How To Start A Bookkeeping Business, Your Professional Development
Being in business for yourself can sometimes be lonely and solitary
. If you are setting up a bookkeeping business, there may be days on end when you are working in your home office on client work and do not have contact with anyone else. This is fine for some people, others may suddenly find they miss working in a busy office environment.
If you find yourself in this position, you can look at ways of having contact with others, such as calling a client and seeing how they are going. You could look at your diary in advance and slot in a meeting with a client or potential client in the middle of your solitary periods to feel like you have contact with the outside world.
Professional development and staying up to date with the bookkeeping industry is also important. All of a sudden instead of having a boss to sign you up for courses (and pay for them) you are responsible for your own career and education. You may also find, as a member of a professional organization that you will be required to undergo professional development hours as a requirement of membership.
It is important to undertake professional development to stay on top of changes in legislation and the industry but it also provides a great networking opportunity to mix with others in similar situations as yourself. You never know who you might meet and you may find an accountant who needs a bookkeeper for a client, or a business person who is trying to do the bookkeeping and you can promote your services. You may be able to offer advice and information to other bookkeepers just starting out and share your knowledge.
You could also look at joining your local Chamber of Commerce and getting involved in business breakfasts or networking. Although these seem to take away valuable client time, they provide good socialization and networking opportunities and you never know who you might meet at these meetings or who people have connections with. Also your valuable business knowledge from a bookkeeping point of view can be invaluable for others.
It is important to connect with others in the industry and maintain your professional development at the same time. your bookkeeping business will only be as good as you are and if you maintain your skills, you will be able to service a diverse range of clients for many years to come.