Which Bookkeeping Plan Do I Need? Starter vs. Growth vs. Full-Service for Service Businesses
You know you need a bookkeeper. The question is how much bookkeeping. Pay for too little and invoices and bills still pile up on you. Pay for too much and you're funding work your business doesn't have.
This guide answers which bookkeeping plan do I need for a service business: consultants, contractors and trades, marketing and creative agencies, and other professional service providers. It uses Linked-do-Books™'s three monthly plans as the example.
Step 1: Are your books current?
If the books are behind, no monthly plan is the right first step. Start with Books Clean-Up, a one-time project for overdue records: $150 per month behind, with a $600 minimum and an $1,800 cap. Once the books are current, move onto a monthly plan. See Books Clean-Up.
Step 2: Match the plan to your business
Starter: $249/month
For very small or simple service businesses that need the basics kept current.
- Transaction categorization
- Monthly bank reconciliation
- Basic Profit & Loss report
Pick it if: you have one or two accounts, modest volume, and you handle your own invoicing and bills.
Growth: $399/month (most popular)
For owners who need more visibility into what's owed, what's due and what changed.
- Everything in Starter
- Accounts payable and receivable management
- Higher transaction volume
- Detailed monthly financial reports
Pick it if: clients pay you on invoices, you have vendor bills to track, or you want a Balance Sheet as well as a P&L.
Full-Service: $649/month
For more complex service-business books and owners who want the most comprehensive monthly package.
- Everything in Growth
- Support for more complex books
Pick it if: you run several accounts, entities or revenue streams and want the fullest monthly package.
What every plan includes
Every plan includes a short plain-language note about what changed and what to look at next. Growth and Full-Service include a Profit & Loss statement and a Balance Sheet. The work is 100% remote and nationwide, with human review.
What's not included
These are bookkeeping plans. Tax preparation, tax advice and legal advice aren't included. Linked-do-Books doesn't prepare or sign tax returns or represent clients before the IRS. Tax matters are referred to independent licensed tax professionals. See bookkeeping vs. tax prep.
Need more than bookkeeping?
Once the books are current, qualified clients can review CFO-Lite Advisory ($1,250/month): cash-flow forecasting, basic KPI tracking and reporting, one short monthly strategy call, and tax referrals to independent licensed tax professionals. It doesn't include tax planning or tax advice, and it stays separate from monthly bookkeeping. See CFO-Lite Advisory.
Still not sure?
- Take the free Bookkeeping Health Score quiz
- Download the free bookkeeping checklist
- Compare everything on the pricing page or the service-business bookkeeping page
- Or describe what you need, and the team will help clarify fit and scope
Related reading: how much monthly bookkeeping costs, annual vs. monthly bookkeeping plans, bookkeeping for contractors and bookkeeping for freelancers and consultants.
Selling online with inventory and payouts? See e-commerce bookkeeping instead.
FAQ
Can I start on Starter and move up?
Choose the level that fits now. If your needs grow, talk to the team about a different plan.
Which plan includes a Balance Sheet?
Growth and Full-Service.
Does any plan include tax filing?
No. Tax filing and tax advice are outside these bookkeeping plans.