Months behind on the books? I’ll get you current — for a flat price you see before I start.
No judgment and no hourly meter. I’m Mark Pagano — thirty years as a corporate controller — and most shops that come to Forte Financial Operations are behind. A shoebox of receipts, an accounting file nobody trusts, or no books at all: it all rebuilds the same way, one month at a time, until everything’s reconciled and you know exactly where you stand.
However your records show up, they work. A POS export, a stack of statements, orders written on tickets, a drawer of receipts — take a picture, send an email, drop it in a shared folder, or hand me the box. Sorting it is my job, not yours. No POS and no software is not a problem here — it’s just another starting point.
Behind → current, one month at a time.
Every month gets rebuilt and reconciled on its own: sales tied to deposits, accounts matched to statements, nothing skipped to make the calendar look better. Watch it run.
Four steps. The price comes second, in writing.
A free 20-minute call
You tell me how far behind you are and what records exist. No pitch, no homework, nothing to prepare.
A flat quote, in writing
One number for the whole job, with what it assumes written down next to it — part to begin, the balance when your books are delivered current.
The rebuild
Months reconciled one at a time — sales tied to deposits, accounts matched to statements, payroll and sales tax accounted for.
Delivered, with the read
Clean books, plus a plain-English note on what they show — what the months cost you, and what to watch from here.
The flat quote isn’t a guess. It’s built from six things.
Before I put a price in writing, we walk through what the job actually is — so the number holds and you’re never billed for a surprise.
What “current” means here
- ✓Every month reconciled — accounts matched to bank and card statements, to the dollar.
- ✓Sales tied to deposits — POS or paper register, every dollar accounted for.
- ✓Payroll and sales tax accounted for — and if periods are behind, you’ll know exactly which ones.
- ✓A findings note in plain English — what the rebuilt months actually say about your shop.
- ✓A finished set of books for your CPA — statements to file from, instead of a year to rebuild in January at CPA rates.
How I keep it fair
- ✓Flat price, in writing, before work starts. Not an estimate that grows.
- ✓No hourly meter. You never pay for the hours a mess takes to untangle — that risk is mine.
- ✓The books are yours. Your file, your accounts, your logins — you keep access to all of it.
- ✓Taxes stay with your CPA. I close the books; your CPA files from them. I read your numbers alongside your CPA, not instead of them.
- ✓No obligation after. Most shops move to a monthly plan so the books never fall behind again — but cleanup stands on its own.
Pizza shops first. Any small shop welcome.
Forte Financial Operations is built around independent pizza shops and restaurants — the menus, the delivery apps, the cash drawer, the sales tax. But cleanup is cleanup: if you run a small business in Greater Pittsburgh or the Allegheny Valley — Natrona Heights, Tarentum, New Kensington, Lower Burrell, Freeport and the towns between — and the books are behind, the same rebuild applies. I work in person where it helps and by phone and email where it’s easier.
Cleanup & catch-up FAQ
What does a cleanup cost?
A flat price quoted up front, in writing, before any work starts — built from how many months you’re behind, how the records arrive, how many accounts are in play, your volume, and whether payroll and sales tax need catching up. Part is due to begin, the balance when your books are delivered current. No hourly billing, and no back-billing if the job runs long.
How long does it take?
It depends on the months and, most of all, on how the records arrive — bank feeds move fast, a box of paper doesn’t. What I’ll tell you before we start is what to expect for your job, and you’ll see the progress month by month as each one is reconciled.
Do I need accounting software first?
No. If you have a file, I’ll work with it. If you have a drawer of receipts and paper tickets, that works too — capture is part of the job. Nothing about how you run your day has to change before you call.
What if some records are just gone?
Common, and workable. Banks and card processors can reissue statements, your POS holds history, and vendors keep copies. Part of the job is chasing what’s recoverable and documenting the honest gaps so your books say what actually happened.
I’m behind on sales tax. Is that part of this?
Yes — the cleanup establishes exactly what was collected and what each period owes, so the filings are built on real numbers instead of guesses. Filing and any penalty conversations stay coordinated with your CPA.
Do I need the $400 Financial Health Review first?
No. That review is for shops whose books are already current. If you’re behind, the cleanup itself does the scoping — one flat quote, no separate review fee on this route.
Will my CPA be okay with this?
CPAs are usually the happiest people in this arrangement. Your taxes stay with them — what changes is what they receive: a finished, reconciled set of books to file from, instead of a shoebox in January.
Twenty minutes. Free. No judgment.
Tell me how far behind you are and what records exist. You’ll hang up knowing what the job looks like and what happens next — whether or not you hire me.
(724) 209-4016
call or text · mark@fortefinancialoperations.com