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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 84 posts
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Hi everyone,
I am eager to get my first, second, third customer and wondered how you lovely people got yours??
I have been to BNI group last week and although I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I can't justify the £500 per year membership when I haven't even got a client yet!!
I have distributed some business cards, written to all the local accountants and have set up a website.
I am in the process of advertising with yell.com too.
What other suggestions do you have??
I don't want to just wait for the phone to ring.
Thanks
Angela
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- Fellow PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 336 posts
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Hi Angela,
I have advertised with Yell.com and also in my local parish magazine. My first few clients have come from the latter, and have all been people that I know in my local community. I was also approached by an elderly gentleman who'd seen my advert in the parish magazine and wanted my to take his (very small) payroll off his hands. Another client in a nearby town did a search on google for bookkeepers in that town and my website was the first to come up.
So there's no clear recipe for success, but ensuring that your name is out there is clearly very important. I did also put adverts up in shopwindows in a 20 mile radius ( I live in a very rural community) but nothing ever came in from them.
Good luck - hope you don't have to wait too long!
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My first client came through my website. From the first to the second was a gap of almost 2 months. The second came from the website peopleperhour. I did a lot of writing to accountants and to date no work has come from this. I also wrote to loads of small local businesses, following up with phone calls. This had some success. You seem to have done a lot to raise awareness of your business, its just a case of plugging away, and making sure you're. All prepared for that first client. Good luck.
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My first client came through from 4networking, the second from the Business Link and the third is the child minder who found me on the ICB website. I dont have any responds from the letters and emails to my local accountants.
I put advertising on the local post office and get inquiry a couple days a go, the thing to remember is that we need to build trust and confident, how we do that? we need to know our prospective client personally, get testimonial from the client or the person who know that you are good in handling their book.
I am waiting the result for my Self Assessment exam and hopefully will get clients for Tax Return. I wish you all the best to get your first client/s.
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Hi Angela,
I'm afraid I can't be of much help, as I'm still waiting for my Practice Licence application. It has been suggested to me that its worth getting registered with LinkedIn, as this is a good way of getting to the top of google searches, if nothing else.
Going to get the car magnets too, even though there'll be so little daylight up here in sunny Inverness for the next few months that noone will be able to see them ;0)
I was a childminder up until recently, and gained most of my business through word of mouth, I imagine its the same for anything, so networking of some sort must be essential, though £500 a year sounds scary!
Good luck.
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Hi Angela,
I attended a BNI networking meeting last week too. I can NOT agree more with you on the £ 500 per year!
We just have to keep on getting our names out there. I am on the same boat!
I have got one question, what accounting system have you opted for? Sage, quickbook...
Best of luck,
Nathaliexxx
Edited at 15 Nov 2011 03:11 PM GMT
Edited at 15 Nov 2011 04:58 PM GMT
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Perhaps an obvious answer to this but, what does BNI stand for please?
Thanks
Kerry
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- Member
- Practice Licence
- 124 posts
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It's Business Network International. It's not really suitable for beginners unless you're already well connected, as you're expected to bring in several referrals and leads. Generally, until you're up and running, you're not going to be able to bring these to the table. I think you also have to go through some kind of approval process, but I'm not sure what that entails.
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Kerry,
Its Business Network International....a business networking breakfast club.
I have been involved with them before, and unless you have a service everyone in your chapter wants, or a one off large contract comes your way, it's sometimes difficult for very small businesses to cover the cost of it!
It's also means Batteries not Included! 
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- Fellow PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 86 posts
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I'm also anxiously waiting for my first client (well, strictly speaking my second client, but the first is my ex-boss so I don't count him), and have recently joined 4Networking - in fact I was at a meeting with Indah just this morning - hi Indah!
I think the benefits of networking go well beyond getting clients - it's also about talking to people in the same boat, and people who've been there and survived. I found myself with my spanking new practice licence, sitting looking at a silent phone all day, so I decided to get out there and meet some people. I had a look at BNI, and I'd be inclined to agree with the other comments about it not really being for newbies - I think I'd find it a bit formal.
