Freelance Bookkeeping Rates - How to Charge For Your Bookkeeping Services

New to the bookkeeping business?

Then you are probably uncertain about how much to charge for your services. This is business advice for Bookkeepers and other consultants as well.

When I began my bookkeeping business in 1999, so was I. Here are some tips on what to charge.

One lesson I learned quickly is that EVERYBODY wants a deal and they think that you should give them one, but the minute you do, they will undervalue your services and consider it to be a permanent discount.

Don't make the mistake of charging too little - Use reward incentives and bonuses for new client referrals instead of lowering your price for any customer. Even once can be the "Kiss of Death" to your rate sheet.

Do not guess at how much to charge, either. When you begin you need to seek out other professionals in your field and simply ask them what the rates are that they are charging in that area. Ask them if there is a sliding scale and if so, what criteria they use to determine those variables.

Here is what I figure -

Small business clients would rather pay a flat fee than an hourly rate. Most bookkeepers charge an hourly rate, but will charge a flat fee based on the number of transactions that need to be entered, plus $5-10 (if they don't know the client in advance). You must also calculate these costs into your calculations - Workers Compensation, self-employment tax (10% for USA), and business insurance.

For a basic bank and credit card reconciliation, data entry and set of monthly financials you will work approximately 2.5 minutes per entry. Each data entry transaction counts as "2.5." So, if you have an average small business with 200 entries per month, you need to charge 2.5 minutes per entry minimum.

Experience tells me that some entries will take more time and some entries will take less time, but from start to finish all entries made will balance out to 2.5 minutes apiece. At the rate I charge that means that a monthly flat fee for this customer equals 2.5 times number of entries divided by 60 total minutes times hourly rate (2.5 x 200 / 60 x $45 = $360 per month flat fee).

Not all bookkeepers are willing to share their fee structure with others, so do not be afraid to ask several bookkeepers what they charge for a beginning point of reference. You will find that there are ranges of rates from $16-60 + per hour. Pick one of those rates that feels like it covers your costs and still holds you accountable as an expert in your field. If you charge $16 an hour then you really need to get more experience and/or education to be taken seriously. Bookkeeping Accreditation is one way to do that. Check with your local chapter of American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers for accreditation.

If your customer seems apprehensive about your fee then ask them if they would imagine a set of records presented to their accountant at the end of the year with no problems, and if that would be an equitable way to think of your fee. If they still hesitate then you are best advised to help them find someone else.

The benefits of hiring a bookkeeper also include the fact that a full-time employee and payroll costs are eliminated, computer hardware and software and extra office space and storage for bookkeeping purposes aren't necessary.

$25-45 is the average cost per hour for a good bookkeeper who knows the business. For higher hourly rates you are paying for a bookkeeper who works with an accountant. Those rates reflect the fact that they work with professionals who oversee their work and the higher rate is symbolic of the review by a tax professional of the records of a business before they go out the door to the IRS or CRA. It is worth the extra cost for a lot of clients. For others it is not and those people probably don't make the best clients for experienced bookkeepers.

When you are creating your invoices for your own customer billings, briefly rewrite the work you did for them (client) in the body of your invoice to them. There is really no need to add all the items on your list of the services you provided for them. You just want to include a 2-5 sentence outline for your client so that they understand what they are paying for.

TIP: If you have a large amount on your invoice to present to them then try to break it up into 2-3 separate invoices in the course of a month. Your clients may need you to do their work, but nobody appreciates a huge bill at the end of the month without any warning. Those situations lead to ill-will and short-term clients. Longevity is the key to owning and operating a reputable and long-standing bookkeeping business.

Invoice Descriptions Include:

"Bookkeeping services rendered for November, included but were not limited to, the following: Bank and credit card reconciliation and reports for October statements, cash receipts journal, cash disbursements journal, general journal entries (for those on an accrual method of accounting. General journal and accruals, trial balance, general ledger postings. If you performed payroll services then add "payroll preparation," "quarterly payroll tax returns," etc.

The big picture and a few details help your client understand why you bill the way you do. And why you are worth it!

If you performed additional services that you choose to leave as un-billed go ahead and add it to your invoice as a note on the bottom listing that service - For example: IRS phone calls for payroll issue 3 hours at no charge. ALWAYS say, "Thank you." NEVER ask a client to call with questions on your invoice.

Charge for telephone consultations and training sessions at reduced rates - Unless you want to be training your clients for free and that just takes away valuable time you can be spending getting other jobs and clients. Time is Money-Use yours wisely to grow your business. Do not nickel and dime clients - faxing and copies should not be billed out unless they exceed $20.00 in your time and costs.

