Launching a Freelance Bookkeeping Business: Seeking Insights from Seasoned Professionals

My wife is on the brink of an exciting new chapter, transitioning from employee to entrepreneur as she embarks on her journey as a freelance bookkeeper. With nearly two decades of experience in Accounting and Bookkeeping, her extensive background equips her to serve a diverse clientele effectively.

Throughout her career, she has held various roles, including staff accountant and Accounting supervisor, where she managed payroll for over 800 employees at a major cable company. Her experience also spans office management and Bookkeeping for a real estate developer, a construction company, a painting business, and an auto repair shop. This wealth of knowledge has given her a comprehensive understanding of the field.

Currently, she is solidifying her expertise in QuickBooks by completing all relevant certifications, and her website is nearing launch. We finalized an engagement letter and updated her resume, positioning her well to begin marketing her services.

It’s important to note that while she is highly skilled, she will not be offering tax services and does not hold CPA or EA certifications. Instead, she aims to focus on smaller, mid-sized, and new businesses looking for an economical bookkeeping solution. She excels at cleaning up disorganized financial records, preparing profit and loss statements, balancing sheets, and offering cost-cutting recommendations—all while emphasizing automation as a critical component of her workflow.

Our initial outreach strategy involves connecting with local CPA firms to explore potential partnerships. In this regard, I would greatly appreciate advice from those who have navigated similar paths. How should we initiate contact? Would an email introduction, a phone call, or an in-person visit be the most effective approach? Additionally, any tips for creating a memorable first impression would be invaluable.

We anticipate billing on an hourly basis, and I welcome any further suggestions for attracting clients or general advice for starting this venture.

Thank you for your insights!