How to Get Bookkeeping Clients as a Freelancer

Now that there are plenty of gig workers out there, it’s an important skill to learn how to get bookkeeping clients as a freelancer. About 35% of the entire US workforce is made up of freelancers, and it’s expected that this percentage will get bigger due to the high demand for gig workers.

Many businesses are on the lookout for professionals that they can outsource, such as bookkeepers who can record their organization’s financial transactions regularly.

Though there’s a high demand for bookkeepers, you’ll have to attract and impress clients to thrive as a freelancer. Read through this guide to learn how to get bookkeeping clients, where to find opportunities, and how to maintain a lasting relationship with businesses.

10 Tips on how to get bookkeeping clients

1. Get certified as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor

QuickBooks is an essential tool for many bookkeepers. Your skill in using this software can help you attract clients because many clients expect bookkeepers to be proficient in QuickBooks.

However, you can get more bookkeeping clients as a freelancer by earning your certification as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. This certification builds up your bookkeeping skill and places you on priority listing in QuickBooks’ directory for free. QuickBooks’ Find-a-Pro-Advisor directory allows potential clients to find your contact information online, making it easier for you to get bookkeeping clients as a freelancer.

2. Look into various niches in bookkeeping

Aside from investing in a QuickBooks certification, you may also want to invest in certifications that can help you specialize in certain bookkeeping niches. Pursuing a specialization can set you apart from other freelance bookkeepers and even make you more in demand among clients in your chosen industry.

First things first, you’ll have to consider niches where you’ll have few competitors so that you can invest in certifications that can help you specialize in that industry. For instance, you can invest in certificates for real estate skills to specialize in real estate bookkeeping or learn more about eCommerce and specialize in bookkeeping for online businesses.

3. Advertise on the right platforms

Aside from investing in your skills as a freelancer, you can also get more bookkeeping opportunities by learning how to advertise on the right platforms. Our 9-step guide to attracting better clients shows that you can advertise through Google’s Display network, which will present your ads in websites, videos, and apps.

You can also target clients through direct newsletter advertising where you’ll deliver content about your services to the email inbox of potential clients.

On top of that, you can also advertise your bookkeeping services for free by guest blogging. Accomplishing even just one blog per month can direct you toward prospective clients and open up opportunities for your freelance work.

4. Maintain a social media presence

You can also learn how to get bookkeeping clients as a freelancer by building up your social media presence. Social media accounts make it easier for prospective clients to find your services and assess your compatibility with their projects.

You need to build your professional social media profile by creating a Facebook page and a LinkedIn page. It’s important to list your credentials in the profile or “about” sections on these social media accounts so that prospective clients can easily see your skills and experience.

Most of all, you have to constantly post about your freelance bookkeeping services and even your career wins to inform people about what you have to offer.

5. Tap into your professional network

Having a social media presence is beneficial because it makes it easier to tap into your professional network. Through these social media accounts, you can message old co-workers, mentors, and acquaintances about any opportunities that are available for you.

But if you’re starting your career from scratch, you can also use social media to build your professional network. To illustrate, you can join Facebook groups for bookkeepers or connect with potential clients on LinkedIn. Make sure that you’ll engage with the individuals that you meet on social media platforms to stand out and impress potential clients.

6. Learn how to promote your credentials

Despite being freelancing clients, some professionals and businesses may still require you to submit your resume. As such, it’s crucial for you to learn how to impress your clients and prove that you’re the right person for the project by learning how to promote your credentials through your resume.

A guide on creating a resume by Business News Daily recommends that you have to highlight skills and experiences that are relevant to the client that you want to work with. You can also underline your accomplishments with numbers and metrics to show clients that you can also provide these results to them.

7. Reach out to clients using a cover letter

There are times when you have to pitch your services to a client through a cover letter. This letter should discuss your credentials, as well as include some key information that can help you get the client over other freelance bookkeepers.

The cover letter samples by LHH show that it’s important to clearly state your intentions and summarize your strengths, skills, and experience in the letter.

