Here’s a breakdown of what to include:

1. Compelling Headline

• Example: “Master MYOB & Xero Bookkeeping — Get Certified and Boost Your Career or Business!”

• It should instantly communicate the value of the course and who it’s for.

2. Subheadline with Outcome-Focused Benefit

• Example: “Learn practical bookkeeping skills using Australia’s most popular accounting tools — even if you’re starting from scratch.”

3. Strong Call-to-Action (CTA) Above the Fold

• Use buttons like:

  • “Get Instant Access”

  • “Start Free Trial”

  • “Download Free Course Preview”

• CTA should be repeated throughout the page.

4. Short, Engaging Explainer Video or Demo

• Brief video (1–2 minutes) introducing the course, showing platform walk-throughs or testimonials.

5. Benefits-Focused Copy

• Break down what students will learn and how it helps them (e.g. start a freelance business, get hired, manage small biz finances).

• Use bullet points or icons to make it scannable:

  • MYOB & Xero practical training

  • Real-world bookkeeping scenarios

  • Certificate of completion

  • Lifetime access & updates

6. Social Proof

• Include:

  • Student testimonials (video or text)

  • Logos of companies that hired graduates or where instructors worked

  • Star ratings from course platforms

  • Number of students enrolled (if impressive)

7. Lead Magnet (Freebie)

Offer a free resource to collect emails:

• “Download our FREE MYOB vs Xero Comparison Guide”

• “Try the first module for free”

• “Free bookkeeping checklist for beginners”

8. Clear Course Features

• List what’s included:

  • Modules

  • Quizzes & exercises

  • Templates

  • Support (e.g. Q&A, email help)

  • Certification details

9. Instructor Bio and Credibility

• Share the instructor’s experience, certifications, and real-world bookkeeping background.

• Build trust by showing why you’re qualified to teach.

10. Pricing Options

• Use clear, simple pricing.

• Highlight:

  • Payment plans

  • Discounts (limited-time offers)

  • Money-back guarantee

11. FAQ Section

• Address common objections like:

  • “Do I need accounting experience?”

  • “Is this accredited?”

  • “How long will it take?”

12. Trust Elements

• Show:

  • SSL secure checkout

  • Satisfaction guarantees

  • Accreditation or industry partnerships (if applicable)

13. Mobile-Optimized Design

Ensure the landing page looks great and is easy to navigate on mobile—many users will come from social media or email.

14. Exit-Intent Popups or Slide-Ins

• Offer a last-chance discount or lead magnet before they leave the page.

Is starting an online course and training business something you would consider?

See how we help people start their own online course business.

The post What your landing page should contain if you want to sell online bookkeeping courses appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Training courses are designed for people who want to be taken on a learning journey that gives them practical skills to help them remember what they learn.

The olden days

Before the Internet, a training course usually involved

1. finding a good training centre within 20kms
2. reviewing their course schedule for course duration and session times
3. enrolling before all available seats were taken
4. going to a physical training centre,
5. being shown how to perform a task, and then
6. having a go yourself.

If you got stuck you’d put your hand up and the trainer would come over, see what you’ve been doing and then correct you and explain what you did wrong.

Then you’d all have a tea break with coffee and Tim Tams and chat for 30 minutes (but it should have been a 15 minute break). Does that sound familiar?

Videos, Workbooks, Support

Now it’s the same but different.

1. you can enrol and start whenever you have time,
2. the training instruction is delivered via video (and replayed as often as needed).
3. you don’t need to travel and can learn from home
4. you can use website chat, email, sms and phone if you get stuck
5. have a coffee and whatever you want to eat from your fridge or pantry

Videos are easy

The biggest change we’ve noticed is how easy it is for anyone to create a training video. Some of these videos are of people speaking (talking head videos) and others are screen recordings using the software.

There are thousands of great bookkeepers and accountants and they can all create videos to explain how to use the software – and you can watch most of them for free online and particularly at Youtube.

The hardest part of creating a course is to design the learning journey that starts with basic skills and then gets gradually more complex, building on the basic skills you’ve just learnt.

