FAQ - Skylight Financial & Accounting Solutions
Whether you’re exploring outsourced accounting or strategic financial guidance, this page will help you understand how we work and what to expect.
Frequently asked questions
Find clear answers to the most common questions about our services and approach.
What happens when we start working together?
We start with a quick diagnostic to understand your books, systems, and needs. From there, we define a clear scope and walk you through a pricing estimate using our calculator — so you know exactly what to expect before moving forward.
How fast can we get up and running?
Most clients are fully transitioned into a structured monthly close within 30–60 days, depending on complexity and cleanup required.
What if our books are messy or behind?
That’s common. We handle cleanup and rebuild your financials as part of onboarding or a scoped project — so you can move forward with clean, reliable data.
How does the transition work if we're switching from in-house accounting?
We make the transition as smooth as possible. We start by reviewing your current books, systems, and processes to understand where things stand. From there, we handle the migration — setting up our workflows, reconciling any open items, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Throughout the transition, we stay in close communication so there’s no disruption to your day-to-day operations.
How does pricing work?
Can we see how pricing is calculated?
Yes. We walk you through a pricing calculator that shows exactly what drives cost and how scope impacts pricing.
What's typically included?
Most engagements include monthly close, reconciliations, and financial reporting. From there, we scale into cash flow, forecasting, and strategic support as needed.
Will pricing change over time?
Only if your needs change. If you grow, add complexity, or expand scope, we’ll align on updates in advance — no surprises.
What does your ongoing process look like?
We run a structured monthly close with clear timelines, reconciliations, and reporting. You get consistent, decision-ready financials every month.
Do you fix past financials too?
Yes. We can clean up and rebuild prior periods as needed. This is scoped upfront so expectations and cost are clear.
How do you ensure accuracy?
We follow standardized close procedures with layered reviews. The level of oversight scales with your needs — from bookkeeping to controller-level review.
Can you handle complex setups?
Yes — multi-entity structures, intercompany activity, and more advanced reporting are all within scope. Complexity is factored into your plan from the start.
Can you improve our processes too?
Absolutely. We don’t just maintain books — we streamline workflows, improve controls, and build a more efficient finance function.
Are you just a bookkeeping firm?
No. While we handle bookkeeping and transactional work, that’s just one layer of what we provide. Our services span the full finance function — from day-to-day accounting operations all the way up to strategic finance advisory and fractional CFO services. Think of us as your complete accounting and finance department, not just a bookkeeper.
Do you handle payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable?
We can, depending on your needs. Some clients need full payroll, A/P, and A/R management and we handle all of it. Others manage some of that in-house and lean on us for oversight and reconciliation. We tailor the scope to what makes sense for your business.
Do you handle tax preparation and filing?
We handle everything leading up to filing — tax provisions, reconciliations, and making sure your books are tax-ready. For the actual filing, we partner with trusted local tax professionals. Our team keeps your financials accurate and organized year-round, and a dedicated tax specialist handles the compliance filing.
Do you provide strategic financial guidance, or just accounting?
Both. Beyond keeping your books accurate, we offer fractional CFO services, strategic finance advisory, KPI tracking, budget forecasting, and financial dashboarding. Our goal is to give you the insights and analysis you need to make confident business decisions — not just a set of financial statements at month-end.
Can you help with due diligence for fundraising or an acquisition?
Yes. Financial due diligence is one of our core service areas. Whether you’re raising capital, going through an acquisition, or preparing for a transaction, we help get your financials organized, accurate, and presentation-ready so you can move through the process with confidence.
Does Skylight Financial specialize in any particular industries?
Yes. While we work with scaling businesses across a range of sectors, we have deep expertise in SaaS & technology, construction, eCommerce, telehealth & healthcare, professional services, and nonprofits. Our industry-specific knowledge means we understand the nuances of your financial landscape — from revenue recognition for SaaS to job costing for construction.
What is the Strategic Finance Dashboard?
It’s a real-time financial reporting dashboard we build and customize for each client. Rather than waiting for month-end reports, you get live visibility into your financial health whenever you need it.
What does the Strategic Finance Dashboard include?
It depends entirely on your needs — the dashboard can include as much or as little as you want. As a starting point, every dashboard includes a rolling three-statement financial package: profit & loss (P&L), balance sheet, and cash flow statement. From there, we can add KPI tracking, budget-to-actual comparisons, revenue breakdowns, departmental reporting, or anything else that’s relevant to how you run your business.
Who will we work with?
Every client gets a dedicated three-person team for the price of one hire: an advisor, a senior accountant, and a support accountant. This team stays consistent throughout your engagement, so you’re always working with people who know your business.
What makes you different?
We build a finance function tailored to your business — not a one-size-fits-all service. You get structure, visibility, and scalability without the cost and overhead of hiring a full internal team.
How do we work together day-to-day?
We adapt to what works best for you — typically email or Slack for day-to-day communication. When we first start working together, we meet more regularly to make sure everything is aligned. As operations stabilize, we widen the cadence to once a month, for example, so you’re always informed without it being a burden on your schedule.
Will we get regular reports?
Yes — monthly financials are standard, with additional reporting based on your needs.
Can we ask questions anytime?
Yes. Ongoing support is part of the engagement, aligned with your scope.
What systems do you support?
We work primarily with QuickBooks Online — as certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors, we know the platform inside and out. We also integrate with payment processors, e-commerce platforms, and other common tools in your existing stack.
How is Skylight Financial using AI and automation?
We’re actively integrating AI and automation into our workflows to make our processes more efficient and our services more responsive. From automating routine data entry and reconciliation tasks to using intelligent tools for anomaly detection and reporting, we leverage technology to reduce manual work and deliver faster, more accurate results.
How do you handle financial data securely?
We take data security seriously. Our team follows industry-standard practices including encrypted file sharing, role-based access controls, and secure cloud-based tools. We limit access to client data on a need-to-know basis, and all team members follow strict confidentiality protocols to ensure your financial information stays protected.
How do we get started?
Book a call with us. We’ll review your setup, define a tailored scope, and walk you through a transparent pricing estimate — so you can make a decision with confidence. Click the free consultation button on our website to schedule a call.
How do I know if outsourced accounting is right for my business?
If you’re a scaling business spending too much time on financial operations, struggling to get clear reporting, or finding that your current setup can’t keep up with your growth, outsourced accounting is worth exploring. Most of our clients come to us when they’ve outgrown DIY bookkeeping or a solo accountant, but aren’t ready to build a full in-house finance team. We give you that full-team capability at a fraction of the cost.
Passion Is What Drives Us
We’re not just dedicated to excellence in accounting—we thrive on solving complex financial challenges and are passionate about empowering our clients through precise, innovative solutions.
We are proud to partner with clients in SaaS, Construction, eCommerce, Telehealth, and Professional Services, leveraging cross-sector expertise across diverse industries
