The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

Do you want clients? For those bookkeeping businesses that do, especially startups, it can be challenging to find them. Many bookkeepers aren't comfortable with prospecting because they'd rather just do the books. According to our guest, Omar Visram, who is the co-founder of Enkel which is a Vancouver-based bookkeeping practice, it doesn't have to be hard. When he began his business in 2016, he leveraged the power of coffee meetings for business referrals and it worked incredibly well. It was such a hit, his firm now has over 15 employees to handle the increased workload. During this interview, you'll learn... How to master an effective coffee meeting to produce results and not feel uncomfortable while doing it Why you should use your warm network to select people you'd like to meet Why coffee meetings are a quicker referral strategy then SEO and content marketing To find out more about Omar, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

It's all about your perspective. If you think it's going to be a bad day, chances are it will. You're in control of your attitude and mood. You set the tone. Many of us forget that. According to business mentor, Sharon Francisco, who used the Pure Bookkeeping System to skyrocket the success of her bookkeeping business, you have to start your day right. Since many bookkeepers are operating solo, it's hard for them to be their own champions. Negative thoughts and doubts always seem to find a way into their minds. There are ways to break those mental cycles and become the confident and successful bookkeeper you are capable of being. During this interview, you'll learn... The importance of using your first hour of the day to be inspired & filled with positivity Why it's okay to make mistakes and not beat yourself up over them Why you should have a clear idea of what you do and don't want in 6 main life categories To find out more about Sharon, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Are you THAT bookkeeper? You know, the one that tells her clients to set business goals for the year, but she, herself, doesn't set any? Our guest, Pure Bookkeeping co-founder, Debbie Roberts has chatted with bookkeepers like that. She's discovered that if you don't take the time to set goals, you'll wander aimlessly without achieving what you'd like. Don't begin a fresh year like that. Instead, listen to Debbie as she will help get you on track by discussing... The importance of setting 12 month, 3 year and 5 year goals Why KPI reports are crucial to tracking your success Why you should have an accountability partner during your business journey To find out more about Debbie, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Time. It's a precious resource. Yes, if you lose money, you can make it back, but once your time is used, it'll never return. With this in mind, our guest, Scott Friesen, who is a productivity expert, will help you better organize your time by introducing us to some great tools. During this interview, you'll discover... The power of Asana, Slack and Trello when it comes to project management and communication Why note-taking apps such as Evernote and Google Keep can help you store your ideas and give your overworked brain a break Why the Pomodoro Technique could be a time management strategy that changes your business life forever To find out more about Scott, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Why do you do what you do? Do you run a bookkeeping business only because it makes money? Is there deeper meaning? Our guest, Jeremy Allen, who owns System Six Bookkeeping which generates over a million dollars per year, has his own answer. The core value for his company is “Our Clients' Success Is Our Success.” At the end of the day, it's about assisting businesses to become as healthy as possible so they can flourish which ultimately helps our economy, feeds families and provides the quality of life you'd like. During this interview, you'll learn... The importance of putting your clients first & committing to excellence with your bookkeeping services How to avoid being full up with the wrong clients by raising your prices Why you should always strive to improve and never rest on your success To find out more about Jeremy, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Udemy. Have you heard of it? It's an online learning and teaching marketplace with over 55,000 courses and 15 million students. Recently, on The Successful Bookkeeper Facebook page, we noticed today's guest, Ron Trucks of RJT Consulting, posted a link to his Udemy course, Bookkeeping Basics, which received incredible engagement from our community. The course is 3 1/2 hours long and features 55 video lessons. Originally it was for people from non-bookkeeping backgrounds such as small business owners. So, why would established bookkeepers want to invest in a course that is mainly for beginners? You're about to find out. During this interview, you'll learn... How this course helps bookkeepers teach their clients bookkeeping fundamentals Why giving the gift of online education can make a great impression with customers Why it's important to communicate bookkeeping terms in a way your clients can understand To find out more about Ron, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Bad hires. As you probably know, they can be an emotionally, financially and psychologically expensive decision for your bookkeeping business. If you don't have the RIGHT people working for you, you'll be inviting a storm of trouble. This is why it's absolutely crucial to bring employees on that are a fit. How do you do that? Today's guest, Carrie Mulrooney has some insight. She is an expert in establishing great work culture. Her company, Mulrooney & Associates, was named Canada's 2017 Bookkeeping firm of the year, so she knows what it takes to form a fantastic team. During this interview, you'll learn... The ingredients to look for in a terrific employee The importance of staff having input on company decisions Why celebrating group accomplishments together is great for morale To find out more about Carrie, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Workflow. If your systems regarding it aren't great, your whole bookkeeping business suffers. Today, there are plenty of tools in the marketplace that help heal this pain point, but today we'll focus on one - Receipt Bank. What is it? Receipt Bank extracts the key information from your clients' bills, receipts and invoices, removing the need for manual data entry. It then allows you to publish this data directly to their accounting software. During this interview, our guest, Alexis Prenn, who is Receipt Bank's Co-Founder & CEO, will discuss... How Receipt Bank can help you deliver an awesome client experience Why you should always think of how workflow tools will ultimately result in giving customers value The importance of reviewing your clients' files at least 2 times a week To find out more about , visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Over 30,000 bookkeepers. According to the Canadian Revenue Agency, that's how many there are in the Great White North. You can only imagine what the number is in the United States. But, here's the thing, many bookkeepers across North America haven't taken leadership with their client relationships. Many choose to “fit in” by adapting to the software and workflows their customers currently have as opposed to letting the clients know how they want the working relationship to operate. According to Rachel Fisch, Accountants Group Leader at Sage Canada, the reason is bookkeepers are at odds with saying NO. They're kind people and problem solvers. They usually don't like conflict. But today, it's important to remember one thing. YOU have the choice to select the clients, software and workflows you want to work with. Hopefully, this episode will help you realize that. During this interview, you'll learn... How to help your clients see you as a valuable partner in their business success How to identify when you have a terrific or horrible client How to attract amazing customers through the use of a powerful spreadsheet exercise To find out more about Rachel, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Desperation. It lives within many business owners who are struggling to make revenue. When the panic heightens, they're likely to accept any clients that walk through the door. But, here's the thing, not all of them are a fit. In fact, by agreeing to help those bad apples, they sometimes end up costing you more in the long run. So, why don't bookkeepers say NO more often? Well, it's likely because of FEAR. Many don't want to lose the income. Our guest, Megan Goodall of Bastion Bookkeeping, is the classic example of how you shouldn't let fear paralyze you when it comes to recruiting new clients. She's realizing the magic formula is about knowing what you want your life and business to look like FIRST then finding the customers that will support your vision. During this interview, you'll learn... How to create the standard you want for your ideal client How to nurture good relationships with prospects in your local community The power of having a business goal and chipping away at it every day To find out more about Megan, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.