Launching a Freelance Bookkeeping Venture: Seeking Insight from Industry Veterans

With years of experience in the Accounting and Bookkeeping fields, my wife is preparing to take the exciting leap into freelance work. After nearly two decades in various roles—including staff accountant, office manager, and supervisor of Accounting at multiple companies—she is ready to carve her own path. Her extensive background encompasses everything from managing payroll for 800 employees at a large cable company to handling the financial intricacies for a real estate developer and a construction firm.

As she embarks on this new journey, she’s enhancing her qualifications by completing additional certifications in QuickBooks, which she has mastered over the years. Her website is nearly ready to go live, and she has successfully crafted both her engagement letter and updated resume. The next step? Marketing her services to potential clients.

Focusing specifically on small to midsize businesses, she plans to offer a cost-effective Bookkeeping solution that does not include tax services, as she is neither a CPA nor an EA. Her strengths lie in transforming disorganized financial records into tidy books, generating profit and loss statements and balance sheets, and providing strategic advice on cost reduction—all with an eye toward maximizing automation.

Our initial strategy involves reaching out to local CPA firms to establish mutually beneficial partnerships. To that end, I’m curious about the most effective ways to initiate contact with these firms. Should we consider an email introduction, a phone call, or even a walk-in visit? Any additional insights on making a strong first impression would be greatly appreciated.

Furthermore, any other recommendations for acquiring clients or general advice on thriving in the freelance bookkeeping space would be welcomed.

Thank you for your support as she takes this significant step in her career!