Bookkeeper and Fractional Controller for Small and Mid-sized Businesses

The Grounded Ledger was built for passionate business owners who deserve a strong financial foundation so they can focus on the work, instead of worrying about the numbers.Whether your books are a mess, your operations have outgrown their systems, or you've simply been avoiding the numbers for longer than you'd like to admit: you're in the right place. There's no judgment here — just a clear path forward.

Bookkeeping Essentials

Great for businesses under $1M revenue

Transaction coding & categorization, bank and credit card reconciliation, basic P&L and balance sheet reporting, AP/AR tracking, and a year-end prep package for your CPA.

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Controller Core

Ideal for $1M – $5M revenue businesses

Everything in Essentials, plus a full month-end close, cash flow reporting, payroll integration review, and documentation review & update of 1–2 key processes per quarter.

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Controller Pro

Built for $5M – $20M revenue businesses

Everything in Core, plus a fast 5-day close, annual budget and rolling forecast, internal controls design, and support for audits or lender requirements.

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Fractional Controller+

For $20M+ or investor-backed companies

Everything in Pro, plus oversight of your accounting team, audit coordination, and system implementation support.

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How We’ll Work Together

Step 1: A free conversation

I’ll learn about your business, your pain points, and what “good” looks like for you.

Step 2: A clear proposal

Straightforward scope and pricing — you'll always know what you're getting.

Step 3: A smooth start

I’ll get access to your systems (or help you implement them if they aren’t in place), review your books, and handle any cleanup before your first close.

Step 4: An ongoing partnership

Monthly deliverables, responsive communication, and an accountant that truly understands and cares about your business.

Hi, I’m Sarah Gravley. I’m a fractional controller and bookkeeping professional with a background in accounting, process improvement, controls management, and finance & admin business operations.

For the better part of thirty years, I’ve been building systems, cleaning up messes, designing processes that actually hold, and helping people understand what their numbers were telling them. I recently left a senior leadership role to do that work differently: on my own terms, with businesses I genuinely care about.

Why The Grounded Ledger?

A company's operations shape its financial reports, but strong financial processes and controls are what hold those operations together. Like a tree that can't grow tall without deep roots, a business cannot truly thrive without a grounded financial structure beneath it.

“Sarah combines strong accounting expertise with a genuine willingness to help others succeed. From the beginning, she created an environment where questions were welcomed and learning was encouraged. She was always approachable, patient, and willing to share her knowledge, which made a lasting impression on me. What stands out most about Sarah is her integrity and professionalism. She consistently approaches her work with accuracy, attention to detail, and a commitment to doing what's right. At the same time, she brings a personal touch to her interactions, making both colleagues and clients feel valued and supported. During the time we worked together, I came to appreciate not only her technical skills but also her leadership style. She leads with kindness, respect, and a genuine desire to help others grow and succeed…I would confidently recommend her to any individual or business seeking a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and caring accounting professional.”

— Trina S.

“It is my genuine pleasure to recommend Sarah…Beyond her technical skills, Sarah brings an exceptional work ethic. She is dependable, detail-oriented, and thorough, with the kind of integrity you want in anyone handling financial processes. She is also genuinely collaborative, patient when working through complex issues, clear in her communication, and always willing to go the extra step to support vendors, colleagues, and the broader team. I can say without reservation that Sarah would be a tremendous asset to any organization. Having worked with her across two companies, I would gladly work with her again at a third.”

— Tyler B.

“Sarah…made a lasting impression on me from day one. She was incredibly welcoming and quickly became someone I could rely on. During moments when my workload felt overwhelming, Sarah never hesitated to step in, lend support, and help keep things moving forward. Sarah played a critical role as the sole finance lead in implementing our ERP system for the U.S. footprint under a tight timeline—an impressive accomplishment on its own. Beyond that, she built and established the financial processes that supported the U.S. business from scratch, many of which remain in place today. Her attention to detail and analytical ability are truly remarkable. Sarah consistently identified issues others might have missed and created systems that improved accuracy and efficiency across the board…Any team would be lucky to have her.”

— Daejia H.

“I would highly recommend working with Sarah. She has a wonderful ability to explain complicated tasks and concepts in a simple and helpful way. Her timeliness is incredible and she can see the big and small picture. Sarah is an asset as a leader and has incredible communication skills. She also understands and applies her skills outside of just finance and into operations. She is a joy to work with and would be a fantastic partner for your work and team."

— Robin H.

"I feel fortunate to have benefited from Sarah’s presence on my finance team over the years…Sarah led our accounting department to ensure her team worked efficiently and with integrity to meet corporate and audit requirements. Prior to her arrival the business was lacking a robust, documented internal control system. Sarah took the initiative to develop and maintain one. The ongoing compliance resulted in only routine questions from audit. Also, Sarah took the time to understand the operations and processes of each of the businesses. This ensured the accounting represented the business activities appropriately. Her business understanding coupled with her clear understanding of GAAP and the ability and willingness to research complex accounting issues delivered consistent, clear and impeccable financial statements. I would certainly recommend Sarah for any business that has accounting and/or controlling needs."

— Jeff M.

“Sarah is a talented and thorough accounting professional. She is adept at mentoring others and communicates well both up and down the management chain. During our time together, Sarah was faced with numerous challenges. Which she approached with gusto. Her duties included working directly with various department staff in problem solving, reporting and internal control. She was the lead in managing the company’s internal control compliance…She was such a pleasure to work with. Always positive and ready to take on any assignment or challenge that was handed to her…I highly recommend Sarah in any organization."

— Tim G.

"Sarah did an excellent job as the RTP Site Lead for Finance and Controlling. This was a new site, and while we had guidelines from the headquarters site in Switzerland, opening a new site is always a huge challenge. She took initiative to communicate and address issues, start new processes, help me as the site head create our first budget, and manage a very complex CAPEX plan to build and fit out a 50,000 square foot laboratory for Cell and Gene Therapy. I am happy to recommend her highly."

— Chris H.