Founder's Five — 15% off lifetime for the first 5 clients

Bookkeeping that doesn't keep you up at night. For DFW small businesses.

You started your business to do the work you love — not to wrestle with QuickBooks at 11 PM. I'll handle the books, taxes, and the financial questions that pop up — so you can get back to what actually matters. Especially helpful for trades businesses — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, and contractors of all kinds.

Free discovery call
No long-term contracts
Owner is a licensed CPA
Built for owners like you

You're running a business. I've got the books.

The Fort Worth electrician finishing invoices in the truck. The Plano HVAC owner who hasn't reconciled in six months. The Frisco contractor whose receipts live in a glove box.

You shouldn't have to be your own bookkeeper too.

I started Northbound to take that off your plate. One Texas CPA, handling your books and your taxes properly, and available when you have a question. Plain English. No fine print. No surprises.

✓ HVAC, plumbing & electrical ✓ General contractors & remodelers ✓ Landscaping & lawn care ✓ Roofing & exteriors ✓ Other trades & service businesses

After years inside accounting firms, I kept seeing the same thing: small business owners getting stuck between sketchy tax mills and corporate firms that wouldn't return their calls. Northbound exists to be the firm I always wished was out there.

Kellen Boulter
Founder, Northbound Financial
What We Do

Bookkeeping built for small business owners.

Clean books, monthly reports, and a real CPA reviewing the numbers. Tax return prep is bundled into the Growth plan, and available as a flat-rate add-on for Foundation clients.

Every transaction, sorted

Every charge, deposit, and transfer reviewed and categorized properly. No more guessing what "$847 Amazon charge" was at year-end.

Bank & card reconciliations

All your accounts reconciled monthly so the books match reality down to the penny — no surprises hiding in there.

CPA-prepared financials delivered every month

Professional financial statements — Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet — prepared and reviewed by a Texas-licensed CPA, in your inbox every month.

Secure client portal

Upload bank statements, receipts, and documents anytime — straight from the truck or the office. Built around QuickBooks Online.

Growth Plan

Depreciation & fixed-asset tracking

Vehicles, equipment, and major tools tracked on the books as fixed assets — with depreciation schedules maintained and applied at tax time to maximize the deductions you're entitled to.

Also Available
Cleanup & catch-up bookkeeping Job costing & class tracking Payroll setup Reasonable compensation analysis Sales tax filings Entity formation guidance S-corp election QuickBooks setup & training
How It Works

From chaos to clarity — in a few weeks.

No long sales process, no enterprise onboarding. Here's the whole thing:

1

30-min call

Tell me about your business. I'll tell you straight if I'm a fit — no pressure, no sales pitch.

2

Quick proposal

Flat monthly price. Everything spelled out. Sign when you're ready — no surprises later.

3

Easy setup

I'll connect to your bank, your software, and get the books in shape — usually within a couple of weeks.

4

You go back to work

Books done every month. Tax time? Stress-free. Got a question? Just send a text.

Founder's Five · Limited Offer

Join the Founder's Five.

The first five clients to sign on get lifetime founder's pricing — and a real seat at the table as we build Northbound together.

Starting a firm means more than spreadsheets and software. It means partnering with the right people at the right time. If you're an early believer in what Northbound's building, I'd love to have you on board — and I'm making it worth your while.

The Offer
15% off Foundation or Growth — for as long as you're a client.
Foundation
$335/mo $395
Growth
$675/mo $795

Full plan details — what's included in Foundation vs. Growth, add-ons, and more — are in the pricing section below.

In exchange, I'm asking for:
A Google review within your first 60 days
Permission to share your story as a testimonial
A 90-day commitment so we can do real work together
Honest feedback as we refine the firm

5 spots total. Pricing is locked for life. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Pricing

Two simple plans. No surprises.

Build a solid Foundation with clean books and a quarterly tax projection. Move up to Growth when crews, subs, and tax planning enter the picture. Both plans are month-to-month — no penalties, no awkward conversations.

Growth

Clean books, every filing, and your tax return — all in. For owners who'd rather not think about any of this.

$795/month

Month-to-month · No contracts

🟡 Founder's Five price: $675/mo →
Everything in Foundation
Annual tax return preparation — 1 business + 1 personal
The Compliance Package — every required Texas business filing prepared and filed on time
Priority email & text support
Move Up to Growth
The Compliance Package

Running a small business in Texas means a steady stream of forms, filings, and deadlines from the state, the IRS, and your local appraisal district — most of which nobody warned you about. Miss one and you're staring at penalties, interest, or a letter that ruins your week. The Compliance Package means every required business filing on your calendar gets prepared, filed, and confirmed on time. You don't have to know what's due, when it's due, or where to send it — that's my job.

