Winston-Salem anchors the Piedmont Triad, hosting healthcare networks, manufacturers, professional services, and a creative downtown rebuilt around the former R.J. Reynolds campus at Innovation Quarter. Small business owners across Forsyth County need bookkeepers who handle monthly closes, payroll, and QuickBooks file hygiene without funneling every conversation toward tax season. The three firms below are independent, founder-led shops with QuickBooks ProAdvisor credentials and tenure measured in decades, not quarters.
Quick Comparison
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse Small Business Solutions | Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor; 20-plus years QuickBooks practice; 40-plus years combined entrepreneurial experience | Family-led shop pairing bookkeeping and payroll with launch support for startups, nonprofits, and growing C-corps |
| Starboard Accounting & Consulting | Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor; founder holds Economics degree (William & Mary) plus Accounting degree (Forsyth Tech) | Year-round bookkeeping, QuickBooks consulting, and payroll for Triad small businesses; explicitly not a tax preparer |
| XPressley Bookkeeping | Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor continuously since 2003; 25-plus years of finance and accounting practice | Founder-run bookkeeping and QuickBooks training for small and mid-size firms across Forsyth County |
1. Lighthouse Small Business Solutions
- Address: 102 W 3rd St, Suite 1031, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Phone: (336) 233-4587
- Founder: Larry Johns (with Robbie Johns as senior partner)
- Operating Since: 2009
- Credentials: Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor; 20-plus years of QuickBooks practice; 40-plus years combined entrepreneurial experience
- Service Area: Winston-Salem and the wider Piedmont Triad, with secondary touchpoints noted in Charlotte and Columbia
- Industries: Startups, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, professional organizations, and C-corporations across diverse small business sectors
- Website: lighthousesmallbusiness.com
Father-Son Partnership Anchored Downtown
Larry Johns built Lighthouse on top of three decades of small business ownership, and senior partner Robbie Johns shares the day-to-day client load. The downtown office at 102 W 3rd Street keeps the team within walking distance of the Innovation Quarter tenants and Fourth Street retail block they often serve.
Bookkeeping, Payroll, and Sales Tax Bundled
Monthly bookkeeping pairs with unlimited-pay-period payroll, direct deposit, electronic filings, and sales tax preparation. The shop also covers accounts payable workflow and document retention so owners are not juggling multiple vendors for routine back-office tasks.
Launch Tower Support for New Entities
Lighthouse markets a “Launch Tower” engagement for owners standing up new entities, covering nonprofit formation, professional organization paperwork, and C-corp setup. The package complements the bookkeeping practice rather than replacing legal counsel.
Fractional CFO and Business Analysis Available
Beyond the books, the team offers fractional CFO support, financial projections, inventory and HR guidance, and even graphic design and website maintenance. Owners can scale services up during growth phases without onboarding a new vendor each time.
2. Starboard Accounting & Consulting
- Address: 126 Spruce St. South, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Phone: (336) 397-4974
- Founder: Kerri Stewart, President
- Operating Since: 2008
- Credentials: Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor (Intuit-tested); Economics degree from the College of William & Mary; Accounting degree from Forsyth Technical Community College
- Service Area: Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and the 13-county Piedmont Triad region; remote engagements available; in-person meetings within 30 minutes of the office
- Industries: Small businesses across the Triad; no single vertical concentration
- Website: starboardaccounting.com
Founder-Led Since 2008
Kerri Stewart launched Starboard in 2008 and still runs the practice as President from the Spruce Street office near downtown. Her dual degrees from William & Mary and Forsyth Tech inform a practice that blends economic context with hands-on ledger work.
Year-Round Books, Not Tax Season Triage
The firm states plainly that it is not a tax preparation company. That positioning frees the team to focus on monthly closes, reconciliations, and clean handoffs to a client’s outside CPA when April arrives.
QuickBooks Consulting From Setup to Tune-Up
Engagements cover QuickBooks file setup, implementation, ongoing training, and periodic tune-ups when a file drifts. The ProAdvisor credential is verified through Intuit’s testing program rather than self-claimed.
Triad-Wide Reach With a 30-Minute In-Person Radius
Starboard supports clients across 13 Piedmont counties and runs remote engagements nationwide, while reserving on-site visits for businesses within roughly 30 minutes of the Winston-Salem office. That keeps travel time predictable for smaller engagements.
