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CONTROLLER SERVICES FOR GROWING BUSINESSES IN PORTLAND, OR

Plug-In Financial Oversight for CEOs Who Need Reliable Numbers and Stronger Controls

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

When your business grows, managing the details behind your financial reporting becomes more demanding. Reconciliations can fall behind, month-end close can take too long, and inconsistent processes can make it difficult to trust the numbers you're using to run your business.

Aerial Core provides outsourced controller services in Portland, Oregon, for businesses that need stronger financial oversight, more disciplined accounting processes, and dependable reporting. We help establish the structure, controls, and review procedures needed to keep your financial operations accurate, consistent, and ready to support your leadership team.

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WE OFFER COMPREHENSIVE CONTROLLER SERVICES FOR PORTLAND BUSINESSES

A strong controller function brings structure and accountability to your accounting operations. Aerial provides controller services tailored to your existing team, systems, and reporting requirements, helping you maintain reliable financial information without necessarily hiring a full-time controller.

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  • Establish a consistent close process that produces complete, accurate financial information on a predictable schedule.

    • Month-end close oversight

    • Close calendar development and management

    • Account reconciliation review

    • General ledger review

    • Journal entry review and approval workflows

    • Accrual and adjustment oversight

    • Financial statement review

    • Identification and resolution of close discrepancies

    • Strengthen the processes that protect financial information, reduce errors, and create accountability across your organization.

    • Internal accounting control assessment

    • Financial process documentation

    • Transaction approval workflows

    • Segregation of duties review

    • Accounting policy development

    • Financial documentation standards

    • Identification of control gaps

    • Process improvement recommendations

  • Give leadership confidence in the numbers by establishing review procedures and maintaining consistent reporting standards.

    • Profit and loss statement review

    • Balance sheet review

    • Cash flow statement review

    • General ledger analysis

    • Balance sheet account reconciliation oversight

    • Financial statement consistency checks

    • Review of unusual transactions and variances

    • Reporting process standardization

  • Improve the consistency of payment and collection processes while maintaining visibility into outstanding obligations and customer balances.

    • Accounts payable workflow oversight

    • Vendor payment process review

    • Accounts receivable process oversight

    • Outstanding balance monitoring

    • Invoice and payment reconciliation review

    • Billing and collection workflow improvement

    • Approval process documentation

    • Working capital process coordination

  • Give your internal accounting staff clearer direction, more consistent procedures, and support for resolving complex accounting issues.

    • Accounting workflow coordination

    • Staff process guidance

    • Review procedures and quality checks

    • Role and responsibility clarification

    • Accounting procedure documentation

    • Workload and close process coordination

    • Training and process improvement support

    • Coordination with external accounting professionals

  • Improve readiness for external reviews by maintaining organized financial documentation and consistent accounting procedures.

    • Audit preparation coordination

    • Financial schedule preparation and review

    • Account reconciliation documentation

    • Support for external auditor requests

    • Financial record organization

    • Accounting policy documentation

    • Year-end close coordination

    • Coordination with your external CPA

HOW OUR PRICING WORKS FOR PORTLAND BUSINESSES

Every business is different.

Here's how we figure out what you need.

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BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING CONTROLLER SERVICES FOR YOUR PORTLAND BUSINESS

As financial operations become more complex, informal processes and limited oversight can create unnecessary risk. Outsourced controller services help establish greater discipline in your accounting function while giving your business access to experienced financial oversight.

  • Establish review procedures that help identify discrepancies, incomplete reconciliations, and accounting errors before they affect reporting or decision-making.

  • A structured month-end close helps reduce delays, clarify responsibilities, and give leadership access to financial results on a more predictable schedule.

  • Documented procedures and appropriate approval processes help reduce the risk of errors, inconsistent practices, and unauthorized transactions.

  • Create repeatable accounting workflows that don't rely entirely on one employee's knowledge or individual working habits.

  • Reliable financial statements make it easier for owners and executives to evaluate performance, investigate variances, and make decisions using consistent information.

  • Add experienced oversight when your existing bookkeeping or accounting team needs more structure, technical guidance, or review capacity without immediately adding a full-time controller.

