Now is a great time to be a bookkeeper!
EVEN THOUGH THE job market is compressing, it’s a really great time to start a business, particularly a bookkeeping business. There are a great number of professionals branching out on their own and many of them need a contract MYOB bookkeeper to look after their bookkeeping.
While the hardest part about starting your own business is landing good clients to provide you with regular work, the key to winning new business really comes down, not to how skilled you are – though this is certainly important – but how much the hiring manager likes you.
More professions require particular qualifications by law, anyway, it’s your personality and attitude towards work that will help you stand out from the pack – don’t forget your body language also plays a big part in how people perceive you, as well!
Your main goal should be to wind up at the pointy end of the hiring funnel which we posted about recently. To do that, you need to possess a certain few attributes.
The Attributes of a Good Bookkeeper
- You understand your clients’ businesses: before you meet with a potential client, do a little research on the business and the industry it operates within, particularly if it’s an industry you haven’t worked in before.
- You’re not afraid to ask questions: each business is different and each business has certain ways of doing things. As contract bookkeeper you need to be comfortable asking questions of business owners to ensure you’re able to do your job – and do it correctly.
- You’re not afraid to say ‘I don’t know’: a good bookkeeper doesn’t feel silly or embarrassed to admit they don’t know something, but an even better bookkeeper will happily find out.
- You are trustworthy: the relationship you have with your client is sacred. The majority of people don’t even like sharing their financial information with friends and family, yet you’re privy to everything. Your clients should be able to be completely honest with you, and know that you’re being completely honest with them in return.
- You keep up with trends: a good bookkeeper stays abreast of changes in the bookkeeping industry, as well as the industries of their clients. Sometimes this may mean learning a new skill, like a new piece of software or altering your processes to accommodate changes to a particular business or industry.