Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in South Portland, ME

Maine Bookkeeping Inc is a bookkeeping firm in South Portland, Maine, a short drive from Scarborough. Its legal name is Finnegan & Austin Associates, Inc., and Maine Bookkeeping is the trade name it uses. The firm offers hands-on, outsourced bookkeeping to small and mid-sized organizations.

For buyers comparing accounts payable providers, it fits companies that want a local bookkeeper to record vendor bills, prepare payments and keep the books accurate, rather than a firm selling a standalone AP automation software platform.

Accounts Payable and Core Bookkeeping Work

Its accounts payable work centers on recording supplier bills in the client's accounting system and producing the checks that pay them. This keeps payables current and gives a clear picture of what the business owes. On the receivables side, the firm can also create customer invoices or enter them, so both sides of the ledger are handled in one place. The rest of its service list supports clean AP records:

• Recording vendor bills and preparing check payments
• Creating and recording customer invoices
• Matching cash accounts against monthly bank statements
• Reconciling loan balances and credit card statements
• Posting journal entries and period-end adjustments
• Preparing financial statements

Regular reconciliation of bank, credit card and loan accounts matters to AP buyers because it confirms that vendor payments have cleared and that card-based purchases are recorded correctly before the financial statements are produced.

Consulting, Setup and QuickBooks Training

The firm does more than transaction processing. It advises clients on how their bookkeeping operations are organized, which can include how bills are received, approved and paid. Businesses still keeping records on paper or in a basic format can get help moving their existing system onto a computer.

The firm also trains owners and staff on both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. That suits organizations that want to bring some payables tasks in-house over time, or that want employees to understand the system their outside bookkeeper uses.

Industries Served

Maine Bookkeeping says it has worked with clients in a wide range of sectors, including:

• Nonprofit organizations and associations
• Manufacturers
• Sales and marketing companies and consultancies
• Advertising agencies and design firms
• Internet and online start-ups
• Family-owned businesses
• Medical practices and healthcare businesses
• Property managers, including those running Airbnb listings and rental units

This mix suggests it is used to different payables patterns, from the recurring supplier bills of a manufacturer to the maintenance and utility costs of rental property owners and the grant-related spending of nonprofits.

What Sets the Firm Apart

Maine Bookkeeping presents itself as a small, personal practice, and its motto describes a team that loves bookkeeping. Its main strengths for AP buyers are its location in greater Portland, its focus on the QuickBooks environment many small businesses already use, and its ability to pair everyday bill entry and payment work with training and advice.

Organizations in the Scarborough area that want an outside bookkeeper to manage payables in QuickBooks, rather than a large automation platform, may find it a practical option.

W.M. Ely Associates is an accounting practice in South Portland, Maine. It is a full-service firm licensed in the state, and it works with business owners, executives and independent professionals. It also has a separate set of services for individuals and families. Buyers looking for accounts payable help will not find a dedicated AP or AP automation product here. The firm covers payables work through its general bookkeeping, payroll, cash flow and QuickBooks services.

Bookkeeping and Finance Support for Small Businesses

The core business offering is outsourced small business accounting. The firm takes over the routine recordkeeping so owners can spend their time on operations and profitability. It also targets companies whose books have become disorganized and need to be rebuilt. Related services that touch the payables side include:

• Ongoing bookkeeping for small businesses
• Payroll processing set up to fit each company
• Cash flow projections to help clients avoid cash shortfalls
• Part-time CFO services that give clients a financial manager without a full-time hire
• Reviews of internal controls to test whether operating procedures work well, followed by recommendations
• Help preparing for bank loans and business financing

QuickBooks Expertise

Much of the firm's technology work centers on QuickBooks. It offers new-file setup, user training, quick-answer support, and tune-ups for existing company files. It also helps clients buy the software. For a small company that pays vendor bills through QuickBooks, this can mean a cleaner bill-entry and payment process and better use of features the business may not be using yet. Its site does not mention any third-party AP automation platforms.

Assurance, Advisory and Tax

The firm also does broader advisory and compliance work. It provides audits, reviews and compilations at three levels of assurance for stockholders, lenders or investors. Other services include forensic accounting, litigation support from a CPA perspective, business valuation, strategic planning, succession planning for family businesses, and help forming new businesses.

It works with non-profit organizations on the revenue and expense classifications that affect tax-exempt status. On the tax side, it handles return preparation and planning, IRS audit representation, payroll tax problems, liens, levies, payment plans and offers in compromise.

How the Firm Works

The firm presents itself as a small, personal practice with reasonable rates. It describes its service as efficient and discreet and promises clients direct, individual attention. New clients can start with a free consultation. Existing clients get a secure client portal and a SecureSend tool for exchanging documents.

The firm also publishes a monthly newsletter and a library of guides, tax calendars and financial calculators. Its site says it has served the South Portland area for years but does not give a founding date or staff details.

This firm may suit small and mid-sized local businesses that want a hands-on accountant to manage bills, payroll and books in QuickBooks, with tax and advisory work under one roof. It is less suited to organizations looking for dedicated AP automation software or high-volume invoice processing.