Any Bookkeepers, CPA workers, Accountants here?

[Callisto in NC]

Okay, so I'm in a terrible dilemma. I am super good at QuickBooks and have worked as a bookkeeper for about four years but it's always been as an employee.

Recently a friend of a friend called me desperate for help with their books. They've got NOTHING in a system. I agreed to enter their records into QuickBooks and make sure everything is as up and up as possible.

What I'm having issue with is what to charge. I don't want to overcharge and not be asked back but I don't want to undercharge and be taken advantage of. So I need some help.

I know for what I do a CPA firm would charge a minimum of $75 an hour. I like myself but I know I'm not worth THAT. $10 an hour seems way too low.

So here I am, does anyone know what might be fair? Any new small business owners know what they would think would be fair? What I'm doing is all of 2008 in less than a week at my own home with my computer.

I could use some help and suggestions. Any CPA/accountant workers thoughts would be totally accepted.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi, Callisto. Can you call around or look on Web sites of local bookkeepers to find out what they charge? Things like this can be vary a great deal regionally, so what I would pay here might be very different from what is reasonable where you are. You could also ask your friend what they think is reasonable.

I'm sure you know this, but it's the C part of CPA that allows them to charge so much

 

[Andy M.]

I'd say 2 to 3 times your hourly rate where you did Quickbooks as an employee.

Also take into account the value of your friendship with this person. That should be worth some discount.