How To Start A Bookkeeping Business

The biggest hurdle to starting your bookkeeping business is FEAR.

• What if everything goes wrong?
  
• What if I can’t find any clients?
  
• Can I afford to leave my current job?
  

We all know what FEAR means:
F alse
E vidence
A ppearing
R eal

There’s a fear of not knowing how much to charge your client

There’s the fear of having to meet with your very first client

There’s the fear that you may suddenly FREEZE and feel that you cannot do the work when you get your first client

Remember the fear you had when you first learned to ride a bicycyle? Or the fear that you had when you first started learning to drive a car? Or the fear that you had on your first day at a new job?

We’ve all been through those situations. We look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Preparation is the key. Being prepared for the unexpected. What can you expect? Read the Ebook “How to Find Bookkeeping Clients” – Many of the points are addressed in that book.

If, after reading the book, you find that there are areas that we haven’t addressed, then email us and let us know, so we can help you.

How you approach your bookkeeping business is an important part of the marketing of your business.

We hear so many stories from bookkeepers that are just starting out. They apply for a contract that’s two hours a week somewhere. They go along for an interview, then they are asked to send in a resume, and go back for a second interview.

All for two hours work a week!!

Why do some bookkeepers go through that, and others do not? We have never had that problem. Think about the attitude that you have about your bookkeeping business. Your level of confidence, and how you come across to clients is an important consideration and forms part of your marketing. Are you still in the employee / job mode?

We were never prepared to go for an interview, simply because we weren’t going for a job! We were in business – and our attitude was that if a client wanted their bookkeeping to be carried out, then that’s why they were wanting our services.

If you treat your business as a job, then don’t be surprise that your clients think they are your boss.

We’ve had a call from a company in Melbourne (Spencer Street) looking for a bookkeeper to replace their financial controller. How hard is it to find a good bookkeeper in Melbourne who can handle payroll for 40 staff,using MYOB software?

It’s hardly a position for a contract bookkeeper – but excellent for a bookkeeper looking to move up in their career. The salary could be somewhere around $70 k p.a for a fulltime bookkeeping position

If you want more information, fill in the contact page and email us asap

I have just finished reading the book, and I love it

I have the ambition, the knowledge, the resources, but the unknown of how other people conduct their first meetings is a bit daunting

Kellie, VIC

On page 44 of our Ebook “How To Find Bookkeeping Clients” we talk of “one word” and mention that this would be revealed to bookkeepers that get involved with our marketing program

Why do we say that?
The value of that word is worth far more than the investment you’ll be making for the whole book

It’s what has made the difference for bookkeepers who continue to struggle starting on their own, and bookkeepers that have got involved with our marketing program and quickly seen success

If you’re still struggling to get things happening, and are needing help, then we can offer some coaching – and you’ll see your business grow and a huge return on your investment – and we’ll reveal that “one word”.

Stumbling across your web site whilst researching on the net as been a
wonderful surprise, writes Kellie, from South Australia

“I have no idea how to start my Bookkeeping Business”. says Kellie

I have 14 years in Accounts/ Administration type work, and 2 years ago did my Diploma in Accounting

I have huge dreams of starting my own bookkeeping business, even have a name
made up etc

But I have no idea how to start.

My main problem is how to tell a potential client what I can and want to do for him, and how it will help him.

I am prepared to do all the hard yakka first, i.e setting up my office, laptop, MYOB, flyers etc

I just don’t know whether I should actually advertise myself as a bookkeeper who will only do accs rec and payable, bank recs, debtor control, etc, but maybe not payroll or super etc as I don’t have experience yet in that area

Is it unrealistic to advertise that I will take clients who have never had a bookkeeper before, who keep their paperwork in boxes etc ??

Is it unrealistic to advertise my services are for tradespeople only etc ???

These questions, and many more are answered in our EBook “How To Find Bookkeeping Clients”

Speaking to an experienced bookkeeper in the corporate world today. She’s been working for an organisation four days a week, and they’ve cut her hours.

