Sales and Marketing. Postcard Mailers.

Postcard Mailers

The most cost-effective form of advertising that I have found for small promotions is
Postcard Mailers. When you mail a tri-fold or brochure, the recipient has to open it.
and the five-second rule applies. If you have not piqued their interest within the first
five seconds, consider your mailer filed in the round file (trash can). With a post card,
you have a mailer that is already opened. The best results arc when you mail in
triplicate. They say it takes at least three times of your advertisement being seen by a
customer or client for them to respond to it. Postcards can be done inexpensively.
There are many companies online that offer 5.000 postcards for $389. Local printing
companies can't beat the online price of many of these postcard pieces. 5.000
postcards may seem a bit large in quantity if you are a small business not trying to
gain 5.000 clients. I found a company in Florida that offered 2.500 postcards for
Si 19. I was leery at first, but after my original printer had problems. I had no choice
but to go elsewhere and take my chances. They printed three sets of 2.500 postcards
and had them shipped to my door within 7 days. Florida to San Diego, not a bad
turnaround time. The postcards were of excellent quality as well. I was very
impressed. The company name is Online Print House and their website is located at
www.onlineprinthouse.com. The postage, if put on by you. will cost 23 cents for each
postcard. If you have a mailing that has more than 1.000 pieces. I suggest a meter,
because it is very time-consuming and monotonous to put stamps on that many
postcards. Mailing houses will put the postage and delivery address on the piece for
an additional fee. Their fees are pretty expensive, so the more you do for yourself, the
more you will save. Your mailing list can be purchased from a number of companies.
1 unfortunately had purchased a bad list. Generally, you would receive up to 10% of
your mailing returned as undeliverable. My recent mailing was over 25% returned,
which is totally unacceptable. I don't suggest buying a mailing list from Internetbased
companies unless you are absolutely sure of their track record. Ask your networking contacts if they know any good list companies; look in your local phone
book for list companies: then go online to your local Better Business Bureau and
check them out. Make sure they don't have any complaints and then give them a call.
A general new company list will cost you around 7 to 9 cents per name. If you want to
use the list more than once, it will cost you about 15 cents per name. Depending on
the complexity of the list (whether you want phone numbers, individual as well as
company names, etc.) the cost could be more for each additional request. So if you
wanted to send out a postcard mailer to 1,000 new companies that just opened up
their doors, your cost for this marketing plan would run you about $400 for each
mail, and mailing it the suggested three times would run you around $1,200 total. I
do postcard mailers for my books. You have to get creative and have catchy phrases
that will pique the interest of the individual you are sending it to. The three postcards
for this book say on the front:

1. I bet you've thought about opening your own Bookkeeping Service at least
   once.
2. I bet you've thought about opening your own Bookkeeping Service another
   three times since our last chat.
3. What are you waiting for? You don't have to quit your day job: get clients
   on the side and supplement your income!

You need to offer your target consumer something that will make them want to call
you. Most people want a discount of some kind. If you offered your potential client
two free hours of QuickBooks» training they might be more excited to call you than if
you just let them know you do bookkeeping down the street. If your main service is
going to be onsite bookkeeping, offer them a few hours of free time on their first
invoice. Word it in a way that entices them to call you to find out what you do. You
can find a graphic artist who will help you put together a professional-looking
postcard as well as your stationary. My graphic artist does an awesome job. She
designed my logos, the book covers, my postcards and all of my stationary. She does
do work all over the US via the Internet as well. There is link information in the
contact page of this book and a banner on my links page to find her. The name of the
company is Urick Designs. Kinko's can also help you design a postcard mailer.

Sales and Marketing. A General List of Businesses that relate to your services. Other resources.

