Launching a Freelance Bookkeeping Business: Seeking Advice from Industry Experts

As my wife prepares to embark on her journey as a freelance bookkeeper, we are seeking insights from experienced professionals in the field. She has made the bold decision to transition from traditional employment to entrepreneurship, leveraging her extensive background in Accounting and Bookkeeping, which spans nearly two decades.

With a rich professional history that includes roles such as staff accountant and Accounting supervisor—managing payroll for over 800 employees at a major cable company—and serving as an office manager and bookkeeper for various businesses in real estate development, construction, automotive services, and more, she possesses a wide-ranging skill set. Her familiarity with QuickBooks is robust, and she is currently finalizing necessary certifications to enhance her expertise. Additionally, her professional website is nearly complete, and she has already prepared her engagement letter and updated her resume, signaling that she is on the brink of attracting her first clients.

It is important to note that she will not be providing tax services and is not a CPA or EA. Instead, her target audience will consist of smaller, mid-sized, and emerging businesses that require affordable Bookkeeping solutions. Her proficiency includes tidying up disorganized financial records, generating profit and loss statements, creating balance sheets, and offering cost-cutting recommendations—all of which she can do with ease. Automation and efficiency are top priorities in her approach to bookkeeping.

Our initial marketing strategy will involve reaching out to local CPA firms, and I would love to gather any advice on how to effectively approach these firms. What methods have you found most successful—should she start with emails, phone calls, or in-person visits? Any additional tips on creating a strong first impression would be greatly appreciated.

We are also open to exploring other strategies for acquiring clients as well as general advice on starting out in the freelance bookkeeping landscape.

Thank you for your support and insights!