Comments on: How To Attract New Clients Like a Magnet http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/how-to-attract-new-clients-like-a-magnet/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:26:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Gabrielle http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/how-to-attract-new-clients-like-a-magnet/comment-page-1/#comment-620 Gabrielle Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:40:01 +0000 http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/?p=15#comment-620 Hi Terrance! Congrats on getting your PB designation! As far as specialization, yes, I think it is a good idea. The only caveat is that you should have some experience already or expertise in the industry where you want to specialize. You are correct about the marketing. You would want to concentrate your marketing efforts on the places where business owners of the particular type of industry you are targeting hang out. A great place to start would be industry associations. If they have newsletters, you could write an article about bookkeeping for them, and have an Author's Bio that has your contact information. This positions you as an expert and is a nice soft-sell method. You can also ask for reprint rights to the article and use it with your information kit for new prospects. As far as geography, that will depend on whether or not you will be running a virtual bookkeeping service, or serving only those in your local area. Yes, that will affect your marketing as well. You must always be clear on who you are targeting and the type of work you want to attract. It is up to you as to how specialized you want to become. You may specialize in a certain type of business, yet still accept other clients. Or you may decide to exclusively work for only one type of business. My best suggestion is that if you truly have an expertise in one area, stick with just that. It is difficult to be all things to everyone, and the pay isn't as good either! Bookkeepers working solo have only a limited capacity for how many active clients they can handle at one time. So keep that in mind as well. You can charge a higher rate because of specializing in one area. It is a win-win situation too, because you will give higher quality service to your clients when you really understand how their type of business works and can easily handle their unique circumstances. Keep us posted on your progress! Great questions! :-) Gabrielle Hi Terrance!

Congrats on getting your PB designation!

As far as specialization, yes, I think it is a good idea. The only caveat is that you should have some experience already or expertise in the industry where you want to specialize.

You are correct about the marketing. You would want to concentrate your marketing efforts on the places where business owners of the particular type of industry you are targeting hang out. A great place to start would be industry associations. If they have newsletters, you could write an article about bookkeeping for them, and have an Author’s Bio that has your contact information.

This positions you as an expert and is a nice soft-sell method. You can also ask for reprint rights to the article and use it with your information kit for new prospects.

As far as geography, that will depend on whether or not you will be running a virtual bookkeeping service, or serving only those in your local area. Yes, that will affect your marketing as well. You must always be clear on who you are targeting and the type of work you want to attract.

It is up to you as to how specialized you want to become. You may specialize in a certain type of business, yet still accept other clients. Or you may decide to exclusively work for only one type of business.

My best suggestion is that if you truly have an expertise in one area, stick with just that. It is difficult to be all things to everyone, and the pay isn’t as good either! Bookkeepers working solo have only a limited capacity for how many active clients they can handle at one time. So keep that in mind as well.

You can charge a higher rate because of specializing in one area. It is a win-win situation too, because you will give higher quality service to your clients when you really understand how their type of business works and can easily handle their unique circumstances.

Keep us posted on your progress! Great questions! :-)

Gabrielle

]]> By: Terrence http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/how-to-attract-new-clients-like-a-magnet/comment-page-1/#comment-591 Terrence Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:28:22 +0000 http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/?p=15#comment-591 Gabrielle, I hope all is well. I am in the beginning stages of my bookkeeping business. I am getting my PB Certification within a week. My question is do think someone starting out should pick a niche market such as Medical or Construction and market specifically to that market and become the expert in that particular market ??? If someone did do this wouldn't thier marketing campaign be different ??? How would this be impacted if my goal were to build an online bookkeeping service so I may serve a larger geographical area ?? If I were to attract clients from the marketing techniques you suggest from other types of small businesses should I take them on as clients ?? I am sure you have heard the saying "get rich in your niche" does this apply to freelance bookkeeping business as well ?? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Terrence Gabrielle,
I hope all is well. I am in the beginning stages of my bookkeeping business. I am getting my PB Certification within a week. My question is do think someone starting out should pick a niche market such as Medical or Construction and market specifically to that market and become the expert in that particular market ??? If someone did do this wouldn’t thier marketing campaign be different ??? How would this be impacted if my goal were to build an online bookkeeping service so I may serve a larger geographical area ?? If I were to attract clients from the marketing techniques you suggest from other types of small businesses should I take them on as clients ?? I am sure you have heard the saying “get rich in your niche” does this apply to freelance bookkeeping business as well ?? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,
Terrence

]]> By: The Freelance Bookkeeper » Spread the Word by Reaching Out http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/how-to-attract-new-clients-like-a-magnet/comment-page-1/#comment-148 The Freelance Bookkeeper » Spread the Word by Reaching Out Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:28:31 +0000 http://thefreelancebookkeeper.com/blog/?p=15#comment-148 [...] some strategies for positioning yourself as an expert so that clients will find you. (See “How to Attract New Clients Like a Magnet.”) But you may also want to take a more direct, proactive approach to finding new [...] [...] some strategies for positioning yourself as an expert so that clients will find you. (See “How to Attract New Clients Like a Magnet.”) But you may also want to take a more direct, proactive approach to finding new [...]

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