Frequently Asked Questions

QuickBooks Online is the industry standard and what most bookkeepers and CPAs work in - which matters because your financial records need to be accessible to your tax professional. It starts at around $35/month and integrates with most banks, payment processors, and POS platforms. Xero is a strong alternative - cleaner interface, good for businesses that collaborate closely with a bookkeeper or accountant. Wave is free and works for very simple sole proprietor businesses but has significant limitations as you grow. For brand new businesses or very early-stage solopreneurs, a well-built Google Sheet can serve as a functional bookkeeping system - with a plan to migrate to QBO once the business is generating consistent revenue. That's exactly the approach we take with new clients at Opal Operations until QBO makes financial sense. At Opal Operations, we are a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor - meaning we're trained and tested by Intuit on the full QuickBooks Online platform. That matters for two reasons: we can set up and configure your QBO file correctly from the start, and if you're migrating from spreadsheets or another platform, we manage the entire transition so nothing gets lost or miscategorized in the process. Not ready for QBO yet? No problem. At Opal Operations we've built a free bookkeeping starter workbook specifically for Long Island small businesses who want clean, organized books without the software cost. It includes 12 monthly tabs, an annual summary, and a pricing calculator - everything you need to get started the right way.