What Do Bookkeeping Clients Struggle With & How Can You Help?
Jun 06, 2022
This post is a little bit different, as I’m recapping a run-through I did of some responses I received on a bookkeeping client lead form. This focuses on what clients struggle with on the numbers side of their business, and I went through 141 of these inquiries to see what people put on their app.
I’ve been promising this for a while, and I’m finally delivering on it! This does an excellent job of showing that people’s emotions and fears around money are strong. And, as a bookkeeper yourself, it’ll allow you to understand what people are struggling with so you can understand what they need.
The truth is that bookkeeping can be very profound - and I think you’ll see that through these responses.
Question 1: What stresses you out most about the current state of your books?
I’m going to separate the responses I got out into common themes and list some of the answers that fit with them to demonstrate it.
The first theme that I noticed is that many respondents noted that they just don’t have anyone doing their books right now or, if they’re doing them independently, they have no idea if they’re being done correctly. Some responses related to that were:
“No one is doing them.”
“My books aren’t current.”
“They feel incomplete and like they could be done better.”
“I haven’t categorized things in a long time between QuickBooks and my CRM.”
“I have no idea if I’m doing things correctly.”
The next common theme was that people want clarity on the current state of their finances, where their money is being spent, and on how they can save. Here are some relevant replies:
“I don’t know how I’m doing financially.”
“Where does all my money go?”
“I don’t know where I stand financially.”
“I’m not clear on my income and expenses.”
“I want to know how profitable I actually am.”
“I want to make sure to put money away at the end of each month.”
Next up, many respondents voiced that they feel like they need to get their books under control in order to elevate their business in some way. Some items people noted were:
“I’m looking to make the best business decisions.”
“Need a more solid foundation.”
“I want to make good projections for the future.”
“I want to become a more professional entrepreneur.”
“I’m looking to show up as leader and CEO of what I’m doing.”
“Hoping to scale and grow - I need to set up my banking situation.”
Another common theme was concern regarding taxes, as you can see from the responses below:
“Taxes, debt, and interest.”
“Missing out on deductions.”
“Making sure I file taxes correctly.”
“Worried about having to pay taxes I don’t have the money for.”
“Overdue taxes.”
In general, many respondents have a lack of peace around their financials and find it to be overwhelming, intimidating, or stressful:
“No peace of mind.”
“I think a lot of details feel overwhelming - I need to create an S-Corp, create a new bank account, and so on.”
“I feel overwhelmed, I keep pretending I’m going to make time but I don’t.”
“It’s all on my shoulders and I need help.”
“I have a hard time keeping up with it - I have no idea what I’m doing and I find it intimidating.”
These are just a sample of the responses I read to this question in episode 84 of the Profits + Prosecco Podcast (so tune in to hear them all!). But, these themes just show that people are stressed about the state of their finances and books for many different reasons, and it really affects them. Right there, you see the value in what we do.
Question 2: How would you feel if books were handled and under control?
The next question I read responses to revolves around how people would feel if their books were under control. Here are some common themes and responses.
The first theme - and the largest - is that people would feel extreme relief and peace. Some of the replies related to that were:
“Clarity and peace.”
“Peace of mind.”
“Relieved, empowered, honest with myself.”
“Less stressed about my money.”
“One million percent better.”
“Serenity.”
“Chill and zen.”
“Like I could breathe.”
Wow! That’s great to hear, right?
The next theme shows that people would feel more empowered to drive their business forward with this help:
“Would be able to focus more on important parts of business.”
“I would understand where to focus my efforts.”
“I would feel like my goals are attainable.”
“More creativity.”
“Would invest and make purchases and have happier employees.”
“More creative and a better leader.”
“I would fully step into my role as CEO.”
“More transparency for business partners.”
Another theme that came up a lot is a better ability to have a solid work/life balance, which is always an amazing thing:
“I’d have more time to enjoy life and do what’s important to me.”
“Did somebody say vacation?”
“I’d be able to contribute to my family's finances.”
“With more money in my bank account, I could pay myself first.”
These responses are unbelievably empowering to us as bookkeepers to show us just how much of a help we can be to their business and lives in what we do.
Stop Undervaluing Your Service: The Bottom Line
We have a tendency to undervalue our own services when - in all reality - our clients and potential clients value them so much. These are responses from real forms I’ve collected over the past three years. They’re powerful.
If you need to learn the skills so that you feel confident in taking somebody from those fears to these dreams, then you need to look into BABS (Become a Bookkeeper). Learn how I get so excited when I read this because I know I can help them.
If you don't know that, you can help them. The first step is to get good at the skill that can be taught and learned, honed and deepened inside of BABS.
If you’re feeling like, “wow I’d love taking clients like that, how did you get people to fill out these forms?” Well, then - you should join us in Libby (Life by the Books). There, we go way deeper into how to get these forms filled out and what to do after.
Ready to take action? Apply for the program that's right for you:
If you're looking for more insight on how to become a bookkeeper, and how to say hello to a more confident business model, enroll in Become A Bookkeeper (BABs).
Or to learn more about growing your bookkeeping business and hiring a team, enroll in Life By The Books™ (Libby).
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