The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

It’s not easy to run a startup bookkeeping business. Just ask this week’s guest. During that time, Kerri Bouffard was raising small children and trying to get clients, so it was hard. But, she kept at it and eventually her company, Add-Vantage Bookkeeping became viable. Today, she is a Xero expert and Pure Bookkeeping licensee who is appreciative of the lessons she learned back in her startup days. During part one of this two-part interview series, you'll learn... The various obstacles you’ll face as a startup & how to overcome them How using a casual approach can help secure clients How having systems can benefit your bookkeeping business To learn more about Kerri, go here.  To find out about her company, click this link. 

Feeling valued. It’s important. Not only for you, but as a bookkeeping business owner, you need to make your clients feel valued by the way you take care of them and their problems. That’s according to this week’s guest who is a world-class expert on women’s leadership and best-selling co-author of How Women Rise. Sally Helgesen's mission has always been to help women recognize, articulate and act on their greatest strengths. She helps thousands of them reach greater heights and enjoy more satisfying careers. During this interview, you'll learn... Why it’s important to know your strengths & clearly articulate them as a business owner The significance of knowing your internal barriers & the 12 habits that hold successful people back To focus on what you're contributing versus managing perception You can find out more about Sally at her website, SallyHelgesen.com. To connect with her on LinkedIn, go here. To buy her book, How Women Rise, click this link. This episode is sponsored by our friends at SweetProcess. To begin your free 28-day trial visit SweetProcess.com/successfulbookkeeper today.

This is a special episode. It was originally broadcasted at the Accounting & Finance Show Americas virtual conference where Michael Palmer interviewed, Mike Michalowicz, who is the author of Profit First and his latest book, Get Different: Marketing That Can't Be Ignored! Mike passionately believes that the only thing a prospect knows about your business, until they do business with you, is your marketing. So, make it good. During this interview, you'll learn... Tips on how to market your bookkeeping business differently How to stand out from the crowd How to overcome fear of failure To pre-order, Get Different: Marketing That Can't Be Ignored! and get free resources, go here.    To learn more about Mike, visit his website.  To become a Profit First Professional, explore this link.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at SweetProcess. To begin your free 28-day trial visit SweetProcess.com/successfulbookkeeper today.

We live in interesting times. With the world battling a pandemic, it has caused many bookkeepers, who are parents, to adjust to a new normal that includes homeschooling their children while managing their business. It’s tough, but it can be done. Just ask this week’s guest, Paola Gleghorn, who is the owner of Splendid Bookkeeping and a mother of 5 young kids. She found a way to succeed and will provide you some insight to help you as well. During this interview, you'll learn... How to balance homeschooling your kids & managing your business How commitment & a proper mindset can help you attract more clients Tips on overcoming procrastination, fear of failure & doubts To learn more about Paola, visit this link. To connect with her on LinkedIn, go here.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at SweetProcess. To begin your free 28-day trial visit SweetProcess.com/successfulbookkeeper today.

Sales. It’s a struggle for many bookkeepers, but it’s a skill that can definitely be learned and effectively implemented. Debra Angilletta is the creator of Sales Mastery which is an online course for accountants and bookkeepers. She has some insight into how you can be better at sales without it being a painful process for you. During this interview, you'll learn... The importance of knowing your ideal clients & niching your business Tips on making a sale & the order to do it The significance of asking questions & tonality To learn more about Debra, visit MasterMySales.com.  To connect with her on LinkedIn, go here.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at SweetProcess. To begin your free 28-day trial visit SweetProcess.com/successfulbookkeeper today.

