Wrapping up 2024...

Whew, what a year! You’re in for a treat today, I’m letting you in on a little behind-the-scenes action of what we we're up to at Lookout Bookkeeping in 2024. Here are the greatest hits from our official Spotify Wrapped: Lookout Bookkeeping Edition!

In 2024, Lookout Bookkeeping:

Served over 70 clients.
Most popular genre (a.k.a industry) was home service providers.
Most played songs during work hours was definitely anything from Max Richter.
Reconciled over 100,000 transactions.
Grew to a size of 4 team members.
Consumed over *there is no telling how many* glasses of red wine - celebrating your success and finishing up our work, of course!

And we’re keeping the party going in 2025! We are excited to start diving into offering more advisory services (please ask us about this), offering a class local to Chattanooga on starting a business with The Chattery (we plan to do this 3-4 times in 2025 BUT our first class is on Monday, 12/9 - register here), and growing with more clients who want a partner in their business when it comes to their bookkeeper.

Want to be a part of the fun next year? Get started working with us by responding to this email or visiting our website at www.lktbook.com.

Client Corner

As we wrap up this year, you'll notice a few changes at Lookout Bookkeeping heading into 2025.

First, we are moving to a new proposal and payment platform. I am working on that this week! You'll see updated proposals that will start in January or February. When you sign your proposal, you'll be asked to enter your payment information for automatic payments on the first of each month. You will no longer have to remember to pay your invoice each month.

Service Fee Adjustments - Lookout Bookkeeping's last general price adjustment occured two years ago; some clients have seen small increases based on their volume or service complexity, but most have not. I'll start sending these new proposals out next week. if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Payroll Updates - Starting in 2025, Lookout Bookkeeping will no longer provide payroll processing services for NEW clients. We will advise & assist new clients with setting up payroll processing, being sure you have the best fit for your needs for payroll processing, with vendors we know and trust. For clients who currently have payroll processing with us, we will continue to provide this service in 2025, but will transition to not providing the service in 2026. If you'd like to discuss what transitioning your payroll services may look like, please set up a call with me.

Please remember, if you have questions to ask, or documents to upload, be sure to add them in the client portal.

This Month's Freebie!

Systems = Freedom.

After helping dozens of business owners clean up their books and streamline their operations, these are the 3 vendors I recommend every time:

✅ Gusto for stress-free payroll
✅ Relay Financial for a Profit First banking platform
✅ Anchor for seamless proposals and payments

The right tools don't just make life easier — they keep you PROFITABLE.

📈 Want to know how these tools fit into your business? Click below!

Get the Freebie!

Vendor Spotlight – Relay Financial

Are you looking for a banking solution? I've got one for you!

Relay is an all-in-one business banking and money management platform to help small businesses understand what they’re earning, spending, and saving—so they can make the best financial choices for their business. With Relay, business owners can:

Bank with no account fees, no overdraft fees, and no minimum balance required
Organize expenses and cash reserves using up to 20 individual accounts
Earn barrier free savings between 1-3% APY
Issue up to 50 virtual or physical Visa® debit cards to meticulously organize spending by team or project
Send payments and deposits via ACH, wires, or checks
Cashflow automations, like maximum balance transfer rules and recurring payments
Give team members and financial advisors secure, role-based banking access
Integrate banking with accounting software like QuickBooks Online and Xero
Get personalized customer support by email and phone
And, my favorite feature from Relay - automated Profit First transfers! Read more here.

Getting started with Relay couldn't be more simple - just click this link - the application process takes 10 minutes or less!

The Fine Print: Relay is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and FDIC insurance are provided through Thread Bank, Member FDIC. The Relay Visa® Debit Card is issued by Thread Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa® debit cards are accepted.

In closing...

Here are a couple of housekeeping items before the new year! First, our last day in the office is December 23rd (the day we process your final payroll of the year). We will be back in the office on January 2nd to process 1099s, W2s, and finalizing 2024 financials to prepare for tax filing. If you have any questions, please submit them through the client portal. If you have an emergent issue, please text us at 423-497-4144.

Finally, there are two things on my wish list this year. First, I’d love it if you left a Google review regarding your experience with us. And finally, I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Cheering You On!

Looking for a DIY solution?

Look no further than our Small Business Bookkeeping Tracker! For the start-up side gig who just has a few transactions a month, this tracker will be your BFF for tax filing. You can enter your transactions each month and this tracker will produce monthly and annual reports. The best solution for any business until you need to partner with a bookkeeper to provide done for you services.