Questions we hear before people book - and honest answers to all of them
No runaround. No corporate non-answers. If you are sitting on a question that is keeping you from reaching out, there is a good chance it is on this page.
About Profit Kept NC
Q: Do you work with businesses like mine?
We work with small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed owners across a wide range of industries. We go deep on business finance instead of staying generic: clean books, accurate returns, and a plan for what comes next.
Q: Who is behind Profit Kept NC?
Chelsea Williams founded Profit Kept in 2017 after meeting a longtime business owner who told her he would “die at his desk,” with no financial exit and no plan. That moment shaped what she built: not just a bookkeeping firm, but a team that helps business owners build something worth keeping. You can read her full story on our About page.
Q: How long has PK been doing this?
Since August 2017. What started as a firm exclusively specializing in law firm finances has grown into a team with a structured pod system, documented processes for every client, and a service ladder from foundational bookkeeping all the way to fractional CFO strategy, now serving both law firms and general small to medium businesses.
Tax Services
Q: Do you prepare business tax returns?
Yes. We offer business tax preparation plus proactive tax planning, including quarterly strategy meetings and estimated tax payment management. If you already have a tax professional you love, we can also hand off clean, tax-ready books to them instead. Whatever fits your situation.
Q: What’s the difference between tax preparation and tax planning?
Tax preparation reports what already happened in your business last year. Tax planning looks ahead. We meet with you quarterly to see where your numbers stand and adjust before deadlines, so tax season has fewer surprises.
Q: What are estimated tax payments, and can you manage them?
Business owners and self-employed people often pay taxes quarterly instead of once a year. Pay too little and you can face underpayment penalties. Pay too much and you’ve tied up cash for no reason. We calculate your payments from your real year-to-date numbers and keep you on schedule.
Q: How do you handle the transition if I switch from my current bookkeeper?
We document everything. Before, during, and after.
When you come on as a PK client, we create a backend manual for your firm - a written record of how your books are managed, your chart of accounts structure, your reconciliation process, your recurring workflows. It belongs to you, not us. If you ever move on from PK, you take it with you and hand it to whoever is next. No institutional knowledge is lost in the transition.
If you are coming from a previous bookkeeper, we start with a review of where things stand, identify what needs to be corrected, and take it from there. We have done hundreds of these transitions.
Q: What documents do I need to give you?
It depends on your business, but it usually includes last year’s returns, your profit and loss statement and balance sheet (or your bookkeeping records), bank and credit card statements, payroll records, 1099s and W-2s, major equipment purchases, loan statements, and mileage logs if you use a vehicle for work. On your first call, we’ll tell you exactly what applies to you.
Q: What are the tax deadlines for my business?
For calendar-year businesses, partnerships and S corporations generally file by March 15, while sole proprietors, single-member LLCs, and C corporations generally file by April 15. Estimated payments are due quarterly. An extension gives you more time to file, not more time to pay. We’ll tell you which dates apply to you.
Q: I’m behind on filing, or I missed a deadline. Is it too late?
Tell us, and do not wait. Penalties and interest grow over time, and the first step is getting your books and filings in order. We’ll look at where things stand and make a plan with you. No judgment.
Q: I got a letter from the IRS or the NC Department of Revenue. Can you help?
Bring it to us before you respond. We’ll review it with you and explain what it is asking. Many of these letters are simple notices, and some need a response by a deadline.
Q: I’m a business owner. Do you prepare my personal return too?
We focus on business returns and don’t offer standalone personal tax preparation.
Working Together
Q: My books are a mess. I am embarrassed to let anyone see them.
We hear this constantly, and the state of your books when you come to us is a starting point, not a verdict. The owners who are most embarrassed are often the ones who need this most and make the best clients, because they have hit the point where avoiding it is worse than looking at it.
We have seen books untouched for three years and records where everything had been categorized to “miscellaneous” for eighteen months. There is no mess too far gone to fix. Clean books also make tax preparation faster and less expensive, since nobody has to untangle the numbers first.
Q: I already have a bookkeeper. Do I have to switch?
