The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

The classroom. It was once the main destination where people consumed educational information, but in today's online world, things have changed and bookkeepers are slowly becoming more open to learning in new ways. Managing Director of K2E Canada Inc. and IPBC board member, Alan Salmon recently conducted a survey that measured how bookkeepers and accountants learn. It was sent to 10,000 contacts and 990 responded. The results were fascinating. During this informative interview, you'll learn... What is the number one online educational tool for bookkeepers How active bookkeepers are in social media groups Whether bookkeepers still consume traditional forms of media To find out more about Alan, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Are you looking for clients? If you're just starting your bookkeeping business then you might be. If you're already up and running then maybe you'd like to add some more business. A way to do it other than spending thousands of dollars on marketing is to get referrals. How do you do that? Our returning guest, Melissa Lenos of King Accounting Solutions, knows how to master this fine art. She never spends money on advertising because her revenue comes strictly from referrals only. During this interview, you'll learn... How to turn a conversation with your client's accountant into a new referral partnership Why you should have lunch and learns with senior managers at accounting firms How to leverage BNI to have a 30-50 person sales team for your bookkeeping business To find out more about Melissa, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Chaos. No one likes that in their bookkeeping business. But, when you don't have a trusted process or system in place for staff to follow which details how your operation works, a tornado of destruction will likely ensue. This could happen because clear instructions are not given on how things get done, so others will come up with their own solutions which can lead to disaster including some angry clients. Today, our guest David Cristello, who is the founder of Jetpack Workflow, will offer some suggestions to get you started on systemizing your bookkeeping business. During this interview, you'll learn... Why it's important to download your brain into a Google Doc Why the quality of your product is dependent on the quality of your process Why you should include your staff in the creation of your systems To find out more about David, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Emails. According to our return guest, productivity expert and owner of Simpletivity, Scott Friesen, he says the average professional spends 6.3 hours per day tending to their emails in some capacity. Those are easily hours that could be dedicated to more important things, but for many reasons we're choosing to be a slave to our inboxes. Today that's about to end. It's time you take a stand and Scott will help. During this informative interview, you'll learn... Why you should space out the time in between checking emails How to turn off your email notifications Why it's important to acknowledge email requests quickly & provide a deadline to address them To find out more about Scott, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Your home office. It's the location where many bookkeepers begin their business journey. It's convenient, affordable and comfortable. It can also be a lonely place. Think of the days when you're so swamped with work that you don't even have time to go outside. Before you know it, you're completely cut off from civilization. You're essentially on your own little island. Sound familiar? Today's guest will help you get a little more balance in your life. Tanis Young is an Alberta-based bookkeeping business owner who knows what it's like to feel isolated because she experienced it herself when she was starting out. During this interview, you'll learn... How to be intentionally social by actively engaging with your clients' accountants & seeking associations to join Why having a mindset of collaboration can build strong bonds with fellow bookkeepers & clients Why surrounding yourself with top achievers is a must To find out more about Tanis visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Technology. For bookkeepers, it can be a great thing, but also a scary one. With all types of automated bookkeeping software and apps out there, some of you might be worried that your services may be obsolete because of new advances in technology. According to today's guest, the co-founder and chair of the Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada, Dianne Mueller, there is a way to make yourself valuable so you can thrive despite these uncertain times. During this interview, you'll learn... The one mindset shift that will help your business adapt and prosper during this rapidly changing digital age Why you need to get out of your bookkeeping box to expand your network and build strong connections Why you should learn from successful bookkeeping leaders to get where you want to be To find out more about Dianne visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Do you WOW your clients? If not, you might lose them. According to our guest, customer service expert and New York Times best-selling author, Shep Hyken, you have to recognize every interaction you have with a client forms an impression, so make it a good one. During this interview, you'll discover... The power of gratitude and how it will take your customer service to new heights The importance of truly understanding your clients' needs How to deal with difficult customers in a respectful way To find out more about Shep, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Your office. Does it look like a tornado whipped through it or is everything organized and tidy? For some bookkeepers, when life gets hectic, it's pretty tough to keep their desk in order. Have no fear, today's guest has some great suggestions to help you get on track. Lisa Campbell-Marchese is the owner of a bookkeeping company called The Marcam Group. Throughout her 25 years of experience, she had to learn different tricks to handle not only the constant referrals she received and current workload, but she's had to do it all while balancing being a mother too. She understood things had to change to increase her efficiency and make her work/life balance realistic. As a result of being open to learning new strategies, she's been very successful and now she'll share some of her golden tips with you. During this informative interview, you'll discover... Why having 3 monitors in your personal workspace can help you be more productive Why you'll want Jetpack Workflow & Hubdoc to be your new best friends Why having systems is crucial in organizing any part of your life To find out more about Lisa & the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

Value Pricing. Some bookkeepers love it while others don't. There's no question Value Pricing can be complicated to implement because setting rates for bookkeeping services is very subjective due to the varying needs of different clients. Our guest today, Mark Wickersham, who is a chartered accountant, author and public speaker, will give you clarity on how you can profitably use Value Pricing in your business. During this informative interview, you'll discover... Why it's important to ask commitment questions to prospects Why you need to build up the value of what you do first before revealing your price Why the first price you present to a client should be the most expensive To find out more about Mark, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/.

Are you overwhelmed? Some bookkeeping business owners with families are. Let's face it. It's hard work making sure the kids are fed and your clients are happy. Our guest, Nancy Gwynne-Vaughan knows the battle all to well. She's a bookkeeper who helps lawyers grow their practices profitably. But, she also doesn't like grocery shopping. It used to really drain her. In fact, doing some of these family tasks would take up her weekends then she'd dread going to the office on Monday especially during tax season. Well, that all changed when she discovered how to streamline these duties so she could not only be more efficient at home and with her business, but she was able to enjoy life at a more reasonable pace. During this interview, you'll learn... How to utilize the power of productivity apps such as Evernote to keep you on track Why delegating tasks to family members is a must Why planning meals weeks in advance is a huge time-saver To find out more about Nancy, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.