The Shea Business Blog
Practical QuickBooks tips, bookkeeping advice, payroll guidance, and tax insights for Orlando small business owners, straight from a certified QuickBooks Level 2 ProAdvisor.
These articles are written by Shea Business Solutions, a QuickBooks Level 2 ProAdvisor practice in Orlando, FL. For the paid work behind them, start with bookkeeping services in Orlando.
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I can’t recommend Shea Business Solutions Bookkeeping & Tax enough! Managing a gym is busy, and my financials had fallen 4 years behind. Ryan tackled the QuickBooks reconstruction seamlessly and completely turned my business finances around. Thanks to his expertise, I finally have accurate reporting and total peace of mind.
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Payroll Services for Small Businesses in Kissimmee: Handling Seasonal Staff
New hire reporting, rehiring last season's staff, the September minimum wage change and year-end W-2s for a Kissimmee crew that grows and shrinks with the season.
QuickBooks Setup for Apopka Businesses: Getting Florida Sales Tax Right
Build Florida sales tax into a new QuickBooks Online file: the Orange County surtax, deliveries to other counties and exempt resale customers.
Job Costing for Contractors: How to Track Profit on Every Job
Costs, invoices and labor tagged to each job, then the job profit report that shows which work is worth bidding again.
How to Record Retainage in Your Construction Books
Retainage receivable, retainage payable and progress invoices in QuickBooks Online, plus the monthly check that keeps held-back money from being forgotten.
Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks Online: An Orlando Owner's Guide
How the QuickBooks chart of accounts shapes your reports, when to add categories, and the mistakes that make a growing business's books harder to read.
Accounts Receivable vs. Accounts Payable in QuickBooks
A/R is what customers owe you; A/P is what you owe vendors. How to read both aging reports, plus the errors that throw off your cash picture.
What Is a Ledger in Accounting? The General Ledger Explained
What a ledger is, how the general ledger works with double-entry, the five account types, subsidiary ledgers and the trial balance, in plain English.
How to Reconcile an Account in QuickBooks Online
How to reconcile a bank or credit card account in QuickBooks Online, step by step, plus what to check when the difference or the beginning balance won't tie.
Small-Business Tax Prep Checklist: What to Give Your Accountant
The income, expense, payroll, and asset records your accountant needs at tax time, what a bookkeeper hands over, and how clean books cut the bill.
1099 vs. W-2: How to Classify Workers in Florida
What the 1099 and W-2 forms mean, the IRS tests that decide which one applies, how each shows up in your books and payroll, and the records to keep.
Bookkeeping for Orlando E-Commerce Sellers
Why online sellers need different books: platform and processor fees, multi-channel reconciliation, sales tax and economic nexus, inventory and COGS, and connecting Shopify to QuickBooks.
How to Choose a Payroll Service for Your Small Business
What to weigh when picking a payroll service in Orlando: tax filing, QuickBooks sync, restaurants and tipped staff, responsive support, and what drives the cost.
Bookkeeper vs. Accountant: What's the Difference?
How a bookkeeper and an accountant differ, where the roles overlap, whether you need both, and which one to hire first.
What Does a Bookkeeper Do?
What a bookkeeper actually handles week to week and each month, what falls outside the role, and how to tell when your business needs one.
Behind on Your Books? How to Catch Up on Months of Bookkeeping
A step-by-step catch-up for books that are months behind: gather the records, rebuild the ledger, reconcile every account, then keep it current.
DIY Bookkeeping vs. Hiring a Pro: How to Decide
What doing your own books costs in time and risk, when DIY makes sense, and the signs it's time to hand it off.
Cash Basis vs. Accrual: Which Method Fits Your Business?
Cash basis or accrual? How each records income and expenses, a side-by-side comparison, which fits your business, and whether you can switch.
How to read your P&L and balance sheet
Your P&L and balance sheet in plain English: what each one is for, the lines that matter, and the few numbers worth watching every month.
Bookkeeping for Orlando startups: A first-year guide
A plain-English first-year money guide for new Orlando businesses: separating accounts, choosing a method, QuickBooks setup, the monthly rhythm, Florida payroll and sales tax, and getting tax-ready.
What does a QuickBooks cleanup actually involve?
The full step-by-step: reconcile accounts, recategorize transactions, clear undeposited funds, repair the chart of accounts, and fix opening balances so your reports can be trusted.
How long does it take to set up QuickBooks?
Setup time is a range. What a proper setup includes, what speeds it up or slows it down, and how to estimate your own timeline.
QuickBooks cleanup before tax season: The Orlando small business checklist
A 12-step year-end checklist for Orlando owners: reconciliations, 1099s and W-9s, RT-6 payroll ties, sales tax, and the April 1 tangible property return.
How much does bookkeeping cost in Orlando? A plain-numbers guide
Real starting prices, the factors that move them, what a monthly fee should include, and questions worth asking any Orlando bookkeeper.
5 signs your QuickBooks needs a cleanup (Orlando business guide)
Is your QuickBooks a mess? Here are the five warning signs every Orlando small business owner should know, and exactly what to do about each one.
7 bookkeeping mistakes Orlando small businesses make (and how to fix them)
From mixing personal and business expenses to ignoring reconciliations, these are the most common and costly bookkeeping mistakes we see every day.
What is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and why does certification level matter?
Not all QuickBooks ProAdvisors are the same. Here's what the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 certification means for your business.
How much does bookkeeping cost for a small business in Orlando, FL?
What does professional bookkeeping actually cost in Orlando? We break down the pricing tiers, what drives the price, and whether it's worth it vs. doing it yourself.
Florida payroll taxes: What every Orlando small business owner needs to know
Florida has no state income tax, but there are still payroll taxes you must handle correctly. Here's everything a small business owner in Orlando needs to know.
Common questions from Orlando owners
Where should I start if my books are behind?
With the warning signs. Five signs your QuickBooks needs a cleanup shows how deep the problem goes, and the year-end cleanup checklist walks the fix in order.
What does bookkeeping cost in Orlando?
Monthly service at Shea Business Solutions starts at $200, and most Orlando-area clients land between $200 and $400 depending on volume. The plain-numbers cost guide breaks down what moves the price.
Does Florida have payroll taxes?
Florida has no state income tax, but employers pay the Florida Reemployment Tax and every federal payroll tax applies in full. The Florida payroll tax guide covers the deadlines and deposit schedules.
Your books should work for you
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