18 Tips on How to Get Bookkeeping Clients

Today’s professional marketplace is growing, particularly in terms of remote working positions. You don’t always have to be in the same geographic region to get hired by a business. You can search job sites for ads posted from all over the country to find bookkeeping clients.

Job boards such as Upwork and Thumbtack often have job postings for freelance, part-time, and full-time bookkeepers. LinkedIn is also a great resource if you’re seeking bookkeeping work as it draws a variety of companies from industries that may be a fit for your skills.

A key step in using LinkedIn to source potential clients is to cultivate a professional presence. Do this by following these tips:

• Create a profile (or modify your current one) with a high-resolution headshot and a summary of your educational background and career experience.
• Reach out to, and connect with, your current contacts.
• Ask for endorsements and be sure to return the favor.
• Track your LinkedIn feed and take note whenever someone celebrates a milestone or announces an accomplishment.
• Use these interactions to strengthen your relationships before asking about their bookkeeping needs.

Do you have a specialty, such as bookkeeping for professionals in creative fields like artists and designers? Are you an expert at bookkeeping for nonprofits? It helps to have a niche to make yourself stand out from other bookkeeping firms and receive word-of-mouth referrals. You can get involved with a specialty’s trade associations and industry groups and emphasize your niche.

Staying close to the groups in your niche not only increases your chance of meeting new clients but also helps you to stay on the cutting edge. You’ll be up-to-date on your target clients’ latest concerns and any emerging legislation. The more knowledgeable you can become on the topics important to your clients, the more you can help solve their specific issues.

Not only does becoming a QuickBooks ProAdvisor add instant credibility, but it also brings your business exposure to an entire network of QuickBooks users. It can even assist you with how to find bookkeeping clients.

Once you receive your certification, you’ll become eligible to be listed in Intuit’s online directory of QuickBooks ProAdvisors. Your listing will show your name, information about you and your business, and a way for potential clients to contact you and possibly hire you as a bookkeeper. Your ProAdvisor profile will also show the certification badges you have earned and your social media links.

Our guide on how to become a QuickBooks ProAdvisor explains the process in more detail. Once you have signed up for QuickBooks Online Accountant and completed the intensive online training, you’ll take a free exam to receive your certification. Other ProAdvisor certifications include QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Online Payroll.

Don’t be afraid to market yourself. Do this by creating a website that showcases your services, expertise, and qualifications. Invest in business cards and take every opportunity to share them, whether on the bulletin board at your local coffeehouse or with someone you meet who may need a bookkeeper.

Remember that if you cultivate a strong professional presence, people will remember you. If you’re uncomfortable sharing your card in person, you can also market yourself digitally. We have a few referral email templates for inspiration.

Talk up your business to everyone you know (with business cards ready to distribute), and in return, offer to hand out business cards for friends and family members who are looking for new business as well. By being willing to reciprocate, you’re opening the door to potential new business. You may want to refer to our list of free business card providers as a starting point.

One surefire way to distinguish yourself from other bookkeeping services is to ask current clients to write testimonials on your behalf. You can add a testimonials page to your website to share these comments or request that they write reviews for you on listing sites like Yelp or Google.

The first step to managing online listings and reviews is to claim your business online, such as with Google My Business; we have a full guide on how to create a Google Business Profile to help you. You can also create a business page on Facebook. Be sure to fill in all the information you can in your profiles, including a list of your specialized services. Create incentives for clients to write reviews of your work and consider offering a small discount. When they do write a review, reply to each one.

It is a good idea to cultivate a mailing list and stay in touch with both current and past clients periodically about your services. This can be done easily with a newsletter, which is similar to writing a blog post about a specific topic. You’ll want to share some information, benefits, the value you offer, and a way for people to get in touch with you.

The benefit of using a newsletter is that it can be sent out at regular intervals, and it will help keep your business top-of-mind to both current and past clients. You can also encourage potential new clients to sign up for your newsletter to receive helpful tips and useful information.

Alternatively, you could just send a quick email to your contact list. This works well if you have already built a relationship with clients and want to keep them in the loop about what’s happening in your business.

Onboarding establishes the foundation of a great client relationship, which will, in turn, lead to future referrals and more business. You can efficiently collect what you need from your client by sending them a checklist of information. This could include a form that requests their contact details, state registration numbers, incorporation document copies, and employer identification number.

We also suggest looking into software to help you manage your practice. Our roundup of the best accounting practice management software suggests tools that will help you streamline your practice and create personalized workflows to stay organized and ensure that you can onboard your clients effectively.

Networking allows you to pitch your business, and it is an indispensable tool to attract new clients. Attend local networking events or join industry-specific groups to meet potential clients. You can also join small business trade shows and other entrepreneurial events. By offering your expertise and advice, you will be the person your contacts turn to when they have a complex bookkeeping need.

For example, instead of trying to persuade someone to use your firm, you might suggest that a small business owner use accounting programs, such as those found in our evaluation of the best small business accounting software, to better manage their accounts internally until they are ready to outsource.

When they grow, they may remember your advice and hire you as their bookkeeping firm. The initial networking might also generate immediate prospects who have a need you can meet with your services, so it’s worth the time and effort.

New businesses often don’t have bookkeepers yet or may not have realized that they should hire one. You can find business startups by volunteering for organizations such as your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), both of which provide free or low-cost consulting to business owners.

