ARI delivers comprehensive accounting and financial management services for less than the cost of maintaining these functions in-house, also offers world-class accounting expertise to help you make sound business decisions.
Some businesses we work with maintain a bookkeeper on staff to manage day-to-day bookkeeping tasks. If so, that’s perfectly fine. If not, we’ll assume responsibility for this area. We’ll collect and compile all source documents that enable us to record your transactions accurately into your accounting system.
Cash Management
Cash management is particularly important for growing businesses. We will work to understand your company’s operating cash cycle and will manage your cash balances and payables on a weekly basis.
Financial Reporting and Analysis
Your ARI team will reconcile all of your accounts and prepare accurate and timely monthly financial statements.
We will also help you analyze your results from a business perspective, including identifying trends that are impacting your company’s profitability. When challenges arise, we will work with you to identify potential solutions.
Regulatory Compliance
We will work to ensure that your business complies with all state and local government regulations related to sales and use tax and property taxes. If there is a problem, we will deal directly with the appropriate government agency to resolve it.
Controller and CFO-Level Expertise
Your ARI team includes an experienced manager who functions as your CFO/Controller. He or she will serve as an extension of your management team, will review financials with you and your managers, and will be available to answer your questions or discuss any aspect of your business’s finances.
Year-End Services
We will interface with your tax firm for tax planning and tax preparation and with your audit firm to ensure that your audit is efficient and hassle free.
Budgeting and Forecasting
We will design a unique monthly budget model tailored to your industry and your business. We will also prepare a forecasted balance sheet, cash flow statement and profit and loss statement to help you manage your business more effectively.
Services
Comprehensive accounting services include everything from processing and recording transactions and cash management to CFO-level support and consultation.
Our fees are based on the complexity of your business, your transactional volume and our ability to automate and streamline systems and procedures. Most clients find that engaging us results in cost savings.
We operate on a flat monthly fee. This enables you to accurately forecast and budget your cash flow. For special services or one-time projects, we bill at an hourly rate and always provide an estimate before starting.
No. We charge a flat monthly fee. This enables you to accurately forecast and budget your cash flow.
And, if you ever want to terminate our engagement, all we require is 30-days’ written notice. And the same goes for us. If, for some reason, we determine ARI is not a good fit for your organization, we will provide you with at least 30 days’ written notice.
How quickly can you get started?
Our typical lead time is 30 to 60 days from the time we have a signed engagement letter from you. This allows us time to compile our team and develop a transition plan. For further details on our transition process, read this article.
What is ARI’s responsiveness and accessibility?
We commit to responding to emails or phone calls within 24 hours, but you will find that we typically respond much faster. We need to understand everything that is going on with your business and, to do so, requires constant communication.
How will we transfer financial data?
We transfer data in a variety of ways. We strive to find the most efficient, most secure method that works for both your organization and ARI. This may include using Microsoft ShareFile, or having direct access to your bank statements, credit card statements and/or payroll service. Check out this article to find out how we provide multi-layered data security.
Do your accountants come to my office?
We typically do not go onsite to perform accounting work. Of course, we’re always available to meet with you upon your request or to attend Board meetings or management team meetings. However, by working in a central location, we eliminate travel time and have access to state-of-the-art technology and accounting systems.
Who will be working on my accountant?
We will assemble a team that is assigned to your engagement. The size of the team will be determined by the size, volume, and complexity of your organization. This group effectively becomes your accounting department and will strive to understand every aspect of your business, including your organization’s goals.
Can my organization save money by using your services?
Although results can vary, many of our clients have saved 25% to 40% by outsourcing their accounting function to us.
Here are some examples of how we save you money:
We assemble a team of individuals with redundant knowledge so there is never a single point of failure with respect to staffing.
You avoid all of the associated direct and indirect costs associated with having an employee, including payroll taxes, health insurance, worker’s comp insurance, benefits, paid time off, training expense, management time, office space and IT requirements. And, you don’t have to spend time recruiting and hiring when you have employee turnover.
