That’s the question I’ve been asking.

Like me, I’m sure you’ve heard all the noise about the BIG claims of mega-success by businesses who are using Social Media to promote their businesses. But is it really just that – a lot of NOISE that doesn’t mean a hill of beans in the real world? Or is this an important trend that small business owners need to pay attention to for the sake of their bottom line?

Cut through the hype and find out what the real deal is with social media. Get straight answers from an expert who’s actually doing it and knows first hand whether it’s really just a big waste of time, or if you can truly use it to market your business profitably.

Join me, Gabrielle Fontaine, and my special guest, marketing expert and social media guru, Ely Delaney as we cut through the hype and finally learn…

* How to use social media to build relationships with prospects, customer and referral sources

* How social media is changing the way we do business

* How to easily get up and running on the three biggest and most strategic social media networks

* How to attract quality “friends” and “followers” without getting caught up in the numbers game

* What free automation tools you can use to maximize your reach and save time in the process

* How to avoid getting sucked in to wasting a ton of time keeping up with your social posting

* What NOT to do so you don’t make enemies, or worse, get banned from the social networking sites

* How networking online is not the same as in-person networking

Find out for yourself why such respected business authorities as Inc. Magazine are now saying that Social Media really is worth your time.

Isn’t it time you found out how to put it to work for YOUR business? Now you can, right after you attend this cut-to-the-chase, FREE, get-action webinar.

Join us Thursday, July 8 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time for this LIVE webinar training.

“Social Media” Online Business Networking Basics”

Grab your seat as our free guest right here:

=> Register Here

.

An often overlooked way to get your phone ringing with calls from prospective new clients is by making sure you are where they are looking when they need help.

One of the first places people look for help is on the web, using search engines. The most popular ones are Google, Yahoo, and Bing (formerly MSN).

When someone searches for bookkeeping help in your local area, can they find you easily in the search engines? Do you Google yourself from time to time and know what prospective clients see?

A Chance To Be Found More Quickly

I just learned about a special program that Intuit Proline is running, especially focused at QuickBooks ProAdvisors, but even if you are not part of the program, there’s an important tip here for you.

Here’s the scoop.

From now until the end of June, there is a special for all QuickBooks ProAdvisors wherein you can not only connect your ProAdvisor profile (if you’re certified) to a listing in Intuit’s Business Directory, but you can also get their WebListing service for 90 days and then a discounted rate thereafter (only $9.99/mo.)

The listing service helps you with your local listings so that you will come up on the first page when people are searching for QuickBooks services, and it ties to your own website as well as your ProAdvisor profile. So you can really give a lot more good, enticing information to pull in new clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This price is far more effective than paying for a Yellow Pages ad, and it is optimized for your local area!

I’ve signed up for it myself just a few days ago, and I’m already listed #1 in my city (which is a very BIG metropolitan area). Amazing.

If you are a ProAdvisor, you can find the offer after logging into your account, it’s near the bottom of the page.

If you’re not part of the ProAdvisor Program, but have been thinking about it, this would be a good time to join! Here’s why:

You’ll not only be able to get in on this deal, but you can still get certified in QuickBooks 2009 until the end of June, as well as get certified in 2010, and 2011 will be coming out in the Fall. That will qualify you to go for your Advanced Certification.

Talk about the fast track!

And of course, you’ll get the 2010 software now, and the 2011 software when it comes out too. You can’t beat getting all that for a single annual membership. This is the best time of year to join!

Finally, if you’re not quite ready for the ProAdvisor program, and you’re just getting started in your freelance bookkeeping business, you can still get a completely free business profile listing (though it won’t get fed out to all the major search engines, at least not as quickly), but there is still a lot of traffic on the Intuit sites. So you will still get targeted exposure to those who may need your help.

So my best advice is to take advantage of ALL the free profile listings you can on the web (and there are a lot of them!), including this one at the Intuit Business Directory.

You want people in your area to be able to find you in as many places as possible. Even if you don’t have a website yet, you can link your profile to your LinkedIn profile or your Facebook business page.

So those are just some quick tips I thought you could use and get in on while the getting is still good. This is a great way to make your marketing dollars work overtime for your business this summer.

And just in case you’re wondering, no, I’m not an affiliate of the Intuit WebListing service or the ProAdvisor Program and don’t get anything but the satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping you fill your business with great clients!

There really are plenty of clients to go around!

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On December 1, 2009, recent changes to the Federal Trade Commission Act affecting online marketing, blogging and advertising will go into effect. The expanded regulations affect every US-based individual and business that sells or recommends products and services on the Internet. So if you have a website for your freelance bookkeeping business (and you should) or post on social media, you need to know about this.

What’s it all about?