With bookkeeping this normally means doing the full cycle of

1. quoting,
2. invoicing,
3. accounts receivable and
4. receiving payment.

But none of this normally goes to plan. If you’re a course designer you will know about some of the tricky things that can happen and build them into the learning journey. That’s what we’ve done with our courses.

Videos are cheap

If you can’t afford a premium short course which also includes:

1. training workbooks,
2. practical tasks,
3. support when you need it and
4. a certificate to demonstrate you’re competent,

then access to a video library is one of the cheapest ways you can learn. When you choose our training libraries you can have the confidence that the videos flow from one logical step to the next.

Click the Learn Express logo below to see the training video library options.

If you find you need support AND the training manual you can explore one of the tutoring packages.

Tutoring for one on one attention

Tutoring in how to use Xero and MYOB has always been popular for students who need the complete attention of a trainer. They’ve become more popular in the last few years because companies like Airtasker entice contractors onto their platform and then promote them – but have you ever used Airtasker?

We’ve heard from people who’ve used Airtasker for delivering things or other handy man tasks that haven’t gone that well. Many people have had a great experience but the problem with the Airtasker platform is that you never get any of the persons contact details until you choose one person and pay your money.

Even then, some Airtaskers will communicate with you solely through the Airtasker platform rather than give you their email address and mobile number.

With our tutors you know who you’re getting and they know their stuff.

Click on Trevor Turners ad below to see our tutors and tutoring packages.

The post How cheap to go for your MYOB and Xero Bookkeeping Course appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Is Google Harassing You To Increase Your Advertising Spend?

Google now achieves billions of searches every single day, making it without doubt, the world’s leading search engine.

So, with the search market effectively cornered, and most of the planet seemingly online at any given time, businesses are only too aware that featuring in Google searches can be central to getting their brand in front of their target audience.

The real problem though, is that with high competition, many operators know just how difficult it can be to rank organically (that is for FREE). In many cases they also feel ill-equipped, under-skilled or lacking in know-how to effectively manage online marketing in-house.

Not surprisingly, this situation has not escaped the attention of the people at Google! And as many Google Account owners may have noticed recently, Google would really like you to know that they have a solution to your online visibility needs: Google Ads.

Would you like to learn how to write a compelling ad for your business and stay away from costly outsourcing? There’s some free training here.

What is Google Ads and do I want it?

Google Ads is Google’s well-known and widely used online marketing tool. It is a paid service which can guarantee businesses a place at the top of online search results. While a paid search listing will be flagged as an ad, in all other respects it looks much the same as the organic search results that appear beneath it.

Although marketers tend to agree that a paid advertisement is likely not as valuable or effective as a high-ranking organic search result, knowing that their brand will be seen above others is still a desirable outcome for many businesses, and Google understands this.

Whether or not you opt to invest any of your marketing budget into Google Ads will obviously come down to your own particular cost benefit analysis. To do this, you will need to identify and document exactly where your leads come from so that you have the best possible understanding of where to focus your attention for a successful marketing campaign.

If a Google Ads campaign is done well, by someone skilled with a strong understanding of your business, it can ultimately increase leads, conversions and sales, and be worth the outlay for some businesses. However, as with any marketing strategy, coming out on top depends on many factors.

Want to learn how to track your sales pipelines and optimise leads? Check out our free training here.

Google account strategists

As a business owner, you may have noticed an increase in phone calls or emails from agents representing Google Ads. Known as Google account strategists, these people work for companies that are third party contractors to Google, and they are there to entice you to buy into a Google Ads campaign, managed by them.

A quick Google search reveals that in many cases, these contractors can be very persistent. Coupled with the obvious fact that these agents are not direct employees of Google, business operators of all kinds are beginning to get curious.

So, what is going on? Why does Google outsource this task?

In fact, there are several reasons why Google might choose to engage contractors over appointing additional employees to carry out this particular work.

Keeping costs down and maximising business flexibility

A distinguishing feature of any field that is tech or internet related, is that it is in a perpetual state of innovation and transformation as it continues to expand into new areas of our lives. So, for a multinational tech company like Google, its operations, focus and goals will necessarily be dynamic, transforming rapidly over time.