3. XPressley Bookkeeping, Inc.
- Address: 98 Shadylawn Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27104
- Phone: (336) 749-4889
- Founder: Kathy Pressley, President
- Operating Since: 2002 (incorporated 2005)
- Credentials: Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor continuously since 2003; 25-plus years of finance, accounting, and computing practice; 12 years in IT Audit at a major airline; 5 years in audit at a regional financial institution
- Service Area: Winston-Salem and surrounding Forsyth County
- Industries: Small and mid-size businesses across multiple sectors
- Website: xpressleybookkeeping.com
Two-Decade ProAdvisor Track Record
Kathy Pressley has held continuous QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification since 2003, predating most local competitors. That history shows up in her familiarity with multiple QuickBooks generations, from desktop legacy files to current QuickBooks Online deployments.
Audit Background Shapes the Workflow
Before founding XPressley, Pressley spent 12 years in IT audit at a major airline and 5 years auditing at a regional financial institution. That control-focused background informs how the firm structures month-end procedures and reviews client files.
QuickBooks Training Sold Alongside Bookkeeping
Beyond outsourced bookkeeping, the company trains owners and in-house staff on QuickBooks usage, payroll processing, and invoicing. Clients can choose full-service bookkeeping or a hybrid model where XPressley reviews work performed in-house.
Long-Tenured Member of Greater Winston-Salem Chamber
XPressley appears in the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber directory and the Better Business Bureau profile under its 1700s-style 27104 address, reflecting durable local roots since the early 2000s.
Reference Notes
Verification relied on each firm’s own website, Better Business Bureau profiles, the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber directory, and the Intuit ProAdvisor lookup. Lighthouse Small Business Solutions confirms its founder, downtown address, and ProAdvisor status on lighthousesmallbusiness.com, with corroborating BBB and Alignable listings. Starboard Accounting & Consulting publishes founder Kerri Stewart’s bio, 2008 founding date, and Spruce Street address on starboardaccounting.com, with the 13-county Triad service area listed on the same site.
XPressley Bookkeeping’s certification history, audit pedigree, and Shadylawn Drive address are documented on xpressleybookkeeping.com and the BBB profile. The 2002 start date and 2005 incorporation appear in BBB and state records cross-referenced through the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber listing. Phone numbers were last cross-checked on 2026-05-11 against each firm’s contact page.
Selection Methodology
Inclusion required four criteria, applied uniformly:
- Independent, family-owned, or founder-led ownership. National rollups and venture-backed platforms were excluded. Bench, Pilot, QuickBooks Live, BELAY, Bookkeeper360, Bookminders, Supporting Strategies, Bookkeeper.com, and 1-800Accountant were not considered.
- QuickBooks ProAdvisor credential. Each firm holds an Intuit-issued ProAdvisor certification, verifiable through the shop’s own marketing or the Intuit ProAdvisor directory.
- Minimum five-year tenure. Each firm has operated under its current ownership for at least five continuous years, with the youngest founded in 2009.
- Bookkeeping focus, not pure CPA-tax practice. Firms whose practice centers on tax preparation or CPA attest work were excluded so readers seeking ongoing bookkeeping support are not steered into seasonal tax engagements.
Charlotte (Post 016), Raleigh (Post 042), Greensboro (Post 065), and Durham (Post 079) firms were screened out to keep this directory specific to the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these firms work with clients outside Winston-Salem proper?
Yes. Starboard supports clients across 13 Piedmont Triad counties and accepts remote engagements nationwide. Lighthouse lists secondary touchpoints in Charlotte and Columbia. XPressley concentrates on Forsyth County but accepts remote work from established referrals.
Are these firms a substitute for a CPA at tax time?
No. Starboard explicitly states it is not a tax preparation company, and the other two are bookkeeping shops rather than CPA practices. Each typically coordinates with a client’s outside CPA or enrolled agent during filing season, handing off clean ledgers rather than preparing returns directly.
Which QuickBooks versions do these firms support?
All three are Certified ProAdvisors covering QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. XPressley advertises familiarity with multiple QuickBooks generations dating to 2003. Lighthouse and Starboard handle setup, file cleanup, and ongoing maintenance on current versions.
Do any of them offer payroll alongside bookkeeping?
Lighthouse runs full-service payroll with unlimited pay periods, direct deposit, and electronic tax filings. Starboard provides payroll processing as a stated service line. XPressley assists with payroll processing as part of its broader bookkeeping practice.
Editorial Note
Compiled 2026-05-11. Listings reflect publicly available information from each firm’s website, Better Business Bureau profiles, the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber directory, and the Intuit ProAdvisor directory as of that date. Addresses, phone numbers, and credentials should be confirmed directly with the practice before engagement, since office locations and certifications can change without public notice.