“The original FTC act ‘prohibits deceptive and unfair acts or practices in commerce and misleading advertising of drugs, foods, cosmetics, devices and services,’ and these prohibilitions apply online and offline,” explains Richard Cleland, Assistant Director of the FTC Advertising Practices Division in a recent online interview.

The new guidelines expand on how the regulations apply to online marketing. With the ease in posting recommendations for third party products and services, such as using Amazon affiliate links, this change affects nearly everyone who has any kind of commercial dealings on the Web.

In which situations does it apply?

Specifically, the new rules apply to anyone who posts on a blog or website using affiliate links or where customer testimonials are used to sell a product or service. Any kind of reviews or recommendations online where compensation is involved are also included.

The fact that there is compensation involved now must be plainly disclosed. Where testimonials are involved, average customer results must be disclosed. It is no longer adequate to state that “your results may vary,” as has commonly been done by many.

What to do next

Since the new regulations go into effect next week, if you have a website where you use testimonials or affiliate links, you should figure out what needs to be revised on your blog(s) and/or website(s) to bring them into compliance and avoid getting snagged by the authorities. You may also have to change the way you post information with commercial connections on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The rub is, the new guidelins are not especially clear on how they specifically apply to some situations. So the best advice is to check out the information available on the FTC website itself. I’ve also included additional resources below, including an interview just released this week by online business expert, Jim Edwards, and FTC official, Richard Cleland, which includes real life examples of online advertising and how the requirements for disclosure apply.

.

Resources

The official FTC guidelines that take effect on December 1st.

Jim Edwards interviews FTC Official for clarification of the new guidelines

Interpretation of FTC guidelines by an Internet lawyer

How to use the new guidelines to your advantage with testimonials

It’s Gabrielle Fontaine with a heads-up critical update for
everyone currently (or formerly) using QuickBooks software.

You may also want to pass this information along to any of
your clients who are currently using QuickBooks software on their own.

Intuit, the company that makes QuickBooks, just announced that
there is a potential security risk that has been found that
would allow hackers to access the data on your computer.

The threat is due to a newly discovered vulnerability in
Microsoft’s ActiveX technology, which is commonly used by many
popular computer programs.

===================================
QuickBooks Versions Affected By The Threat
===================================

All QuickBooks Simple Start, Pro, Premier and Enterprise Solutions
versions, 2009 and older (including trial versions) are vulernable.
The new QuickBooks 2010 versions, however, are not affected.

Intuit updates its currently supported versions from time to time
by releasing software patches. Each update or patch is given a
“Release” number for easy identification.

Right now, downloading Intuit’s updates is the only immediate way
to eliminate the vulnerability in currently supported versions of
QuickBooks. In time, Microsoft will likely release a patch with
their regular security updates for ActiveX.

===================================
How To Protect Your Computer Now
===================================

All QuickBooks users of 2007, 2008 and 2009 versions should verify
that they have downloaded and installed the most current updates.

You can check if your software is up to date by opening QuickBooks
and then using the F2 key.

These are the most current updates that include a patch which
eliminates this new threat:

QuickBooks 2009 – R8
QuickBooks 2008 – R10
QuickBooks 2007 – R13

The best way to stay up to date is to enable the automatic update
feature AND to install those updates when prompted.

You can also manually download the latest updates directly from the
QuickBooks website.

http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/productupdates.aspx

===================================
If You Are Running QuickBooks 2006 or Older….
===================================

If you are running QuickBooks 2006 or older, you are vulnerable to
this security threat. Since these versions are no longer supported
by Intuit, there is no downloadable update. Your best defense is to
upgrade your QuickBooks software to a supported version (2007-2009)
as soon as possible.

You can find both 2009 and the newest 2010 versions on amazon.com

Additionally, if you have an older version of QuickBooks installed
on your computer but it is no longer in use, remove it by
uninstalling the program to remove the ActiveX threat.

===================================
If You Are Running a Non-US Version of QuickBooks….
===================================

For Canadian versions of QuickBooks, you can download the updates
directly from the Intuit website:

http://support.intuit.ca/quickbooks/en-ca/kb/update/update-quickbooks-to-new-product-update/Update_main.html

For UK versions of QuickBooks, you can download the updates
directly from the Intuit website:

http://support.intuit.co.uk/quickbooks/en-gb/kb/update/update-quickbooks-to-new-product-update/Update_main.html

===================================
I’ve Made a Video to Show You Exactly What to Do
===================================

As an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, I want to see you
get the most out of your QuickBooks software. That’s why I created
my free video training blog, QB QuickTips.

My latest video post walks you through each of the steps outlined above to
show you exactly how to protect yourself from this new ActiveX threat.

If you want to stay informed about critical updates for QuickBooks
like this one, as well as learn insider tricks and tips on how to
use this powerful software for your business success, be sure and
sign up for the QB QuickTips notification list.

