"Keeper makes us look good."

Highlights:

• Using Keeper’s custom management reporting tools, McBride CPAs received high praise from their nonprofit clients’ board members, who loved the Executive Summary and noted the overall increase in clarity and professionalism.
• McBride CPAs saves 10+ billable hours per month thanks to the ability to ask transaction questions—and send automated reminders for those requests—directly from the Client Portal.
• McBride CPAs transitioned from disconnected Google Sheets and Asana workflows to Keeper, where the team benefits from visibility, enhanced quality control and smoother internal communication.

Supporting local nonprofits

Kala McBride founded McBride CPAs in 2020 fueled by a specific mission: to provide high-quality bookkeeping and tax services to Indianapolis-area nonprofits and women- and minority-owned businesses. Today, the firm manages monthly bookkeeping for over 35 clients and has quickly grown from a solo practice to a busy team of four.

As the team continued to focus on the nonprofit niche, Kala recognized the unique needs within this important sector, specifically when it came to reconciling accounts and financial reporting. Nonprofit boards rely heavily on clear, digestible financial data, particularly to understand cash positions and budget variances. Kala knew that certain aspects of her month-end close process needed optimization, so that she could stay organized and provide an even higher level of service to her clients. So, she started looking into Keeper.

Searching for a better month-end close system

Before adopting Keeper, McBride CPAs struggled with fragmented systems that lacked the structure needed for sustained firm growth. Kala recalled starting out with one other bookkeeper on board, where the month-end close process involved a Google Sheet template and Asana to track tasks. “That was our process, and it wasn't very good. And as we planned to add more teammates, that absolutely would not have been doable," she said.

This exceedingly manual system meant that Kala’s team had to spend tons of valuable time combing through the GL—making sure that errors or inconsistencies in their clients’ books were caught and corrected. But shortly after adopting Keeper, it was clear that the Transaction Review Report significantly improved accuracy, automatically. The report instantly flagged inconsistent categorization and enabled Kala’s team to maintain quality control without the extensive manual reviews.

Saving 10 hours per month in follow-ups alone

Ultimately for Kala, the most attractive thing about Keeper was the ability to send a list of transaction questions to clients, straight from the bank feed. Prior to using Keeper, Kala’s team still relied heavily on those age-old Google Sheets plus manual emails to make client inquiries—a process ripe with delays and frustration. But Keeper’s client communication features made this aspect of the bookkeeping process a smoother and more efficient one.

“It automatically sends reminders to the repeat offenders who just won’t get their responses to us. That alone probably saves us 10 hours a month, and it’s providing so much clarity now that there are more of us on the team,” said Kala.

Clients find Keeper’s portal intuitive, because it offers a centralized place for them to upload documents, answer questions, and access previously published financials. This straightforward hub for communication drastically reduced internal bottlenecks and client frustrations, giving Kala’s team more time to focus on meaningful client interactions.

Making clients look good, and their bookkeepers look even better

While workflow improvements and client communication are crucial to running a successful firm, Keeper’s custom management reporting feature was what truly elevated McBride CPAs’ client relationships and satisfaction, especially for those within the nonprofit niche.

The Indianapolis nonprofit network is relatively small, so the organizations and boards are well connected. Case in point: one of Kala’s clients sits on the Board for a different client’s nonprofit organization. After a board meeting, he wasted no time in sharing the board’s praise about the financial reports they were reviewing that day.

"Everyone went on and on about how professional these reports were, and how easy they were to understand. All of the important information was highlighted,” he told Kala.

Nonprofit boards seem to exceptionally love the Executive Summary. This well-loved Keeper feature allows Kala’s team to present critical financial information clearly, highlighting key metrics like cash-on-hand and budget-to-actual variances. After reading through the Executive Summary’s highlights, the rest of the package contains digestible reports that provide boards with newfound confidence in the financial health of the organizations they advise.

"For nonprofits, we're not helping them make money—so the value we provide lies within making sure they can communicate to the board about how things are going." Kala explained.

