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To connect with them, I had to lead with doing bookkeeping and then show them how much more I can do. I hope that helps even though it might not be the answer you were looking for. I actually offer a master course for people starting out and building a bookkeeping business.
You can definitely build a practice, but you get out what you put into it – and you have to do it strategically. I’d say at least 3-6 months to start seeing your marketing to have continuous results. I took longer because it wasn’t a traditional route of just using social media (10 years ago!). Check out the Facebook group and see what others have done.
That means people are turning to YouTube to solve their problems. Those people could be your clients if you start leveraging it properly and present yourself as an expert. Think of any services, software, or vendors that you business uses. If so, that’s the perfect opportunity for you to grab a link.
It helps you automate your review collection and monitor reviews across all sites that matter. Tools like Leadfeeder match up Google Analytics data to find you a list of companies that have visited your site. You can use that list to reach out to follow up and turn those visitors into clients. With a tool like Drift you can add your profile picture to make live chat more personal. You can also collect emails from people so you can follow up later if you’re not available when the user starts the chat. If you’re feeling very adventurous you can even build a chat bot to answer questions for you. Each person that comes to your site is a potential client.
Ways Cpas Can Get More Clients For Bookkeeping Services
I also make a point of meeting CPA’s and letting them know about our services. I work with 4 different accountants and refer them to my clients. I only work with clients if they have an accountant. I’ve obtained almost all of my clients through the QuickBooks ProAdvisor directory or by word-of-mouth. Although I have Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook business pages, I don’t rely on them to get me business.
Another way to practice being a guest speaker is to host your own webinar. By reaching out to the people on your email list, you can share valuable information with current and future clients. When addressing the issue of how to get bookkeeping clients through referrals, don’t just look to fellow professionals.
Then develop a strategy to reach your connections by providing value to your network. Before choosing a bookkeeper, most people do an online search. Having a customized website that ranks well on Google will bring new traffic to your business and more efficiently convert that traffic to sales. CPA Site Solutions is a company that specializes in building customized websites for financial professionals and successfully works with thousands of practices. She’s passionate about childcare services and making sure every family has a house to call home.
There is a whole network of Slack channels created for specific industries and interests. Here’s a list of over 400 Slack channels waiting for you to join.
Connect With Your Past Clients Regularly
Best, you can invite your friends and people who like your page. While some prospects are ready to buy right now, others need to be nurtured, and one of the best ways to do that is to collect email addresses so you can stay in touch with them. You’ll probably need to offer some content, such as a complimentary report, white paper, or online newsletter, in exchange for people giving up their personal information. The best thing about Google search is that when people are using it, many of them are looking for a solution to a problem. People who search for things like “income tax return preparation services” or “QuickBooks consultant” are ready right now to get help. They will act faster than other leads who are not actively looking for solutions. Keep your photo current, businesslike, and high-quality.Your headline and summary are probably the most important parts of your profile.
More likely than not, they also have a PayPal account, bank loans, equipment leases, and other accounts that will need to be reconciled. You’ll need to have a handle on their accounts payable and receivable, so you can work with their account and bank statements to ultimately help their small business flourish.
This question shows your ability to adapt to the potential client’s needs and demonstrates your experience with different accounting systems. Allow the client to offer information without interruption. Then, move on to other fundamental questions that help you understand the essential elements of their business structure. One common problem with both lead nurturing and on-boarding is that there’s too much talking and not enough listening. With the right questions, it’s possible to collect the information you need to close the deal with prospective clients and demonstrate your value to new clients. Monica is a marketing copywriter for WorkflowMax, creating content for the website, blogs and ebooks.
Ways Your Firm Can Find New Clients
All you have to do is apply for the jobs posted online. Meetup is great for finding common groups that meet regularly in your area. There is a group for just about everything on this site, so it’s a great way to find groups that consist of your ideal clients or referral partners.
Now think about the collective intelligence of your firm. That’s an incredible amount of intellectual property that can be unlocked and shared with potential clients. An insightful link shows you understand their world. When you spend time with like-minded people, you’ll find casual opportunities to share stories and network. Non-traditional events, groups and activities provide great networking opportunities.
