# Bookkeepers' month-end close: review sheet

6 interviews · 1 core job · 8 job steps · 31 outcomes · 32 solutions in use · updated 2026-11-13

- **Core job A:** Close a client's books each month *(proposed)*

## Decisions waiting for you

- **P1 · Confirm core job A:** Close a client's books each month. *Why:* Set up from the first batch. 6 of 6 people interviewed have it as their main job.

Reply approve or reject for each, by ID.

## New since 2026-11-11

- **01 Dana:** Freelance bookkeeper who closes the books of 25 small businesses alone. Core job: *Close each client's books every month* (core job A)
- **02 Marcus:** Owner of a four-person bookkeeping firm who still closes the largest clients himself. Core job: *Close each client's books every month across the firm* (core job A)
- **03 Sofia:** Partner in a two-person bookkeeping firm who closes 21 small-business clients herself. Core job: *Close each client's books every month* (core job A)
- **04 Ruth:** Semi-retired part-time bookkeeper with nine local clients who works mostly on paper. Core job: *Keep each local client's books every month* (core job A)
- **05 Kenji:** Freelance bookkeeper for 30 online shops and agencies who automates most of the coding. Core job: *Close each client's books every month* (core job A)
- **06 Amara:** Part-time bookkeeper in a three-person firm who owns the monthly close of 20 clients. Core job: *Close each of her clients' books every month* (core job A)
- New outcome **A.1.1:** Minimize the time it takes to know what a client's close needs this month
- New outcome **A.1.2:** Minimize the likelihood of forgetting a regular item in a client's close
- New outcome **A.1.3:** Minimize the likelihood of missing a change the client did not mention
- New outcome **A.1.4:** Minimize the likelihood of a close missing a filing deadline
- New outcome **A.2.1:** Minimize the time it takes to get every receipt from a client
- New outcome **A.2.2:** Minimize the number of reminders it takes to get a client's documents
- New outcome **A.2.3:** Minimize the time it takes to know which documents a client still owes
- New outcome **A.2.4:** Minimize the number of documents still missing at tax time
- New outcome **A.2.5:** Minimize the number of places you must check for a client's documents
- New outcome **A.3.1:** Minimize the time it takes to file the documents a client sends
- New outcome **A.3.2:** Minimize the likelihood of filing the same receipt twice
- New outcome **A.3.3:** Minimize the likelihood of treating a personal expense as a business one
- New outcome **A.3.4:** Minimize the number of receipts too faded to read
- New outcome **A.4.1:** Minimize the likelihood of closing the month with a document missing
- New outcome **A.4.2:** Minimize the time it takes to get a client's answer on an unknown transaction
- New outcome **A.4.3:** Minimize the number of transactions a client cannot explain
- New outcome **A.5.1:** Minimize the time it takes to record a month of transactions
- New outcome **A.5.2:** Minimize the likelihood of a bank rule coding a transaction to the wrong account
- New outcome **A.5.3:** Minimize the time it takes to split a mixed payment across accounts
- New outcome **A.5.4:** Minimize the likelihood of recording a transaction in the wrong month
- New outcome **A.6.1:** Minimize the time it takes to reconcile an account with its statement
- New outcome **A.6.2:** Minimize the likelihood of a bank feed error going unnoticed
- New outcome **A.6.3:** Minimize the likelihood of forcing a reconciliation to balance
- New outcome **A.7.1:** Minimize the time it takes to find the cause of a mismatch
- New outcome **A.7.2:** Minimize the likelihood of reopening a month the client has already seen
- New outcome **A.7.3:** Minimize the likelihood of an unfixed error coming back at year-end
- New outcome **A.8.1:** Minimize the time it takes to explain a change in the numbers to a client
- New outcome **A.8.2:** Minimize the time it takes to find what drove a change in the numbers
- New outcome **A.8.3:** Minimize the likelihood of a client skipping the monthly report
- New outcome **A.8.4:** Minimize the number of times a client asks the same question
- New outcome **A.8.5:** Minimize the likelihood of having no answer when a client asks why
- New solution group **Ways to plan the close:** Each one tells the bookkeeper what every client's close needs and in what order, and each was set up by the bookkeeper.
- New solution group **Ways to get documents in:** Each one is a way for documents to reach the bookkeeper, and the two that asked clients to log in or learn an app were dropped.
- New solution group **Ways to chase missing documents:** Each one pushes a client to send what is missing, and a person or a specific request gets answered more than a general email.