WE OFFER OUTSOURCED CONTROLLER SERVICES FOR ALL PORTLAND INDUSTRIES

Accounting oversight requirements vary by industry. Aerial helps businesses establish financial procedures and reporting practices that account for their operational complexity, transaction activity, and documentation needs.

Manufacturing

Nonprofits

Construction

HOW WE SHOW UP FOR YOUR PORTLAND BUSINESS

We built Aerial on four principles that guide everything we do. This is what you can expect from us as your partner.

  • The check-in you look forward to.

    Building something ambitious requires partners who add energy, not drain it. Comfort means being the team whose presence brings relief. Clients actually look forward to hearing from us because we're genuine partners who bring clarity and ease to their world. It's not about just being nice or playing cheerleader. We believe this is the relationship you should have with your Back office partner: peer-to-peer realness where you can completely relax because we understand your world. You don't have to perform or explain context in every conversation. We see through the stress to what's actually bothering you and handle what needs handling without you having to ask. We exist to be the team that makes you exhale, not hold your breath.

  • Steady ground for bold leaps.

    We care deeply about how we show up. You can count on us to deliver the same high standards, no matter who's running point or what week it is. We cross-train, systematize, and share knowledge so clients never feel the bumps when life happens. The systems we build have to be stronger than any individual. Call it reliability by design. As builders ourselves, we've found the sweet spot between our FAFO energy and our obsession with quality. We test new approaches and innovate on delivery, but the core promise never wavers. The foundations hold so you can move fast.

  • See it, own it, solve it.

    Real partnership means acting like we have skin in the game because we do. We're a company built with builder energy for builder-minded people. We’re wired to see problems as opportunities to create solutions. And we don't wait around for permission to care about the outcomes. When we spot something that could help or hurt your business, we handle it and keep you in the loop. When we see a teammate struggling, we jump in. When we notice a process that's broken, we fix it. We take ownership of our piece so you can focus completely on yours.

  • Development by every hand 

    At Aerial, we believe the real engine of progress is people who know their worth and use it. This isn't feel-good HR speak. When people understand their impact on profitability and growth, they make better decisions, work more strategically, and naturally align with business goals. We live this out by bringing transparency to conversations at every level. We spotlight the magic each person adds to the mix and connect individual strengths directly to business outcomes. We have honest conversations about where people are, where they want to go, and exactly what it takes to get there. We treat contribution like the core asset it is, both for our team and our clients' teams.

The 4 C's

WHY CHOOSE AERIAL CORE FOR CONTROLLER SERVICES IN PORTLAND?

01

Customized to Your Business

Your accounting processes should reflect how your business operates. We tailor controller support to your financial activity, internal workflows, accounting systems, and reporting requirements.

02

More Than Transaction Review

Accurate books are the starting point. Aerial can connect controller oversight with broader accounting services and bookkeeping support to help coordinate the different parts of your finance function.

03

A Team-Based Approach

You gain access to a team of finance professionals who can work alongside your existing accounting staff, bookkeeper, and external CPA. We help coordinate responsibilities and align processes across your financial operations.

04

Processes Built Around Your Operations

We work with your existing systems and workflows to develop practical accounting procedures, review routines, and documentation standards suited to your business.

05

Support That Fits Your Needs

Your controller needs depend on the size of your team, the complexity of your financial activity, and the level of oversight you already have. We work with you to define a scope of support that fits your organization.

MEET THE AERIAL CORE TEAM

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Our team brings decades of experience from startups to scaling companies. We've been in your shoes, which is why we know what it takes to make the leap and stick the landing.

About us

SERVING PORTLAND AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

Aerial Core provides outsourced controller services to businesses in Portland and throughout the surrounding metropolitan area. Our remote service model allows us to work alongside your accounting staff and leadership team to improve financial processes without requiring routine in-person meetings.

We serve businesses in communities including:

  • Portland

  • Beaverton

  • Hillsboro

  • Tigard

  • Lake Oswego

  • Tualatin

  • Wilsonville

  • Milwaukie

  • Oregon City

  • Gresham

  • Happy Valley

  • West Linn

  • Vancouver, WA

If your business is located in the Portland metro area, contact us to discuss your controller needs.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT OUR OUTSOURCED CONTROLLER SERVICES

  • “[Aerial’s] level of support has made us feel like they are genuinely invested in our success, not just there to complete tasks.”

