The Freelance Bookkeeper

Gabrielle Fontaine here with some special news for you.

Last month I conducted a survey asking freelance bookkeepers this
question:  “What do you [as a freelance bookkeeper] need most in
your business, right now?”

I must have touched a chord. The response I got was amazing! There
were several different areas of concern that surfaced. But can you
guess what the BIG #1 need is?

Effective Marketing Methods

Nearly every single person cited this as either their most
important, or at least one of their most important needs. Of
course, the benefits of marketing your bookkeeping services
effectively is bringing in new clients and increased revenues.
That’s more important now than ever.

So here’s the special news…

I will be presenting a LIVE webinar entitled, “Effective Marketing
for The Freelance Bookkeeper” next Tuesday, September 29th at 7:00
PM Eastern Time

This brand new material will show you exactly what it takes in the
current economic environment to attract more paying clients,
without costing you a lot in advertising or forcing you to employ
traditional hard-sell tactics.

So mark your calendar now, and get all the details right here:

www.thefreelancebookkeeper.com/webinar/

Here’s to YOUR success in your freelance bookkeeping business using
easy and effective marketing methods for the “new” economy!

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~Gabrielle

P.S. If you’re ready to bring in more high-quality clients, or
you’re just getting your freelance bookkeeping practice off the
ground, you won’t want to miss out on this live webinar, where
you’ll get everything you need to build your own highly effective
freelance bookkeeper marketing system.

Get all the details here:

www.thefreelancebookkeeper.com/webinar/

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Have you found that the recession is causing some of your clients to take a hard look at reducing expenses? Is that making them consider the idea of taking their bookkeeping in-house?

If so, don’t panic. There is actually a golden opportunity here, if we look a little deeper.

The first reaction most business owners have when they see a sudden (or not-so-sudden) dip in revenues, is to tighten the belt on their expenses. And unless they are aware of the true value of your services, they may target their outsourced bookkeeping expense for elimination. “It’s just simple data entry,” they may think.

Of course, we know that accurate bookkeeping involves far more expertise than simple data entry. But sometimes our clients don’t fully realize that.

What To Do About It

Before I show you how you can turn this into a golden opportunity, let me tell you what NOT to do.

Don’t sound devastated when your client breaks the news. If you sound rattled and scared to lose their business, that will only make them not want to discuss alternatives with you. (They likely feel awkward talking to you about it already.)

Instead, step into the role of consultant and explore whether this change truly is the best option for your client’s business success. To do this effectively, you MUST get out of your own way!

DO NOT worry about losing the client. Really. This will likely turn out to be a good deal for you whether the client wants you to continue doing the bookkeeping or not!

Focus fully on your client’s welfare for the moment.

DO look for how you can assist your client to make the best possible decision for his / her success. You will stand out from the “typical” freelancer in this situation. And you will be setting yourself up for success.

Here’s why.

If, in fact, it truly would be a wise decision economically for your client to do the books on his/her own (although, most often, this is simply not the case), some training is definitely going to be needed. Maybe a lot of it. Aren’t you in the best position to provide that training?

Even after the client has been adequately trained (and the client isn’t overwhelmed by what it really takes to get the books done right), s/he will probably need ongoing support. This is especially true if s/he is using QuickBooks. This service alone could actually save the client from making a big mess that will cost much more to clean up in the long run.

You could even offer to do the bank reconciliations and/or set up a regular review of the books on a monthly or quarterly basis, just to make sure everything stays clean and up to date. The client may find this an invaluable service that won’t break the bank.

This type of arrangement is good for your bottom line too because your fee as a trainer and consultant should be at a higher rate than what you’re charging for basic monthly bookkeeping services.

Positioning Yourself As A Consultant

The most important factor in pulling this kind of transition off is to really listen to your client and hear where the pain is coming from. You want to provide highly valuable solutions that your client will appreciate.

If your client really does want you to continue doing the books, but they are simply looking to cut overhead, offer suggestions for where else in their business they might cut some fat that will provide short-term as well as long-term results. Show them how to find these opportunities in their financial reports.

I’ve seen clients whose sole reason for taking back the books was to save money. But they had no desire whatsoever to keep track of their finances. So they soon found themselves in hot water because their bookkeeping records quickly became a disaster. And then, of course, they had to pay big bucks to have their accountant clean up the mess at tax time. Not smart.

Save your clients from this pain and offer a great solution that works for both of you! (Remember: Win-Win)

So whether they keep you as their bookkeeper or not, help your clients to avoid the penny-wise-and-pound-foolish mindset by showing you really care about their success. If needed, help them tighten the belt (as well as identify ways to pull in more revenue) by transitioning to the role of business consultant.

As a valued advisor to your clients, you will make your services indispensable, increase your rates, and hold on to top-notch clients for life.

Who knew the recession could turn out to be such a blessing in disguise?
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~Gabrielle
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Resources

If you are looking for ways to become a QuickBooks trainer or consultant, consider these helpful resources:

QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program – QuickBooks software, training, certification and Train the Trainer resources included in the ProAdvisor Program

Successful QuickBooks Consulting – This is a helpful guide to starting and growing a consultant business that focuses exclusively on QuickBooks. Highly recommended.

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