At the start, a part-time bookkeeper or friend-of-a-friend may have done just fine. But as your business grows, so do your accounting needs — and what worked before might now be holding you back.

Here are five clear signs you’ve outgrown your current bookkeeping setup:

1. You’re Not Getting Monthly Financial Reports

If you’re only seeing your financials at year-end — or worse, scrambling to piece them together for your accountant — you’re flying blind. Growing businesses need:

  • Monthly income statements
  • Balance sheets
  • Cash flow insights

These aren’t just for compliance. They help you make better decisions, catch issues early, and plan with confidence.

2. There’s No System — Just Spreadsheets and Emails

A growing business needs more than just a stack of PDFs and Excel files. If you’re still managing receipts manually or emailing invoices back and forth:

  • You’re wasting time
  • You’re at risk of errors
  • You’re not scalable

Modern cloud accounting systems like QuickBooks Online, Dext, or Plooto can automate much of your workflow — saving time and improving accuracy.

3. Payroll and Sales Tax Filings Are Always Last-Minute

Late source deduction payments, missed HST filings, or frequent CRA notices are a red flag. These issues not only hurt your compliance record but can also lead to penalties and stress.

A solid back office should have recurring workflows that ensure:

  • Payroll is processed on time
  • Remittances are accurate
  • Sales tax returns are filed well before the deadline

4. Your Bookkeeper Can’t Answer Basic Financial Questions

If your bookkeeper can’t tell you why cash is tight, whether your margins are improving, or if your expenses are trending up — they’re doing data entry, not real bookkeeping.

Growing businesses need insight, not just input.

5. Your Accountant Is Doing All the Cleanup at Year-End

When your year-end accountant has to rework or redo large parts of the books, you’re paying twice:

  • Once for the bookkeeper
  • Again for the cleanup

Upgrading your accounting systems and team reduces these inefficiencies — and gives you cleaner, more timely data throughout the year.

Time for an Upgrade?

If any of these signs feel familiar, it might be time to level up your back office. We help businesses move from ad hoc spreadsheets to structured, cloud-based accounting systems — giving you real-time data and a better grip on your numbers.

Ready for a More Reliable Back Office?
 Let’s build a system that scales with your business.