The problem
Close takes longer than it should because the prep is manual: pulling reports, spotting odd balances, writing the summary the client actually reads. The judgment work is a small part of the time.
What Cowork does
- A monthly task on day two reads each client's P&L, balance sheet and bank reconciliation status from QuickBooks or Xero.
- It flags unreconciled accounts, unusual swings versus the prior three months, and negative balances that shouldn't be.
- It writes a one-page plain-English summary of the month for the client.
- It saves the packet to the client's Drive folder and emails the bookkeeper a list of packets ready.
Where the draft lands
A packet per client in Drive and one email to the bookkeeper.
What stays with you
Journal entries, reconciliations and sign-off. The bookkeeper reviews every summary before the client sees it.
Client: Brightline Electric, September.
Flags: Truck loan account unreconciled since August. Materials expense up 38% vs 3-month average (EV charger jobs).
Summary for client: Revenue $71,200, up from $64,900. Profit $9,800 after an unusually high materials month.
Questions: 4 (see list).
Watch-outs
- Anthropic's small business plugin already includes a close workflow. The firm-specific template and client summary are the added value.
- Client data separation matters. Keep each client's output in its own folder.
Questions owners ask
Can we white-label it?
The packet is your document. Workahead offers this as a firm template.
Does it work for cash-basis clients?
Yes. The template states the basis.