You're past the point of needing clean books or weekly updates. You're opening new locations, considering acquisitions, or planning your next phase of growth. The question isn't "What happened last month?" It's "What should we do next quarter?"
You need someone who can forecast whether you can afford three new locations next year, show you which of your current sites are actually profitable, and sit down quarterly to plan your next moves.
At Patrick Accounting, our Ultimate package gives you that strategic partnership. Quarterly planning sessions, 13-week cash flow forecasting, budget vs. actuals by location, and premium reporting to guide major decisions.
In this article, you'll learn exactly what Ultimate costs, how it differs from Advanced, what's included every month, and whether you actually need this level of strategic guidance.
What is the Average Monthly Cost for the Ultimate Package?
For businesses ready for strategic financial planning, our Ultimate package provides CFO-level guidance without the $150K+ salary.
Our typical Ultimate Package clients pay around $2,200 per month.
Our starting fees are $1,950 per month, and for more complex needs, clients may see costs ranging from $2,500-$3,500.
Due to the extensive nature of the services provided, this package requires a minimum commitment of 12 months to ensure the strategies and systems we implement have a lasting impact on your business.
We provide payroll through our sister company, Whirks, which specializes in payroll, HR, and employee benefits. By combining Patrick Accounting’s financial services with Whirks’ people management solutions, you get a fully integrated, one-stop shop for all your back-office needs. This partnership allows you to simplify financial and people complexities.
In fact, we require clients to move payroll over when they start accounting with us. Why? Keeping both under one roof simplifies your back office, improves compliance, and saves time. This integration helps keep your accounting fees lower in the long run, while giving you more accurate, real-time reporting you can trust.
What Determines the Cost of Your Ultimate Package?
When it comes to pricing accounting services, several factors come into play. We customize our fee based on your specific business needs. The complexity of your books, the volume of transactions, and the technology you use all impact your monthly investment. Here are the three main factors we consider:
Factor #1: Volume of Transactions
The number of bills and vendors you work with each week drives a significant part of the cost. We look at:
- How many bills do you receive per week?
- How many different vendors do you work with?
- What level of detail is needed for bill coding and tracking?
- How many bank accounts and credit cards need weekly reconciliation?
Factor #2: Complexity of Your Books
Ultimate-level complexity often involves multiple locations or detailed tracking requirements. At Patrick Accounting, several complexity factors go into determining our Ultimate Pricing:
Business Structure Complexity:
- How many business locations do you have? Multiple locations require more detailed tracking, reporting, and expense allocation. Each location may need its own P&L.
- Do you manage inventory? Inventory tracking adds significant complexity, especially for restaurants with recipe costing or retail businesses tracking product margins.
- How many states are you operating in? Multi-state operations often mean multiple tax jurisdictions, different filing requirements, and more complex compliance.
- Do you have multiple bank accounts? Each account needs weekly reconciliation in Advanced, and more accounts mean more time spent tracking cash flow.
Tax and Compliance Complexity:
- Do you file sales tax across multiple locations or states? Sales tax compliance can get complicated quickly with multiple jurisdictions, each with different rates, rules, and filing frequencies.
- Industry-specific requirements: Restaurants need liquor tax tracking, nonprofits need restricted cash account management, professional services need trust account reconciliation, etc.
Detailed Requirements for Ultimate:
- Do you need location-specific P&Ls?
- How detailed does your bill coding need to be (department, location, project)?
- What level of vendor management and communication is needed?
- Do you require detailed cash flow forecasting by location?
Factor #3: Technology Stack
The systems you use and how they integrate affect both setup and ongoing management. We work with clients who use either QuickBooks Online or Restaurant365. You may incur different costs based on integration and management requirements.
If you are a QuickBooks Online client, we consider factors such as:
- Classes and tracking categories
- Consolidations
- Multi-entity management
- Restricted cash accounts (common for nonprofits)
- Profitability tracking across departments or offices
This is common with multi-unit restaurants, physicians, or professional service practices that track multiple offices.
If you are a Restaurant365 client, we consider:
- How the software integrates with your point of sale system
- How many vendors you're directly integrating with
- Whether you need detailed financial reports for multi-unit operations
- What other workflows or technologies are part of your processes
- Time and labor data integration
- Payroll integration
What's the One-Time Investment for Ultimate?
