Bookkeeping is a high demand field with a job outlook that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes as "about as fast as the average." Because of the nature of the work it is common to freelance and market your own private services to the public. Learn some of the basics of marketing this type of service by analyzing the four Ps of marketing (product, place, price and promotion).
Instructions
1. Determine your target market. Bookkeepers commonly work with small to mid-sized companies. Narrow down your target customer based on relevant details. For instance, you may prefer to work with clients from a specific industry or who bring in a certain level of revenues each year.
2. Develop your product, which is in this case a service -- bookkeeping. Ensure that you describe all of the services you offer to potential clients such as preparing regular financial statements, creating business budgets and maintaining them over time.
3. Set a price for your bookkeeping service that is either equal to or slightly below the average rate charged by established bookkeepers. The median hourly wage according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is $16.71 per hour as of May 2009.
4. Decide on the place where you will deliver your freelance bookkeeping services. Common options include working from your own physical satellite office, consulting over the Internet or by visiting client locations. Once you identify your target customer you should do marketing research to determine which arrangement these types of clients prefer. You can either hire a market research firm or survey a selection of small to medium sized businesses in the area.
5. Start promoting your freelance bookkeeping service in your local newspapers and small local magazines. Send direct mail communications to small to medium businesses in the region. Consider investing in radio promotions that specifically target small business owners. Post online text ads (such as Google Adwords) to appear next to searches for bookkeeping services in your area.
Tags: your target, bookkeeping service, bookkeeping services, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics