Business Management Archives | Number Nerd Bookkeeping Solutions

November 13, 2018

What Every Bookkeeper And Accountant Needs To Automate In Their Business

If you want to save time and money, you need to automate. A good, effective automation allows some tasks to happen automatically, improving the customer experience and cutting the cord that has you at your computer all day.

If you want to save time and money, you need to automate Click To Tweet

But automation also takes time and some tech know-how. Sure, you can pay someone to do it for you, but that defeats the “saving money” part of setting them up in the first place.

I recommend starting small and building from there. Automate some of the most essential functions in your business and then add on as you have time. What are those essential automations you need to set up now?

Your Calendar

How often do you exchange emails with a client that look like this:

You: Let’s get together to talk about your monthly bookkeeping. I’m free on Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Let me know what works for you.
Client: Great! Unfortunately, I’m not free during those times.
You: Okay, how about Friday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.?
Client: I’m heading out early on Friday. That won’t work.
You: Have a nice long weekend! Let me know when you are available.

Then, crickets. Which means you have to follow up with the client and go through the whole process again. It’s frustrating for both you and the client and it’s a colossal waste of time.

Instead, the email exchange should look like this:

You: Let’s get together to talk about your monthly bookkeeping. Here’s a link to my calendar. Find a time that works for you in the next two weeks and I’ll talk to you soon!
Client: <books appointment>

It’s easy, painless and you just saved a few days of bouncing emails back and forth. Plus, quality scheduling software like Calendly will automatically add the appointments to your calendar, send reminders to the client and allow you to set up multiple appointment types.

Email Templates

You’ve probably sent a payment reminder email 100 times to 50 different clients. Or a request for documents–every time you onboard a new client. If you don’t have automated emails that request information from clients or prospective clients, it’s time to build some email templates and automate them.

If you don’t have automated emails that request information from clients or prospective clients, it’s time to automate them. Click To Tweet

Within your client relationship management (CRM) platform, you can create templated emails that are sent out at designated times or after specific milestones in a project. Often, you can also customize these templates for specific types of clients so they never really feel like templates.

Contracts

A lot of business owners rely on DocuSign for contracts, which I believe is an unnecessary expense and a good way for these important documents to get lost. When housed outside your CRM, contracts and other forms tend to get clunky and easy to misplace and add an extra step to save them to your internal client folder. Not only that, but many business owners build new contracts from scratch for every client. I agree that many projects have special stipulations, however, it’s not necessary to start from a blank slate every time.

I recommend creating standard contracts within your CRM, such as 17hats or Dubsado, and customizing those templates as needed and when needed. You can also set up the automation so when the client signs the contract, they automatically receive their invoice or another form.

Setting up these and other automations within my business has saved me so much time. Because I worked in the industry for so long prior to branching out on my own, I knew exactly where to start and how to add new automations and workflows to help my business run even more smoothly.

If you’re struggling with getting your automations set up, I have a workflow template shop that can get you started. The Business Workflow Template Shop has templates and automations for those in the bookkeeping and accounting industry as well as other small business owners. Check it out today and start saving yourself some time! And if you need some help getting started, check out my Case Study for the Solopreneur and watch my free webinars on creating your own step-by-step Lead or Onboarding workflow.

September 18, 2018

How To Borrow From Other Business Owners

How To Borrow From Other Business Owners Every expert starts somewhere. Whether it’s the doctor who first practiced on her dolls as a child or the barista who started out on his play kitchen, there’s always a first step in any passion or career.

The same goes for us in the bookkeeping and accounting industry. Some of us went to school to get a degree or certification in the field while others relied on our on-the-job training and research skills. However you got started, you learned it from somewhere.

I’ll bet money that everyone had a mentor, someone who had been there and done that to help show them the ropes in the early years. If you’re dedicated to growth over the life of your business, you’re still learning from someone–even a decade or more later.

There’s no shame in using someone else’s lessons to help you avoid costly mistakes in your own business. Case in point: Using someone else’s processes and systems to make the next stage in your business that much easier.

Using someone else’s processes and systems can make the next stage in your business that much easier Click To Tweet

I’m not suggesting that you stalk and steal from another accountant or bookkeeper. Quite the opposite. What I am suggesting is that you find the experts who you respect and find ways to work with (or for) them.

In addition to my 20 years of bookkeeping training, I learned the craft of business ownership from a dedicated mentor who I took a class from. Since then, I’ve always had another industry professional in my back pocket to bounce ideas off of and to turn to when I had questions. Candidly, I still do.

The proverb, two brains are better than one, couldn’t be more true. It’s because of my connections and mentors in my industry that I’m where I’m at right now in my business.

Sure, I believe that we need to stay in our own lanes and make sure that we’re doing our own thing in business. But that doesn’t mean we can’t (or shouldn’t) consult Google Maps to help us along the way.

Stay in your own lane, but it’s okay to consult Google Maps to help you along the way in business. Click To Tweet

That’s why I developed the Business Workflow Template Shop. Because I’ve learned so much and want to pass that information along to other business owners and industry professionals. We need to support one another as we grow our businesses and help out where we can.

Are you ready to get your workflows and systems in order? The Template Shop is exactly what you need to do just that–and it’s all ready for you! Check it out today!

March 27, 2018

Top 3 Systems You Need For Onboarding Success

I’m a systems guru, through and through. As a number nerd, I need to be. I need to be able to consult my lists and work my way through them so all my client work gets done to exceed my clients’ expectations.

Sometimes I get interrupted in my work and without a true system or workflow in place, it would be easy to lose my place and forget a step. But with automated systems and workflows, I don’t have to worry about client onboarding or checking off those boxes at the beginning of a new client relationship.

New clients want to see a return on their investment right away. They’re looking for a solution and are looking to you to provide that solution. If you make it easy to work together, with onboarding systems that leave little to the imagination, you’re already a step ahead when it comes to client experience. So what does every business need?

Contract

A contract is a non-negotiable for any business, and the benefits will pay off in comfort level for your clients and security for you. I recommend buying a contract template from an attorney, customizing it to meet your needs and having an attorney review your new, customized, template. You can then tweak that template to meet the needs of each specific project or client.

Every contract should include:

The service (or deliverable) you’re providing
What the service includes and doesn’t include
The length of service
How payment will be handled and what late fees or additional charges that may apply

Having a contract in place helps to avoid scope creep, when the client needs additional help (that you offer) and expects you to provide that work. It might be uncomfortable to think about contracts early in business, but they’re essential in protecting both you and your clients.

Boundaries

Boundaries are a huge part of any relationship–in business or in life. As you’re establishing your initial business relationship, it’s important to set boundaries so your clients know how and when you’ll be communicating.

How do you prefer to communicate with your clients? Do you schedule phone calls? Use Slack or Voxer for quick contacts? Meet in person? Are you 100% virtual like we are? Let your clients know up-front so there’s no question and so you don’t have to have an uncomfortable conversation down the road.

Boundaries are an important part of every step in every business relationship. How solid are yours? Click To Tweet

Client Homework

As you onboard new clients, you’ll likely need to gather some information from them. In my business, I need access to financials and other documents when I start working with clients. I send clients a list of information I need from them at the start of our relationship, right after receiving a deposit and signed contract. This allows us get started on the right foot and minimize back-and-forth communication that tends to slow down our processes.

None of these systems work without a workflow and automations to move things along. And the fact that I have everything set up to work without my hands touching every step saves me time and my clients money (because time is money, after all).

When someone is ready to hire you, they’re ready for a solution. They want help, not extra work and wasted time. The easier you make your onboarding process for both you and your clients, the more raving fans you’ll have in the long run.

If you need help developing onboarding systems, visit the Template Shop for a handful of both accounting- and bookkeeping-specific and service-based onboarding workflows.

March 20, 2018

How To Have A Top-Notch Client Experience

You go to a new restaurant where you have to wait for your table in a noisy foyer that doesn’t have enough seating. When you’re finally at your table, it takes 10 minutes just to get a glass of water–never mind that cocktail you’re dying for. Two strikes in and you’re already having a bad experience.

Your food arrives to your table cold and when you’re ready to get the heck out of there, your waiter takes forever to bring your check. He tries to make it up to you by leaving you with a free dessert–too little, too late. When you do finally leave, you and your dining companion make a mental note never to return.

There are so many other options out there that when you don’t have a good experience with a business, chances are slim you’ll give them another try.

The same goes for your business. Set a good first impression and your clients will sing your praises. Get off on the wrong foot and chances are that nothing will help to make things right.

Do you have an onboarding process that makes your new clients feel welcome and loved? Do you greet them right away and offer service that they’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else?

If you’re not sure, you need to perform a check to ensure that every client has a top-notch experience–so they’ll stick around and refer their friends and colleagues your way.