She wants to join our bookkeepers marketing program, and was enquiring about how it all works.

She has absolutely no concept of life as a freelance bookkeeper. So why does she think that she’s ready to go out into the work force as a self-employed freelance bookkeeper?

Read our EBook “How To Find Bookkeeping Clients” which may enlighten you more about life as a freelance bookkeeper

I am looking for advice on what training course and an accredited provider of that training for bookkeepers. I believe that by 2010 you will need to have a Cert 4 – Financial Services – Bookkeeping to lodge BAS for any clients.

“How To Find Bookkeeping Clients” was written for bookkeepers looking to start a bookkeeping business – it is not a book about learning how to become a book keeper.

There are many organisations that provide training for bookkeepers – there’s a great deal of confusion and rumours flying around about the definition of the new legislation regarding BAS agents.

Have a look at the Federal Treasury website and also the ATO website – and good luck with that – they don’t seem to explain what will be required

We are neither lawyers nor educators – we are bookkeepers that understand how to market bookkeeping businesses – what training course you should undertake depends on what knowledge you already have

Every RTO is fighting for your business, and costs vary considerably from around $1000 – $4000. As far as we are aware, there is still some confusion as to what CertIV qualifaication is required – it seems that any training organisation can throw together a certIV course and seem to have little understanding of what bookkeepers need

The definite answers will “evolve” once the Tax Agents Board commences – and who knows what they will decide!! It’ll probably take three or four years for everything to settle down and be clarified

Here’s a couple of the emails that we received today, asking for help in starting a bookkeeping business

Message: I have set up all documentation for a new business. I just need to start getting clients and start the business off.

Message: Bank reconciliations preferable.
I would love to get clients who want a monthly visit to get their bank accounts reconciliations done.

We could spend all day answering enquiries such as these from bookkeepers who are needing help in getting their bookkeeping business started.

Bookkeeping is a great way to start a home based business – it has the potential to earn $50,000 or more working part time from your home.

There are many pitfalls, and bookkeepers are quite happy to throw away money on whimsical ideas to get their bookkeeping started

We’ve saved you all that time and trouble, and unnecessary expense by compiling a simple, easy to read book that answers many of your questions, and also many more that you’ve not even thought of yet.

So, the first thing that you should do, is obtain your copy of our ebook “How to Find Bookkeeping Clients” . For a small investment, you’ll save yourself so much time and trouble, and have a solid foundation on which to build your bookkeeping business

Had an enquiry from a lady who ran a secretarial service. She was wanting some MYOB training, so that she can “do the bookwork” for one of her clients.

Our goal is to save the client time and money

“What experience do you have as a bookkeeper?”, we ask. “None. I just thought I could help my client out by providing some bookeeping services”

Yes, lady, you sure can. Since the client is looking at outsourcing their book-keeping needs, then doesn’t it make sense to turn to a professional bookkeeping team that can do the job properly. One wonders that if her client wanted a plumber, would she ring up a local plumber and ask for some training, because she “just wants to fix a leaking pipe” for one of her clients?

Well. Why should we care? She wants MYOB training so she can start bookeeping . We can certainly provide that for her.

We care because our goal is to help our bookeeping clients by solving problems, not hinder clients by creating more problems through incorrect bookeeping.

“I’ll only be doing some data entry with MYOB, nothing difficult!”, she told us. If it was that simple, everybody would be doing their own bookwork, and nobody would need to outsource their bookkeeping to professional mobile bookkeepers.

Her client is no doubt under the impression that the lady provides bookkeeping as part of her secretarial services – do they know the truth is that this lady is just wanting to “help out” her client and believe she can just start doing bookkeeping for her clients

How irresponsible is that?

We should be very happy and eager to train this lady, because most likely she’ll stuff up her client’s bookwork, and then she’ll need us to come in and clean up the mess. But that’s not what we do.

Our goal is to save the client time and money, and relieve any stress or pressures of having to do the bookkeeping, and freeing up their time to work on what they do best in their business.