Four ways to run a back office.Pick the right one for your stage.
An honest comparison of in-house accounting, traditional service firms, do-it-yourself software and ReOrc, including the cases where the right answer isn't us.
At a glance
| In-house accountant | Traditional firm | DIY + software | ReOrc | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Salary + insurance + software + your management time | Package or hourly, often opaque | Licences + your own time | Fixed monthly fee per service, agreed before we start |
| Scope | Accounting: one person, one skill set | Mostly accounting and tax | You do everything yourself | The whole back office: accounting, payroll, customer service, cash flow, AI |
| Who signs and is accountable | The business bears it; depends on one person's skill | Signs, but commitments are often vague | You bear everything | A licensed ReOrc professional signs and is accountable, committed in the contract |
| Visibility and tracking | Ask in person; depends on the individual | A file at month-end, questions by phone | Check the software yourself | Real-time portal: tasks, deadlines, documents, numbers |
| Response time | Within working hours | 1 to 3 business days | - | Within one business day, on your chat channel |
| When the person leaves | Continuity risk, incomplete handover | New assignee, ramp-up time again | - | System plus team; never dependent on one individual |
| Technology | Excel and scattered tools | Traditional accounting software | Whatever you pick and run yourself | Practica: document OCR, auto-posting, reconciliation, deadline alerts |
| As you grow | Hire more people, more management overhead | Higher package fees, still narrow scope | Eats ever more founder time | Switch on services as needed. No hiring. |
The salary is only the visible part
When you compare an in-house accountant with an outsourced back office, count the whole line, not just the payslip.
When does each option fit?
Honest answers. ReOrc isn't always the right choice.
In-house accountant
Right when you have 80 to 100+ employees, industry-specific operations that need someone on site daily, or an existing finance team that just needs another bookkeeper.
Tip: still have a third party review the books periodically.
Traditional firm
Right when all you need is filings submitted on time at the lowest possible cost, transaction volume is low, and you want to meet your bookkeeper in person nearby.
Trade-off: little visibility, hard to track progress, narrow scope.
DIY + software
Right when you're just starting, under ~20 transactions a month, and you have time to learn the rules. Many founders do this for the first 6 to 12 months.
Trade-off: founder time and compliance risk as e-invoicing goes real-time.
ReOrc
Right when you want the whole back office to run on a fixed fee, see everything in real time, and have a licensed professional sign and take responsibility, without building a team.
Fixed fee per service, committed in the contract.
Common comparison questions
We already have an in-house accountant. Can we still use ReOrc?
Yes, it's a common setup. Your accountant keeps internal operations (payments, inventory, admin) while ReOrc handles books, tax and payroll with a licensed professional who signs and is accountable. You cut key-person risk without reorganising.
Is switching from another firm complicated?
No. We take the handover directly with your current provider: books, documents, tax and social-insurance accounts. It typically takes 5 to 7 business days, with a free current-state review before you decide.
Isn't accounting software plus AI enough? Why outsource?
Software records, but it bears no legal responsibility when the tax authority asks questions. With real-time e-invoicing across the region, errors surface almost immediately. That's where a professional signature earns its keep.
Is ReOrc's fixed fee really fixed?
Yes. The fee is agreed in writing before we start. If your volume moves up a tier we notify you one cycle ahead, with no retroactive charges.
Not sure which option is right? Let the numbers decide.
Book a free 45-minute review. We assess your current state and tell you straight which option fits, even when it isn't ReOrc.