Launching a Freelance Bookkeeping Career: Seeking Guidance from Seasoned Professionals

After years of dedicated service in the Accounting and Bookkeeping industry, my wife is taking a bold step towards entrepreneurship. With nearly two decades of experience under her belt, she is ready to leave the corporate world behind and establish her own freelance Bookkeeping practice.

Her impressive background includes roles as a staff accountant and supervisor of Accounting, where she managed payroll for over 800 employees at a cable company. Additionally, she has served as an office manager and bookkeeper for a variety of industries, including real estate development, construction, auto mechanics, and more. Her extensive hands-on experience equips her with the skills necessary to help businesses streamline their financial processes.

Currently, she is completing QuickBooks certifications and finalizing her professional website. With an engagement letter drafted and her resume updated, she is poised to start marketing her services to prospective clients.

It’s important to note that while she possesses a wealth of experience, she will not be providing tax services and is neither a CPA nor an EA. Her target audience includes small to mid-sized businesses and new operators looking for a cost-effective solution to their bookkeeping needs. She specializes in organizing disorganized financial records, preparing profit and loss statements, balancing sheets, and providing cost-cutting recommendations. Automation will be a key focus of her services, aimed at improving efficiency for her clients.

As her first strategy to win clients, we plan to reach out to local CPA firms. This brings up an important question: what is the most effective way to initiate contact with these firms? Should we opt for email correspondence, a phone call, or perhaps a more personal approach through a walk-in visit? Furthermore, any insights into making a positive first impression would be invaluable.

We are also considering an hourly billing structure. If you have any additional suggestions on attracting clients or general best practices for establishing a freelance bookkeeping business, your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your support as we embark on this exciting new venture!