Bookkeeping Business

If you know how to keep accounts, bookkeeping can be a very lucrative home business option for you. While not requiring high start-up costs, this business has the advantage that it enjoys a steady demand.

Why Bookkeeping Is An Evergreen Business

Every business big or small has to keep accounts.

This is how the owners know how their business is doing. This is also how the government knows how much it would be getting as tax from the business. So the law requires every business to keep accounts and inform the taxmen about its doings in proper forms.

This is the reason why the services of accountants are always in demand. So it stands to reason that if you can supply this service, your bookkeeping business is sure to prosper.

How To Find Bookkeeping Work

Now let us see how you can go about marketing your services.
When looking for likely prospects, you will find that your best bet is a small business owner.

The owner of a small business cannot afford to hire a full-time accountant to take care of the few dealings that his business normally has. So unless the owner has the time and knowledge to keep his own books, he will be glad to get rid of this task for a monthly fee proportionate to the workload.

Therefore the first thing to do is to try to reach as many small businesses as possible to find out if they are in need of your services. One way is to put ads in your local paper.

Another and more direct way is to get the addresses of your likely prospects from the agency which registers businesses in your area. This could be the city hall or the local chamber of commerce.

Armed with this information, you can either visit them personally or send them a letter describing your services.

It might happen that some of these people may themselves be running a small business and be in need of a bookkeeper. If not, some of them will be sure to know some small businessmen and can give you a reference which can help you a great deal in landing accounts.

This is because most people are usually wary about hiring unknown persons to handle their account which contains vital information about their business dealings. A reference helps you overcome this wariness of your prospect.

Now you are not a complete stranger to him. He at least knows somebody who knows you which makes him more receptive to you. He may hire you provided he needs bookkeeping services. If not, he may suggest somebody else who does.

Get a number of accounts using any method that works for you and you can a good income for working a few hours everyday

However perhaps the most effective way to get clients for a bookkeeping business is to spread the word about your service is by word of mouth.

Make a list of your friends and the people you know and mention to them that you have started this service and suggest somebody who may be in need of a bookkeeper. 

Resources:
Bookkeeping & Tax Preparation: Start & Build a Prosperous Bookkeeping, Tax, & Financial Services Business
by Gordon P. Lewis

Building a Profitable Online Accounting Practice
by Jack Fox