- New solution group **Ways to track what is missing:** Each one keeps a running list of what a client still owes or has not explained, and all of them are kept by hand.
- New solution group **Ways to sort documents by account:** Each one decides which account a document belongs to, and every one of them is done by hand.
- New solution group **Ways to record the books:** Each one is the accounting software where transactions get coded, and bank rules do most of the coding in both.
- New solution group **Ways to split mixed payments:** Each one breaks one payment into the accounts it really covers, and both were built by the bookkeeper.
- New solution group **Ways to catch mistakes before sending:** Each one is a second look at entries before the client sees them, because people stop seeing their own mistakes.
- New solution group **Ways to match books to bank:** Each one compares the books with the bank line by line, and the one heard so far is done on paper.
- New solution group **Ways to find a mismatch:** Each one narrows down where a difference comes from, and the fastest are rules of thumb built after losing evenings to it.
- New solution group **Ways to explain the month:** Each one tells the client what the numbers mean, and the ones with a voice or a short note get read while files alone do not.
- New solution **S1 Per-client close checklist** (everyday tool), in *Ways to plan the close*
- New solution **S2 Practice management board** (product or app), in *Ways to plan the close*
- New solution **S3 Close template in a task manager** (product or app), in *Ways to plan the close*
- New solution **S4 Sticky note with the order** (everyday tool), in *Ways to plan the close*
- New solution **S5 Email reminders** (everyday tool), in *Ways to chase missing documents*
- New solution **S6 Assistant who chases documents** (other people), in *Ways to chase missing documents*
- New solution **S7 Phone calls to clients** (everyday tool), in *Ways to chase missing documents*
- New solution **S8 Text messages to clients** (everyday tool), in *Ways to chase missing documents*
- New solution **S9 Late fee for late documents** (own method), in *Ways to chase missing documents*
- New solution **S10 Client portal** (product or app), in *Ways to get documents in*
- New solution **S11 Shared cloud folder** (everyday tool), in *Ways to get documents in*
- New solution **S12 Collecting documents in person** (own method), in *Ways to get documents in*
- New solution **S13 Receipt photo app** (product or app), in *Ways to get documents in*
- New solution **S14 Spreadsheet of missing documents** (everyday tool), in *Ways to track what is missing*
- New solution **S15 Paper list of unknowns** (everyday tool), in *Ways to track what is missing*
- New solution **S16 Questions list for the client** (everyday tool), in *Ways to track what is missing*
- New solution **S17 Sub-folders by document type** (everyday tool), in *Ways to sort documents by account*
- New solution **S18 Sorting receipts into piles** (own method), in *Ways to sort documents by account*
- New solution **S19 Rule of thumb by shop type** (own method), in *Ways to sort documents by account*
- New solution **S20 QuickBooks** (product or app), in *Ways to record the books*
- New solution **S21 Xero** (product or app), in *Ways to record the books*
- New solution **S22 Splitting invoices by hand** (own method), in *Ways to split mixed payments*
- New solution **S23 Payout split spreadsheet** (everyday tool), in *Ways to split mixed payments*
- New solution **S24 Colleague review of reconciliations** (other people), in *Ways to catch mistakes before sending*
- New solution **S25 Checking big rule matches by hand** (own method), in *Ways to catch mistakes before sending*
- New solution **S26 Ticking the paper statement** (own method), in *Ways to match books to bank*
- New solution **S27 Divide-by-nine routine** (own method), in *Ways to find a mismatch*
- New solution **S28 Round-number rule** (own method), in *Ways to find a mismatch*
- New solution **S29 Fresh eyes next morning** (own method), in *Ways to find a mismatch*
- New solution **S30 Line-by-line check against the statement** (own method), in *Ways to find a mismatch*
- New solution **S31 Forward from the last good month** (own method), in *Ways to find a mismatch*
- New solution **S32 Short summary email** (everyday tool), in *Ways to explain the month*
- New solution **S33 Emailed standard reports** (everyday tool), in *Ways to explain the month*
- New solution **S34 Three-minute screen recording** (everyday tool), in *Ways to explain the month*
- New solution **S35 Review call with the client** (own method), in *Ways to explain the month*
- New solution **S36 Printed report by post** (everyday tool), in *Ways to explain the month*
- New solution **S37 Saved explanations document** (everyday tool), in *Ways to explain the month*

