You need to decide what type of services you are going to offer your clients.

Some services are:
Accounts Receivable (billing customers)
Accounts Payable (paying the bills the business owes)
Payroll
Payroll Taxes
Sales Taxes
Monthly Bank Reconciliations
New business set-up (applying for tax numbers, etc.)
Posting to clients software (such as QuickBooks)

Once you get a list of services you plan to offer your clients you need to advertise. Here are some ideas…

Get a second phone line in your home. An office line with a business phone number so you will be listed in the Yellow Pages under Bookkeeping or Accounting.

Join your local Chamber of Commerce. This is a group of local business owners. New businesses may need help with their bookkeeping.

Make up some professional looking tri-fold brochures and send them to possible clients. Send them out to employers advertising for bookkeepers in the newspaper.

Advertise your service in a low-cost paper. We have one here in our area that is sent out free once a week. A lot of self-employed people such as painters, lawn care workers, etc. advertise in this paper.

Publish a website. This does not have to cost a fortune. You can have a nice site for about $10.00 a month.

Consider becoming QuickBooks certified. You can get listed on their website and link to yours. This can be a big plus.

Check with your local CPA firms. Some offer bookkeeping services, but some do not. They might be able to send a client your way.

Let everyone know that you are doing bookkeeping.

Hang a professional looking flyer on the board at the grocery store.

If you are in the city limits you may need a business license. You can call City Hall to find out. Also, I would highly recommend Errors and Ommissions Insurance. This protects you if you make an error while providing bookkeeping services.

There is not trick to getting clients. That’s the hardest part!

Good luck!