Your week
bookkeeper · Services and agency · 2-20
AI can run 41% of your week
Not replaceable. Judgment, client trust and relationship friction live here—disputes that need your experience, interpretations that shape advice, and the authority clients expect from you personally.
Human hours · one-time setup
1 hr 5 min
To set up your top automation, written below.
Human hours saved · every month
41 hours
9 hr 27 min a week
Runs without you.
You break even in week one.
What you actually do
% = how much of each task AI can take off you
✓AI can take these over2
✓reconcile bank and card statements monthly72%
✓prepare monthly P&L and balance sheet packs81%
✓AI helps, you stay in charge5
✓categorize the week's transactions in QuickBooks for each client65%
✓raise invoices and chase late payments48%
✓process vendor bills and schedule payments58%
✓run payroll for three small clients22%
✓collect receipts and documents from clients14%
✗Still all you2
✗file GST returns on timeyours
✗answer client questions about their numbersyours
7 automations, ranked by hours returned
Open one to see every step, with verified tools and prices.
7 automations·9 hr 27 min back a week
TaskToolNow → afterSavesSetup
01 of 7categorize the week's transactions in QuickBooks for each client4h→1h 24m2h 36m1h 5mopen
02 of 7reconcile bank and card statements monthlyPlaid3h→50m2h 10m
03 of 7prepare monthly P&L and balance sheet packsTableau2h→23m1h 37m
04 of 7raise invoices and chase late paymentsZoho Invoice3h→1h 34m1h 26m
05 of 7process vendor bills and schedule paymentsBill.com2h→50m1h 10m
06 of 7run payroll for three small clients1h 30m→1h 10m20m
07 of 7collect receipts and documents from clientsAirtable1h→52m8m
1 of 7 automations written
▸01 of 7categorize the week's transactions in QuickBooks for each client2 hr 35 min/wk1h 5m setup
How it works now
✗Open each client file and pull the bank feed30m
✗Read every transaction to decide a category1h 30m
✗Apply and correct categorizations1h
✗Handle recurring transactions client by client30m
✗Track what still needs review20m
✗Sanity check before closing the week10m
Total4h
With the automation
✓Review the For Review tab per client40m
✓Handle genuine exceptions25m
✓Spot check recurring transactions5m
✓Adjust a rule if something keeps getting flagged wrong15m
Total1h 25m
Setup, once
- Build bank rules per client20mIn QuickBooks, go to Bookkeeping > Rules for each client and create rules keyed on payee name, description keywords and amount ranges for their most common transactions.
- Turn on auto-add only for high-confidence recurring vendors10mFor rent, payroll, and known subscriptions, set the rule to auto-add instead of just suggest, so those stop appearing in review.
- Match categories to each client's chart of accounts15mConfirm the category options in each rule map to that client's actual chart of accounts, not the QuickBooks default categories.
- Create a saved filter for needs-review items10mIn the For Review tab, filter and save a view for uncategorized or low-confidence transactions so you can jump straight there each week.
- Correct and retrain weekly for the first month10mEvery time you override a suggestion, check whether it's a one-off or worth turning into a new rule, so the suggestions keep improving.
The standing prompt
Weekly categorization review for [CLIENT_NAME], week of [DATE_RANGE]:
1. Open the For Review tab and sort by amount.
2. Batch-accept anything matching an existing rule with a confident match.
3. For unmatched or low-confidence items, check payee, amount and memo against this client's chart of accounts.
4. If a transaction type has appeared 3+ times uncategorized, create or update a rule instead of coding it manually again.
5. Flag anything you're not sure about with a note for the client instead of guessing.
6. Confirm recurring items (rent, payroll, subscriptions) matched automatically and weren't left pending.
Tools
Watch someone do it
9:03How to Categorize Transactions in QuickBooks Online (Correctly Every Time) | QBO Basics Ep. 3
Chelsea Pérez · VIDEO · 10 HUMAN MIN · 1,989 VIEWS
Covers: Distinguishes between expenses, COGS, liabilities, and equity; splits transactions and uses banking feed matching.
Skip 'Welcome & Episode Overview' if you're familiar with the series.
What it will not do
It will not recognize a brand-new vendor the first time it shows up, that still needs your judgment. It will not know that a client told you last week a particular charge is personal, not business, unless you build a rule for it. It will not catch fraud or duplicate charges, only miscategorization. It will not reconcile across clients or flag cash flow issues, only sort transactions into accounts.
Done when
By Friday afternoon, the For Review tab for each client shows only genuinely new or ambiguous transactions, not the same recurring vendors you've already coded three weeks running.
Everything in one place
1 verified tool·1 video (10 min)·oldest check 10 Aug, all re-verified monthly
Tools
Watch
9:03How to Categorize Transactions in QuickBooks Online (Correctly Every Time) | QBO Basics Ep. 3
Chelsea Pérez · 10 HUMAN MIN · AUTOMATION 01
Covers: Distinguishes between expenses, COGS, liabilities, and equity; splits transactions and uses banking feed matching.
02 of 7reconcile bank and card statements monthly2 hr 10 min/wk
Written on a full run
03 of 7prepare monthly P&L and balance sheet packs1 hr 37 min/wk
Written on a full run
04 of 7raise invoices and chase late payments1 hr 26 min/wk
Written on a full run
05 of 7process vendor bills and schedule payments1 hr 10 min/wk
Written on a full run
06 of 7run payroll for three small clients20 min/wk
Written on a full run
07 of 7collect receipts and documents from clients8 min/wk
Written on a full run
Email only. No password, ever. 5 free runs, they never expire.