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Five Tips for Starting an Independent QuickBooks PracticeBy: Vida Evelyn, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor
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Vida Evelyn shares her list of the five things that she believes are essential for success in any independent QuickBooks practice. Becoming certified tops the list.
Situation
You are looking to succeed as an independent QuickBooks practitioner.
Response
The following five tips are based on lessons I learned during my first year in the ProAdvisor Program.
Background
I've used QuickBooks in my own businesses since the DOS version. Although I'm neither an accountant nor bookkeeper, I decided to offer QuickBooks services.
- Make your QuickBooks Certification a Top Priority. Why wait? Training rounds out your knowledge of the software and gives you instant credibility. Work through the lessons and don't stop until you pass the tests. Within days of being listed on QuickBooks Find-a-ProAdvisor Web site, I received my first referral.
- Define the Work and Type of Clients You Want. Even if you think you know this going in, you may not realize how wide the market for QuickBooks services is. Start by taking on a variety of work, but quickly eliminate any you don't care for. Think beyond the Pro version and focus on your strengths, past experience and current market area to develop a specialized practice. I enjoy setting up systems, training and problem solving, not maintaining. Bookkeeping is not for me, but my business experience as a retail store owner makes me a natural for POS consulting.
- Ask for Referrals. At a minimum, join at least one local chamber of commerce or business group and participate in networking opportunities. Introduce yourself and your services to key people whose job it is to make referrals. Always ask people how they found you and track the answers.
- Raise Your Rates. Intuit's straw poll of QuickBooks experts' fees is only the starting point. If charging a higher hourly rate scares you, set flat fees. Don't agonize over pricing. If your prospects accept your price quote without skipping a beat, you're leaving money on the table.
- Recognize the Value of Intuit Contacts. In addition to passing along your discounts to clients, use your ProAdvisor Program account manager as a consultant to identify the right product mix for your clients.
Vida Evelyn is both a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and a Certified QuickBooks Point of Sale ProAdvisor who operates her business out of Milford, Delaware. She can be reached at vidaevelyn(at)gmail.com. We thank her for sharing this tip.
Last Updated: 06/09/2008