Other resources

Look in the newspaper for Part Time Bookkeeping. You can submit a letter along with
a resume to the company searching for a bookkeeper, explaining how they can save on
Workers Compensation. Federal and State Taxes, and get the high quality of work
from a "Professional." Think of the breakdown this way. When a small business
owner hires an employee, it comes with baggage such as Workers Сотр.
Unemployment and Payroll Taxes that they must deal with, as well as an employee's
state of mind. This is not always in the best interest of the employer. When you hire a
"Sub-Contractor." they have a different state of mind because the Sub-Contractor
owns their company. They arc the reason why they may or may not eat next week.
Which means more productive work for the Small Business Owner. The selfemployed
individual (you) is much more capable of wanting to do the j ob compared to
an employee who expects to get paid because they show up. The other expectation is that a professional who does this ever)- day for a half dozen other clients is more
proficient and won t take as long as an employee who will always try to milk the time
clock. So in all actuality, when you have a bookkeeper who works part-time. 20 hours
per week, they have in their mentality that the 20 hours per week has to be met
because at $10 to $15 per hour they can't afford any minute less. So they will make
the j ob take a long time. When you go in to your client's office, you look at the pile of
papers and say with a more realistic analysis that it should only take you 10 hours to
complete because you don't need to make the j ob last long. So for Mr. Small Business
Owner, that 20-hour per week j ob at $15 per hour costs him $300 per week in wages,
plus 7.65% in FICA/Medicare. plus 3.4% in State Unemployment (depending on your
state). .08% in Federal Unemployment, and another 1.5% in Workers Compensation.
That $300-per-week employee realistically costs the Small Business Owner $340 per
week. You come in and can get the j ob done in 10 hours, alleviating Workers Сотр.
Unemployment. FICA/Medicare and company politics. You're more professional, you
want the client and will service them better, so your bill is only $250 per week ($25
per hour x 10 hours). You're already saving the client $115 per week. Explaining that
to a potential client in simplified terms will get more of a response and a greater
possibility of landing a new client.

Place advertisements in your local newspaper and employment newspapers. If
someone is going through an audit, you could place an ad regarding your abilities to
organize and compile financial statements for Audits. Make sure that you inform the
client when they call that you can correspond with the Auditor: however you are not
allowed to be present at a trial because you are not a CPA or an Enrolled Agent, unless
otherwise required to testify by the IRS. Also place your other services in the ad as
well. Never put your prices in the ad! Let the client meet you even if it's over the
phone, so you can build a comfort zone.

Look in the local newspaper for Fictitious Business Names posted. A lot of times,
those arc new businesses just starting out. You'll be amazed afier reviewing that
section of the newspaper, which one of your contacts calls you with a referral from
one of the businesses listed.

The State Board of Equalization (Sales Tax in your state) sells a list of new businesses
that have just applied for a Sales Tax Identification number. Contact your State Office
to find out how you can purchase that list of new business names. This list will be
fresher than any other new business list you could purchase, and the deliverability
rate will be much better. Not all states offer this list.

If you decide that you want to go "door to door" so to speak, be advised that people
donll like solicitors. It is completely different when you are referred to a potential
client than if you just came in off the street. I can't stand solicitors! It's the hardest
thing that I have to deal with in terms of my phone manners. 1 try to keep in mind
that my contacts are solicitors, and they are doing the hardest j o b f o r me.
They're getting their foot in the door, which could potentially bring me business as
well. I guess my main setbacks are telephone solicitors who call you when you're
finally sitting down to dinner with your family whom you haven't seen all day. Try to
present yourself as UN-solicited as possible. If you call them, try to give them helpful
information or resources, especially if they are a new business just starting out. I
think that creating your own list of prospects is the hardest way to generate clients.
But if it comes naturally to you. run with it!

Sales and Marketing. Number T h r e e Resource - Bookkeeping Forms Companies

Number T h r e e Resource - Bookkeeping Forms Companies

Believe it or not. companies that sell checks, invoices, computer forms, and other
accounting and bookkeeping supplies are an excellent resource for referrals and
clients! A good portion of my business when I first started came from McBee
Bookkeeping Systems. They were the company that my Paychex Rep referred to me.
My clients always had a need for computer checks, so I would call my representative
at McBee and she would give me a 40% accountant's discount! Plus she gave my
company a starter kit with checks included for free! The only downside to this is that
companies like McBee and even QuickBooks® can't beat the cost for checks at
checkfamous. However, with the referrals and networking resources that you will
gain from McBee. paying an additional $25 for your checks is well worth it especially
if you get clients from them. You need to think of the possibility of revenue and if it's
worth it for you. When you are first starting out with your business and you don't
have any real income coming in. ordering discounted printing is okay to get you
going, but think of the long-term relationship when you order your next set of checks.

To list a few of the companies related to the number three resource:

• McBee Bookkeeping Systems (Nationwide)
• Office Depot (Nationwide)
• Staples (Nationwide)
• OfTice Max (Nationwide)
• Local OfTice Supply Stores

You will get more referrals from companies like McBee than from your general office
supply store because some companies don't allow their employees to refer people
because of the liability issues. When contacting stores like Office Depot, generally the
person you are going to contact is the person in the software department who is
selling QuickBooks®. The one downfall for an office supply store is they go through
sales people and managers rather quickly. There isn't a reciprocated service between
you and an Office Depot like there is with you. Paychex. and CPAs R Us. If you go into
a store enough times and become a recognized face, starting a conversation with the
manager or software salesman is normal. You don't need to push your business on
them, just briefly mention what you do and let them ask you questions. If you offer
advice and help you're more likely to get a response from someone at the store. If Joe
is buying QuickBooks® for his Web Design company and asks the salesman if he
knows of anyone who could help set it up because it looks too overwhelming, your
card or tri-fold could be the first thing they think of to give to Joe. The uncomfortable
part is asking them to pass out your card if someone asks for help with QuickBooks®
or other accounting software, but if you're comfortable just go for it.