When you start working with Patrick Accounting, there is a collaborative onboarding process designed to align our services with your business needs. We call these Initial Strategy Sessions.
Purpose of Initial Strategy Sessions
- Documentation: We document your goals, current financial processes, and any specific requirements you have. This includes understanding your current practices and identifying areas for improvement.
- System Setup: We ensure that all necessary systems and software (like QuickBooks Online or Restaurant 365) are properly set up and integrated.
- Initial Review: We review your last three tax returns to identify any risks or opportunities and ensure your financial records are accurate.
At Patrick Accounting, our onboarding price varies for everyone since it's based on our monthly accounting fee.
For our Ultimate services, the one-time investment is typically 1–2x your monthly accounting fee (depending on the time of year and how much back work is required).
Onboarding fee = (Monthly fee x 2)*
Depending on your specific requirements, this can range from $4,400 to $7,000, depending on your specific requirements. The fee can be higher if you're starting mid-year, have significant cleanup work needed, or have unfiled tax returns.
What Does the One-Time Investment Cover?
One-time fees cover initial setup and any back work needed to bring your books up to date. When you become our client, we assess the current state of your books and determine what it will take to get everything current. This includes:
- Initial Strategy Sessions: A series of meetings to establish and document your financial processes, goals, and specific requirements
- System Setup & Integration: We’ll ensure that all necessary systems and software (
- like QuickBooks Online or Restaurant 365) are properly set up and integrated. We’ll also help set up any extra tools your business needs, such as Dext, Bill.com, inventory software, or your POS system. If you use Bill.com, we’ll add your vendors with the right coding and build in approval steps that fit your workflow.
- Chart of Accounts Realignment: Adjusting your chart of accounts to align with your business needs and industry best practices
- Review of Past Tax Returns: We review your last three tax returns to identify any risks or opportunities and ensure your financial records are accurate
- Back Work: Getting your books current if they've fallen behind
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Tax Return Preparation: Your current year’s tax return is included in your one-time onboarding fee. Since we complete and file that return in December, after much of the accounting work has already been done, we collect the full tax prep fee up front as part of your initial investment.
Many factors go into this, such as how up-to-date your current books are and how quickly we can get you caught up. So, don't panic if that feels scary. We can always work with you and break up your investment over time to make sure you're comfortable getting started.
Everything Included in Your Monthly Ultimate Package
Ultimate is the top tier of our service suite, delivering both weekly financial execution and quarterly strategic leadership. It includes all the services in our Core and Advanced packages, plus additional features designed to enhance profitability and business value. Here’s what you get:
Core Services (Included):
- Monthly bookkeeping & reconciliations
- Business tax returns (federal & state)
- Sales tax filing and liquor tax (if applicable)
- Annual filings: 1099s, gross receipts, tangible property, annual report
- Standard financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, KPI trends)
- Monthly financial summary with insight
- Advisor access: phone, email, Zoom, and office hours
Advanced Package Services:
- Weekly cash flow management
- Weekly accounts payable processing
- bill.com and Dext setup and integration
- Vendor payment tracking and communication
- Receipt and expense management
- Industry-specific KPI dashboards
- Strategic budgeting and monthly action tracking
Ultimate-Only Services:
Strategic Planning & Forecasting
Quarterly Business Strategy Sessions
Dedicated meetings focused on growth planning, not operational issues. We review performance across locations, discuss expansion timing, model scenarios for major decisions, and plan your next strategic moves.
13-Week Cash Flow Forecasting
Rolling forecast updated regularly. Know exactly when you can afford to open new locations, make major purchases, or pursue acquisitions. We model different scenarios to help you time decisions confidently.
Strategic Budgeting with Quarterly Updates
We build your annual budget and revisit it quarterly to adjust based on actual performance and changing market conditions.
Annual Customized KPI & Target Refresh
Yearly session to review and update your KPIs and targets as your business evolves and market conditions change.
Premium Financial Reporting Suite
Weekly Flash Report
Key metrics delivered every week. Don't wait until month-end to know how you're performing. See trends as they happen.
Budget vs. Actuals Reporting
Compare actual performance against your budget by location, department, or entity. Identify which sites are exceeding targets and which are falling short.
Cash Flow Report
Detailed monthly analysis showing where cash came from and where it went. Different from a P&L. This shows actual cash movement.
