Skip to the content

FAQ

Questions owners ask us.

Straight answers on what we do, what it costs, and how it works. Don't see yours? Ask Frank. It won't cost you anything.

Working with us

What exactly do you do?

We keep the books for HVAC and plumbing shops and build each owner a dashboard that shows cash for the next 13 weeks, what each type of work made, and whether the shop can afford the next hire. For owners who want it, we add planning help on the big decisions.

Who do you work with?

HVAC and plumbing shops from one truck up to about twenty, within about 100 miles of Baton Rouge.

How are you different from a typical bookkeeper?

Plenty of bookkeeping only records what already happened. We keep your books clean too, and then we put them to work: a screen that shows where cash is headed and which jobs make money, so you can act while it still matters.

Will I deal with the same person every time?

Yes. You work with Frank. Call, text or email and you'll hear back within one business day.

Do I still need a CPA?

Yes, and we work well with them. We keep the day-to-day books and reporting so your CPA can focus on tax work. Everyone works from the same clean numbers, so there's less back-and-forth at tax time.

Do you do my taxes?

No. We do bookkeeping and financial systems. We don't prepare taxes or give tax or investment advice. If you need a preparer, we can point you to good ones in Baton Rouge.

Your books and the dashboard

What software do you use?

QuickBooks Online. If you're on something else, a spreadsheet, or a drawer full of receipts, bring it to the call and we'll map out the move.

My books are behind. Can you still help?

Yes. Catch-up work gets a fixed quote before anything starts, so there's no open-ended cleanup bill. Monthly service starts from a clean baseline.

What's on the dashboard?

Cash for the next 13 weeks with the tight weeks flagged, profit by job type, money owed to you by age, and the hire test. It's built around your questions, so if you track something different, we build that instead. Open the sample dashboard to click around.

Can you help with cash flow and forecasting?

Yes. The dashboard shows cash for the next 13 weeks. Advisory adds a longer forecast and help planning around slow seasons and big purchases.

Price and time

What does it cost?

Every plan is one flat monthly price. We quote it after a call and a look at your books, based on your transaction volume, how many accounts you run and how much reporting you want. No hourly billing.

Do questions cost extra?

Never. Questions are part of the service and never show up as a line on a bill, so you never have to weigh whether something is worth a call.

How fast do you answer?

Within one business day, every time. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

How much of my time does it take?

Very little. We'll ping you when a charge needs your answer, and the monthly statements take about five minutes to read.

Safety and access

Is my financial information safe?

Documents you send go into a private portal, encrypted in transit and at rest. We never ask for your bank login.

What access do you need?

For the one-time Checkup and Review, read-only access to your QuickBooks file, which you can revoke with one click when we're done. For monthly service, we work in your file through QuickBooks' own accountant invite, and you can remove that access any time.

The one-time reviews

What's the 75-Point Books Checkup?

A one-time look at your books and business foundations. Every check is scored Pass, Flag or Fail, and you get a written report in plain English, a fixed price to fix what's wrong, a free do-it-yourself list and a 30-minute walkthrough call. If we don't find three things worth fixing, you don't pay. See the Checkup.

What's the Full Financial Review?

Everything in the Checkup plus 120 checkpoints across seven scored areas: margins by job type, your break-even, your next-hire number, a live dashboard built from your real numbers and a 90-day plan. It credits in full toward monthly service if you start within 15 days. See the Review.

Which one should I start with?

If you mainly want to know whether your books are right, start with the Checkup. If you want to know what the shop is actually making and where it's headed, the Review covers that.

Your move

Still have a question?

Book a 30-minute call or send a message. Either way, you'll hear back within one business day.

(225) 421-0235 frank@hellosturdy.com Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Replies within one business day.