WAHM Bookkeeping Business

Starting Your Own Home Based Bookkeeping Service

I have done bookkeeping out of my home successfully for the past 11 years. No, I do not have a degree as a CPA or even an accounting degree for that matter. I do not do income tax work. I use a program called Quickbooks and do the accouts payable, it other words I pay all the bills for a local business. I go throught the bills, enter them in my computer at home, print the checks and mail them off. I only work for one company right now, however with a little bit of advertising I'm sure I could pick up a few more clients.

Many small business owners will hire a bookkeeper to keep track of their day to day expenses and income. A basic bookkeeper keeps tracks of expenses, profit, receipts, etc. and enters the information into a computer program. The bookkeeper will then provide the information to their client on a monthly basis or however frequent the client requests to be updated.

What skills are helpful?

To become a bookkeeper you’ll want to have skills in the areas of paying attention to detail, basic computer bookkeeping, and absolute accuracy. Honesty and confidentiality are crucial. Your client’s information is private and needs to be kept that way.

What tools are needed?

A reliable computer, preferably with system for daily back ups to protect your clients data. Up to date bookkeeping software is a must. Other tools that are needed are communication tools such as phone line, fax line, email address, etc.

How do you get started?

To begin your own bookkeeping business you will want to have some business cards and flyers made up. Send out the flyers to local businesses letting them know what services you offer. Join your local chamber of commerce and begin getting involved in community events where you can put yourself out there to meet business people and become known in your community. Maybe your former employer knows other business owners that could use your services. Another good way to get started is to place an ad in the local newspaper. Having a website available that details your services and lists your rates might be another option to look into it; build your own or hire someone to build a basic one for you.

Don’t get frustrated when you find that all your marketing efforts don’t seem to be working right away. Word of mouth will go a lot farther than any of your other marketing efforts. So once you have your first client make sure to go the extra mile to ensure satisfaction. A happy client will spread the word!