You can also score bonus points with the client by bringing up the referral of your colleague, especially if you discovered the opportunity through your network. You can even opt to list down your qualifications in the letter to prove that you can meet the prospective client’s bookkeeping needs.

8. Share the testimonials of your clients

Client testimonials are one of the secrets on how to get bookkeeping clients as a freelancer. These comments serve as proof that you’re good at what you do and that your rates are worth it.

So after you finish every contract, take the time to thank your clients and ask for a testimonial. You need to display these testimonials from your previous clients on your website or your social media accounts to increase your credibility as a freelance bookkeeper. By posting their positive feedback, you can convince prospective clients that you’re the right person for their projects.

Establishing your rates & payments as a bookkeeper

Your professional rates can influence your ability to book a client as a freelancer. Even if they’re interested in what you have to offer, some prospective clients may back out due to the rates for your services.

Instead of lowballing, experienced freelancer Melissa Petro recommends that you negotiate your rates first. Try to discuss the difficulty of the assignment and explain why you’re the best person for this project to justify your professional rates. By providing proper reasons, you may convince the client to match your rate or even offer more compensation.

Once you’ve established your rates, you’ll have to choose your own accounting solution as a freelance bookkeeper. Choosing the right one is crucial because you will find it hard to book a client and get paid for your services if you offer limited payment options.

The Balance Money recommends making it as simple as possible for clients to pay you to avoid delays in the project and the payment process. You can also try to match the payment options that most of your clients are comfortable with so that you can quickly sign the contracts and start working on the projects that you booked.

Where to find bookkeeping clients

One of the biggest challenges that freelancers face is looking for clients. You’ll have to find prospective clients regularly to earn a steady income, which is why it’s important to utilize various platforms for your search.

As previously stated, you can use social media platforms to look for prospective clients that need your bookkeeping services. LinkedIn can help you directly search for clients that are looking for freelance bookkeepers. Meanwhile, you can also join Facebook groups for specific industries or even for freelancers to find clients.

The good news is that you can find more openings for bookkeeping gigs on many platforms due to the high demand for freelancers.

You can find bookkeeping clients as a freelancer by signing up to the following platforms: Flexjobs, SolidGigs, Upwork, Gun.io and Freelancer.com.

How to get bookkeeping clients to keep coming back

Introduce contracts to clients

Bookkeepers record a business’s financial transactions on a daily basis. So if you were able to book a good opportunity, you could offer a freelance contract that allows you to work with them for a longer period of time.

One of the 6 Tips to Keep Clients Coming Back as a Freelancer is to introduce a contract that renews on a quarterly or a yearly basis. You can opt to offer this contract to clients that you’ve worked with multiple times or even with new clients that want to work with you for a long time.

Just make sure that you and your client will include your agreements on the project requirements, frequency of deliverables, payment terms, rates, and billing cycles on this contract. By offering a contract to your frequent clients, you can get a steadier flow of income every month.

Maintain regular client communication

It’s easy to get bookkeeping clients as a freelancer if you already have a rapport with past clients. However, those who are new to freelancing need to learn how to communicate with clients properly so that you can keep them coming back.

To start, our article on the 8 Client Communication Skills to Grow Your Business Fast shares that you should regularly update your clients and maintain transparency to demonstrate that you are on track with the project. These updates show that you are a responsible freelancer and that you truly care about the outcome of your work.

You can also improve your rapport with your clients by using different client communication tools for various purposes, such as emails or text messages for quick work questions and video conferences for important meetings.

Be genuine with your clients

Clients are more inclined to work with you again when they know that you are genuine with them. Even if you briefly worked together, your honesty and sincerity may encourage them to repeat business with you.

You can do this by being honest with what you can and cannot do for them during the project. You can also show your sincerity about your working relationship by asking them questions about their business.

Aside from saying the right things, it’s also important for you to show interest in their answers and to listen to their responses well to demonstrate that you value them as a client.

It’s not easy to get bookkeeping clients as a freelancer, but by following these tips, you can speed up your search and even get clients who want to work with you again.

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