O’Fallon sits right next to Scott Air Force Base, and that shapes a lot of the small businesses here. Military spouses run photography studios, tutoring services, bakeries out of licensed kitchens and online shops. Veterans start consulting firms, trades businesses and franchises after they hang up the uniform.
I’m Miles with MilesP Bookkeeping, a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor (Level 1, Level 2 and Payroll). I work fully remotely, which turns out to matter a lot for military families. In this post I want to talk about the bookkeeping side of running a business when your life might move across the country on short notice.
The challenge: a business that has to move
For most business owners, “where is my bookkeeper” never changes. For a military spouse, it can change every few years. If your books live in a shoebox, on one laptop, or with a local bookkeeper you have to see in person, every move means starting over.
The goal is a setup that’s portable. Your records, your software and your bookkeeping help should all work from anywhere.
Build your books in the cloud from day one
If you’re just starting out, set up QuickBooks Online instead of keeping things on paper or in a spreadsheet on one computer. It goes where you go. You can log in from a new duty station the same way you did in O’Fallon.
A few setup tips:
- Keep your categories simple. A short, clean chart of accounts is easier to keep up with.
- Connect your business bank account and card so transactions flow in automatically.
- Save receipts digitally, attached to the transaction, so nothing gets lost in a box during a move.
My QuickBooks setup guide walks through the basics.
Keep business money completely separate
When one spouse is deployed or working long hours and the other runs the business and the household, it’s easy for the money to blend together. Please don’t let it. A business checking account and business card, used only for the business, make everything simpler. That includes reconciling each month, talking with a CPA and someday selling or closing the business. Here’s how to separate business finances.
Plan ahead for a move
When orders come, there’s a long list of things to handle. Your business books shouldn’t be one more crisis. A few things to think about ahead of time:
- Get current before the move. Make sure the books are reconciled through the most recent month. Picking up from a clean point is much easier.
- Know what changes with your location. Moving a business across state lines can change registrations, licenses and tax filings. Talk with your CPA or a business advisor before you go. Base legal and family support offices may also be able to point you to resources.
- Update your bank and payment accounts with your new address so statements and notices don’t get lost.
- Keep your bookkeeper. If your bookkeeper is remote, nothing changes. Same person, same process, new zip code.
Running a business while a spouse is deployed
Deployments can stretch the person at home thin. If you’re running a business and a household alone for months, bookkeeping is often the first thing to slip. That’s normal. It’s also the moment when handing off the books can make a real difference. I wrote about how to prevent a bookkeeping backlog, and the short version is: small, regular check-ins beat big catch-up sessions.
For veterans starting a second career
If you’ve retired or separated and you’re starting a business near Scott, you probably bring a lot of discipline and planning to it. Put that to work on the books too. Decide early how you’ll pay yourself, set up payroll properly if you’ll have employees, and get monthly reports from the start so you can see how the business is doing. My post on payroll support services covers what’s involved once you start hiring.
If you’re also deciding whether you need a bookkeeper, a CPA or both, my post on choosing between a CPA and a bookkeeper lays out the difference.
How I work with O’Fallon businesses
I’m remote-only. There’s no office to visit, and that’s the whole point. Whether you’re in O’Fallon now or at your next base later, we work the same way: QuickBooks Online, phone, email, video and secure file sharing.
Here’s what that usually looks like:
- A short call to talk about your business and where things stand.
- A review of your books, or help setting them up if you’re new.
- A clear price before any work starts.
- Cleanup if you’re behind.
- Monthly bookkeeping and reports, wherever you happen to be living.
You can read more about how I serve the Illinois side of the metro on my Columbia, IL bookkeeping page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you keep working with me if I move out of state?
Yes. Since I’m remote, a move doesn’t change how we work. You’ll want to check with your CPA about any state filing changes, but your bookkeeping stays the same.
I run my business from home on base housing. Is that a problem for you?
Not for the bookkeeping. Any rules about running a business from base housing are something to check with your housing office.
I’m just getting started. Is it too early for a bookkeeper?
It’s never too early to set things up right. Some new owners just want help with setup and then handle the day-to-day themselves.
Do you only work with military families?
No. I work with all kinds of small businesses. I just know remote bookkeeping is a particularly good fit for families who move.
If you want books that can move when you do, reach out on my contact page.