even if you lose a few employees, that may be best for the future.
Clearly explain the reason for changing their hours.
Whatever the case, give your employees a solid reason for changing their working hours because it will affect their routine lives. If they are not convinced, they might start making assumptions, which is something you do not want. Assumptions lead to complicated situations that are disastrous for maintaining a healthy workplace environment. Your employees must understand the reason behind the change and accept it with an open heart to make a positive difference.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