The fees you pay to a CPA firm to review your financial statements and conduct audits are often less because your books and accounting records are clean and delivered on time.
By implementing technology and creating efficiencies, your team has more time to focus on your business.
You have accurate, reliable and timely financial reports at your fingertips, allowing you to make more informed business decisions that can influence your bottom line.
We strive to provide a comprehensive monthly reporting package to you in accordance with the agreed-upon dates of our engagement. As part of the transition process, we will determine what day of the month you need your monthly package. In most cases, these are delivered between the 15th and the 22nd of each month.
What general ledger software do you use?
The vast majority of our clients use QuickBooks desktop or QuickBooks online. We do have clients on other platforms including Sage, Black-Baud, Financial Edge, MRI, and Timberline. We also use a variety of property management software systems such as Yardi.
Where are your clients located?
We are based in Glastonbury, Connecticut and the majority of our clients are in the New England region. However, because of our reputation and the outstanding client service we provide, we have extended our reach beyond New England. With the help of technology, we see no limitations in where our clients can be located.
What industries do you serve?
We specialize in service-based industries, including non-profits, theaters, technology, transportation, marketing and advertising, professional services, records and data management, property management and construction. Check out this page for further details on who we serve.
How large are your clients?
Our typical client is based in the U.S. and has annual revenue f $1-5 million. Most are required to have their fianncial statements audited or reviewed by an independent CPA firm. Read this article to see if we can fulfill your needs.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes, if you are trying to determine if outsourcing your accounting is the right choice for you, there is never a cost for a consultation with us. We go through a detailed eight-step process to understand your organization, your current situation, and your accounting needs. This allows us to recommend the best strategy to move forward. Read this article to discover more about our process.
Do you provide temporary accounting services or do project work?
If you are looking for a short-term solution to manage your accounting function or you have a special project you need to complete, ARI is likely not the right firm for you. At ARI, we look for longer-term engagements in which we can truly provide value by serving as your experienced accounting professional.
Do you perform audits/or prepare tax returns for clients?
No, we do not perform audit services or prepare annual tax returns. Although many of us have worked in auditing firms, we choose to specialize in outsourced accounting and HR services. However, we work with trusted partners to whom we refer our clients for these types of services.
Do you manage my annual audit?
Though we do not perform annual audits, we will be an integral part of your audit process. We will work with your chosen auditing firm to furnish all of the necessary schedules and information to enable them to complete an efficient audit and prepare any tax returns required.
What other services are included?
Included in our monthly service fee are the preparation of property tax declarations and sales tax returns. We will also work with you to develop a comprehensive budget, as necessary.
You can find a detailed list of all of our services here.
What other services are included?
Yes, according to our engagement agreement, we can attend your monthly, quarterly or annual finance or Board of Directors’ meetings, either in person or virtually, based on your needs. For many clients, we also present annual budgets to their management team and answer questions that arise.
ARI is a crucial part of my small business’s team. The services and consulting we get from our accountant are professional, timely, affordable, and most important of all, personally customized. I've got nothing but good things to say about ARI.
I outsource all accounting functions related to my specialty construction business to ARI. In addition to recording the day-to-day transactional work, I now have an accounting department that assists me with more complex issues, including actively managing cash flow, helping me maintain strong lending relationships, and preparing monthly WIP schedules. The added benefit of having a CFO-level advisor to reach out to when I have questions is really helpful. Given the monthly cost, it’s an amazing value.
We have been using ARI for a while now for our commercial real estate, small business. The ARI team has been greatly helpful in our accounting needs: bank reconciliations each week & month, cash reports, monthly financials in excel, etc. Everyone on the team we have worked with has been responsive, easy to work with, and efficient! I have worked closely with Amey for almost a year, and she truly has enhanced the financials we produce each month. I would definitely recommend hiring ARI to assist in your accounting needs!