For this reason, while companies such as Google will always require a comprehensive, highly skilled staff to achieve core strategies and business goals, and maintain growth and direction, it makes financial sense to utilise independent contractors to deliver certain projects along the way.

Using Online Sales Contractors in certain circumstances enables the company to expand and contract as necessary over time, far more easily than would be the case if it relied on in-house employees for every task. This service is also available to small businesses by utilising an experienced Virtual Assistant.

Using contractors for these types of projects, the company can maintain flexibility to respond to changing circumstances, both internal and external, while at the same time keeping staff costs down. Rather than receiving a wage or an hourly rate from Google, the contractor earns through creating a job for themselves, while Google wins through increased advertising revenue.

Appearance of independent endorsement

Another incidental positive of using contractors to perform this task is that there is potential for some businesses to perceive it as a sort of independent validation of the product. That is, Google doesn’t need to push it for themselves, because other companies whose sole focus is to increase your sales, are seemingly clambering to do it for them.

Should you pick up the phone?

Ultimately, whether or not you choose to engage a Google Ads strategist is up to you, but always do your homework before making a decision.

First, you need to make sure that it is in fact a legitimate Google representative. To ensure they are legitimate, ask them to send you an email from their google.com email address, and to include your customer ID.

After this, you should think about whether or not you actually need this kind of help. Understanding where your leads come from, identifying the richest sources, tracking sales pipelines, knowing the tools you need, and writing effective copy can seem daunting, but in many cases you can learn these skills yourself.

You may not consider yourself an expert in anaylitics, however, you know your business better than anyone, and there are plenty of free resources available to help you excel. So, take the time to inform yourself first.

Risks to consider

If you feel that you are in a financial position to run a Google Ads campaign, always remember that an Ads professional who understands your needs and the nature of your business is best placed to make effective campaign decisions that will deliver relevant and valuable results.

While an anonymous strategist that has cold-called you may have some helpful suggestions, and will likely be an expert in the Google Ads platform, there is always the possibility that they will not have similar expertise with your particular business. Remember that a deep knowledge of your business is key to marketing success.

Strategists are also randomly assigned, so while you may have excellent experiences with a representative one quarter, it may be quite the opposite in the following quarter if a new representative is assigned.

Remember also, that in many cases the driving motivation for these strategists is to obtain as many accounts as possible, rather than to truly understand your business and create campaigns that deliver meaningful results to you. In this case campaign data analysis of campaigns may not be prioritised, and you can’t be sure that the campaigns you’re paying for are value for money.

If it doesn’t work out for you, and your representative does not achieve promised or adequate results, it can also be quite difficult to navigate any consequent dispute or to recoup money you have invested.

So, the best way to manage your marketing campaigns is to become an expert yourself, so that you know you are in the best possible position to make effective decisions.

The post Is Google Harassing You To Increase Your Advertising Spend? appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Online Customer Service Training – All You Need To Know

The Online Customer Service Training Course is a training package filled with easy to understand information, real life case studies, and practical tasks designed to get you up to speed on all aspects of online customer service.Once you finish this course, you will have all you need to get your business up and running, including a hands-on understanding of marketing and income boosting strategies.

One of the best parts is that you will have mentor support for a full six months. You can also work at your own pace, and save the training materials to refer back to whenever you need to.

What You Will Learn

The course is divided into 12 distinct sections that cover the what, why, when and how of every aspect of your online customer service tool kit, from knowing your products or services, to boosting engagement, and the marketing pipeline.

To find out more or to speak to a course adviser, click here.

Product or service knowledge

Be an expert! The importance of being completely across not only your products or services, but also their unique benefits, and how and where they feature on your website can’t be underestimated.

As well as this, a deep knowledge of your target market is crucial, so that you can define and communicate your products or services effectively, and with precision.

Bundles and packages

In this section you will learn all about bundles and packages, and who in your target audience to discus them with. Is there a particular segment of your market that would benefit from a bundle of particular services or products?

Find out who this might be, learn what packages to combine, and how to target your offering to the customers most likely to add it to their shopping cart.

As an Online Customer Service agent your role is to ask the right questions to identify the ideal client and then make a recommendation based on their goals.

