| When you decide to run your own bookkeeping | | | | accountants. They quite often have clients who |
| business, one of your biggest problems getting | | | | are in need of a good bookkeeper. Do you have |
| started is finding clients. If you are smart, you will | | | | a good rapport with any accountants you have |
| have a few clients set up before you quit your | | | | worked with in previous employment? If so, |
| regular job. But, where do you find these clients? | | | | contact them and tell them that you are starting |
| The first logical place to look for clients is family | | | | your own bookkeeping business. Let them know |
| and friends. This may work for some people but | | | | that you are looking for clients and that you are |
| others may find that mixing business with their | | | | available to do bookkeeping work for them. |
| social life can be a nightmare. Friends and family | | | | And now, the best, simplest, cheapest, most |
| quite often have higher expectations of you and | | | | effective way of getting clients for your |
| feel they should pay you less because of your | | | | bookkeeping business. Word of Mouth! Yes, you |
| relationship with them. | | | | read that right, word of mouth. The more people |
| The next place that I would look for clients for | | | | you tell about your plans, the more people they |
| my bookkeeping business is my current | | | | will tell and so on. You may not get immediate |
| workplace. There is sure to be a number of small | | | | results from this method but somewhere along |
| business owners that you have met through your | | | | the grape vine of gossip there will be someone, |
| current employment. In my experience, it is best | | | | or many someones who have been searching for |
| to let them know in general conversation that you | | | | your talents. |
| will soon be running your own bookkeeping | | | | Go on now. Don't be afraid to toot your own |
| business, not ask them outright if they want to | | | | trumpet. Tell everyone you know that you are a |
| hire you. I suppose it could be described as | | | | talented bookkeeper and you are running your |
| planting the seed of an idea in their brain. You can | | | | own business. Let them know that they had |
| nearly be guaranteed that even if they can't use | | | | better be quick because there is only so much |
| your services they will tell others who do need a | | | | one person can do and very soon, you will be |
| bookkeeper. | | | | book solid. |
| A major source of prospective clients is | | | | |