How to be a freelance bookkeeper

The gig economy is growing. The term gig, which was typically used when referring to musicians, has now become ubiquitous. While writers, artists and business consultants have been freelancing for years, recently more and more bookkeepers have been turning to freelance as well.

Gone are the days of the standard nine-to-five routines while being tied to a cubicle or a desk. By becoming a freelance professional, bookkeepers can work flexible hours and from anywhere in the world. They can provide professional bookkeeping services remotely while being able to set their own rates and choose who they want to work with. It’s not surprising that many professionals have already made the switch or are in the process of doing so.


Here’s how you too can become a freelance bookkeeper:

Get the relevant education

Getting a bookkeeping certification is one of the most effective ways to achieve success as a freelancer. Whether you have no experience or come with years of experience as a bookkeeper, doing an online or in-class bookkeeping certification program will demonstrate to your clients that you have the knowledge, skills and training to manage their books effectively.

After graduating, you will be able to apply for membership with the Canadian Bookkeepers Association (CBA) to become a registered professional bookkeeper.



Build your online presence

To get your freelance bookkeeping started, all you need is a reliable internet connection and a laptop or a PC. One of the best things about living in a connected world is that we’re not limited by geography anymore. If you’re online, you can reach thousands of potential clients. But first, you need to be visible, and you build visibility by being a frequent contributor on social media, having a professional website, creating SEO-optimized content like blogs, articles and web copy. Also, invest in google ads, and targeted campaigns on social media, depending on which platform your target audience is at.

Other ways of getting clients

Building a virtual presence is not the only way to get clients. You shouldn’t overlook the traditional methods of marketing, which can be powerful as well. Word of mouth advertising is still one of the most effective ways to get your name out there. One satisfied client could tell ten others and so on. You can’t control the outcomes of all your customer interactions, but as far as possible, treat every customer with the respect they deserve and provide them with top quality services, and it’s a guarantee that they will most likely recommend your services to their friends and business associates.

Another way to drum up interest and excitement about your services is to hold accounting-related events or even joining a relevant business organisation and your local chamber of commerce. When you’re up and about your community, meet other business owners and interact with them, you will see that gradually people will show an interest in what you do.

Other tested methods include cold calling small and mid-sized companies you may find in the Yellow pages. Call them, send them an email, or leave a message on their website. Ask your family and friends to refer you to their contacts. It will be difficult in the beginning, especially when you may have to put yourself out there over and over again, but once things start falling into place, it will all be worth it.

Invest in the right software

Having appropriate bookkeeping and payroll software such as Xero, Quickbooks, Sage or FreshBooks (there are many others) will allow you to save time and effort as they can automate most of the processes, including data entry, bank reconciliation and so on. It will also help you reduce in-person meetings with your clients by allowing you to get most things done online. Most of these software packages will allow you to customize it to suit the needs of your clients because that’s what it’s about today, personalization. A good bookkeeping certification program will usually cover software skills.

Decide on the services you will offer 

Once you have a regular set of clients, instead of charging them on an hourly basis, suggest a basket of services on a monthly retainer basis. That way, you will have certainty around your earnings. Your clients will also know the exact services you will be providing, which may include accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, financial report preparation.

Once you’ve decided on a basic package, much like the pricing of, for instance, LinkedIn regular and premium, you can add more services to this package if your clients desire and charge them more. For example, if a client wants you to prepare an audit report or help them with tax planning, you can sell them these services for more revenue.

Think of ways to make more money off your existing clients than trying to find new ones, which could turn out to be a time, money and effort intensive exercise. Pitch them new services that they might not have thought of or didn’t know you offered. Recently, we discovered that the company that handles our printing needs (visiting cards, brochures, posters, banners, and so on) also provides marketing swag (customized mugs, pens, mouse pads). Since we already have a good relationship with them, we will now reach out to them for our future requirements.

It’s easier than ever before to go solo, to start your own freelance bookkeeping business. The tools you need to be successful are already there. With the right qualifications, like a bookkeeping certification, and the tips mentioned above, you’re well on your way to chuck the same old nine-to-five, five-days-a-week routine out the window and plunge head first into the freelancing game.