If your bookkeeping service is a startup as well, we suggest reviewing our guide on how to start a bookkeeping business. It will help you establish your firm and ensure you have set the groundwork for future success, as well as help you with how to find bookkeeping clients. One idea is to stay on top of bookkeeping industry trends to better assist your clients. You can attend accounting and bookkeeping conferences, sign up for blogs and newsletters, and join a professional bookkeeper association.

The wider you spread the word that you’re looking for clients, the more people you’ll find who know someone that needs your bookkeeping services. Leverage your existing network by reaching out to your contacts and letting them know about your bookkeeping services. This includes friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. You can also ask for referrals from satisfied clients.

It is important not to take a “wait-and-see” approach with referrals. Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective ways of finding new clients for any business, and bookkeeping practices are no exception. First, check if your current clients are happy and feel you’re providing the best possible service. Then, you can ask if they’d be willing to recommend you to others.

Consider creating social media profiles for your business and engaging with potential clients online. LinkedIn and Facebook, in particular, have strong group page dynamics. Ask to join groups and then search for relevant topics or questions. Start answering other members’ bookkeeping questions, and offer additional assistance offline or in person, if feasible.

You can also join Facebook groups in your direct industry, get leads from other members who have a full workload, and receive referrals from other bookkeepers who have a full workload and want to pass on the work from their clients. While groups for your industry are great for advice and feedback, they won’t drive a ton of clients. The best groups to join to get new bookkeeping clients are for adjacent industries where your clients may hang out.

Encourage your current clients to refer new clients by offering incentives such as discounts or free services. Satisfied clients likely will want to spread the word within their own networks, particularly if you offer discounts, create incentives, or provide additional services in return.

A referral program can be a great way to entice clients to refer people to your business. They’re inexpensive to set up and work for almost every industry imaginable. You also don’t need to give a monetary reward for your referral program. Other options are gift cards, credit for your services, or branded items like hats with your business logo.

If you want to multiply your potential reach without wasting your budget, consider online advertising for your bookkeeping business. Online ads, like with Google or Yelp, help you obtain premium placement above relevant search results. They also allow you to reach thousands of people outside of your existing network.

You don’t have to pay a lot to reap the benefits of online ads. Digital ads target high-intent consumers who are ready to purchase specific services. This allows you to connect with your target market without wasting your budget on people who won’t be interested in your services. The result can be higher conversion rates and a higher return on investment.

You can often increase business by offering additional services to your current clients. If they use your competitors for services you already offer, explain why your firm would serve them better and emphasize the additional benefits you offer. This can include improved productivity, more accurate and reliable data, and cost or fee benefits.

You may consider adding other services, such as creating business plans, forensic bookkeeping, and payroll services. The best way to identify services you should offer is by asking your current clients what they could use help with. It may be something you’d never considered, but it could become a key part of your practice’s future success.

It is one thing to join a professional development organization, but quite another to participate in the activities offered. In other words, you get what you put into it. These activities often include networking events, the perfect opportunity to spread the word about your business. However, don’t limit yourself to only accounting and bookkeeping events. Think about other ways to advance your business, such as joining a group related to your demographic.

For example, women can consider joining the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), which has regional chapters. If you have the time, you could serve on the board of one of these organizations to create greater exposure. While this is a volunteer position, the time spent leads to increased visibility and knowledge gained from professionals with similar interests. You’ll have access to a built-in pool of potential clients within the organization and potential referrals.

Your referral base doesn’t just have to include your current clients. You can also get bookkeeping clients by relying on referrals from other businesses in your area. Consider partnering with other businesses that aren’t competitors but have a similar target market as you to promote your business locally. This could give you access to an entire network of people in your target audience through a business they already trust.

Seek other professionals in your area to ask if they have partnered with a bookkeeping service. Attorneys, personal and business investment consultants, information technology (IT) pros, and tax accountants likely all have clients needing bookkeeping services. Offer to refer their businesses to your clients, as this will help you expand your client base.

Generally, people in your existing network will only refer you if they love working with you. If you go beyond just performing basic bookkeeping and instead provide outstanding customer service, you’ll be well on your way to adding multiple bookkeeping clients to your roster.

Establishing a strong online presence, both on and off social media, and creating long-term relationships by creating trust with your clients are some of the best ways to ensure that referrals will always occur. By providing exceptional service to your existing clients, you’ll be able to build a strong reputation and generate positive word-of-mouth referrals.

As a bookkeeper, your potential target businesses could include startups, which often require assistance setting up their financial systems and maintaining their books. Freelancers and independent contractors may also not have the time or expertise to handle their own bookkeeping. Plus, professional services firms, such as law firms require ongoing bookkeeping services. If you have experience with any particular industries, aim for those businesses as well.

To differentiate your services from other providers, consider specializing in a particular industry or type of business to distinguish yourself from generalist bookkeeping providers. You can also offer personalized services tailored to each client’s unique needs. Providing competitive and transparent pricing is another strategy as well as developing a strong brand and marketing campaign to set your bookkeeping services apart from competitors.

Some common pricing models for bookkeeping services include hourly billing, fixed fee packages, project-based billing, and value-based pricing, where you charge clients based on the value of the services provided instead of the time spent on them. When choosing a pricing model, consider the needs of your business and your clients as well as the level of competition in your market.

Some common objections potential clients may have include cost, time commitment, trust, and control. If they are concerned about cost and time commitment, you can emphasize the value of your services and how efficient bookkeeping can save them time. Objections related to trust and control can be addressed by demonstrating your commitment to client confidentiality and how you will work with your client to ensure that their financial goals are met.