Accounting & Bookkeeping & Small Business Forum

[Guest]

Hi,
Although I have not taken this course, I have heard it is really good. I usually have post my questions and you guys have helped me, so now I want to share something that it is working great for me.
When I started offering my service, I felt that it was very hard to get clients who already had a bookkeeper, so I decided to invest 150/year and subscribe to the sales tax permit list, which is released once a month. What I do I select the people who have just got the sales tax permit in the last three month and I mail a letter offering my service. Well this is my second month and I have got 3 new clients thanks to that list, I think it is a great tool because you are targeting the new people in business who are the one that in the need of a bookkeeper.
Hope this help to some of you guys, I would like to hear what other tools is working for you guys….

[Guest]

Great to hear of your successes Alfredo. I hope you have many more. By the way, the strategy you are using we call, "Planting the Seed" in Module IV.

[Guest]

Thanks for the tip! I've completed this course and have not had much success getting clients already. In fact I was planning on writing this morning to ask what folks are doing.

Although is included in the course about how to snag clients. Everyone I've spoken to thusfar has an accountant. I'm beginning to think that the business people in my area are simply very sophisiticated.

I'm going to look into the sales tax permit list in my area.

I wish you continued success!

[Guest]

Where did you get this list? Is it something offered by your county or state? I think thst sounds like a great idea!! Tahnks for sharing it with us!!

Amy Brutout

[Guest]

Hi,

I read your post and tried to find the sales tax permit list today onling. I've tried search engines and can't find anything it. I was wondering if someone has found this list and is willing to share where it is??

Thanks!
Karen

[Guest]

Alfredo,
I started getting clients by checking the newspapers. Our local newpaper prints a listing of newly opened businesses in our newspaper several times a month. I pick companies at random a send them a letter offering my services. Patrice

[Guest]

Dear Karen,

It sounds to me like you want a free list. If you are trying to do accounting as a business you need to learn that you must spend money to make money. I can understand you want to save money where ever you can but in some towns these lists are considered priviledged information accessible only to those whom pay for it. Find other ways to cut costs and by all means spend the money where it counts most which would be to get a hold to these lists. The fee in most cities is very nominal. These lists help you to find clients and could prove to be fruitful so this is where your money would count most. However if money is that big of a factor for you there is another way you can make money and that is cruising the classifieds and contacting those companies that need bookkeepers. Alot of times they advertise because they think they need to hire in house accountants/bookkeepers. All you do is simply point out the benefits to them outsourcing the work. Which would be that they don't need to have the office space and they only pay you for the work you do and they don't pay for any down time when there is nothing to do. You point out that you have your own office equipment and you use your own utilities that is usually enough to sway them. This usually gets you at least one client a month so give it a try.

S. Powell

[Guest]

Thanks for all this information on attaining clients. I have been trying to get five clients to get started part time and still raise my children, run a business or two and complete my Associates in Business Administration. I completed Universal's program two months ago and still need to land that first paying client. These techniques seem promising. Thank you.

-Lisa

[Guest]

Hi all,
One thing I do is keep my business in front of all. When I go to the store I start out with small talk with the person in front of me and then I lead the conversation up to me being a bookkeeper. Although you must get to the point rather quickly but the average time for standing in a line at the store averages between 5 to 20 minutes. I always go when I know the store is going to be crowded and I know I am going to be in a line for a while. I start out making an off the cuff comment about the magazines on the rack just to break the ice. If they don't respond I start talking about work by saying something like man I have to post all of my accounts to the general ledger tomorrow. Or I say boy tomorrow is going to be a bear I have a ton of bookkeeping work to do. Or I forgot to go call my client about paying her business taxes I must take care of that first thing tomorrow. Most people ask me if I am an accountant and I tell them no I am a bookkeeper but I own my own firm. After the small talk I hand them a card or two. Most of them do not need a bookkeeper however you would be surprised at how many people knew business owners that needed help with their books. Just don't say anything that would make you look inept. Make it sound like you have been in business for a while. People are cautious of new bookkeepers. I know your probably wondering why I made the comment about forgetting to call a client. Most people don't take something like that very seriously because we all forget to make a call to someone. However don't make a comment like I forgot to pay my clients taxes because that would be a big deal. Anyway I have found that this approach has worked really well. 20 clients resulted from this approach with 19 of them being referral from the people I talked to in the line. Only 1 person actually owned a business and he wanted me to help him with his books but then abruptly decided no you can do it all because he hated it. I hope this helps.

P.S. I got a client a week with this approach. My friend that I studied with tried it she averaged a client every two to three weeks.

[46e76201]

By Sales Tax permit list, do you mean Vendor's License?

[Richard Noot]

I recently went to the county assesors office to find out if I needed to
get a sewer inspection on a sale of a piece of property.

When I asked the clerk her response was "I don't know." She then gave me a list of approximately 150 contractors who specialize in inspections.

The really nice thing is I do not have to give her a referral fee since she works for the government.

[abtsllc]

I found those same type of clients at the COUNTY government website where I live. It was under "Tax Administration">"Advertisement of Unpaid Tax Liens". They were in alphabetical order in PDF files. There is a zillion names with tons of printing.

Disclaimer: Every county is different and/or the wording may be different at your county government website.