Where to begin vol. 9

When paying bills or entering cash expenses that you charge back to your client (such as postage, telephone calls and photocopies), you can track this in QuickBooks Pro®. Just select the customer in the correct bill or check payment field, and it will automatically apply that expense to the correct client data file. When you arc ready to invoice that client, click on Time/Costs and select your expenses: it will insert the costs onto your invoice when billing your client.

If you have other assets that you are now using for your business such as a desk, computer, or any other general-purpose office supply, you can write it off by depreciating it over its useful life. Say you paid $250 for a fax machine the prior year and now its sole purpose is for your new company. Technically you placed the fax in service on the date the company was opened, its value is listed at $250. and you can depreciate it over five years. You would make a journal entry that would debit your Fixed Asset account, and credit your Capital Contribution account. You would then depreciate the asset at the end of the fiscal year on your tax return unless you are a Corporation. Don't forget about the handy Section 179 Deduction! This deduction allows you to fully depreciate an asset (except real estate or a luxury car *see IRS guidelines*) up to $24,000 per tax year! Right now the IRS is allowing up to $100,000 for the next few years. Trust me; you'll get good at finding the best possible deductions when preparing your taxes along with your clients! Also, don't forget that you can now write off the business use of your home to help lower your business tax liability at the end of the year. If the room you are using has 250 square feet, you can write off the entire room as long as you are using it entirely for your business. If you are storing client files and reports in your garage, you can measure the area you arc storing the documents in. and include that In your business use of the home as well. My advice is. if you're ever audited, and you have extra clothes hanging in the closet in your office, don't calculate that area in your business use. The IRS won't allow you to take the entire office if you have any personal items stored in there. This deduction will be taken on your Schedule С portion of your 1040 tax return, not reflecting on your profit & loss statement.


Now that you are self-employed, you have the liability of paying self-employment tax on your 1040 Schedule С tax return. There is a minimum earnings of $400 profit. If you earn a profit of more than $400. you must pay your FICA and Medicare, which is now called Self-Employment Tax. This is 15.3% of your profitable earnings. If you're earning $52,000 per year now. and your business expenses are roughly $15,000. your Self-Employment Tax liability will be roughly $5,661 for the year. ($52,000 minus $15,000 = $37,000 x 15.3% = $5,661). You are not allowed to take your itemized deductions before this tax is calcubted. That being said. I cannot stress enough the importance of paying your quarterly taxes! I always budget my clients' payments by- taking 18% off the top of each check received, putting it into an interest-bearing money market account, and using it for my quarterly tax payments. You do nfli want to get into a situation where you owe the IRS or State. If you set up a system and budget now. it won't financially hurt you later. Face it. we all have to pay our taxes, and just because you are self-employed now. doesn't mean that you do not have a tax liability any longer.

Where to begin vol. 5

• Start talking to friends, family members, old contacts, etc.. and let them know you started up "A-l Bookkeeping Service." Begin getting the word out.
• Miscellaneous items that you will need to organize your home office:
  

1. Filing cabinet
   
2. Hanging file folders
   
3. Ceneral office supplies
   
4. Address stamp pad or labels
   
5. Three-ring binders with monthly dividers
6. Ten Key
7. P.O. Box (when soliciting, you don't want your home address given out to anyone). Women! Be very careful about who you give out your home address to! Even though we are just as capable and equal to run a business, we aren't as physically strong as men because their bodies are built for endurance, ours are built for childbirth. It takes one bad choice and the person we thought was a new client coming over could be a criminal rapist
8. CBC IOOE Velobinder with report covers. The machine is about $99 at an office supply store and the report covers are around $14.99 for 25. The plastic combs are around $10.99 for a box of 25. It looks so much more professional than the binders that I used to give to my clients. (This machine is not mandatory.)
9. Cet a day-timer, even if it is a notepad! You need to keep track of your appointments, and your "Things to do" list. It is also a diary that holds more tax verification than you could possibly know! If you ever had to prove or disprove a theory to the IRS regarding whether or not you took Suzie from Paychex to lunch on March 7m at 1:00. if it was written in your daytimer. you now have evidence to back up your receipt if ever questioned!