How to get bookkeeping clients and grow your customer base

Whether you currently own a bookkeeping business or are working to land your first bookkeeping client, growing your client roster is likely a top priority. In this guide, we’ll share actionable strategies for how to get bookkeeping clients. We’ll also look at some of the risks that bookkeepers face and explain how bookkeeper insurance can protect your business financially.

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As a bookkeeper, there is no shortage of clients who are looking for your services. However, it’s important to define your ideal client base and target market. Some industries that can benefit the most from bookkeepers are:

• Healthcare businesses
• Manufacturing businesses
• Retail businesses
• Construction businesses
• Legal businesses
• Consulting businesses

While industry is an important consideration, you should also think about who you want to work with, whether it’s freelancers, startups, small businesses, or individuals. In general, any business that manages accounts payable, accounts receivable, invoices, or inventory may be interested in outsourcing their bookkeeping services.

Defining your ideal client allows you to gain experience working with specific industries and business types, which can help you win more of those clients in the future.

Establishing a good reputation for your accounting services business is hard work, especially when you’re just starting out and haven't built a rapport with your customers yet.

By providing proof of liability insurance to your customers, it shows potential clients your bookkeeping firm can withstand common accidents and lawsuits, which increases your dependability.

The most valuable kind of insurance for bookkeepers and other financial services professionals is professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. Professional liability insurance covers your legal fees if a client sues your business for things like:

• Accounting errors
• Missed deadlines
• Unsatisfactory work
• Failure to deliver promised services

Depending on your bookkeeping business, you might also benefit from other types of insurance, including:

• General liability insurance
• Workers’ compensation
• Cyber insurance
• Business owner’s policy (BOP) 

Insurance becomes even more important for bookkeepers as you grow the business. Taking on more clients means you'll face increased liability risks. If you don’t already have bookkeeper business insurance, consider purchasing coverage as you work on expanding your client roster.

Developing your online presence is a great way to find bookkeeping clients. You can create a professional website that details your services and prices, and better highlights your expertise. You can also publish client testimonials and case studies to show prospective clients how your services have helped other businesses.

Once your website has been built, you can start a social media marketing plan using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to demonstrate your experience and engage with potential clients. In your social media posts, link back to your website’s contact page or lead generation form to capture contact information for prospective customers.

Another effective digital marketing strategy is running Google ads or Facebook ads. Advertising your bookkeeping business online allows you to reach more businesses in your target market, which can help you land new clients.

Developing a robust online presence also improves your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). Websites with high SEO rank at the top of search engine results pages, which means potential clients will see your business’s page before others. That gives your own business an advantage over competitors.

When searching for a bookkeeper or accountant, clients want to know that you have the experience required to help them manage their day-to-day finances. On your website and Google Business Profile (formerly called Google My Business page), market the services that you can provide to clients, such as:

• Processing payroll
• Managing accounts payable/receivable
• Sending and paying invoices
• Getting a business loan
• Preventing or handling an audit
• Onboarding new vendors or customers
• Identifying tax deductions
• Recording sales
• Managing inventory
• Monitoring financial records
• Handling financial data entry

In addition, you should promote any unique skills or certifications you have that make you stand out among other bookkeepers. For example, if you’re certified from the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB), or you’re a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor, highlight those accolades on your website, job postings, forums, Facebook groups, and other social media profiles.

Learning how to network effectively is an important skill for any business owner, including for bookkeepers. Social media can be a great place to start engaging with potential clients and promote your services. But while there are plenty of ways to find bookkeeping clients online, you should also consider networking with prospective clients in person.

Join local business associations and professional networking groups, and attend networking events and conferences to meet business owners in your target market. It can also be helpful to build relationships with similar service providers, like accountants or financial advisors, who may have clients who are looking for a bookkeeper. Be sure to always keep business cards on hand for these networking moments.

Networking can be an excellent way to get more business, but you should also have a strategy in place to nurture warm leads. Warm leads are people who express interest in your services but aren’t immediately ready to work with you. Keep tabs on your high-quality leads by adding them to your email marketing list, giving them free resources, and sending them an occasional follow up.

Another benefit of networking is that you might get referrals. For instance, if you meet a business owner who doesn’t need your services, but they know someone who does, you increase your chances of winning more clients, even if you don’t meet them personally.

When small business owners are hiring bookkeepers, trust is essential. One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise and build trust with potential clients is to offer free resources.

For example, if a prospective customer is interested in hiring you, provide a free consultation to get to know them and their business. Offer some guidance and explain how your services can help them meet their specific needs. That way, you’re providing personalized service upfront and can demonstrate your commitment to helping the customer with their unique goals.

Other ways to attract potential clients are to host webinars and workshops on bookkeeping strategies and financial management. You can provide free digital resources, like white papers and guides, to educate clients on the basics of bookkeeping. Free templates are another useful tool that can be enticing for small business owners who need help with their bookkeeping.

If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, you need to focus on marketing and self-promotion. Utilize strategies that will put your name and business in front of as many potential clients as possible.

One way to market yourself is to create video content and tutorials and publish them on public platforms, like YouTube. You can write blogs on bookkeeping tips or case studies and post them on your website or a publishing platform, like Medium. You can also contribute articles about bookkeeping and finance to relevant industry publications.

When creating your marketing materials, focus on how your specific expertise is relevant to potential clients. For example, if you publish a blog post about how a bookkeeper can be an asset when selling a business, you’re more likely to attract business owners who are planning a sale and want to hire a bookkeeper to manage the financial side of the process.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth as one of your marketing tools. Talk to people about your bookkeeping business, even if they aren’t an ideal customer for your target audience. When your business is top of mind, people are more likely to speak to others about your business, which might lead to new bookkeeping clients.

To get accounting clients, offering competitive pricing can help you win new business. Cost is one of the biggest considerations that business owners will have when hiring a bookkeeper. Of course, it’s important to charge rates that reflect your experience and offerings. However, the price of your services can set your business apart from other bookkeepers.

Setting competitive rates doesn’t necessarily mean charging the lowest rates. You can structure your pricing to attract a wide range of clients that might have different budgets. One way to do this is to offer tiered service packages that will meet varying client needs.

For example, you could offer an affordable basic bookkeeping package to freelancers or individuals who are just starting their business. For larger businesses with more revenue and more complex bookkeeping needs, you could offer a higher-level package for more money. You could also provide à la cart bookkeeping services that allow clients to pay for only the services they need, such as payroll or invoice management.

To boost customer retention, you can offer incentives to long-term clients or create a referral program, which can make clients more likely to renew their bookkeeping contracts.

Bookkeeping is typically viewed as a physically low-risk profession, but things can still go wrong when handling someone else's finances. To protect your accounting firm, it’s important to have the right types of insurance.

To get bookkeeper business insurance, you can compare quotes from trusted carriers with Insureon. Complete Insureon’s easy online application today to compare insurance quotes from top-rated U.S. carriers.

For help finding the most affordable coverage, you can talk to one of our licensed insurance agents. Once you find the right policy for your small business, you can begin coverage in less than 24 hours