Sales and Marketing. Websites.

Websites

In this day and age. if you are not Web-based then you are behind the times. All the
Internet really is. is an incredibly large encyclopedia. People, including you. go on the
Internet to look for information. Keep in mind that the new client isn't going to go
searching for you on the Internet: they're going to go searching for QuickBooks®
help, in which case, if you are a Certified Pro Advisor, they will find you. If you have a
website link from Intuits® Pro Advisor site, they will find out more about you: what
you do. who you are. how to get a hold of you. Very few small business owners will
have the time or patience to go searching the Internet for some inexpensive
backwoods bookkeeping shop. Would you? Unless someone directs them to your
website via certification such as Intuit®, they don't know who you are. Money is a
very personal subject. That is why it's 100% easier to get clients by referrals than by
cold calling. I'm not saying that you won't get any business straight from someone
going to your website: I'm saying it is just as difficult as going door to door when no
one knows who you are. Your clients however will appreciate a website that has
information that they can use. such as links to help them find out how to get IRS
Forms. Tax Deadlines and more. It helps also to have a simple way of contacting you.
via email, because they don't feel like making a phone call. We all get like that, every
once in a while. What a nice invention email has turned out to be! So my suggestion
is. don't waste your bankroll on an expensive website unless you are absolutely sure it
will make you money by bringing you clients.

There arc many websites that have free design templates. You need to know how to
make a Web page if you want to save some money. You can hire many companies to
build your website which can get costly, but that's what they specialize in. The best
software to use to build your own website is FrontPage. It is a Microsoft®-based
product (well, everything is a Microsoft®-based product, isn't it?) that I use to create
my own Web pages. It has taken years of trial and error to figure out shopping carts,
merchant accounts, graphics, links and the whole nine yards, and that is another book
. . . not mine. You can save yourself the aggravation by letting Intuit build a Web page
for you as part of their QuickBooks® and Pro-Advisor package. It is additional, but
they do have spccial promotions. Check with them when you sign up to be a Pro-Advisor bccause their promotions are constantly changing and I don't want to have to
keep updating this book just for an Intuit® promo. If you have the knowledge and
experience in creating a Web page, and are looking for free Web templates, try
www.27stars.com or www.fuzzwebmaster.com. They have many good templates for
free, plus additional templates that you would pay for. Depending on what your
budget is. make sure you have enough to survive on before you go out and start
investing in Web pages. You can also use the free site submission services that you go
to once a month to submit your website to major search engines. If you do it once a
month, you will get your website some free search engine advertising. The best sites
I've found for this are wvw.addpro.com and www.freewebsubmission.com. They
submit your site to about 30 major search engines at a time. They just want a
reciprocal link from your website to theirs. Put it on your links page: it's worth it.
You can register a domain at www.cheap-domainregistration.com. which is about the
most inexpensive site to register a domain. The costs range from $4.95 to $8.95 to
register for one year. Your web hosting is the company who you will be storing your
website with on their server. Because an Accounting and Bookkeeping Service does
not have a great deal of pages and images, you don't need to go out and find a hosting
company with a billion bells and whistles. You can find web hosts for as little as S3.95
per month. A good Web Hosting company that I know of is www.bizland.com. or even
cheap-domainregistration.com has a Web-hosting plan for as little as $3.95 per
month, which is cost-effective Web hosting that won't break your bank. You can even
find free Web hosting companies. I did it for a while, but found it to be incredibly
tacky. Banners filled the top portion of my Web pages bccause the free hosting
service meant that you would display their banner adds throughout every portion of
your website. Sometimes it's best to just pay a few dollars a month to avoid any such
inconvenience.

Sales and Marketing. Examples of Phone Conversations of what I say when I call new contacts or reps.

Examples of Phone Conversations of what I say when I call new
contacts or reps.

First phone call to Paychex:

Julie: Hi. this is Julie at San Diego Business Accounting; may 1 speak with Dawn
please?

Dawn: Hi. this is Dawn.

Julie: Hi Dawn, this is Julie Mucha. I own San Diego Business Accounting and was
interested in getting some information on the types of payroll service and pricing that
you offer. My services don't include payroll, and 1 want to make sure I have other
resources for my clients.

Dawn: Sure, that would be great, would you like me to mail it. or come to your
office?

Julie: I would like to get together so that we can meet: how would a lunch meeting
sound? | If you offer a lunch meeting, you're buying! It's proper etiquette. |

Dawn: That would be great, how about Sammy's in Mission Valley....

First phone call to CPA:

Julie: HI, this is Julie with San Diego Business Accounting: may I speak with Larry
please?

Receptionist: Larry is not available, make I take a message or would you like his
voice mail?

Julie: His voice mail, please.

Larry's voice mail: Hi Larry, this is Julie from San Diego Business Accounting
Iwhen naming yourself, think of a smaller name! J. I was referred to you by Dawn with
Paychex. I own an Accounting Service, however I don't offer Tax Returns. I am
looking for a CPA to whom I can send my clients' Year End Taxes, and you came
highly recommended. If you are taking on new clients, please give me a call at 619-
449-OG75. I look forward to talking with you.
The ending to that story is Larry called me back, we discussed what services I just
don't want to do anymore, taxes being one of them, we met for lunch, and I met a
down-to-earth CPA who I get along great with. I work with a few other select CPAs in
San Diego who do a great j ob and send me referrals.

