I reached out to Carol to see if she can help me set up a bookkeeping system to help track business expenses, and she took a good 20 minutes to chat with me about how I currently work. With her insightful questions, she quickly helped me diagnose the issue which doesn't have to do with bookkeeping but is really about my needing to diligently enter all my expenditures at the point of transaction. She also walked me through how Quickbooks works and kindly helped me understand my next steps which wasn't to hire her. I can't recommend her enough to folks who do need a bookkeeper! read more

We have used The Balancing Act for several years. Carol and NIcole are professional, friendly and very easy to work with. Nicole always responds in a timely manner and is very knowledgeable. We highly recommend them for all your bookkeeping needs. Very reasonable rates also. read more

The other stellar reviews here have it exactly right: Carol provides top notch service in every regard....and she does it with great kindness & patience-at a very reasonable cost. Carol understands the K.I.S.S. principle (keep it simple stupid), she delivers understandable solutions that are tailored for your business. She is thorough, careful, competent (!), dogged, dedicated, endlessly patient, a straight talker, unassuming, present (she hears every word you say), reliable, reasonable, flexible in problem solving approach, generous with her time, a great teacher, and if she can't do it she'll connect you to someone that can. All that-with a sense of humor to boot! Carol comes to you, and expert help that will solve your book keeping problems in real time is what she delivers-flawlessly. What's more-when the job is done, she is a phone call away for support. Carol delivers-and Carol cares. Very highly recommended! :) read more

Carol Cohn has been my bookkeeper for years and there really is no one better. The quality of her work product is second to none and her financial background allows her and the firm to tackle even the most complex financial bookkeeping situations. Her rates are absolutely fair and she does not waste time. You can count on Carol to keep your books in order and the attention to detail is always appreciated by my CPA. It's so good that he actually has no need to ask questions related to the books at tax time! You'll be fortunate to have Carol and her team on your side. read more

I can't recommend Carol highly enough! I've been doing my own bookkeeping in Quickbooks for the past 3 years (I originally hired an accountant to set me up...) I had made a mess of certain parts of my accounting (for example, I hadn't reconciled my statements for 3 years ;-( I hired Carol for a one time visit. She was able to explain accounting concepts to me in a very simple, clear way so that I understood them.... Within a single two hour session, she was able to clear up a lot of the mistakes I had made, and also teach me what I needed to do to clean up the rest. Carol was extremely kind and compassionate- I was embarrassed by some of the mistakes I had made in the past, but she was very non-judgmental.. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders... I thought she did a great job, and her price was reasonable. read more

Carol is fondly thought of as the "Momma Bear" by her regular bookkeeping clients. I think this says a lot about her skills and approach to her work. You want a bookkeeper to tell you are doing a good job but if you have blind spots, you want someone to tell you straight up so you can fix it right away. Carol has a great passion for her work and that is expressed in so many ways. She cares deeply for her clients as if she was a family member but has the perspective of an experienced and seasoned bookkeeper, bringing in her years of knowledge from the private sector working as a Controller for 10 years for an international corporation headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Carol Cohn of The Balancing Act has a hands on approach that is rare. She will literally come to your place of business in the Oakland and Berkeley area and sit down with you and walk through your paperwork and Quickbooks. Your accountant will love her after she straightens you out. read more

As far as I am concerned, Carol Cohn of The Balancing Act Bookkeeping Services, is an essential part of any small business operation, in the Oakland/Berkeley area. She works closely with your accountant so that you can focus on your business, and not paperwork. If my accountant is happy, I am happy and my accountant loves Carol Cohn.If you hate keeping your books straight, like me give Carol a call. read more

The Balancing Act - Bookkeeping Services - Accountants Near Me

I struggled for years doing my own book keeping under the premise that I couldn't afford a book keeper. I was wrong. carol's dedication to her work and her clients means she really gets involved with your numbers and really gets to the nitty gritty of a business' finances. Her integrity and work acumen make her a huge asset and I can vouch for the fact that, not only are my books in better shape, but carol has saved me money. If you haven't got a book keeper, and you write more than trhee invoices a year, get one and, if you are lucky, that one will be Carol Cohen of the balancing act. read more