While Keeper’s reporting tools did save the team time, it also helped to simplify even the most complex financial reporting packages. One of their nonprofit clients has 15 separate credit card accounts, and before Keeper, the McBride CPAs team had to manually collapse each individual account in QuickBooks. After all, the team just needed to know the total amount of credit card spend in a given period of time. But now, they can generate the exact same report, in seconds.

“We just hit a button and collapse them all. Depending on the client, that feature can save us at least 30 minutes to an hour every time we run those reports,” said Kala.

Scaling a practice with Keeper

Kala also had great things to say about Keeper’s client-based pricing model, which allows her team to scale effortlessly without worrying about seat-based costs.

"The price feels like an inconsequential amount for what we're getting. With other tools, pulling the trigger on paying for new seats is a big hurdle," Kala remarked. "Keeper lets us use the features fully as a team without that barrier."

Since adopting Keeper, McBride CPAs has comfortably added new clients and expanded internal capabilities, exploring even more advanced Keeper features like the new integrated email system–Keeper Emails—as well as Keeper Receipts.

Future growth and peace of mind

When asked about the value of Keeper overall, Kala had this to say:

"We are 100% completing our tasks faster than before. But even if we weren't doing it faster, we have peace of mind knowing things aren’t slipping through the cracks."

For Kala, this integrity paired with a reinforced confidence in her team’s work product is priceless. Keeper not only improves efficiency and accuracy, but also empowers McBride CPAs to consistently deliver the same level of professional, reliable service their clients trust.

Now, as McBride CPAs continues to expand and grow, Keeper remains central to the team’s operational strategy. "It's apparent to our clients: Keeper makes us look better and helps us deliver a better-quality product. And it’s at a really reasonable price,” Kala concluded. “So… I’m a Keeper fan forever!”

Curious to see what Keeper can do for your practice? Book a personalized demo today.

The post How McBride CPAs Saves 10+ Hours Per Month and Nails Nonprofit Board Reporting with Keeper appeared first on Keeper.

And talking about raising them? That can be downright scary — if you don’t have a solid process that keeps you prepared and your clients informed when it comes to pricing conversations. 

The Danger of Increasing Prices Without a Plan

Apprehension over raising prices is common. Money is a sensitive topic, with lots of baggage and anxiety attached. 

If you’re like most people, that little voice inside is probably whispering: "But what if the client decides to walk away!?"

It’s a valid concern.

Yet, in my years of navigating price increases with hundreds of clients, only a handful have ever left. And those who did either weren’t the right fit anymore or were a result of my negligence in not following the defined process I’ve developed for handling this very thing. 

It only took me a few instances to learn that raising prices willy-nilly is a surefire way to lose a client’s trust — and sometimes their business. 

In fact, it once nearly cost me and my firm our largest client. 

The Whale That Almost Left: A Cautionary Tale

Numbers in order? Check. 

Standard pricing clause in the contract? Yep. 

The foundation was all there for a price raise. But the way I communicated about it nearly wiped out a client relationship that accounted for 15% of my firm’s gross profit. 

Instead of the usual multi-month notice I provide when it comes to raising prices, I veered off script, deviating from my standard framework and external communication plan. 

I hit the client with a price increase out of left field — a rookie move. 

Without much forethought, I fired off an email letting them know we needed to raise prices based on the change in scope and their impressive growth.

Understandably, they weren’t thrilled in the meeting that followed. But after hashing it out, luckily, this loyal client chose to stick around. 

It was an experience that taught me a valuable lesson: Most clients do understand the need for a price increase. It’s poor communication and a lack of notice that can send a whale swimming. 

The Not-So-Obvious Benefit of Raising Your Prices 

Most firms don’t spend enough time, if any, actually thinking about pricing.

The very obvious benefit of increasing prices is growing your bottom line. However, there’s more under the surface.

Taking a moment to consider your prices gives you an opportunity to reassess the scope of your services, how you contribute to your clients’ profitability, and how your fees align with the value you provide. 