Custom KPI Dashboards
Metrics specific to your business model and growth goals, beyond standard industry KPIs. Tailored to what matters for your strategic decisions.
Tax Protection
IRS/State Notice Response & Audit Representation
We handle all IRS and state tax correspondence and represent you in audits. This protection is included in your monthly fee, not charged separately.
- Premium Financial Reporting Suite: Budget-to-actuals, cash flow analysis, custom KPIs and dashboards
- Weekly Flash Reports: Weekly executive snapshot to see what's working
- 13-Week Cash Flow Forecasting: A rolling projection of your future cash position
- Quarterly Business Strategy Sessions: Discuss goals, roadblocks, expansion plans, and profit strategies
- Annual KPI and Target Refresh: Realign goals and metrics every year based on performance
- IRS/State Audit Representation: If you receive a tax notice, we’ll handle the response and represent you
- Dedicated Strategic Team: High-level access to your financial partner, no silos or waiting weeks for answers
Optional Add-Ons for Ultimate Clients
- Profit First Accelerator Program
- Individual Tax Return and Planning
- Restaurant365 Subscription and Support
Who Thrives with the Ultimate Package?
Ultimate is for experienced operators who have outgrown reports and need real-time insight, long-term planning, and CFO-style support without hiring one in-house.
You’re a great fit if:
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You’re running multiple locations or entities
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You need forward-looking financial planning, not just reporting
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You’re preparing for a sale, merger, or expansion
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You’re making seven- or eight-figure decisions and need real data
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You want hands-on strategy from a finance team that knows your business
Ultimate Package for Restaurant Groups
Running a restaurant group or franchise? Ultimate provides the strategic forecasting and planning tools restaurant groups need to expand profitably.
This package is perfect for restaurant groups with 5+ locations, franchise operators opening 2+ units annually, multi-concept restaurant companies, and food service businesses planning acquisitions.
What Makes Ultimate Perfect for Restaurants:
- Quarterly strategy sessions focused on new location timing and expansion planning
- 13-week cash flow forecasting to determine when you can afford buildouts
- Budget vs. actuals by location showing which sites hit targets
- Prime cost trends across all locations identifying where COGS% is creeping up
- Weekly flash reports showing performance across your entire portfolio
- Custom KPIs for your specific restaurant model
Ultimate integrates with Restaurant365 and your POS to deliver the metrics that matter most: prime cost, labor %, COGS %, and cash runway.
When you need Ultimate over Advanced: If you're opening one new location every 2-3 years, Advanced works. If you're opening multiple locations annually or acquiring other restaurants, you need Ultimate's forecasting and strategic planning.
Who Might Not Be the Best Fit for Our Ultimate Package
We want you in the right package for your stage. Ultimate may not be a good fit if:
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You don’t have consistent revenue yet
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Your books are still a mess and you’re playing catch-up
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You prefer a hands-off approach and don’t want regular strategy meetings
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You’re not ready to use modern tools like Dext, Bill.com, or Restaurant365
- You cannot commit to a 12-month engagement
In these cases, you may be better served by our Advanced or Core packages to get stabilized before moving into strategy mode.
Why Ultimate Requires a 12-Month Commitment
Strategic financial systems take time to show results.
- Months 1-3: Build forecasting models, establish baselines, create budget framework, set up strategic reporting.
- Months 4-6: Patterns emerge, forecasts get refined, first strategic insights appear. You start making data-driven decisions.
- Months 7-9: Implement strategic recommendations, measure results, adjust approach.
- Months 10-12: Full strategic rhythm established, year-over-year comparisons become meaningful, plan year two based on proven data.
Businesses that commit to the full journey get value. Those treating it as a 3-month experiment don't.
Ready for CFO-Level Insight Without the Overhead?
You don’t need to hire an in-house CFO to get strategic financial leadership.
With our Ultimate Package, you’ll get the insights, tools, and partnership to grow your business profitably. This can help you make better decisions, improve your cash flow, and ultimately, grow your business's value.
At Patrick Accounting, we’re dedicated to providing the support you need to thrive. If you're ready to see if Ultimate is the right fit for your business, schedule a discovery call with our team. We'll review your specific needs and give you a customized quote.
Not quite ready to meet? That’s totally ok! Check out Who’s a Good Fit for Patrick Accounting to see if our services align with what you need.
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