## Core job A: Close a client's books each month

Numbers in brackets show how many interviews support each line. ● marks what is new.

### Define
**A.1 Decide what this month's close needs** [4]
- ● A.1.1 Minimize the time it takes to know what a client's close needs this month [3]
- ● A.1.2 Minimize the likelihood of forgetting a regular item in a client's close [1]
- ● A.1.3 Minimize the likelihood of missing a change the client did not mention [3]
- ● A.1.4 Minimize the likelihood of a close missing a filing deadline [2]

### Locate
**A.2 Collect the client's documents** [6]
- ● A.2.1 Minimize the time it takes to get every receipt from a client [5]
- ● A.2.2 Minimize the number of reminders it takes to get a client's documents [3]
- ● A.2.3 Minimize the time it takes to know which documents a client still owes [2]
- ● A.2.4 Minimize the number of documents still missing at tax time [3]
- ● A.2.5 Minimize the number of places you must check for a client's documents [2]

### Prepare
**A.3 Sort the documents by account** [5]
- ● A.3.1 Minimize the time it takes to file the documents a client sends [2]
- ● A.3.2 Minimize the likelihood of filing the same receipt twice [1]
- ● A.3.3 Minimize the likelihood of treating a personal expense as a business one [2]
- ● A.3.4 Minimize the number of receipts too faded to read [1]

### Confirm
**A.4 Check that the documents are complete** [5]
- ● A.4.1 Minimize the likelihood of closing the month with a document missing [3]
- ● A.4.2 Minimize the time it takes to get a client's answer on an unknown transaction [2]
- ● A.4.3 Minimize the number of transactions a client cannot explain [2]

### Execute
**A.5 Record the transactions** [6]
- ● A.5.1 Minimize the time it takes to record a month of transactions [3]
- ● A.5.2 Minimize the likelihood of a bank rule coding a transaction to the wrong account [1]
- ● A.5.3 Minimize the time it takes to split a mixed payment across accounts [2]
- ● A.5.4 Minimize the likelihood of recording a transaction in the wrong month [1]

### Monitor
**A.6 Reconcile the books with the bank** [6]
- ● A.6.1 Minimize the time it takes to reconcile an account with its statement [2]
- ● A.6.2 Minimize the likelihood of a bank feed error going unnoticed [2]
- ● A.6.3 Minimize the likelihood of forcing a reconciliation to balance [1]

### Modify
**A.7 Correct the entries that do not match** [6]
- ● A.7.1 Minimize the time it takes to find the cause of a mismatch [6]
- ● A.7.2 Minimize the likelihood of reopening a month the client has already seen [2]
- ● A.7.3 Minimize the likelihood of an unfixed error coming back at year-end [2]

### Conclude
**A.8 Report the month to the client** [6]
- ● A.8.1 Minimize the time it takes to explain a change in the numbers to a client [6]
- ● A.8.2 Minimize the time it takes to find what drove a change in the numbers [4]
- ● A.8.3 Minimize the likelihood of a client skipping the monthly report [4]
- ● A.8.4 Minimize the number of times a client asks the same question [4]
- ● A.8.5 Minimize the likelihood of having no answer when a client asks why [1]

## Current solutions

What people use today to get a step done, grouped by the work they compete for. Numbers in brackets show how many people use each one now.

### Ways to plan the close

*Why grouped:* Each one tells the bookkeeper what every client's close needs and in what order, and each was set up by the bookkeeper.

