Launching a Freelance Bookkeeping Business: Seeking Expert Advice

As my wife prepares to embark on her journey as a freelance bookkeeper, we find ourselves looking for insights from seasoned professionals in the field. After nearly two decades in Accounting and Bookkeeping roles, she feels ready to take the leap and establish her own client base.

Her extensive experience encompasses a variety of positions, including staff accountant and supervisor of Accounting where she managed payroll for over 800 employees at a cable company. Additionally, she has served as an office manager/bookkeeper for a real estate development firm, a construction company, a painting service, and an auto repair shop. With such a diverse background, she is well-equipped to tackle various financial responsibilities.

Currently, she is enhancing her skills with QuickBooks certifications and refining her website, which is nearing completion. She has successfully drafted her engagement letter and updated her resume, positioning herself well for marketing her services.

It’s important to note that while she will not be providing tax services—and is not a CPA or an EA—her focus will be on smaller to mid-sized businesses, as well as startups, who can benefit from her affordable solutions. She excels at cleaning up disorganized financial records, preparing profit and loss statements, balancing sheets, and offering cost-cutting suggestions. Moreover, she emphasizes automation as a crucial element in her service offerings.

Our initial strategy includes reaching out to local CPA firms. Thus, I am eager to learn the best methods for making those first contact attempts. Should we opt for emails, phone calls, or possibly in-person visits? Any guidance on how to make a strong first impression would be greatly appreciated.

We plan to operate on an hourly billing structure and would welcome any additional tips on securing clients or general advice that could assist her in this exciting new chapter.

Thank you for your support and insights!