1st Rate Bookkeeping

Owner

Our firm provides outstanding service to our clients because of our dedication to the three underlying principles of professionalism, responsiveness and quality.

PROFESSIONALISM By combining our expertise, experience and the energy of our staff, each client receives close personal and professional attention. Our high standards, service and specialized staff spell the difference between our outstanding performance, and other firms. We make sure that every client is served by the expertise of our whole firm.

RESPONSIVENESS Our firm is responsive. Companies who choose our firm rely on competent advice and fast, accurate personnel. We provide total financial services to individuals, large and small businesses and other agencies. Through hard work, we have earned the respect of the business and financial communities. This respect illustrates our diverse talents, dedication and ability to respond quickly. To see a listing of our services, please take a moment and look at our services page. Because we get new business from the people who know us best, client referrals have fueled our growth in the recent years.

QUALITY An accounting firm is known for the quality of its service. Our firm's reputation reflects the high standards we demand of ourselves. Our primary goal as a trusted advisor is to be available and to provide insightful advice to enable our clients to make informed financial decisions. We do not accept anything less from ourselves and this is what we deliver to you. We feel it is extremely important to continually professionally educate ourselves to improve our technical expertise, financial knowledge and service to our clients.

Administration

Jennifer is the company’s administrative go-to guru. She has an extensive background in business administration with a lot of experience having owned several small businesses herself. She handles day-to-day operations, helps put out fires, handles communication within the company, assists with our clients’ needs, and also jumps in on special projects when asked.

Jennifer is a native of GA and has lived here most of her life. She and her husband lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina for some time, and that area holds a special place in her heart. She has been married to the love of her life for 21 years, is mom to two grown children, one of which is a police officer, and she is GiGi to two grands who keep her very busy.

She loves football, cooking, and growing/preserving her own food. Her passion is learning about and making herbal medicine.

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Sheila has a Master of Business with Finance and Accounting concentration. She is a Certified Public Bookkeeper and Payroll Specialist. She has been a tax professional for one of the top tax franchises in North Georgia, where she specialized in small businesses, transportation, street clergy, and Farm returns. She later decided to open her own financial tax business.

In her spare time, she is an avid football fan. You will find her every Saturday watching her favorite college team: the Georgia Bulldogs.

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Stephen Barton is a military veteran from Athens, Georgia with eight years of experience managing over a million dollars in aviation equipment and resources. Stephen has several years of on-and-off bookkeeping experience. As well as college-level education in accounting and marketing.

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Dawn McDonald has over 26 years of experience in the Accounting field. She has her bachelor's degree in accounting. She has worked in government accounting at the University of Georgia where she also helped in the preparation of the yearly budget for her department. She has also worked in the fast-food industry at Zaxby’s Corporate office with monthly bookkeeping and monthly financial preparation for franchisees. She loved working with the franchises and watching their business grow. She loves what she does and in her free time loves to attend dog shows.

A little fun/funny fact about her is she is probably one of the very few people that can go to the beach a couple times a month and never actually go on the beach.