- **S1 Per-client close checklist** (everyday tool) [1] Dana · 2 mentions · used for: Decide what this month's close needs (A.1), Check that the documents are complete (A.4)
- **S2 Practice management board** (product or app) [1] Marcus · 1 mention · used for: Decide what this month's close needs (A.1)
- **S3 Close template in a task manager** (product or app) [1] Kenji · 1 mention · used for: Decide what this month's close needs (A.1)
- **S4 Sticky note with the order** (everyday tool) [1] Amara · 1 mention · used for: Decide what this month's close needs (A.1)

### Ways to get documents in

*Why grouped:* Each one is a way for documents to reach the bookkeeper, and the two that asked clients to log in or learn an app were dropped.

- **S12 Collecting documents in person** (own method) [2] Sofia, Ruth · 2 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2)
- **S11 Shared cloud folder** (everyday tool) [1] Kenji · 2 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2)

### Ways to chase missing documents

*Why grouped:* Each one pushes a client to send what is missing, and a person or a specific request gets answered more than a general email.

- **S5 Email reminders** (everyday tool) [4] Dana, Sofia, Kenji, Amara · 4 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2)
- **S7 Phone calls to clients** (everyday tool) [2] Marcus, Ruth · 5 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2), Check that the documents are complete (A.4), Correct the entries that do not match (A.7) · stopped: Amara
- **S6 Assistant who chases documents** (other people) [1] Marcus · 2 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2)

### Ways to track what is missing

*Why grouped:* Each one keeps a running list of what a client still owes or has not explained, and all of them are kept by hand.

- **S14 Spreadsheet of missing documents** (everyday tool) [1] Sofia · 3 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2), Check that the documents are complete (A.4)
- **S16 Questions list for the client** (everyday tool) [1] Amara · 2 mentions · used for: Check that the documents are complete (A.4)
- **S15 Paper list of unknowns** (everyday tool) [1] Ruth · 1 mention · used for: Check that the documents are complete (A.4)

### Ways to sort documents by account

*Why grouped:* Each one decides which account a document belongs to, and every one of them is done by hand.

- **S17 Sub-folders by document type** (everyday tool) [1] Sofia · 1 mention · used for: Sort the documents by account (A.3)
- **S18 Sorting receipts into piles** (own method) [1] Ruth · 1 mention · used for: Sort the documents by account (A.3)
- **S19 Rule of thumb by shop type** (own method) [1] Amara · 1 mention · used for: Sort the documents by account (A.3)

### Ways to record the books

*Why grouped:* Each one is the accounting software where transactions get coded, and bank rules do most of the coding in both.

- **S21 Xero** (product or app) [3] Marcus, Kenji, Amara · 4 mentions · used for: Record the transactions (A.5), Reconcile the books with the bank (A.6)
- **S20 QuickBooks** (product or app) [3] Dana, Sofia, Ruth · 3 mentions · used for: Record the transactions (A.5)

### Ways to split mixed payments

*Why grouped:* Each one breaks one payment into the accounts it really covers, and both were built by the bookkeeper.

- **S22 Splitting invoices by hand** (own method) [1] Sofia · 1 mention · used for: Record the transactions (A.5)
- **S23 Payout split spreadsheet** (everyday tool) [1] Kenji · 1 mention · used for: Record the transactions (A.5)

### Ways to catch mistakes before sending

*Why grouped:* Each one is a second look at entries before the client sees them, because people stop seeing their own mistakes.

- **S24 Colleague review of reconciliations** (other people) [2] Marcus, Sofia · 3 mentions · used for: Reconcile the books with the bank (A.6)
- **S25 Checking big rule matches by hand** (own method) [1] Dana · 1 mention · used for: Record the transactions (A.5)

### Ways to match books to bank

*Why grouped:* Each one compares the books with the bank line by line, and the one heard so far is done on paper.

- **S26 Ticking the paper statement** (own method) [1] Ruth · 1 mention · used for: Reconcile the books with the bank (A.6)

### Ways to find a mismatch

*Why grouped:* Each one narrows down where a difference comes from, and the fastest are rules of thumb built after losing evenings to it.

