Launching a Freelance Bookkeeping Business: Seeking Insights from Industry Experts

As a professional with nearly two decades of experience in the Accounting and Bookkeeping realm, my wife has made an exciting decision: she’s ready to take the leap into freelancing. With a rich tapestry of roles including staff accountant and office manager across a variety of sectors such as real estate, construction, and automotive, she has developed a robust skill set that positions her well for this new venture.

Having accumulated significant experience with QuickBooks, she is currently finalizing her credentials with the platform and working on her professional website. She has also ensured that essential documents, including her engagement letter and résumé, are meticulously prepared, marking her readiness to attract clients.

My wife’s focus will be on servicing small to mid-sized businesses and newer startups, offering an efficient and budget-friendly solution for their Bookkeeping needs. While she will not be providing tax services and is not a CPA or EA, she excels in organizing disorganized financial records, preparing profit and loss statements, generating balance sheets, and identifying cost-cutting opportunities—all while emphasizing automation to streamline processes.

As part of our initial outreach strategy, we plan to connect with local CPA firms. We are considering how to initiate these conversations effectively—whether through email, phone calls, or even in-person visits.

Here are the questions we would love your insights on:

1. Best Outreach Methods: What do you find to be the most effective way to introduce a new bookkeeping service to CPA firms? Is there a particular channel that yields better results?

2. First Impressions: How can my wife make a strong initial impact during these introductions? Are there specific elements she should include in her pitch or presentation to stand out?

3. Client Acquisition Strategies: Beyond reaching out to CPA firms, what other tactics could she employ to secure her first few clients? Any general advice for gaining traction in the freelance bookkeeping space would be greatly appreciated.

Your expertise would be invaluable as we navigate this exciting transition. Thank you for sharing your insights!