You’ll also receive private, subscriber-only bonuses that are not
even posted on the blog.

Get your free subcription here:

===> http://www.QBQuickTips.com

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/

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
p

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.

Here’s a solution to one of the most frequent questions I’m asked by my TFB blog readers:

“How do I quickly and easily put up a website that will help build my business?”

There are several ways to do it, but I am very pleased to be able to invite you to a free training webinar that is FULL of extremely important information about not only how to put up a website easily and quickly, but also key strategies to make your website profitable – even if you’ve already got a great website in place.

This is a special time-sensitive invitation…

Click Here => Free Mini-Site Webinar

It’s a new, absolutely free, LIVE *webinar* being offered by my own marketing mentor, Jim Edwards. This special class is called:

“The Ultimate Mini-Site Formula“.

I’m going to be attending this one-time-only training happening THIS coming Wednesday, June 10th. And you are invited to join me.

Regardless of where you are in your business, this live online class contains proven battle-tested blueprints for making your online presence profitable with quick and easy little “mini-websites” you can create yourself in just a single afternoon!

(And if you’re just getting ready to put up your website, this is MUST-HAVE information to make sure your site will actually do the selling for you and make money!)

Get the full story right here:

Click Here => Free Mini-Site Webinar

Using the latest webinar technology, we’ll discover together….

• What exactly is a “mini-site” and why you NEED to have at least one for your business
  placeholder
• Breakthrough strategies that will help you to set up an autopilot mini-site that brings you a never-ending flow of new leads and customers.
  placeholder
• The Exact 4-step process every successful mini-site business MUST follow to profit online
  placeholder
• How to instantly double your mini-site profits just by changing ONE link
  placeholder
• One of the BIGGEST TRAPS you can fall into that guarantees failure (and more importantly, how to AVOID it!)
  placeholder
• A detailed run-through of Jim’s Million Dollar “Ultimate Online Success Formula” (That’s no hype, either. Jim is literally a multi-millionaire because of this exact mini-site formula!)
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• Jim says he’ll even create a REAL mini-site LIVE on the Webinar in just 4 1/2 minutes! (And he’ll also show you a 30-second trick for turning this site into profits, almost instantly!)…
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• – And much, MUCH more!

Plus not only will you be able to hear Jim sharing this NEW information, but you’ll also get to SEE and WATCH it happening in real time on your computer screen, complete with LIVE examples! (And it doesn’t matter what connection speed you have or even if you have a PC or Mac.)

I’m definitely looking forward to being on this webinar myself — that’s why I thought you’d want to know about it too. It’s going to to be a first-class event!

I truly hope you can join me. You won’t regret it — of that I’m 100% sure.

Gabrielle

P.S. – Considering it’s been almost ONE YEAR since Jim’s last free mini-site training webinar, and since there’s zero tuition cost for this one-time-only event, Jim told me this will be completely booked up very quickly.

If you’ve ever wanted to use the Internet and a website to build your business, this is one free event you don’t want to miss! I know I’ll be there! Don’t wait and kick yourself later.

Click Here => Free Mini-Site Webinar

If you haven’t heard, Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks software, is putting on a virtual trade show / conference for accounting professionals this coming week.

As part of its “Power to Get More Done” campaign, Intuit understands that professionals, now more than ever, are in need of affordable resources. With this in mind, Intuit Academy Virtual Conference attendees will benefit by saving time and travel costs with 24-hour access to the virtual tradeshow and self-study training resources.

In addition to many other courses, attendees will to learn about:

• Products for Accounting Practices – QuickBooks Premier: Accountant Edition, Intuit Statement Writer & Client Data Review, and QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions.
• Products for Tax Practices – Lacerte & ProSeries
• Products for Clients – QuickBooks Pro and Premier, QuickBooks Point of Sale 8.0
• Partner & Networking Programs – QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program & QuickBooks Setup and Training
• Certification – QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification Preparation
• Less Paper Solution Series – Lacerte Document Management System and Intuit Document eSort

This is the first annual Intuit Academy Virtual Conference designed as an educational event especially for tax and accounting professionals. You can learn from the comfort of your homes or offices. Similar to an in-person trade show, you can log-on and interact with Intuit product experts at the virtual booths, talk to peers as well as a panel of industry experts, and participate in informational webinars. You can also access Intuit’s Live Community and Intuit Academy’s training services to get your questions answered throughout the two-day event.

It all happens on Wednesday and Thursday, January 21 & 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST, with on-demand access to self-study courses and other resources

Like most trade shows and conferences, you must Register before you will be able to participate in the event

The best part is the whole thing is free.

It’s worth it to drop by and see what Intuit has to offer. Remember, they realize that it is in their own best interests to work with us who are in the trenches, since if we are excited about QuickBooks and well educated, that only helps them to hold onto their #1 position for small business accounting software. Everyone wins.