Facebook. When you’re on it, you’re probably overwhelmed with newsfeed ads for things you don’t need. What if YOU could leverage Facebook affordably to promote your bookkeeping business to people who’d actually WANT your service? That’s what this week’s guest did and she received terrific results. Sarah DeHaan isn’t a social media marketer by trade, but when she started her bookkeeping business (Anchored Bookkeeping Services), she had a vision and goals in mind, so she knew to make them a reality, she had to take action. She took a chance on creating a Facebook ad (targeted for Prince Edward Island entrepreneurs in Canada) that cost $46 dollars and it led to a meeting with an accountant that got things rolling for her business. During this interview, you'll learn... Why you should have a specific audience in mind for your Facebook ad An example of what copy to include in your ad The importance of starting small & affordably when it comes to creating your ad To learn more about Sarah, click here. To investigate Facebook Ads, explore this link.  To create your own free Canva images, check this out.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at Synder. To learn more about this smart solution to automate bookkeeping, visit SynderApp.com today.

Marketing. Some bookkeepers want nothing to do with it, but in order to find clients, it’s likely a must. It doesn’t have to be painful. This week’s guest found a way to promote her bookkeeping business with minimal cost and anxiety. Leal Fix is the owner of Steadfast Bookkeeping & Consulting and a Pure Bookkeeping licensee. She placed an ad in an online classified advertising website called Kijiji and has never looked back. During this interview, you'll learn... Tips on making an effective online advertisement How a Kijiji ad can affordably market your bookkeeping business How to handle tire kickers To learn more about Leal and her business, visit her website.  To connect with her on LinkedIn, click here.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at Synder. To learn more about this smart solution to automate bookkeeping, visit SynderApp.com today.

eCommerce. It is powerful and important especially in the current situation the world is in. With his passion in technology, IT architecture and customer development, this week’s guest has become an expert in the eCommerce space and understands how it can benefit bookkeepers. Michael Astreiko is the founder and CEO of a successful automation software called Synder which makes eCommerce bookkeeping an effortless experience. During this interview, you'll learn... How eCommerce can help your bookkeeping business Tips on solving issues with refunds and chargebacks The benefits of having multi-currency and multiple sales channels To find out more about Synder, visit https://synderapp.com/. To connect with Michael on LinkedIn, click here. 

The art of influence and persuasion. It’s amazing how if you use the right language (verbal or written), you can dramatically improve how many clients you can attract to your bookkeeping business. This week’s guest, Dr. Robert Cialdini will give you a Masterclass in how to ethically use his 7 principles of persuasion that are mentioned in the updated version of his legendary best-selling book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. He’s been teaching this topic for nearly four decades and his insights have been tested and proven. One of his principles that can help you immediately is Authority. People want to follow the lead of experts. So, make sure your credentials are on your website, LinkedIn and resume. Never brag about yourself in person with prospects. Let your credentials do the talking. If you’re a busy bookkeeping business owner and you’re talking to a prospect, never tell them that once they’re onboard, “I’ll pass you over to our Junior bookkeeper.” By saying the word “Junior” destroys the authority of that person in your prospect’s eyes instantly. Who would want to trust her finances to a “junior” bookkeeper? It sounds like she’s inexperienced. Instead, if you tweak the sentence by saying, “You’ll be working with Sally who is a fantastic bookkeeper with 5 years of experience working with clients such as yourself.” That reframe immediately makes that person sound more credible and trustworthy. This is just ONE bit of gold you’ll get from this episode. During this interview, you’ll also discover... The power of having a simple welcome letter on your website to increase your sales leads Why providing value to prospects FIRST can lead to big wins for your bookkeeping business How to defend yourself from people who are unethically using persuasion techniques To learn more about Dr. Cialdini and Influence At Work, visit this website. To buy his updated edition of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, click here.

What accounting technology do you need? There are many options out there that bookkeepers can use to deliver advisory and solutions to their clients. This week’s guest knows all about the latest and greatest tools that can help you run a more profitable and efficient bookkeeping business. Heather Smith is an Australian who hosts an Accounting Technology podcast called Cloud Stories, curates an Accounting Apps newsletter and is the author of Xero for Dummies. During this interview, you'll learn... Tips & different accounting apps you can use The importance of knowing where to best spend your time profitably The distinction between profit balance versus account balance To learn more about Heather, click here.  To buy her book, Xero For Dummies, visit this link.  To listen to her podcast, check this out.