Effortless Payroll & Bookkeeping for Recruitment Leaders
Acting as a fractional support partner for DukeTalent, we managed the critical integration between Gusto and QuickBooks to ensure financial stability with minimal owner involvement.
The Client Profile
DukeTalent, founded by Duke Butler, is a specialized talent and recruiting agency. In the high-touch world of recruiting, the owner's time is best spent building relationships and placing candidates, not wrestling with administrative back-office tasks.
While the business had the right tools in place, Gusto for payroll and QuickBooks for accounting, it lacked a dedicated operator to keep the systems running smoothly.
The Operational Challenge
The client faced the "Maintenance Gap." The systems were set up, but without regular oversight, small tasks began to accumulate. The owner needed to offload the repetitive weekly burden of payroll processing and transaction categorization without hiring a full-time employee.
1. The Payroll Rhythm
Payroll is the heartbeat of a service business. It requires consistency. DukeTalent needed a partner to log in weekly, ensure hours were accurate, taxes were filed, and the team was paid on time, every time.
2. The Integration Breakpoint
A common issue in small businesses is the disconnect between Payroll (Gusto) and Accounting (QuickBooks). If the two don't talk perfectly, the P&L becomes inaccurate. The client needed assurance that every dollar leaving Gusto was landing in the correct expense bucket in QuickBooks.
The Tallywise Intervention
We implemented our "Fractional Maintenance" protocol. By dedicating just a few hours a week, we turned a sporadic administrative burden into a seamless, automated financial workflow.
Technical Execution & Strategy
Gusto Payroll Command
We took over the driver's seat for payroll operations.
- Processed weekly payroll runs, verifying employee hours and contractor payments.
- Monitored tax notice compliance to ensure state and federal filings were automated.
- Served as the administrative point of contact for payroll platform updates.
The QuickBooks Sync
We bridged the gap between the bank and the books.
- Mapped Gusto payroll journals to the correct General Ledger accounts in QuickBooks.
- Review and categorize weekly bank transactions to keep the books current in real-time.
- Ensured that "Wages" and "Tax Liabilities" were separated for accurate reporting.
Financial Pulse Reporting
Consistency creates clarity.
By maintaining the books weekly rather than quarterly, we were able to generate regular reports that gave Duke Butler a clear view of the company's financial position, allowing him to focus on growth rather than administration.
The Results
DukeTalent now runs on autopilot. The owner spends zero hours on bookkeeping, yet has 100% visibility into his financials.
"Tallywise provides ongoing bookkeeping support using QuickBooks and Gusto. They process routine tasks efficiently, ensuring that all income, expenses, and payroll entries are up to date. Their support requires only a few hours per week while maintaining consistent accuracy."