Are you a CFO or a bookkeeper?

If you're tracking expenses and reconciling accounts, you're acting as a bookkeeper. If you're making strategic financial decisions and forecasting, you're acting as a CFO. If you're doing both, you're stretched too thin—and it’s time to delegate the bookkeeping to a pro.

BELAY FAQ - Are You a Chief Financial Officer or a Bookkeeper?

The Role of a Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers track what already happened. They enter transactions, categorize expenses, reconcile accounts, and keep your books clean. Their job is about accuracy and organization—not decision-making.

If you’re spending time every week logging receipts, fixing QuickBooks, or trying to balance your accounts at 11 p.m.—you’re being your own bookkeeper. That might have worked early on, but it’s a poor use of your time now.

The Role of a CFO

A CFO looks ahead. They use financial data to make decisions, build forecasts, manage cash flow, and help you figure out what to do next. Their job is about strategy, insight, and risk management.

If you’re trying to raise capital, manage debt, scale operations, or figure out how long your cash will last—you’re functioning like a CFO. But doing that and the bookkeeping? That’s a recipe for burnout, not growth.

Why Doing Both Is a Problem

Startups and small business owners often default to doing everything themselves. It feels lean. It feels scrappy. But the result is predictable: your numbers are late, your insights are shaky, and you’re constantly behind.

You can’t forecast confidently if your books aren’t up to date.
You can’t lead well if you’re still reconciling Stripe payouts.

You’re not saving money by doing both—you’re slowing down decisions and increasing risk.

Where BELAY Fits In

BELAY offers U.S.-based bookkeepers, controllers, and fractional CFOs—so you can get the right financial help at the right time.
Whether you’re just cleaning up your books or preparing for serious growth, we’ll match you with support that fits your stage, your needs, and your pace.

You stay focused on decisions.
We’ll make sure the numbers are right.

Summary

If you're logging expenses and trying to forecast growth—you’re playing both bookkeeper and CFO. That’s not sustainable. Offload the books to a pro and focus on the strategic work only you can do. BELAY makes it easy to get the financial support your business needs—without hiring a full team.

What We Offer

A BELAY Virtual Assistant is the expert in:

Research & Reporting
Inbox & Schedule Management
Book Travel & Expense Reporting
Project Coordination
Social Media Assistance
Light Bookkeeping

Stop trying to do it all. Accomplish More by Hiring a BELAY Virtual Assistant.

A BELAY Accounting Specialist can provide:

Bookkeeping
Accounting Clerks
Full-Service Payroll
E-Commerce Support
Tax Services
CFO & Controller Services

Your Books. Done Right. Accounting Services from BELAY.

A BELAY Marketing Assistant can help:

Develop Calendar & Schedule Posts
Create Content
Develop Strategy
Drive Engagement
Email Marketing
Provide Reporting

Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook. Oh, My! Let a BELAY Marketing Assistant Help.

How it Works

Step 1

Sales Call

Meet with your Solutions Consultant to identify your exact needs and pain points and determine the right hire for you. If BELAY is a good fit, we’ll send you an agreement to sign, and you’ll be paired with a Client Success Consultant.

Step 2

Discovery Call

Meet with your Client Success Consultant to deep dive into your tasks, tools, culture, and personality requirements to ensure we match you with the right BELAY Professional.

Step 3

Placement Process

Now for our Secret Sauce: Your Client Success Consultant will vet and interview top candidates from our bench of nearly 2,000 U.S.-based Professionals. They’ll select the best match for you—in an average of just one week.

Step 4

Kickoff Call

You, your Client Success Consultant, and your new teammate will have a kickoff call—the official start to your partnership—to meet each other, set initial goals, discuss communication plans, and set yourselves up for success.