If you’re looking for a new career, freelance bookkeeping could be the perfect fit. It’s not just about helping businesses keep their books in order; it’s also about working with clients to improve their accounting processes. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about starting your own independent bookkeeping business: from finding clients and setting up your business bank account, to getting certified as an accountant and finding the right software program for your needs.
How To Become a Freelance Bookkeeper
As a freelance bookkeeper, you could be the one who helps your clients keep their books in order. You may also be the person that helps them pay bills, file taxes, and complete other important tasks related to running a business. If this sounds like something that interests you then it’s time to get started!
A freelance bookkeepers can work from home or wherever they have access to an internet connection and computer equipment. While there are many ways of becoming a freelance bookkeeper, this article will focus on three main methods:
- Freelancing through websites such as Upwork or Fiverr;
- Finding clients through networking, and 3) Starting your accounting firm
Do market research and validate your idea
First, do market research and validate your idea.
- Find out if there is a need for your services in the area you’re interested in.
- Talk to people who might be interested in hiring you or becoming clients of your business. You can ask them questions like “What would make me hire you? What kind of service do they want?” or “Do I have any competitors like this? If so, how does yours compare?” This will help determine if you should pursue the idea further before investing too much time into it.*
Set up a business bank account
- Set up a business bank account.
- Do not open individual savings account for your freelance bookkeeping business. When you have clients who pay you in cash (as opposed to electronic payments), it is important to keep that money separate from other assets and accounts. This will prevent any problems if there are fraud issues or identity theft, which can occur with some online services like PayPal.
- Consider the security of each bank before opening an account with them as well as their policies on how long they hold client funds before releasing them back into the market (this varies between banks).
Set up a website and social media pages
- Set up a website and social media pages. This is the most important step of all because it will be the first thing that potential clients see when they’re searching for freelance bookkeepers on Google. Make sure your website is easy to navigate, mobile friendly, SEO optimized (make sure you’re not getting penalized by search engines), secure, and has a blog where you can write about what you do as well as provide contact information so people can get in touch with you if they want more information or have questions about their business needs.
- Provide a contact form on your site so customers can send messages directly through there instead of having them go through email addresses or phone numbers (which might not be updated). This also helps eliminate spam emails coming from bogus companies trying to take advantage of people who don’t know any better!
Get certified as a bookkeeper
If you want to become a freelance bookkeeper, you must get certified as a bookkeeper. Certification shows that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in this career. In addition, many employers will require their employees to be certified before they hire them. There are several different types of certifications available, including those from the International Book Keeper Association (IBKA), the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB), and other organizations such as Certified Government Accountants or Certified Public Accountants (CPA). You can find more information about each type by visiting their websites or calling them directly for details on how to apply for certification.
Once you’ve decided which type of certification is right for your needs and goals, start researching schools where they offer courses so that when it comes time for training courses later on down the road after earning one type first off then moving onto another once things start rolling properly again — well then not only should things go smoothly but also quickly too!
Get the right freelance accounting software
- Choose the right freelance accounting software.
There are many different types of freelance accounting software and it can be overwhelming to figure out which one is best for you. To help, we’ll discuss some features that are important in choosing a good freelance bookkeeping solution:
- Cloud or desktop? The cloud-based models offer convenience, flexibility, and ease of use without having to learn how to use their system. They also save time because they don’t require downloading any files onto your computer—you just sign in online and start working! That said, there are drawbacks: since they’re available through an internet connection rather than locally stored on each device (like when using local desktop software), they aren’t always as fast or reliable as local alternatives; also because these services operate at large scale with multiple users collaborating on projects simultaneously rather than just one person doing all their work by themselves (as happens with most traditional methods). If this sounds like something worth investing in then read our guide below which will show why we recommend using them today instead of waiting until later down the road when things might get better again…
Where to find clients
Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to start finding clients. You’ll have to do this in a variety of ways:
- Look for new clients in your local area. If there are businesses or organizations nearby that would be interested in hiring a bookkeeper, reach out to them and see if they’re willing to pay the right amount of money for someone who can help them out with their accounting needs.
- Look for new clients through referrals from other freelance bookkeepers or digital marketers who have worked with similar companies before (you could also reach out directly).
- Look on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook as well as freelancing websites such as Upwork; these are great places where people post jobs that need completing quickly because they don’t want their projects delayed by waiting too long before finding someone qualified enough who can complete them satisfactorily within budgeted costs outlined upon completion date provided by advertiser/client at the time agreed upon between parties involved during contract signing process – so don’t hesitate to throw yourself headfirst into this world full throttle without thinking twice about whether it’s right career path choice made today?
How to set your rates as a freelance bookkeeper
When you’re setting your rates, it’s important to consider the market. If there are a lot of bookkeepers in your area who charge higher or lower than what you think is fair, then don’t be afraid to raise or lower your prices accordingly.
You can also base your rates on how much time it takes for each project. For example, if you have a client who needs some basic accounting work done and they pay $100 per hour for this work (which is reasonable), then maybe that’s what you should charge as well—but only if it takes less than an hour of work time!
You may also want to set a maximum amount per project (for example $500). If someone comes along who wants something more complicated or challenging than what was expected initially, then maybe they’ll pay more than their initial estimate for those additional services needed by themselves when working with us over multiple years together at any given moment during our relationship together.”
Provide stellar customer service
- Ask questions. As a bookkeeper, you’re in a unique position to help your clients understand their finances and make informed decisions about their financial future. But don’t be afraid to ask them questions as well! You might be surprised at how much they don’t know about their money and what they can do with it.
- Don’t try to be everything at once. Many things go into being a successful freelancer—you need thick skin, excellent communication skills, good listening skills (and sometimes empathy), and patience in dealing with clients who don’t understand things quickly enough for you—but none of these should take precedence over each other if we want our businesses thriving throughout this century!
- Be honest: If a client asks for something unreasonable or just plain flat-out illegal (which happens from time to time), then tell them no. It will save both parties time & energy down the road when there are better solutions available instead of wasting resources fighting over petty details.”
Starting your own freelance bookkeeping business can be one of the best decisions you make in your career.
As you can see, starting a freelance bookkeeping business is one of the best decisions you will ever make in your career. It’s a great way to earn money and get more control over your schedule, which can be hard when working for someone else. Working from home is also an option if that appeals to you.
Many ways starting a freelance bookkeeping business can take off:
- You can choose which clients to work with based on their needs and preferences (and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). This means no more late nights trying to figure out how many decimal points they need in their numbers! Just have fun with it!
- Set rates based on demand rather than price tags—we all know how much they cost us anyway so why not charge accordingly?
- Work when needed (or not) instead of being stuck at home all day long doing something we hate doing…
Conclusion
If you’re ready to take the next step and start your own business, we can help. We have a team of dedicated freelancers that are available 24/7 to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. If you want to learn more about how our platform works or would like an assessment of your current accounting needs, please contact us today!