GO BEYOND: “JUST A BOOKKEEPER”

If you’re like most bookkeepers, you likely started your career focused on the numbers – tracking income and expenses, reconciling accounts, and making sure the books are in order. And while the technical aspects of bookkeeping remain critical, there’s so much more you can offer to bring value to your clients and transform your role.

As a bookkeeping coach with over years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how bookkeepers can become indispensable strategic advisors for their clients’ businesses. The key is evolving beyond the day-to-day data entry and reporting and stepping into a more consultative role.

Here are three powerful ways you can provide greater value to your clients:

1. Become a financial interpreter. Move beyond presenting stacks of reports to interpreting what the numbers really mean for your client’s business. Offer insights into trends, ratios, and metrics and clearly explain the implications behind the data.
2. Provide proactive advice. Once you understand the deeper story behind the numbers, offer actionable recommendations to help your clients operate more efficiently and profitably. Advise them on ways to reduce expenses, improve profit margins, and strengthen their financial fitness.
3. Be a trusted sounding board. With your broad financial perspective, you likely have valuable insights into many aspects of your clients’ businesses. Be open to providing your perspective when clients need a knowledgeable, unbiased ear to think through challenges and opportunities.

The bookkeeping work you handle is the foundation for all of this higher-level strategic advice. But taking steps to become a true advisor shows your clients you’re focused on their big-picture success, not just cranking through transactions.

As a bookkeeping coach, I’ve guided numerous bookkeepers through elevating their role like this – and I can help you do the same. Let’s talk about where you’d like to take your bookkeeping practice. I know you have so much more value to offer your clients. Let’s work together to make that happen.