First, the inquiry establishes the business and the books as they stand. Tell us whether records are kept manually or in QuickBooks Online, which period needs attention and whether payroll is present. An estimate of activity is enough for the opening conversation. Do not send account passwords through the inquiry form.
Next, we discuss the missing information and the proposed scope. The price basis, covered accounts and reporting frequency belong in that agreement. So does the lead time. A busy bank feed does not tell us whether the source documents are ready, and we do not promise a start or finish date before that is understood.
After agreement, source documents can be organised through the secure client portal and document vault. Review follows the transactions, with questions returned to you where the business purpose or evidence is unclear. Financial statements and the monthly close are based on the agreed work, with outstanding matters made visible rather than guessed away.
You remain the person who knows what the business bought and why. A short answer to a document question can be more useful than another export. That is the exchange the working process is designed to support.