For many freelance bookkeepers, the biggest challenge is achieving work/life balance, especially if you are working from of a home office. We feel pressure to work with any business that shows an interest in our services, even if it costs us (money, time, energy, etc.) to be providing services to that business. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Maybe it’s because we think that by placing boundaries around the way we deliver our services will make the pot of available clients even smaller. So we become nervous and our solution is to mold ourselves into what the client desires, thus creating a straight path to burnout!

Carving out the niche that suits your expertise and has you passionate about your business WILL bring you more clients than you can possibly imagine. Here’s how to open that faucet and create a business that supports you body, mind and spirit and working with clients you love!

1) Define how your business operates. Sounds so simple, yet many service professionals don’t stop to think out HOW they will operate their business. They concentrate on getting clients first and then mold themselves into becoming the solution needed by that business. The next thing you know is that you have six different clients with very different needs leaving you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and under appreciated.

By taking the time to identify things like:

• Your hours of operation
• Your holiday schedule
• What accounting software program(s) your company will use
• How you pay bills on behalf of your clients
• How you bill your clients
• Where your services will be delivered
• Under what circumstances you will terminate a working relationship
• How client information is received to be worked on
• Etc.

creates the framework or “game rules” everyone will follow. When everyone knows the rules, working relationships become much easier and joyful.

2) Define exactly WHAT services you will offer and HOW you will provide those services. Trying to be the solution that each individual client or business needs, diffuses your energy and will cause burn out. Instead identify exactly what services or group of services you will provide to clients. Focus on what it is you love about bookkeeping and make that the main attraction in your service offerings.

When I first started my practice we offered both live accounting and historical write-up services. Over time I found that I did not enjoy providing write-up services and it showed. The fulfillment of this service was burdensome and these clients were not receiving the quality I prided my company on. When I made the decision to no longer provide this service, I transitioned my clients to bookkeepers who did enjoy this service. Guess what – everyone was much happier?! A few former clients who had originally resisted the transition could not thank me enough for the new provider they were working with.

The clearer you are about what services you provide and how, the easier it becomes for clients to find you. (Not to mention the happier you will be.) Think about a lighthouse. A lighthouse’s job is to stand on the shore and guide ships into the harbor during a storm. Ships know exactly what service (the light beacon) they will receive from the lighthouse and they have no hesitation utilizing it. The same will be true for your services – the clearer you are about what you provide, how you provide it and to whom, the easier it is for clients to find you.

3) Identify your ideal client. Now that you know how your business operates and what services you will provide and how you provide them, it is time to create your ideal client profile. Creating a profile that outlines the characteristics of the individuals and businesses you want to work with creates a paradigm shift that gets you thinking in a whole new way.

Yes, you get to define who it is you want to work with. Remember my story from above? I liked the people that we worked with but, I did not like to provide historical services. We would have been perfect for one another if I liked to provide historical services or they had hired us to provide live accounting.

Your ideal client profile identifies everything about that client from the type of business that they operate to what services you will be providing for them. Think of this exercise a little like day dreaming – allow your mind to float and think about the perfect bookkeeping client relationship. For example: my ideal client is a business of high integrity, who pays their bills on time every time, values and respects the services my firm provides to them and looks to me as a valuable business resource that helps their business to grow.

You may find that you have more than one type of ideal client. Perhaps, even one for each group of services that you offer. The point is to become familiar with the characteristics that you have outlined so that during a prospective client meeting you are asking pointed questions that help you to identify if this client fits your needs.

As you get clearer about who it is that you want to work with, it becomes easier for clients to find you because you are putting the same message out every time you speak about your business.

Sometimes the prospective client you are speaking with is just not pleasant and is definitely someone you don’t want to work with.  The more you speak with this person, the more you know that your personalities are not a match for one another.  Also, you’ve further decided this is someone you would not to refer to anyone! 

When this is the case, you will need to firmly but graciously inform the prospect that you are not the right firm for their needs and you don’t know of anyone who can help them at this time.  Here’s a simple script I’ve used on more than one occasion.   

“[Name] from what you are describing it does not appear that our firms are a fit for working with one another and right now I’m not sure that I know of anyone directly that is.  What I would suggest is that you contact the chamber of commerce in your town.  Even if you’re not a member, they will usually provide you with a reference to someone who is in their member directory.  I appreciate your taking the time today to tell me about your business and its needs and I wish you the best of luck.”

Use this script even if your company does provide the services that they are looking for. 

Remember if your intuition is giving you anything but a green light, listen to it!  Be firm and hold your ground.  The prospective client will get the message.

Want to know more?  Click here to learn more about my 8-step easy-to-use and easy-to-implement process on How to Qualify a Prospect & Work With Clients You Love!