Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in Salem, OR

ARCE Bookkeeping is a Salem, Oregon firm that provides outsourced bookkeeping, payroll and financial consulting to smaller and mid-sized companies throughout Oregon. Buyers looking for accounts payable support should know that the firm handles vendor payment management as part of its broader bookkeeping service. It does not sell a standalone AP automation platform. That makes it a fit for owners who want a hands-on team keeping bills, payments and records in order.

Accounts payable and bookkeeping work

On the payables side, ARCE's staff log the money leaving the business and keep watch over what is owed and when it is due. They help clients stay on schedule with suppliers so that due dates are not missed and cash does not get squeezed.

The same team handles receivables by following up on unpaid customer invoices, so both directions of cash flow are tracked in one place. This AP work connects to the rest of the books the firm maintains:

• Day-to-day transaction recording and upkeep of general ledgers
• Reconciling bank accounts and credit cards against the books to catch discrepancies, which also supports fraud prevention
• Preparing balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements
• Custom reports and analysis of business performance and trends
• Budgets and forecasts built from past results, market conditions and industry benchmarks

Payroll and advisory services

Beyond payables, the firm runs payroll for clients. It calculates wages, deductions and withholding, issues checks or direct deposits, and prepares year-end forms. It files and pays payroll taxes at the federal, state and local level, plus workers' compensation and unemployment insurance obligations.

Other payroll support includes tracking hours and schedules through its payroll system, administering health insurance and retirement benefits, onboarding and offboarding staff, and reporting on labor costs and tax liabilities. For founders, ARCE offers consulting on launching a company, planning cash flow and budgeting. It also configures accounting software and trains owners to use it.

The office has a licensed notary public who can witness signatures on contracts, wills, powers of attorney and real estate paperwork.

Background and approach

The firm presents its team as second-generation bookkeepers. Founder Alma Cervantes began the business with little more than a single laptop and a small stack of business cards, and she focuses on working with small companies. ARCE was built around a gap she saw in the market: Spanish-speaking business owners who needed bookkeeping help in their own language. Today the team serves clients in English and Spanish across a range of industries.

New clients begin with a free consultation to discuss their needs. The firm emphasizes a personal, community-minded style of service and presents its staff as invested in each client's progress rather than simply processing transactions. Its office is on Market Street NE in Salem.

ARCE suits Oregon businesses that want accounts payable handled alongside reconciliations, reporting and payroll by one local, bilingual provider, and it may especially appeal to Spanish-speaking owners. Companies seeking dedicated AP automation software should note that the site does not list any such product.