From the businesses surrounding Camp Lejeune to the waterfront shops of Swansboro and the beaches of Topsail — Tides Bookkeeping handles the books for small businesses across every corner of Onslow County. 100% remote. Clean books every month.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · 100% Remote
Onslow County is home to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, two of the largest military installations on the East Coast. Together they employ tens of thousands of active-duty Marines, sailors, and civilian personnel — making the military the single largest driver of the county's economy.
But Onslow County is far more than a base town. Jacksonville, the county seat, has grown into a city of over 70,000 with a thriving restaurant scene, healthcare corridor, and professional services sector. The coastal communities of Swansboro, Sneads Ferry, and North Topsail Beach add tourism, fishing, and vacation rental businesses to the mix. Military spouse entrepreneurs run everything from fitness studios to online retail shops, creating a uniquely resilient small business ecosystem that needs clean, reliable bookkeeping.
Whether your business is near the front gate of Camp Lejeune or along the waterfront in Swansboro, we serve the entire county with the same level of service.
The county seat and largest city — home to Camp Lejeune, a growing healthcare corridor, and thousands of military-connected small businesses along Lejeune Blvd and Western Blvd.
The "Friendly City by the Sea" — a historic waterfront village with boutique shops, seafood restaurants, charter fishing, and vacation rental businesses.
A small inland town with deep agricultural roots — home to trades contractors, small farms, and family-owned businesses serving the surrounding rural communities.
A rapidly growing community between Camp Lejeune and Topsail Island — new construction, military families, and businesses serving the beach corridor.
A tight-knit fishing community at the mouth of the New River — commercial fishing, shrimp boats, waterfront dining, and marine services.
A barrier island beach town popular with military families — vacation rentals, property management, and seasonal tourism businesses.
Serving Onslow County means understanding the military rhythm that drives its economy. Here's the local context that shapes how businesses operate across the county.
Onslow County's identity has been inseparable from the Marine Corps since Camp Lejeune was established in 1941. What began as a wartime training installation has grown into one of the world's largest amphibious training bases, with Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River together housing over 47,000 Marines and sailors plus thousands of civilian employees and military family members.
The base economy creates a powerful ripple effect. When a deployment cycle sends thousands of Marines overseas, restaurants see slower weeknights. When units rotate home, the entire county hums. Military spouse entrepreneurs are a defining force — running fitness studios, cleaning companies, online boutiques, and consulting firms. These businesses need bookkeeping that travels with them through PCS moves and deployment cycles.
Beyond the military, Onslow County has a growing healthcare sector anchored by Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune and Onslow Memorial Hospital. The coastal corridor from Swansboro through Sneads Ferry and North Topsail Beach drives tourism, fishing, and vacation rental revenue. And the construction boom in Holly Ridge and along the US-17 corridor fuels a robust trades and contracting industry.
Seven core services, all delivered remotely. Everything your Onslow County business needs to stay financially clean and tax-ready year-round — whether you're on base, off base, or somewhere in between.
Our flagship service. Every transaction categorized, every account reconciled, and clean financial reports delivered to your inbox each month — without you lifting a finger. The financial foundation every Onslow County business deserves, from military spouse startups to established Jacksonville contractors.
Behind on your books? We clean up any backlog — whether it's 3 months or 3 years — so you can move forward with accurate, up-to-date records.
New business or inherited a mess? We configure QuickBooks, connect your accounts, and build a chart of accounts that actually makes sense for your industry.
Monthly reconciliation of every bank account and credit card — ensuring your books match your statements and no transactions fall through the cracks.
P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports delivered monthly in a format you can actually understand and act on.
We keep your AP and AR organized so you always know what's coming in, what's going out, and what's overdue.
We make sure your payroll expenses hit your books correctly and stay in sync with your payroll processor every pay period.
We understand the financial patterns of the industries that drive Onslow County's military-connected economy.
Spouse-owned businesses, DoD contractors, fitness studios, childcare
Job costing, subcontractors, material expenses, base housing work
COGS, tip payroll, seasonal swings tied to deployment cycles
Private practices, specialists, billing coordination, payroll
Vacation rentals, property management, military housing turnover
Inventory, merchant fees, platform reconciliation, online boutiques
Consultants, attorneys, insurance agents — clean monthly financials
Repair shops, boat maintenance, parts inventory, seasonal demand
"I started my online boutique while my husband was deployed out of Camp Lejeune. Between managing orders, handling taxes, and trying not to drown in receipts, my books were a disaster. Tides got everything organized in QuickBooks and now I get clean reports every month — even after we PCS'd to Pendleton. My CPA said it was the cleanest handoff she'd ever seen."
Yes — we serve businesses across the entire county, including Jacksonville, Swansboro, Richlands, Holly Ridge, Sneads Ferry, and North Topsail Beach. Since we're 100% remote, your exact location within the county doesn't matter.
Absolutely. A large portion of our Onslow County clients are military spouse entrepreneurs. We understand the unique challenges — PCS moves, deployments, and fluctuating income — and our remote model means your bookkeeping stays consistent no matter where the military takes you next.
Pricing is based on your monthly transaction volume. Most small businesses fall between $395–$895/month. We provide an exact quote during your free consultation — no guesswork.
We keep your books tax-ready and can work alongside your CPA or tax preparer on sales tax matters. We don't file returns directly, but we ensure all the supporting data is clean and organized for whoever handles your tax filings.
Most Onslow County businesses are fully onboarded within 5–7 business days. We schedule a kickoff call, connect your accounts, review your chart of accounts, and begin work right away.
Our service is 100% remote, so a PCS move doesn't interrupt your bookkeeping at all. We've helped military spouse business owners maintain clean books through relocations to bases across the country. Your books stay consistent even when your zip code doesn't.
Onslow County is our anchor market on the Crystal Coast, but we serve businesses across the entire coastal region and beyond.
Trenton · Maysville
Kenansville · Wallace
Burgaw · Hampstead
Morehead City · Beaufort
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. Tell us about your business and we'll give you a clear picture of where your books stand and what it will cost to fix it.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · First month guaranteed
Official government resources for registering, filing, and staying compliant. Tides handles your books; these help with the rest.