Once you’re able to communicate the value you add, you’ll be able to close the compensation gap. 

How to Set Yourself Up For Success When Raising Prices

By carefully planning, flexing your soft skill muscles, and taking few cover-you-a** precautions, you should be well on your way to building a price-raising program that pays off every time.

Build a Line of Communication with Room for Personalization

For those familiar with my course on increasing client prices, you know that a strategy, framework, and an external communication plan are essential.

At Bookkeeping For Painters, our team relies on an external communication plan for smooth price increases that don’t compromise customer satisfaction.

Because of our upfront and proactive communication, I save approximately $25,000 a year in meeting time. The extra time saved is also impactful for our clients who do not need an unnecessary meeting on something they are already aware of. But that does not mean I remove the personal touch or shut down the opportunity.

If my clients want to meet, I’m more than happy to speak with them in person or on a call. Last year I sent out 100 price-raising emails, and only four people wanted a meeting as a result. I always give people the option, but most are aware and okay with the email and price increase because of the diligence that my team does ahead of time. 

Give Plenty of Warning

Raising prices is not unusual. What is unusual is surprising your clients with a sudden price hike after radio silence.

All of our clients receive at minimum a month's notice, if not multiple months, to digest any price increases. Email notices go out around October, but the planning and evaluation starts well in advance. 

What planning? That’s next. 

Base Increases on Demonstrable Data

I look at the numbers for each of our clients (revenue and gross profit) and track them against my staff’s production hours. 

Knowing your own service line profitability and, equally crucial, understanding your clients' financials is an added layer of support when implementing a price increase.

When you can articulate not just the “what” but the “why” behind a price adjustment — backed by concrete data — you create a narrative of shared growth. This clarity not only reinforces your confidence but also empowers you to rationalize price increases as a strategic move aligned with the evolving value you bring to your clients. 

Lean on Your Contract

We’re careful to include a price adjustment clause in all client contracts. And, as part of our commitment to clear communication, we also set the expectation from our initial engagement that price adjustments are part of our contract. 

Always Be Straightforward 

Directness and transparency pays off. I don't dance around the topic. I'm upfront about our approach to and communication around raising prices, and our clients appreciate it!

To this day, I still personally send every price increase email. If questions pop up, I prefer to address them myself. This helps keep my account managers focused on building relationships and removes any awkwardness caused by money discussions.

Ultimately, I want my account managers to be the "good cops" who are focused on building trust. I have no problem playing the "bad cop" part in order to make that work.

How Often to Reassess Pricing

At minimum, I encourage firms to re-evaluate prices at least once a year. Currently, we  re-evaluate prices twice a year for most clients. For certain clients, we do so even more frequently.

Once you start regularly reviewing pricing, scope of work, and the level of value you’re adding, you’ll be able to find the stride that works best for you. If you're adding new client accounting services, for example, that's a great time to reassess pricing.

One Final Tip for Bookkeepers and Accountants: Niche Down

I’m a strong believer in finding a niche and offering the best possible services or products to the customer in that particular field.

At Bookkeeping For Painters, it’s this very niching that has given my whole team strong expertise in the painting space, which makes it that much easier to raise prices and align with the high-value services we offer to our clients. 

Ready to Build Your Bookkeeping Business?

At the end of the day, growing your business is all about providing a deeply valuable service that aligns with your target market, knowing the hard numbers around your value, and being able to effectively and proactively communicate about that value when it comes to setting and raising prices. 

This is how our team was able to achieve over $2M a year in revenue and provide bookkeeping, advisory, tax, and sales automation to 165 (and growing!) clients. 

See how we serve our niche at the Bookkeeping For Painters website. And join my course on increasing client prices and walk away with not only strategy and confidence — but a handful of valuable engagement letter and email templates that will help you level up your business. 

The post How & Why to Raise Prices (From a $2M Bookkeeping Business) appeared first on Keeper.