Expert small business bookkeeping to keep your Spokane company on track.
You started your business to build something, not to spend your nights sorting through a shoebox of receipts or staring at a bank statement that doesn't match your records. If you are months behind on your entries or dreading that annual “where are the books?” email from your CPA, you are not alone. Many Spokane business owners find themselves buried in administrative tasks while trying to keep their operations running.
Avenue Bookkeeping provides the professional support you need to reclaim your time. As a Spokane-based firm, we work directly with you to get your finances organized, cleaned up, and ready for tax season. Whether you are in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, or across the border in Coeur d'Alene, you get a dedicated bookkeeper who understands the local landscape and the importance of clear, accurate financial data. Avenue is a solo practice — owner Melody Gerlitz personally handles every account, with no handoffs to a back office.
What does small business bookkeeping include?
Small business bookkeeping covers the systematic recording and tracking of your financial data. This includes consistent monthly bank and credit-card reconciliation, precise transaction categorization, and the generation of accurate financial statements. By maintaining an organized general ledger, Avenue ensures you have a clean P&L and balance sheet that is tax-ready and handed straight to your CPA at tax time.
What's included in our small business bookkeeping services.
Melody Gerlitz is QuickBooks® Online Certified — Level 1 and Level 2, and QuickBooks® Online Payroll Certified, each recognized by Intuit.
Monthly bookkeeping or catch-up first — which do you need?
If you are currently up to date but struggling to maintain the routine, monthly bookkeeping is the path to consistent growth. If you are behind, we start with a cleanup. We first assess the scope of your backlog to understand the volume of work and then provide a quote before we start. You know exactly what the investment is before a single entry is made.
The catch-up process is designed to get you current as quickly as possible. As Melody tells it: “One client called me on April 1st with two years of backlogged books and a tax deadline breathing down his neck. I worked through Easter weekend and had his books clean within a week and a half.”
“Melody's communication was clear and very prompt, she didn't leave me questioning anything. I was in a really stressful situation coming into tax deadline and the experience I had was absolutely incredible!”
What Washington filings do clean books feed?
In Washington, the B&O tax is a gross receipts tax on your total income, meaning you cannot deduct labor, materials, or other costs. Because there are over 50 B&O classifications, your books must be organized to cleanly separate income streams by activity. Our role is to keep your records ready so that when you or your CPA file through My DOR, the data is accurate and categorized correctly.
The Department of Revenue assigns your filing frequency — monthly, quarterly, or annual — based on your estimated income. Per the Washington DOR, businesses under $125,000 a year in gross income that don't collect retail sales tax may qualify for active non-reporting status — a question for your CPA, but one clean books make easy to answer. For our clients in Coeur d'Alene or Post Falls, your books are prepared to feed your Idaho state income tax return, so your CPA has what they need at filing time.
Designed for the Spokane business owner.
The Trades & Service Pro
Contractors and service providers often have complex income streams that require precise tracking. With 14,426 employer establishments (2023 Census) in Spokane County, the local market is competitive and fast-growing; we help you keep your books clean so you can focus on your craft, not your receipts.
The Restaurant & Retail Owner
Managing a retail or restaurant location involves high transaction volume and constant movement of inventory and cash. Melody spent over a decade managing restaurants — and nearly a decade managing a dental office — before opening Avenue Bookkeeping, so she knows the pace of high-transaction-volume businesses firsthand.
The Professional-Services Solo
If you are a solo consultant or professional juggling your own QuickBooks® entries, you are likely losing valuable billable hours. We take the DIY burden off your plate, ensuring your software is fully integrated and your records are professional-grade, allowing you to focus on your clients instead of your data entry.
How working with Avenue starts.
Free Phone Consultation
We discuss your business needs and current bookkeeping challenges to see if we are a good fit.
Scope Assessment & Quote
We review your specific situation — including volume and backlog — to provide a transparent, per-service quote.
Setup or Cleanup
Whether we are starting fresh or fixing years of backlog, we get your files organized and ready for ongoing management.
Monthly Routine
We provide consistent monthly reconciliation, categorization, and delivery of your P&L and balance sheet.
What does bookkeeping for small business cost?
The cost of bookkeeping is determined by the scope of your specific business needs rather than a one-size-fits-all price. Factors that influence your investment include your monthly transaction volume, the number of accounts that require reconciliation, the number of months we need to catch up, and whether you require add-on services like payroll or AP/AR management.
Because every business is unique, we assess your specific scope first and provide a per-service quote before we begin. This à-la-carte approach ensures you only pay for the services you actually need. By knowing your investment upfront, you can plan your budget with confidence and keep your focus on growing your business. See our full pricing breakdown for national cost benchmarks, or compare against hiring in-house versus outsourcing.
Small business bookkeeping questions, answered.
Do I need a bookkeeper if I use QuickBooks Online?
Yes. Software is a tool, not a service. While QuickBooks® Online is powerful, it doesn't automatically categorize, reconcile, or keep records accurate. We ensure the data entered into your software is accurate, consistent, and useful for your financial reporting.
What do I get each month?
You receive a consistent, professional financial package including monthly bank and credit-card reconciliation, transaction categorization, and the delivery of a P&L and balance sheet. These documents are built to be handed straight to your CPA at tax time.
My books are two years behind — can you still help?
Absolutely. We specialize in bookkeeping cleanup. We start by assessing the scope of your backlog and providing a quote before we begin. We have successfully turned years of backlogged books into clean, tax-ready records for many Spokane businesses.
Do you work with my CPA at tax time?
Yes. Avenue does not provide tax preparation, planning, or advice; our books arrive clean, organized, and tax-ready for your CPA.
Do you serve businesses outside Spokane?
Yes. We serve clients across Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Deer Park, Medical Lake, and Mead, as well as Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls in Idaho. We are fully equipped to handle your bookkeeping remotely.
How much does it cost?
We provide a transparent, per-service quote after assessing the scope of your business needs. You only pay for the services you need, such as payroll, AP/AR, or monthly reconciliation. You will always know your cost before we begin.