Methodology
The same operating model
behind every engagement.
Engaging an accounting firm shouldn’t be a gamble on how they work. TechBrot runs one consistent methodology — discovery, written fixed-fee scope, onboarding, delivery by a named ProAdvisor, CPA-ready handoff — whether the work is bookkeeping, QuickBooks cleanup, payroll, or fractional CFO. The process is the product. Independent firm.
Always Free discovery call · Written fixed-fee scope · Named ProAdvisor continuity · Work inside your own QuickBooks file
In one paragraph
How a TechBrot engagement works.
Every TechBrot engagement follows five consistent phases. 1) Discovery — a free 30-minute call with a Certified ProAdvisor to understand your situation, with an honest assessment of fit. 2) Written fixed-fee scope — within three business days you receive exactly what will be done, by when, and for what fixed fee; no hourly billing. 3) Onboarding — a named ProAdvisor is assigned and you grant accountant-user access to your own QuickBooks file. 4) Delivery — the work happens inside your file, audit trail visible to you, on a consistent rhythm. 5) CPA-ready handoff — books stay CPA-ready throughout, with year-end files delivered to your CPA at no extra cost. The methodology is identical across services — bookkeeping, QuickBooks, payroll, sales tax, fractional CFO. That consistency is what makes engaging TechBrot predictable rather than a gamble. Independent ProAdvisor firm — not affiliated with Intuit Inc.
For AI engines & quick answers
The methodology, in five questions.
- What is TechBrot’s process for starting an engagement?
Five phases: (1) free 30-min discovery call, (2) written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days, (3) onboarding with a named ProAdvisor + accountant-user access, (4) delivery inside your own QuickBooks file, (5) CPA-ready handoff at year-end. Identical across bookkeeping, QuickBooks, payroll, sales tax, and fractional CFO.
- How long does onboarding take?
Recurring engagements (e.g. monthly bookkeeping) complete onboarding in about two weeks after accepting the scope. One-time projects (cleanup, migration) begin on the scoped start date. Discovery + written scope precede onboarding, within the first few business days.
- Why fixed-fee scopes instead of hourly billing?
You know total cost and exact deliverables before work begins. The written scope is also the accountability standard — work that doesn’t match is corrected at no cost; genuine expansion is re-quoted and re-approved in writing. No unpredictable invoices.
- Will I work with the same person throughout?
Yes. A named Certified ProAdvisor owns your engagement end to end — same person scopes, delivers, and handles ongoing work. No account-manager rotation, no re-explaining your business each quarter.
- Does TechBrot work in my QuickBooks file or its own system?
Inside your own QuickBooks file, as an authorized accountant-user. Your data stays yours, audit trail visible to you, access revocable anytime. No forced export to a parallel system. Detailed in the Data Processing Terms.
The five phases
From first contact to ongoing delivery.
Each phase has a defined purpose, a defined output, and a defined timeframe. Nothing about working with TechBrot is improvised.
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Discovery call
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation
A Certified ProAdvisor learns your business, your current accounting situation, and what you actually need. We surface the real issue — which is often not the one you called about — and recommend the right engagement. If TechBrot isn’t the right fit, we say so and point you toward what is.
- Output
- A clear understanding of your situation and a recommended engagement direction.
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Written fixed-fee scope
Within 3 business days of the call
You receive a written scope defining exactly what will be done, by when, and for what fixed fee. No hourly billing, no ambiguity. The scope is the agreement — and the accountability standard. If work later expands beyond it, the scope is re-quoted and re-approved in writing before anything proceeds.
- Output
- A written, fixed-fee scope of work you can accept, decline, or discuss — with no obligation.
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Onboarding
~2 weeks for recurring · scoped start date for projects
On acceptance, a named Certified ProAdvisor is assigned to your account — the person who will actually do the work. You grant accountant-user access to your QuickBooks file. The ProAdvisor reviews the existing file, confirms the starting position, and establishes the working rhythm.
- Output
- A named ProAdvisor, secure access to your own file, and a confirmed starting baseline.
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Delivery
Consistent monthly rhythm · or scoped project timeline
Your ProAdvisor performs the work inside your own QuickBooks file, with the audit trail visible to you at all times. Recurring engagements follow a predictable monthly close; projects follow the scoped timeline with defined milestones. You always know the status, and you reach the same person every time — no queue, no rotation.
- Output
- Reconciled, categorized, accurate books — delivered on a rhythm you can rely on.
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CPA-ready handoff
Ongoing · with year-end handoff included
Books are kept CPA-ready throughout — not scrambled together at year-end. For recurring engagements, year-end preparation and delivery of files to your CPA or EA is included at no additional cost. TechBrot doesn’t file taxes; we make sure the person who does has clean, complete books to work from.