    Justine Arnold, Controller, special projects, Alpha Inc.

  • “We've worked with Aerial Core since 2023, and their team has become an important part of our business. When we first considered a remote accounting team, we weren't sure how it would work for us. It didn't take long for them to put those doubts to rest.

    They handle our bookkeeping as integrated members of our team, and what I appreciate most is that they go well beyond simply completing the work. They're responsive, knowledgeable, and invested in our success. I always feel like we have a team that understands our business and is there to help us think through questions and make sound financial decisions.

    I'd recommend Aerial Core to any business owner looking for a dependable bookkeeping partner.”

    — Jenne Whittington, Director of Operations, Cobalt Builders Inc.

  • “They bring a professional controller level of skill. It’s not what I normally see with bookkeepers or bookkeeper companies. They do things, quite frankly, better than I've seen big not-for-profits that have nice professional staff on board do themselves. We know that if we grow and the work grows, [Aerial] can apply more hours or people … it’s adaptable.”

    — Walter Hammon, Interim CFO, Bradley Angle (Portland-based Non-profit)

  • “[They have] a level of skill that’s sort of an exhale. The Aerial team is great at catching unusual transactions and asking the right questions when something doesn’t make sense. And, perhaps most importantly, Aerial helps preserve finance continuity within the organization even during transition periods. Aerial founder, Nicole Rose Yen, was a huge support during the shift from one CFO to the next. She was a huge, comforting support, drawing on her experience to help the Bradley Angle team understand what to expect and how to transition smoothly.”

     — Karley Smith, Finance Manager, Bradley Angle (Portland-based Non-profit)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CONTROLLER SERVICES IN PORTLAND

Understand what an outsourced controller does, when your business may need one, and how controller support can fit into your existing finance function.

  • Controller services commonly include month-end close oversight, general ledger review, account reconciliation oversight, financial statement review, internal controls, accounting procedure development, and audit preparation support. The scope depends on your business's financial operations and reporting needs.

  • An accountant may handle transaction accounting, reconciliations, financial reporting, and other accounting responsibilities. A controller typically oversees the accounting function, reviews financial information, establishes procedures, and helps ensure that reporting is accurate and consistent.

  • A controller focuses primarily on the accuracy of financial reporting and the effectiveness of accounting operations. A fractional CFO focuses more on financial strategy, forecasting, profitability, capital planning, and executive decision-making. Some businesses benefit from both functions.

  • Consider controller support when month-end close is taking too long, financial statements require additional review, accounting processes are inconsistent, internal controls need improvement, or your existing accounting staff needs more experienced oversight.

  • Yes. A controller can oversee and review bookkeeping processes, establish reconciliation requirements, and help ensure that recorded transactions support reliable financial reporting. Aerial can tailor its role to your existing team and division of responsibilities.

  • Controller services can help organize financial records, improve reconciliation documentation, establish consistent accounting procedures, and coordinate responses to external auditor requests. The level of support depends on the engagement and the requirements of the review.

  • Yes. Controller support can help identify bottlenecks, clarify responsibilities, establish a close calendar, and introduce review procedures that make monthly reporting more consistent.

  • Yes. Aerial provides outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services. These services can complement controller oversight by supporting the underlying financial records and recurring accounting processes.

  • Pricing depends on your accounting complexity, existing team, reporting requirements, and the level of oversight needed. Aerial develops customized proposals based on your business's circumstances.

  • Contact Aerial Core to discuss your accounting structure, current processes, and reporting challenges. We'll help you identify the level of controller support that may fit your business.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES WE OFFER IN PORTLAND, OR

Portland Accounting Services

Portland Bookkeeping Services

Portland HR Outsourcing Services

Portland Part-Time CFO Services

CONNECT WITH AERIAL CORE

Looking for controller support for your Portland-area business? Connect with Aerial Core to learn more about our outsourced controller services.

We're here when you're ready.

Tell us what you need. Let’s see if we’re a fit.

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