Not necessarily. If your bookkeeper is doing good work and you want strategic support on top of it, we can work alongside them. If you have had the same person for 20 years, we are not here to push them out. If we find gaps after working together, we’ll tell you plainly what we found and what the options are. If your books are accurate and your reports help you make decisions, you may not need to change anything.
Q: How do you handle the transition if I switch from my current bookkeeper?
We document everything. When you come on as a client, we create a backend manual for your business: a written record of how your books are managed, your chart of accounts structure, your reconciliation process, and your recurring workflows. It belongs to you. If you ever move on, you take it with you. When you’re coming from a previous bookkeeper, we start by reviewing where things stand and what needs to be corrected.
Q: What software do you use? Do I need to switch?
We work primarily with Xero. If you use QuickBooks or another platform, the first conversation will include an honest look at whether migrating makes sense and what it would involve. We will not push you to switch for the sake of it.
Q: Do I have to come to your office? Do you work with businesses outside Rockingham?
Not necessarily. If your bookkeeper is doing good work and you want strategic support on top of it, we can work alongside them. If you have had the same person for 20 years, we are not here to push them out. If we find gaps after working together, we’ll tell you plainly what we found and what the options are. If your books are accurate and your reports help you make decisions, you may not need to change anything.
Q: Is my financial information secure?
Documents move through secure upload instead of sitting in email attachments.
Pricing
Q: What does this cost?
It depends on your business’s size, complexity, and which services you need. As a general benchmark, accounting fees often run 2% to 3% of gross revenue. Where you land depends on your revenue structure, whether you want administrative work like accounts payable and receivable included, and the current state of your books. Tax preparation and planning are scoped by your entity type and how clean your records are.
We don’t hide pricing until a sales call. It’s discussed transparently on your discovery call. We are not the cheapest option, and we know it. We are thorough, and our clients tend to stay for years because what we build holds up. If price is the main driver and the investment doesn’t make sense yet, we’ll tell you that and point you toward options that fit where you are.
Q: I’m not sure my business can afford this right now.
We take that seriously. Start by talking to us. You may be further along than you think, or a single service may be the right starting point without the full commitment of ongoing monthly work.
The cost of not having clean financial systems is real too. Incorrect books mean incorrect tax returns, and cash flow problems that could have been prevented compound. If it’s genuinely not the right time, we’ll say so and point you to resources like our free tools and the Profit Ready program to build the foundation until you’re ready.
Services
Q: What is the difference between bookkeeping and CFO services? Do I need both?
Bookkeeping is the foundation: accurate, organized, current records of what happened. You need it no matter what. CFO services build on that foundation and use your financial data to make forward-looking decisions, like forecasting cash flow, deciding whether a hire is affordable, finding where profit is leaking, and tracking the KPIs that show where you’re headed. A bookkeeper keeps score. A CFO coaches the game. Some owners need the foundation first, and others are ready for both.
Q: Do you offer payroll?
Yes. We provide payroll services so your team is paid accurately and on time, with payroll records organized for tax season.
Q: What is the Profit Ready program, and how is it different from the Fractional CFO program?
Profit Ready is for owners who are not yet ready for full fractional CFO services but want to understand and build their own financial systems. It teaches you to run your business’s finances as the CFO, using Chelsea’s CFO framework. The Fractional CFO program is done for you by the Profit Kept team. Profit Ready builds your foundation, and Fractional CFO services build on it.
Getting Started
Q: What happens on the first call?
It’s a conversation, not a pitch. Someone from our team will ask about your business: size, revenue range, what’s going on with your books, and what brought you to us. We listen more than we talk. If it sounds like a fit, we’ll schedule a follow-up with Chelsea or a senior team member. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you and point you toward something that is.
Q: How long does it take to get started?
It depends on which service you start with and the current state of your books. A backwork project takes longer to scope than a forward-looking monthly engagement. What we commit to: a clear timeline on the discovery call, a clear scope before any work starts, and no disappearing after onboarding.
Q: What if I have a question that is not on this page?
Ask it shamelessly. Email Hello@ProfitKept.com or call 910-997-5664. There are no questions too basic, too embarrassing, or too “I should already know this.”