This is a Judgement-Free Zone
Granting someone access to your financial information or even just having a conversation about it can be an intensely emotional experience that can evoke unexpected feelings.
- Hesitancy
- Discomfort
- Exposure
- Embarrassment
- Confusion
- Frustration
These are just a few of the words my clients have used to describe what it felt like to have a bookkeeper start assessing their books for the first time.
The last thing I want you thinking after an initial consultation with a bookkeeper (myself or any other bookkeeper) is, “Well, that was awkward”!
So…needless to say, feeling at ease with a potential bookkeeper and developing a good rapport will make that process a lot more comfortable.
Remember: I am not your mother. This is a judgment-free zone.
We will each end up sharing confidential information about our businesses, our experiences, our struggles, and our dreams, knowing that all information will be kept in confidence. We’ll both sign my Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement to demonstrate our dedication to confidentiality.
The process of trying to find a bookkeeper can seem painfully slow
Every bookkeeper/firm has their own process for meeting prospective clients, evaluating the business needs, performing a diagnostic review if a Quickbooks Online file already exists, calculating a price quote, preparing documentation and onboarding the new client into the systems and processes that will be used to fulfill the scope of engagement.
The initial discovery process (aka “meet and greet,”) where I find out what your business needs are and you find out how I operate my practice, often takes place throughout a series of back-and-forth emails followed by a meet-and-greet meeting.
Then there will be a week or two to perform a diagnostic review of your existing Quickbooks Online file, following which you’ll receive a detailed and thorough report, as well as my recommendations of how to proceed based on what was discovered.
At this point, we can meet again to discuss my findings, next steps, and a timeline for onboarding and getting started with putting our mutual game plan into motion.
Overall, I find that it takes 2-3 months to “get settled” and another 2-3 months to start to feel like everything is working as a well-oiled machine.
My ideal clients
My ideal clients are small businesses making less than one million dollars in gross revenue who haven’t used Quickbooks Online (QBO) yet, or who are using QBO, but don’t feel they have the skills to use the software with competence, but understand the power and cost savings that learning to use QBO with confidence will bring them.
Ideal clients are responsive to frequent email communication and homework assignments, unabashedly ask questions (NOTE: The only silly questions are the ones that DON’T get asked), take notes, value having an accounting professional to turn to when needed, arrive on time for Zoom training sessions, and most importantly, can find fun or a laugh even in the challenging moments.
Entrepreneurship is an adventure
Being a business owner is tough. It’s a never-ending game of learn-as-you-go. You have to be able to laugh about the many levels of pull-your-hair-out-crazy that you may experience occasionally. Humour will make a great sanity-saver for both of us now and then.
Do you love what you do?
I’m looking for clients who care about their customers’ needs as much as I care about mine. Surely, passion or dedication led you to start your own business in the first place. When I fulfill my mandate to teach you how to properly and efficiently manage your bookkeeping, you should have more time available to take care of your clients at a comparable standard, too. #winwin
Mutual Admiration Society
Most of my clients come to me via word of mouth, and I frequently point people I meet in the direction of many of my clients. It’s a mutual admiration society of sorts. Success breeds success!
The fine print:
The information and opinions expressed by Lori K Aitken on this blog are based on her own personal experiences. Please consult your own legal and accounting professionals for specifics regarding how any of the topics covered here may apply to your business’s unique structure, needs, or operational policies and procedures.
