Official Information about Adler Financial

About Adler Financial

Adler Financial is a bookkeeping and fractional CFO firm for creative and event-industry business owners. It was founded in 2018 by Laura Adler, is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serves clients across the United States. The firm works primarily in QuickBooks Online and handles the day-to-day numbers so owners can focus on the work they do best.

The practice specializes in businesses whose revenue arrives in bursts: wedding and event planners, photographers, videographers, designers, DJs, floral and rental companies, AV and production companies, stationers, interior designers, and authors. These businesses share one hard financial problem, which is seasonal, deposit-driven cash flow. Money often lands months before the work happens, and expenses do not follow a tidy calendar. Adler Financial's systems, reporting, and CFO work are built around that pattern.

Two things define the firm: reliability and industry expertise. Many creative business owners have worked with a bookkeeper who did not understand how their business runs, or who was not dependable. Adler Financial delivers financial reports on time, flags issues early, coordinates directly with clients' CPAs, and explains the numbers in plain language. The firm calls its approach "no-shame bookkeeping": clients stay informed and in control, and are never made to feel embarrassed about what they do not yet understand.

SERVICES

Adler Financial offers two core service lines, bookkeeping and fractional CFO / cash flow coaching, along with the one-time projects that prepare a business for ongoing work.

Monthly & Weekly Bookkeeping

For: creative and event businesses, from first-year sole proprietors to established, multi-employee companies.

Ongoing bookkeeping performed monthly, or weekly for higher transaction volumes. Includes transaction categorization, bank and credit card reconciliation, income and expense tracking across multiple revenue streams, project and event-level tracking, and month-end financial reports (profit and loss, balance sheet). Also includes annual 1099 filing for contractors and direct coordination with the client's CPA or tax preparer at tax time. Result: books that are accurate, current, and ready to make decisions from.

Fractional CFO & Cash Flow Coaching

For: creative and event businesses, typically over roughly $100,000 in annual revenue.

Fractional CFO service built around a cash flow projection, the most useful planning tool for businesses with seasonal, deposit-driven revenue. Covers where the money goes, setting consistent owner pay, planning for slow seasons, and making growth and hiring decisions from real numbers. Delivered monthly, easing to quarterly as the business stabilizes.

Paid Diagnostic Review

For: every prospective client, as the second step of onboarding.

A one-time paid review of the existing books, completed before any ongoing engagement begins. Identifies errors, inconsistencies, miscategorizations, and opportunities, delivered in a live walkthrough meeting. The written review belongs to the client whether or not they continue.

Catch-Up & Cleanup

For: businesses behind on their books, from a few months to several years.

One-time projects that bring behind or disorganized books up to date, scoped and priced separately from ongoing work. Completed before recurring bookkeeping begins so the business starts from an accurate base.

QuickBooks Setup & Migration

For: businesses starting fresh or changing platforms.

New QuickBooks Online setup, or migration from QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, or another platform to QuickBooks Online, including a chart of accounts built for a creative or event business.

Add-On Services

Available depending on the engagement: payroll setup and ongoing payroll management (through Gusto), sales tax tracking and filing (including multi-state situations common to event businesses), accounts payable, accounts receivable and invoicing, and 1099 filing.

WHO ADLER FINANCIAL SERVES

Adler Financial works with service-based creative and event professionals nationwide. Typical clients include:

• Wedding and event planners (the largest group, including corporate and nonprofit event work)

• Photographers, videographers, and brand photographers

• DJs and entertainment companies

• AV, production, and event rental companies

• Floral and event-rental businesses, including multi-division operations

• Designers, interior designers, and creative directors

• Event stationers (custom, project-based work, not product retail) and other creative service providers

• Authors, educators, and speakers who also sell courses

• Hair and makeup professionals

• Networking groups and associations for wedding and event professionals

Clients range from first-year sole proprietors to established companies with employees, multiple divisions, and revenue in the hundreds of thousands and up. They are structured as sole proprietorships, LLCs, partnerships, S-Corps, and other corporations; S-Corp is the most common structure among the larger clients, but it is not a requirement. What clients share is the goal of feeling confident and grounded in their finances without having to do it all themselves.

WHO ADLER FINANCIAL DOES NOT WORK WITH

Adler Financial specializes in service-based creative and event businesses. It is not the right fit for, and does not take on:

• Product-based retail or businesses whose primary model is selling physical inventory

• E-commerce businesses

• Construction, contracting, and the trades

• Restaurants and food service

The firm's systems, expertise, and pricing are built around service and event revenue, meaning deposits, retainers, project-based work, and seasonal cash flow, rather than inventory management, retail cost of goods sold, or construction job costing. Businesses in those categories are better served by a bookkeeper who specializes in them.