In particular, if you’re part of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program but have yet to get certified, there is a training class available on preparing for the Certification exam that you may want to check out.

Be sure to register as soon as possible, since on their website it seems there may be a significant delay (3 business days?!) between the time of registration and the time you will give your log-on information. (Looks like Intuit is learning how to navigate this virtual routine too! )

I’m going to drop by and check it out myself.  Won’t you join me?

Register Here

In November I attended the Sleeter Conference, which was held this year in Phoenix, Arizona. This conference is where the top accounting software consultants, QuickBooks ProAdvisors, freelance bookkeepers and accountants from all over the country gather to talk shop and learn the latest and greatest about QuickBooks in particular, and accounting-related software and technology in general.

The theme for this year’s conference was two-pronged:

1. Taking your business online.
2. Prospering in a tough economy.
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Online Business and Prosperity

Serving clients virtually is becoming more and more common. The technology is rapidly improving and becoming more accessible and affordable. To work virtually means never leaving your office while still fully serving your clients’ needs.

It’s exactly how I’ve been running my business for the last five years.

I can give you many reasons why running your bookkeeping business online opens big new doors leading to prosperity. One has to do with the size of the market you can serve. Instead of just working with businesses in your local area, you can literally have clients from all over the world!

Imagine the possibilities.

This is far different than the way most of us tend to think about our businesses, isn’t it? That’s because it is different.

At the conference, many of the sessions surrounded the technolgy needed to successfully run your bookkeeping business on a virtual basis.

There were four major areas of technology discussed:

- Paperless technology – using scanners, PDF files, and digital document storage systems

- Virtual application hosting services – which means programs like QuickBooks are installed and run from “computer servers in the clouds” instead of on yours or your clients’ in-house computer systems. This means geographic location becomes irrelavant for getting the bookkeeping handled.

- Portals & collaboration – This technology allows clients to access their financial records by logging into your website. Other collaboration methods may also be used through the Internet to supply, access or share data with your clients.

- Software as a Service (SaaS) – Quickly taking hold are business applications that are being sold as low-priced, month-to-month subscription-type services provided by third-party companies, completely replacing desktop applications. An example of this that you may already be familiar with is QuickBooks Online Edition.
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Virtual Service Means More Flexibility

Providing virtual bookkeeping services gives you advantages over serving local clients alone. Working virtually saves travel time and costs, allowing you to serve more clients more conveniently and efficiently.

Working on a virtual basis also allows you to take on projects that might otherwise be too large, if you work as a solo freelancer. That’s because you can easily collaborate with other virtual colleagues to provide comprehensive services for your clients’ exact needs.

For example, I am currently working on a large project with a client on the other side of the country where I set up a clean new set of books. Working with me is another virtual bookkeeper who is inputting all of the historical data. Once she’s finished, I’ll follow up with training the client for the in-house functions. The client, my colleague and I are all located in different parts of the country.

If the project needed to be handled completely at the client’s physical location, it would have been impossible for me to accept this engagement.

Of course, there will always be a need for more traditional local and on-site freelance bookkeepers. But as more and more business is conducted online, the demand for virtual bookkeeping services will grow. There are many ways to work with your clients online, and the technology is moving quickly.

If becoming a virtual bookkeeper is something you want to pursue, stay tuned. I’ll be posting more articles on this topic in the coming months.

As always, be sure to drop me a line if you have any specific questions, or simply post a comment below. Together we can prepare for our virtual future as freelance bookkeepers, and prosper all along the way!
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Resources for working virtually with your clients

www.FindVirtual.com
www.FilesAnywhere.com
www.RightNetworks.com
www.SmartVault.com
www.LogMeIn.com
www.YouSendIt.com

Hey everyone! I know this is a busy time right now, but I wanted to pass along a quick link to a great resource, if you are already working with QuickBooks (and you should be) or you are looking to learn the program.

If you haven’t been to the QuickBooks Community web site yet, you’re in for a treat. There is a ton of useful information  and resources there. In particular, I thought you’d like to see the videos and tutorials they have available for free. You can find them at: http://www.quickbooksgroup.com/webx/qblibrary/Tutorials/?@437.oRxze3zxvbg@

That should keep you busy until my next post, which will wrap up our business planning for the new year. So keep your eyes open for that. Let’s all jump into 2008 at full tilt!

And just so you know, right now I’m busy putting together the finishing touches on a teleseminar I’ll be hosting on January 8th with a very special guest. I can’t give you the details just yet, but suffice it to say that this free class will teach you a highly effective way to find new clients quickly. Stay tuned because I’ll be publishing the full scoop in a day or so.

Ciao for now!

~Gabrielle