What's in the Compliance Package: Texas Franchise Tax, Public Information Report (PIR), Business Personal Property Tax, quarterly federal estimated taxes, 1099-NEC year-end filing, W-9 collection from subs, reasonable comp documentation, and S-Corp election support (when eligible).

Tax returns: Bundled returns include 1 business return (1120-S, 1065, or Schedule C) + 1 personal return (1040). For Foundation clients or standalone return prep, personal returns start at $400 and business returns typically range $650–$1,200 depending on entity type. Complex situations — rental properties, multi-state, prior-year amendments — billed separately at flat rates. Questions? Just ask.

Optional Add-On

Need payroll? Add it on.

Add payroll to either plan above. Pick the level of involvement that fits your business.

Payroll Oversight

You run it. I keep you compliant. Best for owners comfortable running payroll themselves.

+$150/month

Added to Foundation or Growth

You handle
Running each pay period in Gusto / QBO Payroll
Hitting "approve" on direct deposits
Onboarding new hires in the system
I handle
Quarterly 941 federal payroll tax filings
Annual 940 (FUTA) filings
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) filings
Year-end W-2 and W-3 preparation
Reasonable compensation advisory (for S-corps)
Reviewing your payroll for errors each quarter

Up to 5 W-2 employees. Above 5, add $15/employee/month.

Full Payroll Service

I run it. You approve hours. Best for owners who'd rather not touch payroll at all.

+$350/month

Added to Foundation or Growth

You handle
Sending me hours / approving the pay run
Telling me about new hires & terminations
I handle
Running each pay period for you (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.)
Direct deposit setup & processing
New hire onboarding (I-9, W-4, direct deposit setup)
Everything in Payroll Oversight (941, 940, TWC, W-2s)
Garnishments & deductions handled
Pay stubs delivered to your team

Up to 10 W-2 employees. Above 10, add $20/employee/month.

New to payroll? One-time setup is $350 — picking the right platform, getting your tax IDs registered, and running a test payroll.

Optional Add-On

AP/AR — what else would you rather be doing?

Bill pay, customer invoicing, and collection follow-ups handled. Three tiers based on monthly volume — pick what fits.

Basic

For owners with light AP/AR activity — a handful of bills and invoices each month.

+$400/month

Added to any monthly plan

Up to 15 AP bills processed (entered, scheduled, paid via approval-based platform)
Up to 10 AR activities (invoices created/sent + collection follow-ups)
Monthly AR/AP aging review
Standard

For growing businesses with steady weekly bills and active customer invoicing.

+$700/month

Added to any monthly plan

Up to 30 AP bills processed
Up to 20 AR activities
Monthly AR/AP aging review
Pro

For active businesses with high transaction volume and customers who need regular follow-up.

+$1,000/month

Added to any monthly plan

Up to 50 AP bills processed
Up to 35 AR activities
Monthly AR/AP aging review + action plan

Overage on either AP or AR: $20/transaction. Volume above Pro tier: custom quote. Approval-based bill pay platform required (Bill.com, Melio, or QBO Bill Pay) — you approve all payments; Northbound never accesses client bank accounts directly.

From the Founder

Why I left the big firm world.

A note from Kellen Boulter
Founder, Northbound Financial · Texas-licensed CPA

I'm a Texas-licensed CPA — and I spent years working inside accounting firms with marble lobbies and partner tracks. I kept noticing the same thing.

The small business owners I cared about most kept getting squeezed. On one side: sketchy tax mills promising "maximum refunds" they couldn't actually deliver. On the other: huge firms charging premium rates and then assigning your work to a rotating cast of junior associates who couldn't tell you the name of your business.

The owners deserved better. They deserved someone who actually knew their business, picked up the phone, and explained things in plain English — without the markup or the runaround.

So I built Northbound to be exactly that. A small, focused business where you work directly with the owner. Where the books are clean, the tax strategy is real, and "your bookkeeper just left the company" is a sentence you'll never hear.

Northbound is new — and I'm being upfront about that. But the credential, the standards, and the care behind it are not. If you're a small business owner who's tired of feeling like a line item, let's talk.

Book a Free Discovery Call
🤝
Referral Program

Love working with Northbound? Tell a friend — and both of y'all win.

If you're loving the service, the best compliment you can give me is sending another small business owner my way. When you refer a business that signs on as a client, you both get a free month on us.

