The short answer: SCALEHOUSE starts at £395 per month
“From” means there is a genuine entry scope for a business with suitable records and a proportionate reporting requirement. It does not mean every company receives the same work for £395. A business with several entities, late books, complex revenue, departmental reporting or demanding board requirements will need a different scope and fee.
A useful proposal should therefore state what is being closed, what the pack includes, when it will be delivered, what management input is expected and which work remains with the client or another adviser. Price is easier to compare once those boundaries are visible.
What drives the cost of monthly management accounts?
| Scope driver | Why it changes the work |
|---|---|
| Bookkeeping quality | Incomplete processing or unreconciled balances must be corrected before the reported result can be trusted |
| Transaction volume | More customer, supplier, payroll, bank and journal activity increases processing and review |
| Number of entities | Each entity may require a separate close, with group or intercompany work added where relevant |
| Reporting complexity | Products, projects, departments, branches or divisions require data structure, allocation and review |
| KPI reporting | Operational data may need to be defined, sourced, checked and connected to the financial result |
| Commentary and review | Explaining material movement and holding a focused management review requires commercial analysis |
| Reconciliations | Balance-sheet control, accruals, prepayments and other close work underpin confidence in the P&L |
| Frequency and timetable | A faster close or more frequent reporting may require tighter processes and greater resource |
| Board or investor needs | Formal packs, scenarios and stakeholder-specific analysis can extend beyond a concise owner-manager report |
These drivers interact. High transaction volume may be manageable when the process is controlled and automated. A lower-volume business may still require significant work if revenue recognition, work in progress, intercompany balances or board reporting are complex. The quote should reflect the actual finance process rather than one headline measure.
What should the monthly fee buy?
Management reporting should be more than an exported P&L. The agreed scope may include month-end review, key balance-sheet reconciliations, management adjustments, a P&L and balance sheet, cash and working-capital visibility, relevant KPIs, variance analysis, concise commentary and a monthly finance conversation.
Before comparing quotes, ask:
- Who is responsible for keeping the books current before month end?
- Which balance-sheet accounts will be reconciled and reviewed?
- Will the pack show monthly, year-to-date, budget and forecast comparisons?
- Which departments, entities, products or projects need separate visibility?
- Are KPI data, written commentary and a review meeting included?
- What is the agreed delivery timetable after month end?
- Are annual accounts, tax work and statutory filings explicitly outside the scope?
Bookkeeping vs management reporting vs an internal hire
Basic bookkeeping
Creates the transaction and reconciliation base.
- Records income, costs and bank activity
- Maintains agreed ledgers and reconciliations
- Supports an orderly month end
- Does not automatically provide management analysis or commentary
Monthly management reporting
Turns controlled records into a current management view.
- Explains profit, balance sheet and cash
- Adds relevant KPIs and comparisons
- Identifies material variance and action
- Can work alongside an existing accountant and internal team
An internal finance hire adds dedicated capacity and day-to-day presence. The role may also take ownership of processes, stakeholders and work outside the reporting pack. That can be the right answer when the workload forms a coherent full-time position. It is not a like-for-like comparison with an outsourced monthly service, so salary alone—or an outsourced fee alone—does not show total value.
A growing business may combine these layers: an internal administrator or bookkeeper, outsourced management reporting, specialist advisers and later a broader internal finance team. The right design depends on the work that needs daily ownership and the range of skills required each month.
SCALEHOUSE pricing in context
| Option | Starting price | Indicative fit |
|---|---|---|
| Management Reporting | From £395/month | Books are current enough to support a concise monthly close, pack, commentary and review |
| Books + Reporting | From £595/month | Straightforward bookkeeping and a concise monthly reporting pack are both needed |
| Bookkeeping & AP | From £149/month | The immediate gap is dependable records, reconciliations and finance routines rather than management reporting |
The £395 service will not fit every business. Final pricing is agreed after understanding the records, volume, entities, close requirements, reporting structure and management rhythm. If the existing data cannot support the requested output, the first scope may need to stabilise the books or reporting process before adding complexity.
How to judge value rather than page count
- 01
Define the decisions
Start with what management must understand each month and which actions the information should support.
- 02
Assess the records
Identify whether bookkeeping, reconciliations and source data are ready for a dependable close.
- 03
Agree the output
Specify statements, KPIs, comparisons, commentary, entities and any departmental or project views.
- 04
Agree the rhythm
Set a realistic delivery date, management review and process for actions or forecast changes.
- 05
Review the scope
Add or remove detail as the business and its decisions change rather than carrying unused reporting indefinitely.