Starting My Own Bookkeeping Business – Sarah Williams is a master of detail. When she started her Bookkeeper by Trade, she found niches like real estate and trade-based businesses, took things slow, and focused on what her clients needed to make more money.
As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, she also coaches business owners to manage and understand their finances so they can “watch my clients make money.”
Starting My Own Bookkeeping Business
Sarah talked about how she started a home bookkeeping business and gained a solid customer base.
How To Become A Bookkeeper At Home (even With No Experience)
She believes that no one dreams of becoming an accountant when they grow up. But having worked in mortgage, insurance, and real estate, I’ve always had a love for numbers, so it was kind of a natural progression.
After working as a full-time accountant in a construction company for several years, I realized that bookkeeping was my true calling and the only way to reach the level of income I wanted was to expand and take on more clients at once.
I have 5 years of experience in direct bookkeeping and more than 10 years of experience in finance in general. I’ve been working with independent clients for a few years now, but technically I started Bookkeeper by Trade in June 2017. Taking things slow has really helped me hone in on what my clients need and how I can improve their processes.
I want to take full care of all my current customers before starting any further work.
The Bookkeeping Business Accelerator
“Obviously, bookkeeping is not an exciting career, but I love real estate, building, and watching small businesses grow, so it’s that much more exciting and rewarding for me.” How did you come up with the packaging and pricing model?
We went with packages instead of charging hourly for two main reasons. First, if you spend a lot of time managing books, things can be confusing or difficult. It may not download properly, transactions may not match, and all kinds of computer and banking errors may occur. Even if this happens for no reason, it takes extra time.
I want all of my clients’ financial information to be completely accurate. They don’t have to pay for the extra time because they couldn’t afford to make a $0.10 mistake.
The second reason has to do with the applications the customer needs. I have included the cost of QuickBooks Online in all of my services. Because my clients want to have the best version of the app for their business and use it without worrying about the cost.
How To Set Up A Bookkeeping Business
Luckily, bookkeeping has one of the lowest start-up costs of any business. I had your usual business license, maps and office supplies.
The biggest expense was my website. I figured I’d have to hire a web designer by my own rules, as people like to leave their ledger to the pros. It was the best business decision I’ve ever made. I couldn’t make a decision that came close to the decision I made on my own.
I got my first customer by searching a Craigslist ad. People often think they should hire staff for bookkeeping when they can hire an independent contractor/company, it costs less, and there are far fewer system errors. From there, it was just word of mouth.
Since I tailor the package to each client, I start everyone with a free consultation to review your current accounting system so that I can provide you with the most comprehensive offer to correct past mistakes and move forward.
Bookkeeping Business Plan Sample
Some business owners have more hours than others and may want to do their own bookkeeping or have an office manager who can manage it.
If that’s the case, we provide training on the QuickBooks Online and Desktop versions so they know how to do things the right way (and you can always review them quarterly or annually to make sure things are looking good).
Since 80% of my work is done remotely, I use all sorts of online tools to run my business! I use Wix for my website and Hubdoc for almost all of my clients. Hubdoc is a document search and storage app.
Of course, I use QuickBooks Online all day every day. We also use LogMeIn for remote desktop access and Google apps like Calendar, Drive, and Email. I used the Tomato Timer app to keep working and design the logo.
How To Start A Bookkeeping Business In 2023 [step By Step]
It was hard to explain to the designer because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Doing it myself has helped me figure out what I like and it has helped me find direction while creating. ‘s interface was easy to use, and we liked that we could see the same logo in different colors, shapes, and fonts.
The social media kit closed the deal. You may have had time to design your logo, but you definitely don’t have time to keep resizing it!
If you know your abilities and worth, go for it! When I first thought about starting Bookkeeper by Trade, I was sure there were other people doing the same thing, but there really wasn’t.
If you have a skill that you think could help others improve their business or life in general, go out and share it and make money in the process!
A Guide To Starting A Bookkeeping Business From Scratch
Erin is a seasoned content marketer and entrepreneur. She loves adult novels, snacks, and exploring new cities. Follow her on Twitter @erinletson. Want to know how to start an accounting business? This may be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made when considering your own great home business.
Starting an accounting business takes a lot of effort, but once established there are many benefits.
Make sure you have the seven personality traits. Know your big reason. Then roll up your sleeves and find a practical bookkeeping course. Shake it up and show you how to be a good accountant in a “picture by numbers” format.
However, there are a few questions that need to be swirling in your head. You need to know the answer before jumping into the bookkeeping business pool.
The Pros And Cons Of Starting A Bookkeeping Business
Bookkeeper Launch, our comprehensive bookkeeping business course, is designed to be completed in 10 weeks. Some students even visit their first client while on course! I know, crazy.
We’ve designed Bookkeeper Launch to get you started in your bookkeeping business in 10 weeks, but really, it’s up to you. If you can focus your entire time on starting your bookkeeping business, it will take much less time to get started.
See, bookkeeping is a simple business. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Nothing is easy in a life of lasting value. Again, a short-term sacrifice for the benefit of a lifetime.
Conclusion: Get up and running in as little as 10 weeks. It’s all up to you. You control your own destiny.
How To Become A Bookkeeper From Home (earn Up To $80,000+)
And remember that bookkeeping is the most profitable business. Since this is a virtual bookkeeping business, you will definitely need:
In addition to these three key factors, other start-up costs you can expect when starting a bookkeeping business include:
BTW…there are multiple variations when creating a business entity. Check out this helpful post on the best business structures from FitSmallBusiness.com to understand what might be right for you.
OK, if I did my math right (tell me if I don’t, I might have to find a new job), the estimated starting cost is around $1,404.
Ways To Start A Bookkeeping Business With No Experience
If you’re frugal, you know you can cut that amount. And some of the items listed above are available for purchase right away.
But not your bookkeeping business! Start with a Smacker under $1,500…#1 most profitable business in the world. All jokes aside, this is pretty cool!
What about your business plan? Need a business plan? it’s up to you A business plan has both advantages and disadvantages.
If you can actually use a business plan as a roadmap to get started, create one. But most people write a business plan, put it on a shelf, and never look at it again.
Small Business Accounting 101: Basics, Setup, Software (2023)
My suggestion is to take a look at Bookkeeper Launch. It is a step-by-step, weekly format business plan. Over 14,000 other women and men have used it to start an accounting business.
We will do our best to complete the job in the shortest time, helping you to deliver a high-quality finished product.
An important mindset is needed before discovering the exact tools, skills and professional certifications needed to start a bookkeeping business.
Bookkeeping is an honorable and proven profession. And while there are currently no laws or regulations in the United States requiring licensure, you must still adhere to the following truth.
How To Start A Virtual Bookkeeping Business [the Ultimate Guide]
“As an accountant, I am a professional. As an accountant, I must continue to develop my chosen skills and strive every day to be better than my previous skills.”
While we stick with this guru
How to start my own bookkeeping business, starting a bookkeeping business, starting your own bookkeeping business, starting my own business uk, need help starting my own business, starting my own business, starting my own tutoring business, starting bookkeeping business, starting a bookkeeping business with quickbooks, starting my own painting business, starting a bookkeeping business with no experience, starting own bookkeeping business