Special offers and promotions

Offers and promotions are commonly used tools in small business.

While they can be extremely effective, in many cases they fail to achieve their purpose. This is often because business owners haven’t taken the time to identify and understand their own goals, which is crucial to developing the right offers and promotions.

In this part of the course, you will learn about the full range of potential offers and promotions. After defining exactly what it is you want to achieve, (whether that is to spotlight a new product, increase customer spending overall, or bulk up your email list), you will be able to choose the promotions that best fit your goals, and implement them successfully.

This also helps you create better Google Ads and marketing campaigns.

Lead generation

Collecting your customer’s details is one of the most important steps in the sales and marketing funnel.

In this part of the course, you will learn how the lead generation system works, along with all the ways in which you can optimise your website to capture visitor information, from your contact page, to the full range of enquiry forms.

These forms, including lead generation forms, inline lead forms, and qualifying leads, can be used strategically on your website so that you not only obtain important prospect information, but you can also develop an understanding of the most effective pages on your website.

One of the main reasons that a list of prospects is important is that only about 3% of the people who enquire are ready to buy right then and there. If the person has never heard of you before you’ll need to build your brand and profile by making regular contact and following up with them.

Speaking with customers

Learn how to prepare for engaging with customers, and how to speak with them by developing a strong understanding of what they are after.

This can be achieved to a certain degree with lead generation forms and other means. However, as you establish yourself and perfect your sales skills, you will also learn that much of the time you will often be fielding similar questions from your prospects.

This Online Customer Service course will give you the skills you need to establish trust so that your client feels comfortable to share their information, and also to accept advice. It will also show you how to be proactive, taking control of the interaction, and leading the conversation with a clear idea of what you want to obtain from the prospect (but also based on their needs).

In the process of dealing with customers, you will also be able to identify the most commonly asked questions, and then to develop an FAQ page for your website, (which is also a handy technique for increasing website engagement).

These are the most common questions asked about online MYOB & Xero Training Courses.

Maximise website engagement

Engagement is the moment that a person at your website becomes a real person and not just an anonymous visitor – so it is VERY important.

There are many ways in which you can increase engagement on your website by potential customers. In this segment of the course you will discover methods for boosting engagement while on phone and website chats with prospects.

You will also learn how to communicate direction clearly and concisely so that they understand exactly how to navigate where they need to go.

The sales and marketing pipeline

In this part of the course you will learn the process for converting leads into paying customers. Your goal is to “qualify” as many prospects as possible, right from the point of initial interest.

Integral to managing this process successfully is obtaining permission to send your prospects information. You will learn how to get prospects to “opt in” to an email list, and you will be given all the tools, as well as an understanding of all the key platforms to facilitate this process.

You will also learn different techniques for encouraging prospects to opt in, including targeted rewards.

Marketing

Marketing covers a lot of ground from pricing and creating product ranges, to consistent messaging and communication aimed at converting prospects into paying customers, right through to managing post-sale issues.

In this part of the course you will learn what sort of messages you need to send to prospects and customers, and how to send them in order to inform them of key information, encourage them buy, and to build ongoing trust.

Selling strategies

Learn the “science of selling” without relying on outdated and off-putting “hard sell” techniques. In this part of the course we will help you to really understand your prospects, and in turn how to link them with the product or service that they are most likely to want.

You will also develop an idea of who your ideal customers are, how to locate and target those customers, how to identify and communicate the key benefits of your product or service to them, and the sales process as a whole, including the all-important art of closing sales.

To enrol or to speak with someone about how this course can benefit you, click here.

The post Online Customer Service Training Course appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Catch-Up / Rescue Bookkeeping – A Case Study

While every bookkeeping job comes with its own set of unique tasks, clients seeking catch-up (or Rescue Bookkeeping) tend to bring with them a host of relatively predictable (if dynamic) issues that you can manage effectively if you are aware of them.

A typical catch-up bookkeeping scenario

Recently we were contacted by the operator of a sole trader business – “Peter” (not his real name), seeking help with his bookkeeping backlog.

Many of the issues he identified are relatively standard in the rescue bookkeeping world. Becoming familiar with them will help you to effectively help your clients in the future.