I have been associated with Carol for many years. She is very knowledgeable and savvy, she has an uncanny ability to grasp a situation quickly, and with her many years of experience, she can enhance and improve any system in place. She's especially good at creating--and tracking--budgets. Her grasp of QuickBooks always surprises me. She specializes in working with individuals and sole proprietors, and especially in responding to the client's needs and adapting to the client's special circumstances. She comes to your home or office!! (or works from her office). I wholeheartedly recommend Carol as an excellent bookkeeper, she's also very trustworthy. read more

Carol is, bar none, the best bookkeeper in town. She's reliable, super-knowledgeable, and a patient teacher. I had a bad experience with a previous bookkeeping firm (they were hired to help me solve problems in my bookkeeping, and instead spent their time pointing out the problems. Um, yeah, thanks!) Carol helped me understand where QuickBooks was probably working with incorrectly entered data, resolve bank reconciliation issues, etc. by the end of our work together, I felt capable of handling my bookkeeping on my own for the most part...no small feat, and all thanks to Carol's fine consultation. read more

Carol is one of the most fantastic people I know. I work in the financial services industry and find it hard to find people that do quality work, know what they are doing, and provide great service. Carol accomplishes all of those things, and goes above and beyond. She has great knowledge about taxes and has passed all parts of the CPA exam, even though she is not licensed as a CPA. You will not be disspointed with her work, and she will help your business become more successful, by freeing up your time, and helping you concentrate on what you do best. read more

I wanted to work with a bookkeeper who could assist me with the basics of accounting in the initial phase of establishing my own business and get me set up on Quickbooks, as well as be able to answer more complicated questions as I got deeper into the business. Carol Cohn of The Balancing Act was able to do all of that. Her many years of experience and her knowledge of accounting/bookkeeping, plus her non-judgmental attitude, was exactly what I was looking for. I highly recommend her. read more

We needed help in our office. The prior office manager had set up a couple things a little wonky and our a/p and job costing were not set up correctly (invoicing and the p&l were also affected by this). After many attempts to make an appointment (this was my boss' fault, he delays things and we also moved offices), Carol came out and sat with me. She showed me where to adjust the a/p. As far as the job costing, she wasn't too sure on what the actual problem might be (contractor stuff is sometimes different than a regular quickbooks set up and ours is definitely different), she referred me to a "pro" who deals specifically with our industry. By the end of the day we didn't even need to use the referral because she sat with me and brainstormed. She found the issue and now I just need to go through and re-categorize a couple things. Carol is awesome! I love her honesty also, not many would admit that something might be a little out of their expertise, but she still was able to fix the issue. I highly recommend Carol. She is very patient and kind when showing someone how to do things! read more

I called Carol recently when I was provided two options for a new offer from my employer. As someone who's got little experience with accounting/taxes, I needed to speak with someone who could offer me thoughtful, informed facts and is an expert in the field - to help me consider the best decision I was needing to make. Carol immediately took my call and provided me with a free consultation. I was shocked and thankful for her generosity of time and knowledgeable information. She was authentic in her approach, curious about my dilemma, and even said she'd like to call me back briefly once figuring out a few unknown pieces. I could tell by our interaction that Carol is someone who truly cares about the people she serves - her integrity and skill are apparent. At one point, she even recognized how my attempt to find informed answers was me advocating for my self and my finances. I appreciated that keen observation, as I have tried to become more adept at truly advocating for myself over the years. Thank you, Carol, for such knowledge, commitment, and kindness! read more

Carol is the best bookkeeper I've ever used, and that's saying something, as I've hired many over the past few decades of owning an operating my own businesses. She's competent, quick and reliable. She's a great communicator. And, my accountant gives her very high marks. I recommend her without reservation. read more