10 Tips to Get More Clients as a Freelance Bookkeeper
What I realized is that business owners are looking for good bookkeepers. They want the ease of not having their hands in the finances to free them up to do what they’re great at and that makes them money.
My first three (exceptional) clients were a result of Facebook acquaintances reaching out to me from a post I created on my personal Facebook profile sharing that I was starting a bookkeeping business.
I’ve found 10 simple and effective ways to find bookkeeping clients:
Volunteer your time to gain experience
Use your existing network
Use current job posting websites
Hone your own social media
Find a bookkeeping niche
Get good at business networking
Network with accountants or other bookkeepers
Become a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor
Target specific businesses that need bookkeepers
Don’t let bookkeeping leads get away!
Be patient and picky
Watch the video here, or keep reading!
Volunteer Your Time to Gain Experience
This may not be your favorite tip on the list, but it’s a great way to get your name out there, and it’s exactly what I did when I was just starting out.
I volunteered for a couple of my friends as a bookkeeper for their small businesses, and the experience I gained was invaluable because I was able to hone my skills on real businesses.
Volunteering your time will extend your reach because those business owners you helped will hopefully share about your skills and expertise to their friends, and that word of mouth will help advance your client base.
After I volunteered for a period of time, those same friends hired me on as their bookkeeper. Once they know, like, and trust you, it’s much easier to gain the bookkeeping contract. This was a win-win for both of us because I already knew their business and books, and they knew how I worked and what they would get from me.
Use Your Existing Network
This is one of the most beneficial things I did. I told my friends and family when I launched my business. I posted on my Facebook profile that I was a bookkeeper, I was taking on new clients, and I asked my network to share with any of their business owner friends.
That one single step was how I gained a majority of my clients! In many business situations you hear that the best employees were referrals from someone the owner knew or that one of the other employees recommended.
Use Current Job Posting Websites
A great way to find new clients is to look on job posting websites such as Craigslist or LinkedIn. Many colleges also have a job page where you can find job listings. You could even maybe find them in your local newspaper!
Take time to scour those places to find bookkeeper wanted job listings and find businesses you are interested in working for. Another way to utilize the job posting sites is to create your own listing stating that you are a bookkeeper taking on new clients.
One of the benefits to bookkeeping is that you can look for job postings throughout the whole United States. You don’t have to stay in your own city because, as an online contractor, the job can be done from anywhere. That’s the beauty of this virtual age.
Not all of these postings will be hot leads, but it’s a great place to start. Make sure to do some research on the company that you are looking into before you contact them, and ensure that they would be a good fit for you.
Hone Your Own Social Media Platforms
Utilize the social media world! Bare minimum, you will want a Facebook page, a LinkedIn page, and possibly another content creation platform such as YouTube, a podcast, or a blog.
By starting a YouTube channel, even though I didn’t have many subscribers in the beginning, I was able to gain more traction and exposure than I would have otherwise. It’s been a great marketing tool for me, and now I’m at capacity for bookkeeping clients!
I’ve received many questions about bookkeeping from other bookkeepers or potential bookkeepers. Potential clients have reached out to see if we’d be a good fit to work together. My network has grown steadily, and I’ve made wonderful online relationships with people I never would have run into in my own city.
We are in a day and age where you have unlimited ability to gain exposure across the Internet. Why not utilize it? I wouldn’t recommend getting on every single social media platform and going ‘all in’ on each, but choose one or two of your favorites that you’re comfortable with that you believe your clients are using as well. Focus on those couple of platforms to build community, add value, and market your business.
Find a Bookkeeping Niche
Get specific on one area you want to become an expert in, and stick with it. When you niche down to a particular type of business you work with, you become more knowledgeable and experienced in that particular area, which, in turn, makes you more valuable to those business owners.
For example, maybe you want to niche down to doing bookkeeping for lawyers. If that’s the case, you would learn how to do lawyer’s books, you would know how trust accounts work, and you would know all the ins and outs about that particular profession. You’d learn how they bill their clients and what kinds of expenses and income they have. When you market yourself solely to lawyers, as an example, you are that much more valuable to any law firm you approach.
Once you find one or two niches you want to hone in on, figure out where those types of people gather.
If your specialty is Etsy sellers, for example, you need to find out where those Etsy sellers hang out. They probably are online in some form, maybe in a Facebook group (probably quite a few of those), or maybe there’s a YouTube page for Etsy sellers.
