> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.layerfi.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Key concepts > The core model behind Layer: platforms, businesses, and the general ledger. This page covers the concepts you'll encounter throughout Layer's documentation. If you'd rather start building, head to the [Quickstart](/guides/quickstart). ## Platforms and businesses Layer uses two key terms to describe who's who in an integration: * **Platforms** are Layer's direct customers, software companies that integrate Layer to offer accounting features. You are a Platform. * **Businesses** are your end users, the SMBs that use your product and the embedded accounting capabilities Layer powers. A single Platform serves many Businesses, each with its own isolated accounting data. ## The general ledger When you onboard a Business, Layer provisions an associated **General Ledger**, the double-entry system of record where all of that Business's accounting data lives. Every transaction, invoice, bill, and journal entry flows into the general ledger, which is what makes real-time financial reporting possible without manual bookkeeping. ## Ways to integrate There are two ways to surface accounting features in your product. Either can deliver any capability, and most platforms use a mix. * **Embedded Components**: Layer's suite of pre-built, white-labeled React UI components you drop into your frontend for the fastest path to launch. See [Embedding UI components](/guides/embedded-components). * **API**: build your own accounting UIs directly on top of the Layer API for full control of the experience. See the [API Reference](/api-reference/business/business). ## Accounting packages Layer supports everything from a simple cashflow visualization to a complete monthly bookkeeping service. The right set of features depends on your product and your SMBs; your Layer contact can help you choose. Common packages: * **Core Accounting**: cash-based accounting to track profitability and prepare for taxes. SMBs import revenue and bank data, categorize and reconcile transactions, upload receipts, and view easy-to-understand profitability reports. * **Advanced Accounting**: a fuller experience supporting both cash and accrual basis, plus richer reports like the Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. SMBs can manage the general ledger directly. * **Full-Service Bookkeeping**: Layer's bookkeeping team organizes transactions and closes the books each month. SMBs only answer questions about their activity; Layer handles the rest. {/* TODO: link to a dedicated Full-Service Bookkeeping product page once it exists */} ## Next steps Authenticate, onboard a business, and surface accounting in your product. Create your first business and connect its data.