Where to begin vol. 4

• Business Cards and Letterhead! An office supply store is a great place to go to find programs to create your own business cards and letterhead. If it's not in your budget to go to a printer, get creative and do it yourself! They carry so many- different types of background paper to create your own business cards: in the beginning operation it will save you a lot more money to do it yourself. However, you can find a small print shop, even Office Depot № or your local office supply store, and it will be more cost-effective to print your business cards and letterhead in a larger quantity. Kinko's will give you pretty good deals on printing if you are a consistent and polite customer. There is one Kinko's assistant manager. Norbert, who has saved the day for me many of times, even if they are doing a small job. I never understood why he was just the assistant manager. With the service he provides to his client base, who ask for him by name, for some reason when the manager of the store went to a different Kinko's theydidn't give him the promotion, so he followed the other manager. He still takes care of me being another 25 miles away! If you are just running small jobs, even if they are postcards, brochures, letterheads and business cards, they can give you a good deal. Just find the right sales associate and ask.
• Create a budget for your company. Document your ideas, what you need to begin, and see where your personal finances allow you to proceed. I have included a "general budget" on what your expected beginning capital requirements are to open a bookkeeping service. It is not that costly. You would be surprised how much equipment you already have to begin your company.
• Cet a second phone line in your house. You don't want your clients to have your home number. I guarantee they will call you evenings, weekends and holidays. If you can afford it. get voice mail hookup from your local phone company. It is a lot better than an answering machine because if someone calls and you're on the other line, it will go into voice mail and you'll never lose a message. Not that we don't appreciate our clients, but you have a personal life too. and clients who think they're having an emergency at 8:30 at night might not be considerate of our personal life.
• As soon as you're comfortable setting up your own software {whether it's QuickBooksOi or Peachtree®) and feel you are familiar with the program, and
  your business license is up and running, you can start your contacts. Do not start until you feel ready.