How to Start a Home Based Bookkeeping Business is a comprehensive guide which takes you through every aspect of setting up and running a thriving home-based bookkeeping business, from estimating your start-up costs and finding clients to being on top of financial considerations, establishing an online presence, and staying profitable.  Whether you’re just starting to learn the trade or are an experienced accountant or bookkeeper looking to be your own boss, this guide will help you build your own successful business.

Look for useful charts and worksheets throughout the book, including:

• Home Office Checklist
• New Entity Setup Checklist
• Business Entity Selection Guide
• Create Your Own Mailing or Contact Lists
• Sample Engagement Letters
• Sample Business Plan with Industry Statistics
• Questions to ask New or Potential Clients
• Client Setup Checklist for QuickBooks Setups
• Guidance on Setting Billing Rates and Policies (an Average Billing Rates)
• and much more

Review by J. B. Doty from Charleston, SC on Amazon:

Woohoo! My book is a #2 Bestseller outranking “Think and Grow Rich!”

I was admittedly skeptical when I first ordered this book. I thought to myself: I’m an accountant, I’ve already started my bookkeeping business, I’ve secured a few clients – what can I learn from Michelle that I don’t already know? Well, it turns out there’s a lot. Instead of assuming I know nothing about accounting/bookkeeping, Michelle writes with people like me in mind, those who are already trained in the technical stuff, but need help figuring out how to use those skills to build a business and generate revenue.

This book is perfect for you if you’re already an accountant/bookkeeper and you want to take the leap to hang out your own shingle (from your home office). She writes about the pros and cons of working from home and even offers advice on how to set up your office with the right furniture and equipment. There are also short essays from established home-based bookkeepers who offer different, sometimes competing perspectives. I found these anecdotes especially useful since they raised concerns I hadn’t considered.

Marketing is one of the key topics Michelle writes about and it only makes sense, since it’s how you’ll develop business. She discusses websites, social media, networking and more. There’s also information on setting billing rates, collecting fees, setting expectations and much, much more. Sprinkled throughout the book are also wonderful templates and samples, including a full business plan and several engagement letters! She also offers checklists you can use when setting up your own bookkeeping practice and again when you’ve just secured a new client and need to get them set up.

All in all, the book is a good, easy read that’s chock full of information – more than you’d expect from a book its size that you can carry with you on the train. I recommend it to anyone who has made the decision to branch out on one’s own (or is even considering, since this book may help you decide home-based bookkeeping is NOT for you).

Check your local book store or on Amazon.