Get into those communities and make yourself an expert by spending some time giving valuable information to the group without the expectation of receiving anything in return. If you do this, you will become well-known in those communities as a resource, and people may start contacting you to find out how they can work with you.
RELATED: Niches for bookkeepers video playlist
Get Good at Business Networking
There are quite a few different ways you can network in person. You could check out the Business Network International (BNI) groups, which is a group of people who all have different professions and form a networking group. This can range from your typical lawyers, financial advisors, realtors, to someone who sells candles, does a market networking business, or sells online digital products.
The point of a group such as BNI is to get together, network, and refer one another to other potential clientele. Many times there is a fee associated with joining in-person networking groups, but they can be valuable places to market your bookkeeping services.
Network with Accountants or Other Bookkeepers
Another option is to network with accountants. When you get to know accountants, often those accountants or firms have too much work, and they may refer some of the work to you. That’s been my experience.
You can even get to know other bookkeepers because many are at their capacity and may be willing to refer potential clients to you if they can’t onboard them themselves. Some may think networking with other bookkeepers is competition, but the ocean is deep for bookkeeping needs, so other bookkeepers could be feeling the pressures of too many clients, having to turn potential clients away, or maybe a client they are not well suited for or they don’t have the expertise in their business that they would love to have a great place to refer them to.
Lastly, look for other professions that could coincide with yours that you could build relationships within those fields.
I have an acquaintance who is an attorney who works with business owners, and she wanted to help her clients out by recommending a bookkeeper because that’s a need that she saw they had. She asked for my information so she could pass it along as she saw fit.
This just requires a bit more networking skills, getting to know people, and being confident in talking about your business when opportunities arise. It’s important that you know exactly what your needs are and how you can provide value to others and be able to articulate that well.
Become a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor
If you are a ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online, Intuit has a database or directory that you can join that people all across the country, or even across the world, can look up bookkeepers. Your listing in the directory will have your name and some information about you and your bookkeeping business, and potential clients can contact you and possibly hire you as a bookkeeper.
The requirements to become a ProAdvisor is taking a FREE test and gaining a certification. They provide more intensive training as well before the exam.
If you choose to be certified, definitely join the database of bookkeepers so you can get noticed as a ProAdvisor!
Target Specific Businesses That Need Bookkeepers
Find businesses within your community that need bookkeepers. You could target online companies as well, but a good starting point is focusing on your own city.
48 Days to the Work You Love is a great book that outlines the process of job searching. Dan Miller recommends picking out 40 businesses that you want to work for and researching them. From there, you will want to send them a letter letting them know you are going to call on a specific day, and when you call, ask to set up an informational interview.
I actually did this process one time, and I was able to snag a job from it!
If you get a list of businesses that you would consider working for, then you can approach them, let them know you’re a bookkeeper, and share what value you can bring to their business. The worst they can say is no, but eventually no’s will lead to yesses if you’re persistent. If they don’t need a bookkeeper at the moment, you can ask them to keep your resume on file in case anything changes in the future.
Don’t Let Bookkeeping Leads Get Away
Once you have a bookkeeping lead, make sure you’re communicating effectively and are dependable by following up on any communication. Respond to their questions quickly, prepare for any meetings like they are an interview, and sell yourself to that lead to make them want to hire you.
I’ve learned over time to be intentional about the people I want to work with and not just take any client that comes along. Sometimes a difficult client is going to cost you more time, energy, and money than it’s really worth.
Be Patient and Picky
When you’re starting out as a bookkeeper, all you can think of is how to get clients and that you need more of them. I know. I get it. Maybe you’re worried about income and supporting yourself and making bookkeeping a full-time career.
Remember, it takes time to build your client base. I’ve been fortunate because this has always been my side hustle and wasn’t the sole income generator for our family, but through the years, I have found that many business owners need bookkeepers, and it’s an ever-growing industry.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Bookkeeping Business
If you’re patient and do the 10 things suggested in this article, then I believe you will be successful in attracting new clients.
3 Great Things about Bookkeeping Clients:
You can work for clients anywhere (not just in your local area)
One client will often stay with you for years and years (low turnover)
Once your client load is filled up, you don’t need to continually market yourself
Have you ever worked for free to gain experience? What did you learn through it? Which of these 10 tips do you want to try first?
Do you want monthly tips to grow your bookkeeping business?
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Resources for finding bookkeeping clients:
(Free!) Bookkeeper Marketing Masterclass
Marketing Course: Bookkeeper Marketing Coach