- **S27 Divide-by-nine routine** (own method) [1] Kenji · 1 mention · used for: Correct the entries that do not match (A.7)
- **S28 Round-number rule** (own method) [1] Ruth · 1 mention · used for: Correct the entries that do not match (A.7)
- **S29 Fresh eyes next morning** (own method) [1] Sofia · 1 mention · used for: Correct the entries that do not match (A.7)
- **S30 Line-by-line check against the statement** (own method) [1] Marcus · 1 mention · used for: Correct the entries that do not match (A.7)
- **S31 Forward from the last good month** (own method) [1] Amara · 1 mention · used for: Correct the entries that do not match (A.7)

### Ways to explain the month

*Why grouped:* Each one tells the client what the numbers mean, and the ones with a voice or a short note get read while files alone do not.

- **S32 Short summary email** (everyday tool) [3] Dana, Marcus, Sofia · 3 mentions · used for: Report the month to the client (A.8)
- **S37 Saved explanations document** (everyday tool) [1] Amara · 2 mentions · used for: Report the month to the client (A.8)
- **S34 Three-minute screen recording** (everyday tool) [1] Kenji · 1 mention · used for: Report the month to the client (A.8)
- **S35 Review call with the client** (own method) [1] Marcus · 1 mention · used for: Report the month to the client (A.8)
- **S36 Printed report by post** (everyday tool) [1] Ruth · 1 mention · used for: Report the month to the client (A.8)

### Stopped using

Nobody interviewed uses these any more. The quotes say why.

- **S8 Text messages to clients** (everyday tool) [0] nobody now · 1 mention · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2) · stopped: Dana
- **S9 Late fee for late documents** (own method) [0] nobody now · 1 mention · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2) · stopped: Marcus
- **S10 Client portal** (product or app) [0] nobody now · 2 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2) · stopped: Sofia
- **S13 Receipt photo app** (product or app) [0] nobody now · 2 mentions · used for: Collect the client's documents (A.2) · stopped: Ruth
- **S33 Emailed standard reports** (everyday tool) [0] nobody now · 3 mentions · used for: Report the month to the client (A.8) · stopped: Marcus, Kenji

## Value themes

Needs that group the outcomes, to sort ideas into. Numbers in brackets show how many people voiced a theme's outcomes: a signal from interviews, not a survey score.

### Get what I need from clients [6]

*Help me get documents and answers from clients without chasing them*

Each one measures how much chasing and waiting it takes before the bookkeeper has what the client owes.

- Minimize the time it takes to get every receipt from a client (A.2.1) [5]
- Minimize the number of reminders it takes to get a client's documents (A.2.2) [3]
- Minimize the number of places you must check for a client's documents (A.2.5) [2]
- Minimize the time it takes to get a client's answer on an unknown transaction (A.4.2) [2]
- Minimize the number of transactions a client cannot explain (A.4.3) [2]

### Find what is wrong fast [6]

*Help me find why the books do not match the bank, fast*

Each one is about how long a difference stays hidden and how much of the month it takes to find it.

- Minimize the time it takes to reconcile an account with its statement (A.6.1) [2]
- Minimize the likelihood of a bank feed error going unnoticed (A.6.2) [2]
- Minimize the likelihood of forcing a reconciliation to balance (A.6.3) [1]
- Minimize the time it takes to find the cause of a mismatch (A.7.1) [6]
- Minimize the likelihood of reopening a month the client has already seen (A.7.2) [2]

### Make the numbers make sense [6]

*Help me give clients the why behind their numbers before they ask*

Each one is about the client understanding the month without a long call or the same question twice.

- Minimize the time it takes to explain a change in the numbers to a client (A.8.1) [6]
- Minimize the time it takes to find what drove a change in the numbers (A.8.2) [4]
- Minimize the likelihood of a client skipping the monthly report (A.8.3) [4]
- Minimize the number of times a client asks the same question (A.8.4) [4]
- Minimize the likelihood of having no answer when a client asks why (A.8.5) [1]

### See where every close stands [5]

*Help me see at a glance what each client's close still needs*

Each one is about knowing, without digging, what a client's month needs, what is still owed and what is due first.