Or if you’re changing your firm’s focus, you could partner with a less specialized general bookkeeping or payroll practice. They could take on the day-to-day functions as you begin to specialize in higher value services. Or if your firm has a specialty, you may be able to charge a premium.
Be careful not to become too pushy about your business, as this will come naturally. Once they do, you’ll find people in need of bookkeeping services. Upwork is an online platform where you can post your freelancing services to find potential clients. They charge a finder’s fee for a successful referral. Your family and friends may know business owners who are in need of a bookkeeper, or they are in need of bookkeeping services themselves.
Enroll in Kick Start Your Bookkeeping Practice with QuickBooks Online. I use a ton of others now and have used even a ton more in the past. If you are ever looking for an app to help with your life, you can start by look at Apps.com. This is Intuit’s own website listing apps that integrate with QuickBooks Online and have gone through Intuit’s security testing and approval process. There are a ton of Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Slack groups, and more places for you to connect with other virtual bookkeepers like you. My private Facebook group is Build Your Best QBO Practice. My goal was to create a private community for bookkeepers to support each other and be free to create a QBO Bookkeeping Business that fits your personality and goals.
You can do this by sharing free, helpful resources through writing updated blog posts on your website. When clients see that you’re knowledgeable in your field, they will be confident they can do business with you. The fastest way to lose new business is to play phone and email tag with potential clients just to set up appointments. With Square Appointments, clients can see your schedule and book times using just their smartphone. They’ll receive friendly reminders via email or text, and you can check your schedule from your phone anytime. Square Appointments is also free for individuals, making it a perfect scheduling solution for bookkeepers. Finding potential bookkeeping clients can be a tough job, especially for new bookkeepers.
Well, you do get 30GB included in you G Suite if you go that direction. As an affiliate, I can get you 20% off your first year of the basic plan with code CCAD6GLYRRJJRA4 and 20% off your first year of the business plan with code 9DDLU3RCQDUM6CD.
Live chat is an easy, low friction way to start a conversation and answer their questions. You may think that offering services to everybody will land you more clients, but in many cases that’s the wrong mentality. Specializing in one industry can actually be far more lucrative in the long run.
The best groups to join to get new clients are for adjacent industries where your clients hang out. As a lawyer or accountant you could ask to join the Digital Agency Owners group and make a post asking if anybody needs some free advice and pitch in when you can. If you can become “the lawyer” or “the accountant” for those groups you’ll be sure to get some new clients. The easiest way to start collecting and monitoring reviews for your business is through software like GetFiveStars.
I’d always just labeled myself as a general bookkeeper and had a generic proposal for all my prospects. And at the very least, I figured the finder’s fee was the equivalent of advertising . So I pushed forward with it, creating a professional cover letter and mass blasting it out to every client on there.
- We spoke with industry experts who share the best approaches on how to get bookkeeping clients.
- Do research on everyone you’re reaching out to and present your business as a solution to their problem.
- Before choosing a bookkeeper, most people do an online search.
- And driving new client growth is essential to your success.
- Marketing coordinators organize events, book appointments for client visits, do cold calling, line up speeches for the partners, and handle prospecting.
For example, if you’re targeting business owners, you’ll likely have the most success using LinkedIn to promote your services, rather than Facebook. Once you feel confident, start your own threads by posing questions and posting your blogs. Hi, I recently made the switch to accounting and I love it.
Online Networking
Case studies are a great way to prove the value of your business through customer success stories. A lot of clients in B2B need to convince multiple stakeholders in their business and case studies are a great resource to help them do it. It adds an element of scarcity to your services, which makes them even more attractive to potential clients. I know, direct mail is not exactly the ‘latest and greatest’ way to get business, but it can still be a great way to raise awareness and get clients. Law firms play an important role throughout the life of a business. They may play an advisory role when a business is starting out or growing and looking for services. Agencies can be a strong partner for almost any professional service.
There are plenty of tools like Clearbit that help you find leads for your target market. Do research on everyone you’re reaching out to and present your business as a solution to their problem. If you do it well, cold email can have over a 10% response rate. If you’re a marketing agency look to software like HubSpot or Active Campaign.
