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meadow said:
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Thank you!
I am having a weeks holiday off work this week, and am cracking on with some studying. I plan to be qualiified by the end of the year and then set up on my own. I have to get up early everyday to do the horses, so starting work will never be an issue. This week is proving I cant wait to work for myself, at home!! Get my life back! Did you find it hard to get clients?
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I think I was quite fortunate when it came to getting clients - my husband already had his own business and I had been doing his books for him for a couple of years already which then just got sent to his accountant at year end for them to complete the year-end submissions, Corporation Tax and SA's. It was his accountant that actually encouraged me to think about becoming a Bookkeeper! My first couple of clients were referals from that accountant and then my first 'non referred' client came 5 months after I had started my practice by finding me on Facebook. All of the clients I currently have are due to existing client referals, accountant referals and the power of Facebook. I have a website but don't get many direct enquiries from that at all - most people tend to click on the Facebook link and then contact me through that. It can take a long time to get clients and I know some people that have been trying to get that ever illusive first client for over a year. You really have to put the effort in because they won't just come to you. Get friendly with local accountants, go to lots of networking events, mention you are a bookkeeper to absolutely everyone you come across and make sure you get a good online presence. Facebook is fantastic because you can share your business page posts to your personal page and also to any groups that you are connected with (such as local business groups) and once people start sharing or liking your posts all of their friends start seeing that post too - way more effective than any website.
You also need to figure out who your ideal client is going to be - do you want just sole traders or are your interested in limited companies, charities etc - is there a particular industry you could target due to previous experience and knowledge of that industry? People always like it if you have particular knowledge of the industry they are in as it makes them feel more secure. I have an ideal client and most of my clients are from that field but I have a few clients that are outside of that box too.
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