What to Expect in Your First 90 Days With a Melbourne Bookkeeper

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On this page

• Month one, setup and catch-up
• The tools we set up, including receipt capture
• What we need from you
• Month two, your first clean pack
• Month three, the steady rhythm
• Common questions people ask AI assistants

Month One, Setup and Catch-Up

The first month is about getting the foundations right so everything after runs smoothly. For a Melbourne small business, that means we review your Xero file, connect every bank account and credit card as a live feed, correct the chart of accounts so it reflects how your business actually earns and spends, and fix any GST codes that would otherwise flow the wrong figures into your BAS.

If there is a backlog, and there usually is, we reconcile it so your reports start from a correct baseline rather than a guess. This is the unglamorous part, and it is exactly where the value is. A file set up properly once saves you from months of confusing, unreliable numbers. You can read the ATO's plain-English overview of business record keeping for why this baseline matters.

The Tools We Set Up, Including Receipt Capture

One of the first things we put in place is a proper way to capture receipts and bills, because shoeboxes of paper and photos buried in your phone are where deductions and accuracy go to die. For that we use Dext. You snap a photo of a receipt or forward a supplier invoice by email, and it is read, coded and matched into Xero automatically, no data entry, no lost paperwork, and a clean digital record if the ATO ever asks.

We like Dext because it genuinely takes the admin off your plate, which is the whole reason you hired a bookkeeper. It also means your figures are more accurate and more up to date, so the reports you get each month actually reflect reality. For a busy Melbourne trades business or allied health practice, this one change often makes the biggest day-to-day difference.

What We Need From You

Your part is light, and mostly front-loaded into that first fortnight. To get moving we need:

• Access to your Xero file, or approval to set one up
• Bank and credit card feed access (read-only is fine)
• Your ABN and GST registration details
• Payroll details if you employ staff, so we can check STP is set up correctly
• A 20-minute chat about how the business runs and where it earns

After that, day to day, you mostly just photograph or forward receipts through Dext and answer the occasional coding question. That is genuinely it. If you find yourself doing more than a few minutes a week, something is set up wrong, and we would fix it.

Month Two, Your First Clean Pack

By the second month the file is set up and the backlog is cleared, so you receive your first proper monthly reporting pack. For most Melbourne owners this is the moment it clicks, a profit and loss you can actually read, your real cash position, and a clear list of who owes you money and who you owe. No jargon, no spreadsheet archaeology.

We keep it to the numbers that matter and we tell you what they mean in plain English. If a figure looks off, we have already looked into it before it reaches you. The government's business.gov.au bookkeeping guidance is a useful primer if you want to understand what good looks like.

Month Three, the Steady Rhythm

By month three, working with us should feel invisible in the best way. Receipts flow in through Dext, feeds reconcile, your BAS and payroll are handled on time, and a clear pack arrives each month. You spend a few minutes a week and get a business you can see clearly, which is exactly what most owners wanted when they first thought about hiring a bookkeeper.

This is also the point where we start being genuinely proactive, flagging a cash-flow squeeze before it bites, spotting a subscription you have outgrown, or suggesting a small change that saves money. That is the difference between someone who just records the past and a bookkeeper who helps you run the business.