Phone conversation with a new client. Sawdust:

Answering machine picks up:

Julie: Hi. this is Julie calling from Sullivan Business Services |that was my old
company name - long story). 1 was referred to you by Dawn with Paychex who
informed me that you are looking for an accountant. Please give me a call at your
earliest convenience. You can reach me at 619-449-OG75

Sawdust: |Returns my call about a week later: I was so busy I forgot all about this
referral. I don't ever recommend forgetting who you call!

Julie: This is Julie.

Sawdust: Hi. this is Chris with Sawdust.

Julie: Sawdust, what do I need Sawdust for?

Sawdust: You called me . . .

Julie: Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you were a solicitor. Hi Chris. I hear you are in need of
an accountant. What can I do for you?

Chris: I need help setting up QuickBooks®. I had someone in here, but they seemed
to have messed it up. I am also looking for someone to set up specialized
spreadsheets to track my jobs and to obtain a bank line of credit.

Julie: No problem: I specialize in QuickBooks. W1P Reports and Bank Financing.
When is a good time to get together so 1 can see where your books are at right now?

This is actually a true story: luckily enough. Chris with Sawdust was forgiving enough
to see me the following Friday and my services were retained. Remembering this
phone call has been the source of many a good laugh because I apparently did need
Sawdust after all. I ended up marrying him five years later!

Sales and Marketing. Number Four Resource - Banks

Number Four Resource - Banks

The banking industry is so cutthroat in today's business world that banks like Union
Bank of California hired a specific staff to call accountants and bookkeepers in their
immediate vicinity to solicit a networking program. Co to your bank, the one you
opened your business account with. Talk to your New Accounts banker and use the
same principle as all the others. There lias to be something the bank can get in
return: namely, customers - especially customers who need business loans. lines of
credit, home equity loans and bank accounts. You should specifically target banks
that provide SBA Loans. Generally people wanting to open a new business or
purchase an existing business require SBA funding to do this. They are usually
qualified for one specific function but don't know beans about bookkeeping or
accounting. Also ask your Paychex or ADP rep which bank they network with. Ask for a business card, and once again, when you call Yvonne at Wells Fargo, tell her that
Chris at Paychex referred you. They're just like you. they need the work, and without
the work there won't be money.

Sales and Marketing. The Sales Process and Valuable Contacts

The Sales Process and Valuable Contacts
The most common question I've been asked to include in the 2ni Edition of this book was 'What to say" to the contacts that are listed below. More specifically: How do you approach the networking resources, and what's the best thing to do or say to get in the door? The following list of resources will now have more detail on getting your foot in the door. Contacts are very important! Always think about whether you could benefit from someone else's type of business, and vice-versa! it doesn't matter where you go. or who you will come in contact with. There is always someone who is involved in some way or another with contacting people. I am going to list an incredible source for finding those clients. These resources are priceless considering the amount of work that 1 have generated from them. I have been at a point where I actually have to refer these clients to my sources because I was so overloaded with work! There will always be a need for your type of service. Do you ever wonder about the flat tax proposal, and how it could take away business from you as a bookkeeper or accountant? Let me ask you. logically and realistically, if it were to pass, do you think you would be able to buy a house, get a business loan, or even buy a car if you didn't have the proper financial information for your bank? Big retail outlets require financial statements before they will even consider carrying a product that your client may want to sell. The list will go on and on. Take notes, and as you're reviewing this list, write down people you know. You never know who you might think of that can bring you that client!

Where to begin vol. 10

I briefly mentioned before the budget spreadsheet that I have included with this book. Here is where you need to evaluate your personal and business expenses. I cannot stress enough how important it is to look six to twelve months into the future and budget how you are going to survive and support yourself. 1 have included a budget and a cash flow schedule that can be modified in Excel or Works for you to play- around with. You need to know how long your savings or even credit is going to carry you without earning as much money as you thought you would. The formulas are already calculated, so go through the budget and enter in your monthly expenses, business and personal. See what it takes for you to make it. so you are not caught off guard with any unforeseen surprises. Circumstances happen. 1 don't care who buys this book, there will be times when clients can't pay. they pay late, or you lose clients because they fold. Sometimes you have dry spells, when you aren't getting any calls. Who is going to support your mortgage payment during this time? Make sure you figure out how you are going to do this. This is where I have said, even I didn't quit my day job. If you are at a dry spell and are becoming concerned that you are not busy or earning enough money, and if you do not want to give up on your own business, the best solution would be to work temp until more clients come in. There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling Kelly Temporary Services to keep you busy- on your down time. Make absolutely sure that you tell them you work part-time for another bookkeeping service. The reason I suggest that you inform them of employment with a bookkeeping service is that you don't want to be put in a situation where they think you are trying to steal their clients. If you must work temp, keep a low profile on the fact that you own the bookkeeping service. That means, don't tell the temporary agency or their clients. Above all. do not try to solicit their clients that you temp for. Just do your job. earn a paycheck and still give yourself time to solicit more work through your business. If you delegate your time properly, there will still be enough time to return client phone calls and work on other clients' bookkeeping needs. Just think of going to a temp assignment the same as going to a client's office. If you have to go there every Tuesday and Thursday for eight hours, let your clients know that if the)' need to get a hold of you. you are at another client's office on those days and will get back to them as soon as possible. Remember, you cannot earn top dollar working temp: the temp agency is charging top dollar for you. and so they will most likely pay you between $12 to $17 per hour depending on your level of experience and what the client is willing to pay for you. Generally the client will pay the temp agency anywhere from $22 to $27 per hour for a bookkeeper and junior accountant.

