Active Bookkeeping
25 years of accounting experience, focused on the businesses that get people outside. We bring clarity to your numbers so you can spend more time on the trail, water, or road. This is bookkeeping that understands your industry, not just your income statement.
WE UNDERSTAND
Your business doesn't run on a calendar year.
Running an outdoor or activity business comes with its own set of challenges: uneven cash flow, a transient workforce, planned and unexpected equipment purchases. And when the activities you offer carry real risk, the numbers need to be as buttoned up as your safety protocols.
We bring financial clarity that reflects how your business actually works, so you can stay focused on the trip ahead.
What we keep straight
Seasonal revenue and cash flow
Customer deposits and refunds
Third-party booking platforms and merchant fees
Seasonal payroll and a transient workforce
Equipment purchases, planned and unexpected
SERVICES
How we can help
Monthly
Bookkeeping
Reconciled accounts and monthly financials you can rely on, closed on a consistent schedule.
Payroll
Processing
Payroll that keeps up with seasonal hiring and a crew that changes year to year.
Bookkeeping
Set Up
A chart of accounts built around how an outdoor or travel business earns and spends.
Catch-Up &
Clean-Up
Behind or tangled books brought current and accurate, so you have a clean starting point.
IS THIS A FIT?
We work best with established operators.
A good fit
Outdoor tour operators, guide services, and travel companies
Established businesses with steady, multi-season operations
Owners who want a long-term partner, not a one-time fix
Teams that value straight answers and clear communication
Probably not a fit
Businesses outside the outdoor and travel industry
Anyone looking for the lowest-cost option
ABOUT
Hi! I'm Mary Ellen.
While I love my bookkeeping business, what I really love is being outside. Hiking is the constant, the thing I keep coming back to no matter the season. But my love of the outdoors doesn't stop on dry land. I grew up on the water, at my grandparents' cabin on a beautiful Idaho lake. Back then I loved the thrill of water skiing and the independence of taking the boat out with my siblings or friends. Today I live on a river, where floating a calm stretch while my husband fishes is my favorite day date. Whatever the activity, what really drives me is exploring: going new places, staying in motion, and seeing what's around the next bend.
After 25 years in bookkeeping and accounting, I built Natural Accountant around that love, working exclusively with outdoor and travel operators. I bring decades of financial experience to a niche I'm genuinely part of, not just serving.
WHAT WE VALUE
How we work with you
Honesty
We will tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. No surprises.
Exploration
We believe in exploring. New places, new questions, better ways of doing things. We bring that spirit to your books: curious, engaged, never content with “good enough.”
Teamwork
The best results come from working with people, not just for them. We show up as a collaborator.
Let’s see if we’re a fit.
A discovery call is a relaxed conversation about your business, how your books run today, and whether we're the right partner for you.