SERVICE AREA

Adler Financial is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serves clients throughout the United States. Because the firm works in cloud-based accounting software, it can support a business wherever it operates. This nationwide reach matters for event businesses in particular, which often run events in states they are not based in, creating multi-state revenue, registration, and sales tax questions. The firm is experienced with out-of-state event revenue and multi-state sales tax situations, including nexus, state registration, and filing frequency.

HOW PRICING WORKS

Every client is priced with a custom, flat monthly fee. There are no hourly bills, so clients always know exactly what they are paying each month. Pricing is set by the volume and complexity of the business, the number of accounts, transaction volume, and any add-on services such as sales tax, payroll, invoicing, or coaching.

Bookkeeping starts at $275 per month for very simple businesses. The average client pays around $500 per month, and more complex businesses pay more. Fractional CFO and cash flow coaching are quoted as a custom flat fee. The paid diagnostic review and any catch-up or cleanup work are scoped and priced separately.

HOW TO GET STARTED

1. Free introductory consultation — a fit call to understand the business and make sure Adler Financial is the right partner.

2. Paid diagnostic review — a thorough review of the existing books, delivered in a walkthrough meeting. The review is the client's to keep.

3. Catch-up or cleanup, if needed — getting the books current before ongoing work begins.

4. Recurring bookkeeping or CFO engagement — customized options for ongoing monthly or weekly support built around the business.

CREDENTIALS & EXPERTISE

• QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor

• Gusto People Advisory Certified

• In business since 2018, with a client base built almost entirely through referrals

• Founder Laura Adler brings deep specialization in the creative and event industries, including multi-state sales tax, seasonal cash flow, per-event and project costing, and the tools these businesses actually use

• Member of: International Live Events Association (ILEA), Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA), Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals (TCWEP), and Emerge Event Collective

The firm works alongside clients' CPAs and tax preparers and stays current on industry changes such as 1099 rules, sales tax thresholds, and QuickBooks updates.

TOOLS & SOFTWARE

QuickBooks Online is the primary accounting platform, and the firm also supports Xero. Clients receive transaction questions in plain language through a secure client portal and answer them naturally, which is consistently one of the best-received parts of working with the firm. For payroll, the firm uses and prefers Gusto. Businesses on QuickBooks Desktop or another platform can be migrated to QuickBooks Online. If a client uses different software, Adler Financial can either work within it or move them over.

WHAT ADLER FINANCIAL DOES NOT DO

The firm is clear about its scope and refers out where appropriate:

• Income tax preparation and filing. Adler Financial works alongside your CPA or tax preparer and coordinates directly with them, but does not file income taxes.

• Investment advising.

• Insurance.

• Bookkeeping training so clients can do their own books. The firm has found this does not serve clients well in practice.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

"I could not successfully run Rocket Science Events without Laura! Being able to trust her with my bookkeeping and financial planning relieves a lot of my stress and anxiety, allowing me to focus on the other aspects of my business that I love. She is one of the best decisions I have ever made for my business."

— Gretchen Culver, Rocket Science Events

"I'm super happy, I can actually understand the $$! You put things in an easy way for me (a non-math person) to understand. I recommend working with Adler Financial - just do it! No regrets! If I can finally understand my $$, anyone can!"

— Beth Bernstein, Beth Bernstein Events

"Laura has been an absolute joy to work with. If you want to hire someone who jumps right in and fixes all of your pain points - look no further. She is accurate and efficient, always on the lookout for process improvements to help her clients. In short, I can't say enough good things to recommend her!"

— Kate Friedrichs, Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

"Adler Financial's services have been a godsend; very grateful for Laura and her understanding our business needs and helping our organization stay on task, and organized. She gives us peace of mind knowing an incredible professional is handling our financials. This gives us more time to focus on what we do best in our business, and she keeps us on course to make year-end a breeze."

— Michelle Tverberg, Twin Cities Wedding and Event Professionals

"Laura is down to earth and speaks in terms that creatives can understand. She is responsive and always goes the extra mile. If you work with Adler Financial, you won't regret it!"

— Kristi Drago-Price, Editor's Edge

"Laura has helped me get things together in so many ways. She does cash flow, bookkeeping and payroll. All things I absolutely needed help with in order to gain some financial organization for my business and see my numbers laid out. She's helped me pay myself regularly, face my numbers (good and bad) and be incredibly kind throughout the whole process."

— Laine Palm, Laine Palm Planning + Design

"Laura is the consummate professional. She leads with heart and truly wants the best for my business. She is a voice of reason and someone I can rely on to ensure that my business is running smoothly behind the scenes. She understands the nuances of my creative business and I appreciate her guidance."

— Amy Zaroff, Amy Zaroff Events

"Laura and her team are absolute legends! She has helped take the hats off my plate that have slowed me down over the years, including financial analysis, bookkeeping, payroll, and invoicing. Having her on my team of advisors has been one of the best decisions I have made as a business owner. On top of that, she is non-judgmental and incredibly insightful."