Where to begin vol. 6

It is time to begin your lessons! Take notes, and always write down your ideas. Even if they seem irrelevant at the time, they could be a great tool later!

Starting with your own books
The first place to start is with your own books! This will give you the best insight to what you are about to create for other companies. Whether or not you have opened a business checking account, or you are using your personal checking account to start up your company, you still need to keep track of your expenses if you want to write them off at the end of the year.

Start with your expenses. Keep a running expense log handy for all the costs you encounter setting up your company - whether it is for gasoline, this instruction book, computer software or business cards.

Your general startup expenses will be from your personal cash, checking, or credit cards. Keep good records! You are not only doing this for yourself, but for other companies. They always say a mechanic drives a junky car. so donlt ever fall into that category!

Go through the tutorial if you don't know QuickBooks® or Peachtree. They will both take you through a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up a new company. The best thing about QuickBooks Pro® is that you can set up a multitude of companies. You aren't excluded to only one. I suggest if you have never used Quicken®" Microsoft Money, or something similar like that, take the tutorial in QuickBooks® to show you the functions of the software. It will help you to learn the program: however, if you need help understanding QuickBooks® and want the best layman's way of setting up companies as well as understanding bookkeeping, my other book. "I Have QuickBooks. NOW WHAT?" (formerly Computerized Bookkeeping in Laymen's Terms?>). will open your eyes to many misunderstood questions and will be the easiest and quickest resource on setting up QuickBooks®. QuickBooks® was designed for non-accountants. It really does all of the work for you. Peachtree® has been redeveloped so the business owner and bookkeeper could use its powerful tools. However, as a bookkeeper or accountant, you will double-check the entries and work.

Keep in mind that this book does not teach you QuickBooks Pro® or Peachtree® step by step: rather it teaches you step by step what a bookkeeping service provides.

Where to begin vol. 3

• A second choice of software is Peachtree®. In times past. Peachtree® used to be more integrated for the CPA and Accountant than for the client. It was difficult to understand and to use unless you understood accounting. They have upgraded the software to become more compatible with the end user. It is much easier to use and to understand. If you have clients that book inventory and are in the manufacturing or retail business. Peachtree® will be the best software to use. hands down. The inventory- portion of their program is above all the others in keeping consistent and accurate inventory values and totals. I also really appreciate the way Peachtree® will close out the accounting month and force you to switch months before you can change any prior data. That is very important especially if you have clients using the software who like to go back and change things, e.g.. making your Year-End Balance Sheet no longer equal the Corporate Tax Returns Balance Sheet. However. Peachtree® has not yet enabled you to import your journal entries and changes to your clients via disks, so you would have to do all your work at your client's office, which isn't a bad thing.

• Peachtree's® costs are very similar to QuickBooks Pro®. The regular complete accounting version is $299.95. the multi-user version is $699.95. and the lower-end accounting version is $199.95.

• You can also become a Peachtree Advisor. The membership fee is $100. and is an annual membership. You sign up with the Best
Software Accountants Network which enables you not to just limit yourself to only one software: they also train on Timeslips. MAS90. MIP and many more. The Peachtree complete Library costs around $295 to sign up. then $195 per year after that. Which brings your total Peachtree Advisor costs to around $395 as your initial signup costs. They supply the 5-User version of software, customer support, and tax tables. It's a very good price for what they supply, considering their software also starts at $299.95. Peachtree is marketing their accountant programs pretty diligently right now. so they are offering discounts on memberships to try and get QuickBooks® advisors going to their side as well. I have enclosed their enrollment form for your convenience. You can also download it. for use with Adobe Acrobat Reader, from www.bestaccountantsnetwork.com. Peachtree's® contact and website information is located at the back of this book with your other important phone numbers.

• My advice and suggestion is to initially concentrate on just one software while you are starting your business. However, order the Peachtree Trial Software as well and install it so you can learn both of them. You will be пюге valuable knowing more than one software, and you will get business for that knowledge. Most of the small business world knows and requests QuickBooks Pro®' because it is more widely known and used. Use Peachtree as a back-up resource for knowledge and clients who keep inventory. Hither way. you're going to be the one- suggesting which software you prefer and which would be best suited for the client. What a wonderful thing, to have someone actually care about your opinion and suggestion. Respect isn't easy to come by. but you earn it when you work for yourself!