You get
1 month free
+
They get
1 month free

Conditions apply. Free month applies to either Foundation or Growth, depending on your current plan, and is credited after the referred business has been an active, paid client for 90 days. One reward per referral. Referred business must be a new client (not previously engaged with Northbound).

Frequently Asked

Got questions?

Here's what most folks ask us first. If yours isn't here, just shoot us a message — we'll get back to you fast.

What's the Founder's Five program?
+
It's an offer for my first five clients. Northbound is brand new, and I'm hand-selecting five founding clients to come on board at 15% off Foundation or Growth — and that pricing is locked in for as long as you remain a client. It's not a 90-day promo or a "first year only" trick. It's your rate, forever, as a thank-you for being early.

In exchange, I'm asking for a Google review within 60 days, permission to share your story as a testimonial, a 90-day commitment so we can do real work together, and honest feedback as I refine the firm. Once five spots are taken, the offer's done.
Is the Founder's Five discount really for life?
+
Yes. As long as you stay a client on Foundation or Growth, your 15% discount stays. If standard pricing goes up over time, your founder's rate stays locked at 15% below the then-current price. If you ever pause and come back, we'd talk through it — but the spirit is that founding clients get a lifetime perk for backing Northbound early.
What makes Northbound different?
+
Most small businesses end up paying for two people who don't talk to each other — a bookkeeper for the day-to-day, and a CPA who shows up once a year at tax time. Stuff gets missed. Deductions get left on the table. You end up stuck in the middle translating between them.

I'm a full-charge bookkeeper and a Texas-licensed CPA. Same person doing your monthly books is the one filing your return and spotting tax moves throughout the year — not in April when it's too late.
Are you actually a CPA, or just a bookkeeper?
+
Yes — I'm a Texas-licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). And just like a lot of y'all, Northbound is run by a solo operator. I built this firm to be the kind of place I always wished was out there for small business owners — one person who actually knows your business, picks up the phone, and is held to real professional standards (state licensing, continuing education, a code of ethics). A lot of online bookkeeping services aren't owned by CPAs — and that gap shows up the moment you need real strategic advice.
Do I need to use QuickBooks?
+
Yes — Northbound works exclusively in QuickBooks Online. If you're already on QBO, perfect — I'll meet you there. If you're not, getting you set up is part of onboarding.
I'm behind on my books. Like, really behind. Can you still help?
+
Yes — and you're not alone. Many small business owners fall behind on books, especially in busy seasons. Cleanup is offered as a one-time project, then rolls you into monthly bookkeeping once you're caught up. Zero judgment — just a clear path forward.
Are tax returns included in my monthly plan?
+
Tax returns are included in the Growth plan (1 business return + 1 personal return per year). Foundation clients can add tax return preparation as a flat-rate one-time fee at tax time — typically $400–$1,200 depending on entity type and complexity. You get a flat quote upfront so there are no surprises.
How fast can you get me started?
+
From "let's do this" to fully onboarded usually takes 5–10 business days. The setup includes connecting to your bank, configuring your software, reviewing your current books, and a kickoff call. If you're caught up, you'll get your first monthly report within 30 days.
Do you work with my industry?
+
My specialty is trades businesses — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, contractors, landscaping, roofing. That said, I support plenty of other small service businesses too: consultants, designers, freelancers, real estate investors, and shop owners. If you're not sure whether you're a fit, hop on a discovery call and I'll tell you straight.
Is there a long-term contract?
+
No. Everything is month-to-month. The goal is to earn your business every month by being good at it. If it's not the right fit, you can leave anytime — and I'll hand off everything cleanly to your next bookkeeper. No one gets trapped.
Will I work with the same person every month?
+
Yes. You'll work directly with me — one consistent point of contact who learns your business. No call centers, no random help desks. Just a real person.
Client Portal

Send your documents, securely.

Already a client? Drop your statements, receipts, or tax documents through our secure uploader — they'll go straight to your advisor.

Secure Document Upload

Click below to securely upload your documents. PDFs, images, spreadsheets — all welcome.

Open Secure Uploader

Files are encrypted in transit and go directly to your advisor's secure cloud storage.

Let's Talk

Book a free discovery call.

30 minutes, no pressure, no sales pitch. A real conversation about your business — and a straight answer about whether Northbound is the right fit.

Email
hello@thebuffbookkeeper.com
Phone
(817) 203-3204
Service area
Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Burleson, Plano, Frisco & surrounding DFW
Response time
Within 1 business day

Tell me about your business

I'll be in touch within 1 business day.

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Ready to stop dreading the books?

Free 30-minute call. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a real conversation about your business.