- Minimize the time it takes to know what a client's close needs this month (A.1.1) [3]
- Minimize the likelihood of a close missing a filing deadline (A.1.4) [2]
- Minimize the time it takes to know which documents a client still owes (A.2.3) [2]

### Close with nothing left out [5]

*Help me close each month knowing nothing was left out*

Each one is a way a month gets closed with something missing that nobody sees until later.

- Minimize the likelihood of forgetting a regular item in a client's close (A.1.2) [1]
- Minimize the likelihood of missing a change the client did not mention (A.1.3) [3]
- Minimize the likelihood of closing the month with a document missing (A.4.1) [3]
- Minimize the likelihood of a bank feed error going unnoticed (A.6.2) [2]

### Hand the accountant a clean year [5]

*Help me reach year-end with nothing left for the accountant to find*

Each one is a gap that piles up month by month and lands on the bookkeeper when the accountant looks at the year.

- Minimize the number of documents still missing at tax time (A.2.4) [3]
- Minimize the likelihood of treating a personal expense as a business one (A.3.3) [2]
- Minimize the number of transactions a client cannot explain (A.4.3) [2]
- Minimize the likelihood of an unfixed error coming back at year-end (A.7.3) [2]

### Handle each document once [5]

*Help me get each document into the books without handling it twice*

Each one is time spent moving, reading or splitting documents by hand before the numbers exist.

- Minimize the time it takes to file the documents a client sends (A.3.1) [2]
- Minimize the likelihood of filing the same receipt twice (A.3.2) [1]
- Minimize the number of receipts too faded to read (A.3.4) [1]
- Minimize the time it takes to record a month of transactions (A.5.1) [3]
- Minimize the time it takes to split a mixed payment across accounts (A.5.3) [2]

### Code every entry right first time [4]

*Help me record every transaction where it belongs the first time*

Each one is an entry that lands in the wrong account or month and has to be found and moved later.

- Minimize the likelihood of treating a personal expense as a business one (A.3.3) [2]
- Minimize the likelihood of a bank rule coding a transaction to the wrong account (A.5.2) [1]
- Minimize the likelihood of recording a transaction in the wrong month (A.5.4) [1]

## Next interviews

Where you stand: Early signs. 2 more conversations to reach: A clear pattern.

1. **Talk to 1 person: A bookkeeper in a small firm where an assistant chases the clients** (A.4.2, A.4.3, A.8.5)
   1. Tell me about the last bank line you could not place. How did you find out what it was?  
      *Listen for:* how long the answer took, and whether the client could explain it
   2. Walk me through the last time a client asked why a number changed. What did you tell them?  
      *Listen for:* whether they had an answer ready, or had to go and dig
2. **Talk to 1 person: A bookkeeper whose clients put their documents in a shared folder** (A.2.5, A.3.2, A.5.2)
   1. Think of last month's receipts for one client. Where did each of them reach you?  
      *Listen for:* how many places they check, and any receipt filed twice
   2. Tell me about the last time a bank rule put a payment in the wrong account. How did you notice?  
      *Listen for:* how they caught it, and how long it went unnoticed

**The main finding rests on these**

- A.2.5 Minimize the number of places you must check for a client's documents [2]
- A.4.2 Minimize the time it takes to get a client's answer on an unknown transaction [2]
- A.4.3 Minimize the number of transactions a client cannot explain [2]

**Needs heard from one person**

- A.1.2 Minimize the likelihood of forgetting a regular item in a client's close [1]
- A.3.2 Minimize the likelihood of filing the same receipt twice [1]
- A.3.4 Minimize the number of receipts too faded to read [1]
- A.5.2 Minimize the likelihood of a bank rule coding a transaction to the wrong account [1]
- A.5.4 Minimize the likelihood of recording a transaction in the wrong month [1]
- *2 more in the map*

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