Have a workflow in place

When you bring a new client on, make sure that both you and the client know what to expect. Explain how your services work and what is required of the client. As the business owner, you may need log-in information and documents from the client. The client will expect you to have a streamlined system for gathering this and other information. Make sure you have a ready list of what you need from the client and how he should provide that to you. I recommend a questionnaire or form that the client can fill in and share with you so everything is all in one place.

Without a clear onboarding workflow, you’re bound to forget something--no matter how many times you’ve gone through it. Click To Tweet

Automate the onboarding process

You’re bound to forget something if it doesn’t happen automatically. Set up your welcome letter and your questionnaire requesting information from the client to happen automatically. You’ll save yourself time and frustration and look put-together and professional to the client. Be sure to create a questionnaire specific to each type of service you offer so every client feels like the process is personalized.

Identify communication preferences

Because you have a workflow and processes in place, you also have a clearly defined process for communicating with your clients. (Right!?) Be sure to let your new clients know how to communicate with you so you can best serve them. If you use Slack or another management system, set your client up and provide instructions on how to use it. If you’ll have regular calls with your client, provide a link to your scheduling system. And if you prefer to communicate via email or text, let your client know.

Save yourself and clients time and frustration. Set up communication preferences early in your relationship. Click To Tweet

Deliver on time

This should go without saying, but the best way to “wow” a client is to over-deliver exactly what they paid for–on time or early. Set a deadline based on the scope of the project and the information needed from the client and communicate that deadline, as well as how the project will be delivered. And then make good on that promise. However, if you determine you can’t meet the deadline let the client know as soon as possible. Communication is key!

Skip the gifts and focus on service

There’s a common trend among online business owners to tie a tangible gift with client experience. I subscribed to this thought camp for a while too, wanting to surprise my clients with goodies either at the beginning of our relationship or during the holidays. But we’re in business for…well, business. And candies, books and soaps don’t make the client process any more successful. Instead, I choose to focus on exceptional client service rather than thinking about the ROI of a pricey gift (that, candidly, most clients don’t need or want anyway).

The experience your clients have with you and your business determine whether you retain a client, or they go elsewhere. Start off on the right foot and make sure you’re communicating so no client ever feels in the dark.

March 13, 2018

How To Keep Tabs On Your Leads

How to keep tabs on your leads If you want to grow your business, you need to add new customers to your roster. That means seeking out–and signing–leads as customers. But first, you need a way to collect them and then keep tabs on them so you can follow up regularly (without being sleazy).

Having a system in place lets you track where leads are coming from, what they ask about and how you’ve responded to their requests. A system also provides a way to look back at your communication so you know if you offered them special pricing or other considerations.

So what do you need to make this all happen, so those leads turn into happy customers?

A customer relationship management (CRM) tool.

There’s an endless number of CRMs out there to keep track of your customers and leads; I like (and use) 17hats. A CRM can capture lead contact information and place each lead in a workflow or email sequence so you can start a conversation with them.

A CRM lead capture form embedded on your website.

Prospects come to your website to find out more information about you and to get in touch with you. A lead capture form collects their name, email address, phone number–any information you’ve indicated is important for you to be able to respond to them. Number Nerd’s is pretty detailed, check it out here! I actually use my own capture form as a bit of a “test.” If it’s not filled out prior to our introductory call, an auto-responder reminds them (and I know how much additional follow-up I might need to do if we work together).

Embedding lead capture on your website is the best way to track your leads from intro to sale. Click To Tweet

An email sequence and workflow.

You need to follow up with every lead, so it makes sense to have a sequence of emails that they receive so the lead can schedule a time with you or give you more information. A workflow is essential so you can follow up in real time and make notes about the status of the lead. Want help with this? Watch my free webinar about leads and follow-ups!

Great timing for following up.

When you send a quote to a lead, know that your follow-up timing is key. Your follow-up sequence should include three points of contact, via phone or email, about two days apart. The last time you contact the lead, let them know that you’ll be archiving their information and that the ball is in their court.

A system for coding the lead.

Even when you don’t win the lead, you’ll want to keep track of where you were in the communication process with them. Let every lead know that you’ll be keeping in touch with them, whether they choose you or not. And then follow up on that promise. You never know how that other relationship will pan out.

Keep tabs on your leads--even if you don’t win the sale! Click To Tweet

Your leads are the key to your business growth. But when you’re busy working with other clients or on your own business, it’s easy to overlook your follow-ups. Get a system down so following up is routine and even done for you!

Need help getting started? Grab Number Nerd’s workflow and automation templates. I’ve done the heavy lifting for you!