I agree with the above, referrals are the easiest way and they also tend to turn out to be the best to do work for.
Don't overlook any free newsletters or magazines you may have locally. I live in a very small village in a rural area. The only advertising I do is from a parish newsletter which costs me £12 a year but this along with the referrals keeps me very happily busy.
Good luck, the first customer can be daunting but as your confidence grows so wil your customer base
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Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Some new bookkeepers set up a website and then sit back assuming that the work will come flooding in.... But the phone never rings and the inbox remains empty!
A website needs to be looked at as part of an overall package. The potential client needs to have a reason to visit it.
The website may be the reason that a client is convinced that they need to use your services... Or it could be the reason that they don't!
The best combination seems to be to have a website that is simple, uncluttered and easy to understand but don't spend a fortune getting it to the top of any lists. Just ensure that it's on your business cards and any other advertising that you use.
get your business cards out there by networking events but don't expect uptake to be immediate. You might not get a client for six months but like buses you wait ages for one then a dozen come along at once!
When you have a few clients you find that they work like an unpaid sales force. Do a good job and they'll tell their freinds who tell theirs and so on.
Good luck with getting a few good ones for starters. There's nothing quite so bad as having a nightmare of a first client as you just assume that all clients will be like that and they're really not.
all the best,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
My first client was the sister company of my previous employer. I did the books for them whilst I was employed to do Credit Control for the larger one too. They very kindly put my leaflets in with their statement run which brought my next biggest client.
Bizarrely, another client posted that they were looking for a bookkeeper on Facebook. One of my friends noticed and let me know.
The rest have been referrals, although I do regularly look at the job centre and email people if they're not being advertised through an agency. I have had one person through this method, but unfortunately had to refuse the business.
The best combination seems to be to have a website that is simple, uncluttered and easy to understand but don't spend a fortune getting it to the top of any lists.
Don't forget to let people know that you have started and are looking for clients. Someone I knew went to a lot of Accountants looking for referrals as he wanted to start a business as a bookkeeper. He did this for months complaining that it was not working.
I suggested he start telling them that he was a bookkeeper instead of wanting to become one! It was only when he told them he had started the business did they actual pass any work to him. It seems they were waiting for him to start before refering clients!
-- Edited by YLB-HO on Thursday 30th of June 2011 04:39:57 PM
Would echo the point about websites - they may not necessarily bring the work in per se, but they are vital as they provide any potential client with information about you.
Of course, it goes without saying that a website with typos or 'under construction' banners may have the opposite effect! Also, consider using social media to drive potential clients there (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) as well as having a blog (it seems like Google likes new content!).