4N has been really good, though, and I've just about stopped being terrifed of standing up and telling everyone what I do. The support and advice I've had from other 4N members has been worth the money on its own, IMHO. And I reckon if I stick with it, the referrals will come, because people will get to know me as a person rather than just through my website or from an advert somewhere. Fingers crossed, anyway!
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Kate_Brownsaid:
“I'm also anxiously waiting for my first client (well, strictly speaking my second client, but the first is my ex-boss so I don't count him), and have recently joined 4Networking - in fact I was at a meeting with Indah just this morning - hi Indah!
I think the benefits of networking go well beyond getting clients - it's also about talking to people in the same boat, and people who've been there and survived. I found myself with my spanking new practice licence, sitting looking at a silent phone all day, so I decided to get out there and meet some people. I had a look at BNI, and I'd be inclined to agree with the other comments about it not really being for newbies - I think I'd find it a bit formal.
4N has been really good, though, and I've just about stopped being terrifed of standing up and telling everyone what I do. The support and advice I've had from other 4N members has been worth the money on its own, IMHO. And I reckon if I stick with it, the referrals will come, because people will get to know me as a person rather than just through my website or from an advert somewhere. Fingers crossed, anyway!”
Hi Angela,
I just want to add up what Kate already said, Hi Kate, good to see you again in here .
I did cold calling (knocking their door) around my local businesses to introduced my self, the business and my service. This is the hard way to get the client/s but it worked well. (the butterfly in my tummy stop after a couple minutes talking to them). The benefit for me is to be recognised and exist as a new bookkeeper in the local area, I am able to answer their question straight away & comparing the price with their current accountant or bookkeeper.
I kept the marketing log book, which area I visited, jot down the name, address and the responds. From my experience, after talking to almost 10 businesess, I got one good responds. This respond becoming lead then customer.
Wish you a happy marketing
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 84 posts
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nckbookssaid:
“Hi Angela,
I attended a BNI networking meeting last week too. I can NOT agree more with you on the £ 500 per year!
We just have to keep on getting our names out there. I am on the same boat!
I have got one question, what accounting system have you opted for? Sage, quickbook...
Best of luck,
Nathaliexxx
Edited at 15 Nov 2011 03:11 PM GMT
Edited at 15 Nov 2011 04:58 PM GMT”
Hi Natalie,
I'm using Sage but if I need to use something else, then I will.
Thanks and good luck
Angela x
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 84 posts
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A big thank you to you all.
I have thought of contacting local businesses and I guess if the phone doesn't start ringing then I will do that.
I'm from the banking industry so have been fortunate to give lots of business cards to old colleagues for them to pass on for me, so fingers crossed i'll get some business that way.
I also thought about advertising in local shops but i'm not sure how I feel about it. Does it look a bit needy? (although I am).
I need to be patient.
Thanks again.
Angelax
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 97 posts
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Angela_83asaid:
“A big thank you to you all.
I have thought of contacting local businesses and I guess if the phone doesn't start ringing then I will do that.
I'm from the banking industry so have been fortunate to give lots of business cards to old colleagues for them to pass on for me, so fingers crossed i'll get some business that way.
I also thought about advertising in local shops but i'm not sure how I feel about it. Does it look a bit needy? (although I am).
I need to be patient.
Thanks again.
Angelax”
Here in sunny Ayrshrie there is an organisation called Association of Ayrshire Busienss Women, I went to one of their meetings years ago when I was office manager of an engineering company. I felt a bit out of my league then, however I went to one on Tuesday now I am trying to get my first client and it was not too bad.
There may be something like that in your area, there is definitely one for Businesswomen in Scotland.
i have a free listing in Thomson Local, that has been a bit of a pain in the butt though, non stop calls from utility companies and brokers. Hopefully that will stop soon though.
I am going to get in touch with a couple of the accountants I have dealt with over the years to see if I can get some outsourcing work and a few of the subbie tradesmen who worked for the construction companies I ran the accoutns sides for over the years.
Once i get my cards I am gong to do some flyers around the local piece shops etc. as well.
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