Always invoice your clients regularly - the same time every single month. Create professional invoices even if it's on an Excel spreadsheet. Use the last day of the month as a guideline in billing dates.

Still looking for clients?

- Look through the want ads for people who are interested in hiring a 10-15 hour person a week. Generally these people are less interested in hiring an employee. Give them a call or send your business card and resume and cover letter explaining why your service is good for them - outline the benefits for them and request a phone call to discuss it.

- Join a local networking group. I found that Business Networking International (BNI) not only helped me professionally with public speaking, and self confidence, but they also gave me a steady and solid stream of references every single week that grew my business and kept me busy. The cost of membership paid for itself in only one week.

Good luck!

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freelance writers for Internet

These days, orders are increasingly difficult to find, maintain, or even survival in a changing economic environment. Within this climate of uncertainty, individuals can search the Internet for work, or work from home job.

Over the years it has changed a lot of information from the Internet: the experience of users to information, the wide variety of users (age, sex, gender, interests, etc.), and the ease of the Internet to distribute openPossibilities not yet discovered.

With the wide variety of individuals, and need information on various topics, authors are free to create value information, distribution and publication of thousands of readers who read every day around the world. What exactly are freelance writers?

Here is a view of a writer:

-A person who has basic computer skills, includes the functionality of the Internet,and has an interest in writing on various topics of public interest.

- Someone who is independent, wants to pay a fair job to support himself or family, or on the side of money.

- One who is willing to write short articles / blog posts on a subject which would in turn read by a huge amount of Internet users.

- And above all, freedom to avoid the daily commute to and from work, barely making ends meet, and the possibility of creating a jobProgram that is right for you!

Opportunities may be just around the corner, and it is never too late to explore your creative side with the ability to speak something online. To learn more about letshireafreelancer.com / blog

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Should Freelance Writers Fire Problem Clients?

Companies don't hesitate to fire freelances who fail to live up to their obligations. We should hold our clients to the same standard. Sound crazy? Perhaps not, and here's why. Problem clients contribute to our income, but they also contribute to our angst. And if we can't have fun doing what we love, and love the clients we do it with, what's the point?

Anytime is a great time to review your client list and evaluate whether any of your clients are holding you back from achieving greater success. So get out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil and start making a list. Which client is your slowest payer? Which one demands the most and expects to pay the least? Which client doesn't get the concept of project creep or why it should bother you? Which brings you the most boring or unprofitable assignments?

Now, look at your list and consider this: if you fired the client today whose name appears on your list most frequently, or whose name appears in the category you consider to be most important, and invested the time you would have devoted to that client's work this month on finding a new (and hopefully better) client, how much better would the rest of your year be? Probably a lot better!

Instead of constantly wrestling with problem clients, fire them and get better ones. This puts you in a position of strength. It gives you control, improves your work environment, maximizes the daily fun factor, and increases your bottom line.

Making the decision to fire a client is exhilarating. But actually firing them? Well, that can be, too. Although not always practical, it can be beneficial to tell the client you're firing why you're firing them. This way they can learn from their mistakes. However, they rarely do because problem clients usually have problems throughout their organization.

The more common way to fire a client is to do it subtly. This can be done most easily by being "over-booked" when they call with a new assignment. The advantage to this approach of firing a client is that, by not offending them, you can keep them in the wings in case you get slow or have a change of heart. A third approach is to increase your pricing to the problem client. If they balk, you've achieved your goal. If they choose to pay the higher prices, it's amazing how much more tolerable a problem client can become.

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Should Freelance Graphic Designer - Graphic Artists Handle Female and male customers differently?

In most cases, female and male clients are different, and they should be managed differently. They act differently, talk differently, and often expect different results from the cooperation with the freelance graphic designer. This does not mean that one is better than another - they are the same, but different.

If you assume that if you work with male clients, one must analyze and conventional, and with female clients you have to keep in touch with him, "YourEmotions?

Of course not. People are individuals. Although there are guidelines in dealing with women compared to men much that all they are:'s guidelines.

Below are some guidelines I have come with from years of working with customers - the direct observation of working with more than a hundred men and women of all clients. Also, a customer is not better than another, and there are many exceptions to the rule, but that's what I've learned and use as guidelines:

I have tried toto be politically correct and yet fair and honest about both sexes. You can write your comments, but please call the "PC Police" - these are observations, not facts. I know there are exceptions to the rule, so I have called these "guidelines".

Female Customer:

I use the word "feeling" more

Emotionally controlled

Want to enjoy the process

Do you need to make sure they

Task-oriented

Change their minds a little more

I giveComfort, reassurance

Did you feel good about the project and working with you

Male clients:

I use the word 'think' more

Logically driven

Want to get good results

Do you need to meet deadlines

Results -

Change your mind a little less

I give facts, figures

Have a good feeling about the results

What I found in my 10 years as a designer, that men and women are different in most cases, but everyone shouldtreated as an individual. Going into a game plan like: "This potential customer, a woman, so I'll need to do XYZ ..." is a big mistake that cost the client and the respect.

