How to Start a Successful Bookkeeping Business: 15 Steps

You will most likely need to set up an account with the state’s Department of Revenue, and you may need to apply for a state tax ID or a sales tax license as well. It’s important to put your company’s internal policies and procedures in a written document, especially if you’re starting your business with others. Your choice of business structure will affect many aspects of your business, from liability to taxes. Ask clients to leave testimonials for you on social media and include put testimonials on your website. Remember to connect everything to your accounting software to stay organized.

Out of all the things you’ve done so far to get your net terms business off the ground, the most important thing when it comes to marketing is your website. Make sure your website is helpful and streamlined, giving potential clients all the useful info they need to know without being over-cluttered. If something goes wrong and you don’t have insurance, it’s devastating for a new business.

Look for opportunities for education and skills development, too. Many community colleges offer continuing education courses in professional bookkeeping, and there are a variety of online bookkeeping programs. If you’re going to start working as a full-time bookkeeper single-handedly, you can choose to form a sole proprietorship. However, you’ll be liable for all business debts and lawsuits as a sole proprietor. You’ve set up your business, and you will start taking on new clients, but before you do this you need to create a streamlined onboarding process.

Do not start to take up any assignment before you complete the legal process. Like any other business, an attractive name for a bookkeeping business goes a long way to not only fetch new customers but also help to create a reputed brand in the long term. You can check our detailed guide on how to name a business to learn more. Send your marketing materials to new businesses that are opening in your area. Many new business owners will soon find that the finances are a bit more than they can handle.

We’ve laid out how to start a bookkeeping business in 15 steps. You’d better bookmark this page—you’re going to want easy access to this info as you build your bookkeeping business. The main thing you need starting out is a computer, otherwise it’s just basic office supplies! As a virtual bookkeeper, your computer is 95 percent of what you will use, but other than that you may want a printer, paper, pens, and things like that. This is one reason the overhead is so low when starting bookkeeping. I live in Florida and I have 8 years of accounting experience including bookkeeping.

Accounting Software Certification

There’s no need to be fancy—just go for something uncomplicated and easy to pronounce. You can always use your own name in your business name to keep things simple. Now that you have determined your target market, reaching out to them is time. Of course, the best way to do so depends on your target audience, but you need a website before thinking about everything else.

If they want to use a fictitious name (e.g., Precision Bookkeeping Services), however, they must file a DBA or equivalent application. To start a business, you will have to pick a name for your virtual bookkeeping business. The name you choose should be relevant to your industry, nature of work, and should be available to register. Learn how to start a virtual bookkeeping business and start earning early. On average, a virtual bookkeeper earns over $42K per year and you can do that as well. Or, you could offer multiple payment plans to make things simpler as you scale.

As you increase your email marketing know-how, you can develop more complex campaigns to reach prospective clients. An EIN gives you several benefits and is a necessary component of starting a bookkeeping business. After you file your Articles of Organization, it’s time to get your business license, which lets you practice in your county, city, or state.

Registering Your Business

The next day, hop on to LinkedIn, sort through them, and connect with all business owners you met and send a personalized message. When starting an accounting firm, if you’re not crystal clear on what you are working towards down the road, prioritizing decisions, projects and initiatives becomes impossible. Great news, because this step-by-step guide will cover the critical 7 steps you’ll need to follow to set up a modern bookkeeping practice and to land your first clients. When you start a bookkeeping business, there are a few different approaches you can take. You can approach your business as a chance to be self-employed and create work for yourself, or you can aim to hire employees and eventually create a self-sufficient business.

Have comfortable seating for clients and set up your computer so that you can show them screens if necessary. Angie Nelson began working from home in 2007 when she took her future into her own hands and found a way to escape the corporate cubicle farm. Today she balances several successful online ventures and loves to share her passion for home business with others.

Are You Ready to Start a Virtual Bookkeeping Practice?

Credit card financing is a type of unsecured loan that is a good starting point for those who may not qualify for a small business loan. A business credit card is a great financial tool for managing cash flow and expenses, floating working capital expenses, and earning rewards. After completing your business plan, you’ll have a good idea of what your estimated startup costs will be. In general, the startup costs for a bookkeeping business can be low if you work out of a home office as opposed to leasing office space, which we’ll discuss in the next section. The experts say that you should always have at least six months’ worth of expenses in the bank. Also, even though your business is brand new and hasn’t generated any revenue, you may still qualify for startup business financing.

