Are you looking for an opportunity to become a WAHM?  If you have bookkeeping skills, you may be in high demand.  Many businesses are looking for someone who bookkeeping savvy to keep track of their expenses and profits.  As a bookkeeper, you may be called to keep records of day-to-day expenses, profits, and receipts.  This helps your customer keep a better record of exactly how their business is doing and where their money is being made and spent.

What kind of skills are necessary to be a successful bookkeeper?  Bookkeepers must be able to pay very close attention to detail.  One small mistake and your client could lose money.  You will also need basic bookkeeping skills.  If you have a working knowledge of some type of computer software, it will work to your advantage.  More importantly, businesses are looking for a bookkeeper they can trust and one that will keep their information confidential.

To get your bookkeeping business up and running, you will need a reliable computer that has some way of backing up the client data.  Businesses often need to keep track of their expenditures and profits for years, so you will need to keep all records you work on.  Your bookkeeping software should be the latest version as well.  As with all home based businesses, you will need a phone line and email address so the client can communicate with you.  A fax machine is not necessary, but may be of some benefit.

To draw in your first clients, have some attractive business cards and flyers made up.  You can do this yourself on your computer, but make sure it looks very professional.  Look for small businesses in your area and either mail them a flyer or take on in by hand.

Joining the local Chamber of Commerce will keep you abreast of community events where you can advertise your business.  They can also help you make sure you have all the legal information needed for starting up your own business.  You can also place an ad in the local newspaper to advertise your services.  A website will allow people to see your services very easily and is usually cheaper than most other forms of marketing.

Remember that it will take time and effort on your part to build a client base, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come quickly.  Treat each customer with care and they will tell all their friends – word of mouth is the best advertising available!