About Me: Helping San Diego Small Businesses and Construction Contractors Survive the Accounting Jungle

I'm an "Accounting Integrator/Specialist," the bridge between a Bookkeeper and a CPA

Hi, I’m Lin Mateka, owner and operator of my own small business, Small Businesses Accounting. Like you, I didn’t become a small business owner by accident. I’d worked for larger organizations, but wanted the freedom and flexibility that comes with owning my own business. Also, like you, I had to come to terms with the inherent challenges of running a small business.

Can I do it all myself? I’m not a marketing pro. In fact, I don’t particularly like marketing, so who’s going to help me that won’t make me pay a king’s ransom? I suppose you’re asking the same questions about your accounting and bookkeeping. I’m betting that you didn’t go into business for yourself because you love playing with Profit and Loss statements, Balance Sheets, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. Well, I happen to enjoy doing these things.

I got the idea of starting this business after having worked in small to large sized businesses as a Controller. I learned not just how to be organized about the accounting systems, but how to use the accounting systems to make business decisions. The owners of these companies relied on my experience and understanding of financial matters to make purchases, acquisitions, or other important business decisions.

As I worked with various CPAs and hired bookkeeping help, I became aware of a tremendous gap that exists for most small businesses. I discovered much to my dismay (and you may have learned this as well), that CPA’s don’t particularly enjoy the nitty-gritty details of daily accounting. They’d take forever to call me back, and I’d often be left to figuring things out for myself.

I realized that I had a knack for accounting and finances, and that most small business owners don’t have this skill (or desire). Consequently, I packed up my knowledge and experience in business to form Small Businesses Accounting.

I call myself an Accounting Integrator/Specialist. I’m that important midway point between a Bookkeeper, who’s often more like a data entry person who happens to know the QuickBooks software, and an Accountant (CPA). A Bookkeeper is often seen as a clerk with good math skills. A CPA is usually a corporate officer who is geared/trained for Fortune 500 corporations, or an expert in the matters of financial law and corporate risk assessment.

An Accounting Specialist (that’s me), works with you on setting reporting standards, solving financial or accounting problems, giving you input about sound business practices, and integrating all of your financial and accounting systems. I do what a bookkeeper does not have the training to do and what a CPA clearly doesn’t want to do.

I recently retired as Chief of Police after 25 yrs in law enforcement. Since I retired at a young age, my post retirement plans centered on me establishing a Private Detective Company, since I have an abundance of skills in this area. Right out of the gate, I realized that one of the problems I would face was to set up and maintain an easy, reliable, accurate accounting system. I had the fortune of meeting Lin and she immediately set me up with QuickBooks, taught me the system, I do the day to day Bookkeeping , she provides me with month-end routines. My system is very accurate, easy and affordable and provides me with timely management information to manage my business. I am in my third successful year in business and my CPA often remarks at year end tax time that “Lin does such a good job.” Month end Accounting Procedures are effortless and Lin and I actually have fun together during our sessions.

Robert Pelio – Chief of Police (Retired) Pelio & Lee Investigations, San Diego www.rpeliopi.com

I have twenty years experience successfully working in all levels of businesses in the accounting areas. I’ve learned not just how to print a P&L Statement, but also how to use a P&L Statement. This distinction is important for my clients.

My office is located in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, California. I have been focusing on working with local businesses in the Mid and North Inland San Diego County. As of September 2008, I am now working with businesses on a national level through “remote access”.

I’m proficient with a number of accounting software systems including:

	QuickBooks Basic
	QuickBooks Pro
	QuickBooks Premier
	QuickBooks Enterprise

Be sure to ask for one of my free tutorials and special reports, and then call me to see how I can help you to save yourself important time and money!

I’ll help you to work ON your business, instead of IN your business.

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