Just know that there are differences between the two, and after it is in the back talking with potential customers enough for all the graphic or web designer. Bottom line to understand: there are differences in treatment - for everyone as an individual.

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5 Things Every Freelance Designer Should Know About Client Servicing

So you are an art director in a big-name creative agency, but you've grown tired of climbing the corporate ladder and decided to explore opportunities as a freelance designer. The idea sounds sweet as your mind is running through a checklist of self-employment benefits:

The freedom to express your own style and aesthetics
Choose your own clients in industries that you like
Working to make your own schedule
No longer need to deal with a lot of technically inept Creative Directors
And yes,Finally, do not have with the account team aka "suits argue," more ...

But are you really ready to take on the role of a suit and negotiate costs with customers, sell your work convincingly and take criticism without a tirade about how the logo is already frickin 'big enough? Well, if you do not then here is a list of the successful launch of the 5 things that should any freelance designers know about client service.

1 You Never) a priceList

I have always taken not to provide a standardized price list for each potential customer. I'm not saying that you should not have a price list, though. It is good to have hourly rates for retouching is great and not as a measure of your fees, but they should never be applied to full projects. His couple of reasons:

To secure your goal should always be a face-to-face meetings with potential clients. Send them a price list is very hit-or-miss, just becauseThe customer base its decisions on numbers / facts alone. The slight advantage that it is by building a relationship well worth the time. A face-to-face meeting is when you can really prove your skills, personality, and learn more about the customer and project data.
Our economy is in a constant change, then the prices are already changing with the times, but when you present your customers with the price list, they will throw all those variables out of the window. If you do not wantMarried to offer at a fixed price, will not provide a cause of customers can and will keep you there!
Your competition can get your price list and low-ball you. It is very easy to ask for a competing studio as potential customers, so all your pricing information for comparison and research. Bad business ethics, but happens all the time.
They seem to want each project to be individual. The statement that your fees are based on a custom project scope, gives the impression that each Project is unique and special. The price lists for standard manufacturing jobs in order, but with a quote for each project that you give the customer the feeling that you build customer-specific designs and tools to their specific requirements. Show them some love and they will return the favor.

2) Always challenge the customer

Certainly helps to be nice to customers, build a relationship, but you do not want a flatterer. To simply say yes to all of your> Client's requests / demands do not deserve the trust and reputation are looking for. This is because the client you are hiring for your ideas and experiences as a designer, not just do what they ask. As devil's advocate may be counterproductive, but in the long term the client, you will be more respect, because you just do not design for them, but also with regard to their best business interests.

Client 's not always know what they want soIt is your responsibility to take initiative, convincing, and they lead you along the way is most appropriate. Most of the time you work with someone to have your advice, so you do not worry, there must be. Your honesty, if tactfully expressed, leads to more confidence, which means the returning customers for future projects.

3) Plan, plan, plan

Ample planning, you can learn more about current issues and trends in your client's industry research. It isalways a good sign when you can represent knowledge of their industries and point and other relevant fact that they are fun to understand and can build on.

A lot of people believe that too much planning is a waste of time and action is more important. I disagree, because a lack of planning could be major adverse impacts on the road when problems arise and disagreements over the scope of the project. Planning and agreeing on a project brief with the client before the start ofDesign work by reducing the amount of misunderstandings during the project, and other surprises on the road. If the customer decides to add items later, you can load it correctly anymore, because the well-designed and well-planned project was just approved at the beginning of the project. Avoid the potential problems from you is worth the extra time to plan output.

4) presentation and personality are not important

It is important to show thatYou have good written and verbal interpersonal communication. If you do not have a productive brainstorming / problem solving session with the client, as might be expected that they have confidence in your ideas and creativity?

Also hate the government but appearances seem to have any role! Creatives / designers have a reputation with an eclectic fashion sense, but that does not mean you can have up to a customer who is wearing a colorful tank top, skinny tie, 80s short shorts,Flip-flops and a fedora. Working relationships are based on trust and the more we are the part, the more people believe that you play the role. Do not get my wrong - they show your personality is great, but you do not do it at the expense of the customers lose. It is a cruel world, but the halo effect does not come into play when they try to attract new businesses.

5) The bottom line when all is said and done, the only thing that really counts, the quality of work is delivered on budgetand on time. Your customers will forgive almost anything as long as you meet or exceed expectations in relation to these three important factors. Good luck!

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