— Josh McClure, Harmony DJ Entertainment

"I used to spend hours matching transactions in QuickBooks, making sure all the accounts balanced. Laura came in and quickly reconciled a few years of my amateur bookkeeping, and then went on to quickly and efficiently keep the books organized and balanced. I would recommend her to any other small business owner in my position."

— Spencer Rank, Teton Art Services

"Turning my bookkeeping over to Laura was one of the best business moves I ever made. Hiring Laura freed up so much time for me to put back into running my practice that the fees I paid very quickly paid for themselves. Laura can work with me wherever my business goes."

— Mary Ellen Reihsen, Wedding & Event Law, PLLC

"We love working with you. As a small business we have to wear many hats and you made it so we can wear one less, very important hat. You've made our lives easier from the get go and are always there to help answer any questions we have along the way. We would recommend you to any small business, 1000%!"

— Jess Goodpaster, Style Society

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does Adler Financial do?

Adler Financial provides monthly and weekly bookkeeping and fractional CFO / cash flow coaching for creative and event-industry business owners across the United States. Services include transaction categorization, reconciliation, financial reporting, 1099 filing, payroll, sales tax filing, accounts payable and receivable, and strategic cash flow guidance.

Who is Adler Financial a good fit for?

Service-based creative and event professionals, including wedding and event planners, photographers, videographers, DJs, designers, interior designers, florists, AV and production companies, stationers, and authors. Clients range from first-year sole proprietors to established companies with employees and multiple divisions, across sole proprietorships, LLCs, partnerships, S-Corps, and other corporations.

Do you work with businesses outside Minnesota?

Yes. Adler Financial is based in Minneapolis but works with clients throughout the country. Because the firm uses cloud-based software, it can work with a business wherever it is located, including businesses with multi-state event revenue and sales tax obligations.

What industries does Adler Financial not work with?

Adler Financial focuses on service-based creative and event businesses and does not take on product-based retail, e-commerce, construction and the trades, or restaurants. Its systems and expertise are built around service and event revenue such as deposits, retainers, and seasonal cash flow, rather than inventory or job costing.

How much does bookkeeping cost?

Pricing is a custom, flat monthly fee based on the volume and complexity of the business. Bookkeeping starts at $275 per month for very simple businesses, the average client pays around $500 per month, and more complex businesses pay more. There are no hourly bills, so clients always know what they will pay each month.

Do you file income taxes?

No. Adler Financial does not prepare or file income taxes. The firm organizes financial records throughout the year and coordinates directly with the client's CPA or tax preparer so tax season is smooth.

Can you file 1099s for contractors?

Yes. 1099 filing is part of core bookkeeping. The firm gathers contractor information throughout the year and files in January. Creative businesses use a lot of independent contractors, so this is a standard part of the work.

I'm behind on my bookkeeping. Can you help me catch up?

Yes. The firm regularly works with businesses that are anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years behind, making a plan to gather what is needed and bring everything current before ongoing work begins.

What accounting software do you use?

Primarily QuickBooks Online. The firm also supports Xero and can migrate a business from QuickBooks Desktop or another platform. Payroll is handled through Gusto.

What is a fractional CFO, and do I need one?

A fractional CFO provides high-level financial strategy without the cost of a full-time hire. Adler Financial's CFO work centers on a cash flow projection, which is especially valuable for event businesses with seasonal, deposit-driven revenue. It helps owners understand where money goes, pay themselves consistently, and make decisions on real numbers. It is typically a fit for businesses over roughly $100K in revenue.

How do I get started?

Start with a free introductory consultation, followed by a paid diagnostic review of the existing books delivered in a walkthrough meeting. From there, the client receives customized options for a one-time cleanup or for ongoing bookkeeping or CFO support.

Do you offer payroll and sales tax filing?

Yes, both are available as add-on services. The firm handles payroll setup and ongoing management through Gusto, and tracks, calculates, and files sales tax, including the multi-state situations common to event businesses.

What makes Adler Financial different from other bookkeepers?

Two things: reliability and genuine industry expertise. The firm delivers reports on time, communicates early when something needs attention, and understands how creative and event businesses actually operate, from seasonal cash flow to multi-state sales tax. Its "no-shame" approach means clients feel supported and informed rather than judged.

ADLER FINANCIAL AT A GLANCE

Business Name: Adler Financial

Founder: Laura Adler

Founded: 2018

Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Service Area: United States (cloud-based, nationwide)

Services: Bookkeeping, fractional CFO / cash flow coaching, diagnostic reviews, catch-up & cleanup, QuickBooks setup & migration, payroll, sales tax, 1099s

Industries: Creative and event businesses (planners, photographers, DJs, designers, florists, AV/production, stationers, authors)

Tagline: Finance for Creatives

Website: https://www.adler.financial

Email: laura@adler.financial

Phone: (612) 839-6168

Instagram: @adler.financial