Embarking on a New Journey: Seeking Advice as a Freelance Bookkeeper

As my wife prepares to launch her own freelance Bookkeeping business, we’re reaching out to tap into the wisdom of seasoned professionals in the field. After two decades of experience in Accounting and Bookkeeping, she is ready to break free from traditional employment and serve her own clientele.

Her diverse background includes serving as a staff accountant and supervisor for a large cable company, where she managed payroll for over 800 employees, as well as roles as an office manager and bookkeeper for various businesses, including real estate development, construction, painting, and automotive services. With such a broad foundation, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.

Currently, my wife is honing her skills with QuickBooks and also finalizing several certifications to further enhance her qualifications. Her website is nearing completion, and she has already crafted an engagement letter and updated her resume, gearing up for her marketing efforts.

It’s important to note that she will not be offering tax services and does not hold CPA or EA credentials. Instead, her focus will be on supporting smaller, mid-sized, and newer businesses, providing an affordable solution for their Bookkeeping needs. Her skills include cleaning up disorganized financial records, preparing profit and loss statements, creating balance sheets, and identifying cost-cutting opportunities—all tasks that she can handle with remarkable ease. Moreover, she’s dedicated to integrating automation to optimize processes for her clients.

In our initial outreach, we plan to approach local CPA firms, but we could use some guidance on the best methods to make a strong first impression. Should we initiate contact via email, a phone call, or perhaps a personal visit? Any insights into effective strategies for building these professional relationships would be greatly appreciated.

We also welcome any other suggestions on attracting clients or general advice for a new freelancer in the bookkeeping landscape.

Thank you for your insights!