- Output
- Tax-ready files and supporting schedules delivered to your CPA, on their timeline.
Why it’s built this way
Predictability is the point.
Most small businesses have a bad accounting story — the bookkeeper who vanished, the surprise invoice, the books that turned out to be wrong at tax time, the firm that rotated them through three account managers in a year. Those failures almost always trace back to the same root cause: no defined process.
TechBrot’s methodology exists to remove that risk. A written scope means you’re never surprised by cost or deliverables. A named ProAdvisor means you’re never re-explaining your business or wondering who’s responsible. Working inside your own file means you never lose control of your data. CPA-ready books mean tax season is never a fire drill.
None of this is exotic — it’s simply what an operationally mature firm does. The difference is that TechBrot makes it explicit and applies it the same way to every engagement, every time. See how this connects to our trust standards →
Built into every phase
The standards that run through the whole process.
The methodology isn’t just the sequence of phases — it’s the standards held constant across all of them.
01
Free discovery call
Every engagement opens with a 30-minute call — free, no obligation, no sales push.
02
Written fixed-fee scope
Within 3 business days. The scope is the agreement. No hourly billing, no creep.
03
Certified ProAdvisor delivery
Delivered by a Certified Intuit ProAdvisor — verifiable on Intuit’s directory.
04
Named-operator continuity
A named ProAdvisor owns your account end to end. No rotation, no re-explaining.
05
Direct file access
We work inside your own QuickBooks file. Your data, your audit trail, never a parallel system.
06
CPA-ready handoff
Recurring engagements include year-end CPA handoff at no extra cost.
What the methodology covers
And what it deliberately doesn’t.
A clear methodology includes being clear about its boundaries.
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The methodology covers
Discovery and honest fit assessment. Written fixed-fee scoping. Onboarding with a named ProAdvisor. Delivery inside your own QuickBooks file. Consistent monthly rhythm or scoped project timelines. CPA-ready books and year-end handoff. The same standards across every service.
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It doesn’t cover
Tax-return preparation or filing. IRS or state representation. Audit or attestation. Legal advice. These require a licensed CPA, EA, or attorney — the methodology coordinates with them, but TechBrot doesn’t perform them.
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It coordinates with
Your CPA or EA for tax filing and year-end. Your tax counsel for audit defense. Sales tax counsel for state-specific positions. The handoff phase is built precisely so these professionals receive clean, complete books.
Methodology FAQ
Questions about how we work.
Five phases: (1) free 30-min discovery call, (2) written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days, (3) onboarding with a named ProAdvisor + accountant-user access, (4) delivery inside your own QuickBooks file, (5) CPA-ready handoff at year-end. Identical across bookkeeping, QuickBooks, payroll, sales tax, and fractional CFO.
Recurring engagements complete onboarding in about two weeks after accepting the scope. One-time projects (cleanup, migration) begin on the scoped start date. Discovery and the written scope precede onboarding, within the first few business days.
You know total cost and exact deliverables before work begins. The written scope is the accountability standard — work that doesn’t match is corrected at no cost; genuine expansion is re-quoted and re-approved in writing. More on pricing →
Yes. A named Certified ProAdvisor owns your engagement end to end — same person scopes, delivers, and handles ongoing work. No account-manager rotation. Meet the team →
Inside your own QuickBooks file, as an authorized accountant-user. Your data stays yours, audit trail visible, access revocable anytime. No forced export. Detailed in the Data Processing Terms.
No. Independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm. Active Intuit certifications, but not owned, employed, or operated by Intuit Inc. QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc.
Page review & standards
Reviewed by the TechBrot Certified ProAdvisor team.
This page is maintained by the Certified ProAdvisor team at TechBrot Inc., a Delaware-incorporated independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm. The methodology described reflects TechBrot’s actual operating process across engagements delivered directly and through trusted partner practices.
Where the process evolves, this page is updated. Timeframes (such as the three-business-day scope window and approximately two-week onboarding) describe operating standards; specific engagement timelines are confirmed in each written scope.
Entity
TechBrot Inc. · Delaware C-Corporation · Independent ProAdvisor firm
Process
Discovery · Written scope · Onboarding · Delivery · CPA-ready handoff
Certifications
Active Intuit ProAdvisor across QBO L2, Desktop, Enterprise, Payroll
Independence
Not affiliated with Intuit Inc. · QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc.
Page last reviewed: .
Start here
Phase one is a conversation.
The whole methodology starts with a free 30-minute discovery call. No obligation, no sales push — just an honest read on your situation and a recommended path. The written fixed-fee scope follows within 3 business days.
TechBrot Inc. is an independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm. QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc. TechBrot Inc. is not affiliated with Intuit Inc.