We’re always excited for a chance to mix and mingle, and hear about the tips and tricks other bookkeepers and accountants use to make their jobs easier and grow their business. Lucky for us, the recent annual IPBC conference gave us just that chance.
For those of you who were unable to make it, don’t fret! We cover some of the best of IPBC below, including some videos with industry experts at the conference.
Value Pricing
If you’re a bookkeeper, now’s the time to take the bull by the horns and be innovative, says world renowned expert in value pricing, Ron Baker, founder of the VeraSage Institute.
One way to do this is with value pricing, where you charge your clients what you think your services are worth, rather than hourly pricing based on time spent. He recommends multiple tiers of fees. This can help grow your bottom line quickly, if done right. Baker encourages people to not jump on this all at once, but to do this at their own pace, learning to assess clients and their needs effectively while charging them rates that correspond with their needs. Watch the clip below for Baker’s advice on getting started, or click here to watch it.
HubDoc vs. Receipt Bank
Who doesn’t want to save time while doing their job? Do just that by gaining easier access to your receipts and billing information, thanks to apps such as HubDoc or Receipt Bank, both of which sync with QuickBooks® Online, says Rachel Fisch, owner of FischBooks and a valued QBO partner.
“It is no secret that I love Apps – third-party applications that integrate with QuickBooks Online,” says Fisch. “One of the best things about apps is that they are each so unique, and provide you with lots of options with how to get and use data within QBO’s ecosystem. In some cases, their functionality overlaps, but in others, they complement each other very well.
“Take Hubdoc and Receipt Bank for example,” she continues. “Using them in conjunction allows you to maximize each of their features when the settings are set correctly to avoid duplication. Hubdoc fetches online documents like bills, bank and credit card statements, essentially anything you log into to retrieve a bill or even ones that get emailed to you. Receipt Bank is wonderful for organizing receipts, invoices and creating expense reports. Both can link to QBO, and when they do, the transactions come through with an image of the transaction attached. So, if you feel you have to choose between the two, don’t! I’ll take both!”
Click here to watch a special interview with Rachel, or click on the box below.
Social Media
We’ve all heard that social media can help you grow your business, but how do accountants use it? CEO and Founder of Balance Sheets, and an awesome QBO partner, Elaine Orr, says she uses social media to build relationships. Simply updating your work status about balancing a bank reconciliation or providing tidbits of advice reminds your network about your skills and what you can do for them. Orr also talks about how she doesn’t rely on sales pitches; instead, she focuses on being authentic and using social media as a way to talk about her day and various wins she has, which, in turn, keeps her top of mind with her followers. If they don’t need an accountant or bookkeeper now, they might need one later!
Learn more about what she means by watching below, or clicking here to watch the video.
The IPBC is always a fun learning event and this year was no exception. Check out our additional videos highlighting some of the great information shared by our partners. Hope to see you there next year!