With a productized service offering, you can smooth out your workload throughout the year to eliminate this from happening. Starting your own business full-time and implementing a new business structure isn’t easy, so don’t worry if your small business plan for starting an accounting firm isn’t perfect. Most virtual bookkeeping firms start with the owner as the sole employee.

Just like you won’t want to be friends with just anyone, you shouldn’t want to take on just anyone as a client. So my answer to if a bookkeeper is an accountant or not is Yes and also a No. An accountant’s task is more complex and goes beyond bookkeeping and marking transactions. It costs just around Rs. 11,000 to register and around Rs. 4,000 to comply with MCA regulations. Moreover, you only need to conduct an audit once you have a turnover of over a certain limit. This explains why LLP is a cheaper option than a private limited company and recommended to you.

If you file corporate income taxes, have employees, or file certain franchise taxes, you must have an EIN. An EIN is also a common requirement for opening a business bank account. Most businesses can request an EIN by filling out the IRS’s online form. However, the limitations and risks of these business structures quickly become more apparent as your business grows. In both of these business types, you are your business, legally speaking. Your company’s legal business name is YOUR name—so you’ll need a DBA to operate under any other name.

What kind of liability insurance should I get for my virtual bookkeeping business?

1) Head to LinkedIn and type some keywords into the social media search bar that might describe the kind of new clients and business owners you’re looking for. As with most services, the amount of clients for your bookkeeping business depends on your level of skill and experience. For a basic idea, the average number of clients once you are up and running, per bookkeeper is 30. For virtual bookkeeping companies, your focus should be on online advertising. You can use Facebook or Google Ads, but consider social media options such as TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, which have also proven successful for some firms.

I am a single mom of three boys, one of whom has special needs, so I really needed to find something that would afford me a lot of flexibility with a full-time income. When I found the Bookkeeping Business Blueprint, I knew it was exactly what I needed. Filing as a company does typically involve fees and they vary from state to state. In most states, you can file for $150 or less.IncFilecan help you get that paperwork filed.

• Yes, to start a bookkeeping business you should know how the systems work.
• It can be as simple as serving local businesses under 10 people or companies with an entirely remote workforce.
• Make a Statement – What key statement do you want potential clients to remember that will set you apart from other professional bookkeepers and make them want to hire you?
• A nice one-two punch to help automate accounting and bookkeeping services is to use cloud software coupled with an expense management app.
• And luckily, there are plenty of website builders to make creating your website a breeze.

Naming your business can be both a fun and stressful exercise. Your name must convey your brand since that is what a potential customer will see before they sit down with you for that initial consultation. This is not the time to be cute, unless you can also be clear about what it is that you do. Tim is a Certified QuickBooks Time Pro, QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and CPA with 25 years of experience.

You’re about to start an adventure, and just like any great adventure, you’ll need more help along the way. Email marketing sits near the top of the list of effective marketing channels. You can grow your list through your website and create simple campaigns to start.

If you are targeting restaurant owners as bookkeeping clients, perhaps they’re on Instagram instead. Always consider where your target market hangs out before engaging in any social media marketing activities. Collect business cards from every new business owner you meet.

The virtual phone number can have its own professional voicemail message and will allow you to keep your personal number private. Once your bookkeeping business is underway, you will have to trust that your system will draw clients to you. Time management, experience, and consistent energy will all be factors in your business success. Take time to sit down and write out a business plan– a roadmap of what you’d like your business to look like.

Typically, both the customers and the bookkeeper prefer a fixed rate. Since you both know exactly how much you’ll be making each month which makes it easier to manage your budgets and cash flows. Your clients will love it because there will be no surprises and they will know exactly how much you will be charging them each month.

• As reported by Payscale.com, the average bookkeeping business will earn between $17.40-$25.50 per hour.
• Many don’t have the time to keep up with the necessary data entry.
• Cards are great for in-person meetings if you have a local client.
• This stress-free virtual bookkeeping service is used by thousands of busy founders across the globe to accurately track their expenses and sail through the tax season.
• You will be the one putting the work in, so creating a personalized business model will be what sets you apart from competition, and what will get you the most fulfilling feedback.

Let clients know if you provide online bookkeeping service and how you can connect virtually. Make your services, your unique brand, and your mission apparent to each client that finds your site. Make a Statement – What key statement do you want potential clients to remember that will set you apart from other professional bookkeepers and make them want to hire you?

You are going to be virtual – so you are going to have to rely on technology. More specifically, it is time to embrace cloud technology. If you don’t, then you are just putting yourself at a severe disadvantage to all your competitors. Cloud technology is going to give you the most flexibility.