Simplified Small Business Systems for Bookkeepers and Accountants
Do you have easy systems in place for your bookkeeping or accounting business? Make it easy for a stressed-out CEO needing support with their finances by having these process steps in place. I’m sharing a few ways to create simplified small business systems for bookkeepers and accountants.
Side note – don’t get hung up on the tools just yet. Focus on falling in love with HOW you make magic happen for your clients.
Do you get me?
When it comes to finances, a CEO wants to vent to someone who gets them and the challenges they’re going through. They don’t want to hear more jargon they don’t understand. They want you to understand how they feel and know exactly what they need to feel less stressed, even if they don’t know the solution themselves!
CEOs also don’t have a ton of time on their hands. Allow leads to book a discovery call directly from your website and ask them just enough questions in the inquiry form to help get them in the door. Don’t overwhelm them right away!
Once the call is booked, send a more detailed questionnaire for them to complete before the call. You can do your homework and come into the call with an understanding of where they’re at, their challenges, and where they need the most support. Here are some examples of questions you can put in the more detailed questionnaire:
- How far behind on your books are you?
- Do you currently have an accountant or bookkeeper?
- What type of support are you looking for?
Let’s Get You Booked
You turned on the charm during your discovery call and they’re ready to work with you. Many accountants and bookkeepers have very customized package offerings. I actually appreciate that because it shows you know every business owner is different and has unique needs. However, it also means it takes you forever to actually send over the proposal.
Find ways to simplify your packages or at least have standardized proposal language so the only thing you need to change each time is the deliverables and pricing. Packages that are too complicated are 1) hard to explain to your customers and 2) take forever to put together. You’re spending too much time putting together a proposal and losing valuable time connecting with the lead you’re trying to close. If too much time goes by, they may start to look for other options or get frustrated with you. You don’t want that right off the bat!
Onboarding Your New Client
Once the proposal is accepted and the engagement letter or contract is signed, it’s time to onboard your new client. There are tons of moving pieces to the onboarding process – setting up recurring invoices, adding the client to a secure file-sharing system, etc. – so set expectations early.
Immediately upon signing, send your welcome guide so your new client feels seen and heard. It can be scary for business owners to invest in services. Make them feel comfortable and in the loop with what you’re doing. I like to over-communicate my processes so they know exactly what to expect!
Let them know you’ll be sending over homework for them to complete, and as soon as that’s done, they can kick their feet up and leave the rest to you.
Time to Work
You’re doing the hard work, cleaning up their books, crunching numbers, and saving lives. This is where you shine and show how you stand out from the pack, giving your client a superior customer experience.
I recommend sending a small gift to let them know how much you appreciate them. It can be something easy like a virtual gift card. You can also share your referral program (if you have one) to let them know how to earn incentives from you if they help you sign a new client. You want to make them stay a client forever!
Offboarding
Hopefully, in most cases, your clients will stay with you forever. But if not, offboarding should be just as seamless as onboarding. Reiterate expectations upon offboarding so that even though you two are parting ways, the client still feels seen and heard (notice a theme here?) I hope you end your contract on good terms. They may still refer you to their colleagues – you never know!
Send an onboarding guide with a checklist or things to consider. Make sure they have everything they need from you. Also, send a feedback form to learn more about why they’re leaving you. It’s always helpful to know what you could have done differently. Maybe there was nothing you could have done, but maybe there was. If there was a problem with your systems, pricing structure, team members, etc, you want to know!
And that’s it! Even though your field might be complicated (to me and your clients anyway 😉), your systems don’t have to be. Make things as seamless and easy as possible for your clients. They will appreciate you for it and be clients forever! If you need help getting your small business systems up and running for your bookkeeping or accounting business, contact me! I’d love to customize systems for your business.
About Solution Integrators
To keep it simple, I’m Ashley, a Chief Systems Officer. I take your complex problems and find ways to simplify them. My goal isn’t just to save you time (saving you time is the easy part!) – I want to fully level up the way you interact, manage, and fulfill offers for your clients. I want to help you provide a cohesive experience. An experience that not only feels like quality but looks that way, too. From onboarding to offboarding – I want to transform each phase of interaction from lead to signed client. Let’s work together!
