Sylvia Jaumann has been a bookkeeper for over 20 years and runs Savvy Bookkeeping Systems. She is the author of books, ebooks and reports on starting and running bookkeeping businesses. You can read more articles on her website http://www.startbookkeepingbusiness.net.
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Most successful freelance bookkeepers find that they get their best clients through referrals from other people. These are the clients who pay your invoices promptly, are easy to work with and typically (but not always), hand in their paperwork to you in a fairly organized fashion.
Why, you ask? Simply because of the social pressure that comes from being referred by somebody else – people tend to try a little harder. This works both ways though. After all, you probably will work a little harder for people who have been referred through someone you know too.
So, since referred clients are better clients, here are some tips on locating and managing them:
1: Ask Everyone You Come in Contact With –
When you’re first starting out and don’t have any clients, this means asking friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors – anybody you happen to come across in your busy day. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Simply ask them if they know anybody who happens to be looking for a bookkeeper.
Then, after your business has a client or two, ask them for referrals. People won’t naturally think to do this, so you must ask them to make it happen.
2: Reward the Referrer -
As much as people in general like to help other people out, it’s always nice to receive some perks for the gesture. For non-clients you can offer gift certificates at nice restaurants or even cash rewards. With clients, a $25 - $50 discount off an invoice can be a great reward.
3: Follow-up Right Away –
This may seem obvious, but sometimes you may not have the time to follow-up right away with potential clients who have been referred to you. Don’t let this golden opportunity slip away as circumstances can change very quickly. Sometimes even putting it off for a day or two can mean that your potential new client has already lined up a new bookkeeper. So make sure you contact them immediately.
As you can see, you must get in the habit of using the referral process to line up better quality clients for your bookkeeping business. It’s not difficult and you’ll be thankful that you did.
If you’d like 7 more tips on getting referrals for your bookkeeping businesses, check out this report “How to Set Your Bookkeeping Business Referral Program on Fire” located here: http://startbookkeepingbusiness.net/referral-report.
E.T. Barton has been in bookkeeping since 1998. In 2002, she began her own business specializing in bookkeeping, office administration, and market financial feasibility research. She has worked on a large variety of books - from construction, retail, restaurants, and resorts - and completed research for businesses both large and small. To learn more about her, read her article: 
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