Tax returns in arrears

By definition, anyone seeking help with catch-up bookkeeping will have a backlog of some kind.

In Peter’s case, he is three years behind with his tax returns.

With catch-up bookkeeping, there is a high likelihood that your client’s systems for maintaining their receipts are inadequate, and that there will be missing receipts and records. The further back the backlog reaches, the more information gaps you will encounter, while reconciliations become more time consuming.

This case study is an ideal example of what someone should understand if they are perform online Customer Service work or if you are a contract bookkeeper.

Business and personal bookkeeping records

Like most people seeking rescue bookkeeping, Peter’s business and personal transactions have not been separated. In addition to operating a sole trader business, he takes on casual work in Aged and Disability Care in a personal capacity, so his statements contain transactions that relate to (but don’t differentiate between) each of these roles.

Peter’s QuickBooks Online account also only has the registration details of his sole trader business, so he is unsure how to enter and deal with the casual contracts that he undertakes in the Aged and Disability sector.

Peter has also a recently purchased an investment property. So, between his casual work, his sole trader business and the recently purchased investment property, he has several distinct income streams and transaction which will complicate reconciliation and data entry tasks.

Tax receipts

Peter doesn’t make huge amounts of transactions, but because he is three years behind, he has accumulated 200 receipts.

This is a significant data entry burden, and given the extended timeframe, it is safe to assume that not all receipts will be retrievable, and that there will be discrepancies. Some receipts may also have gone white and can’t be read if they are exposed to sunlight!

Peter’s receipts are in hard copy (he doesn’t use Hubdoc or other Receipt Capture software that would enable him to create and keep a digital record), and his bank does not enable him to use bank feeds to import transactions onto QuickBooks.

In this case you will need to problem solve a solution, to avoid a scenario where the client physically posts the receipts to you, which risks resulting in a range of negative outcomes for you and for them, if the receipts are lost prior to creating a digital record.

Attention of the ATO

Peter is concerned that because the majority of his transactions are business expenses, and because he expects a sizable return, that he will be a “red flag” for ATO auditors.

He has been informed that the ATO are reasonably easy to deal with as long as he communicates regularly and give them an update of the work that has been completed and when he expects to complete it all.

Be ready to discuss with your client issues around dealing with the ATO

For this reason, he is concerned about how to deal with the ATO, and he wants to be armed with all the information he needs prior to lodging.

Income and expenses

In many cases, catch-up bookkeeping clients won’t have attended to any record keeping at all.

In Peter’s case, he has been on top of some income records, but has neglected his expenses.

While Peter is confident that expenses will exceed revenue, and that he is due a refund, because he has neglected recordkeeping tasks, there is no guarantee that his perception is accurate, or that he is completely clear on the financial state of his business. For this reason, he needs to be prepared for any unwanted surprises.

Communicating about Receipts and Expenses

One of the unexpected costs associated with Rescue Bookkeeping is the time it takes. You may come across some receipts and need confirmation of the account code to use (or to know if it is personal or business) and Peter might not know right away.

Peter might also be very busy earning an income that he is not able to return your call/email/sms until the end of the day – or, 2 weeks later!

This time lag can end up becoming VERY frustrating and may require you to be MORE efficient in your coding and messages.

Avoiding costs

Peter is very keen to keep expenses down, which is one of the reasons he has never engaged the services of a BAS agent or an accountant, and in fact one of the reasons he is now seeking rescue bookkeeping.

There may be some tasks that relate to Tax/GST that can only be performed by a Registered BAS Agent or under guidance from the owner or business accountant.

Peter saw the Level 1 Bookkeeper Rates and wanted to pay those rates but he may also need help from someone more experienced.

In these circumstances it is important to keep in mind the parameters of the job, and to ensure that you do not mistakenly agree to any work that might be out of your skillset or capability.

Certificate in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online

One of the cheapest ways to upskill and learn how to use Xero and MYOB to perform daily transactions and bank reconciliation tasks is to enrol into a Premium Short Course or MYOB & Xero Certificate Course Package.

You’ll learn how to use these accounting programs to perform these tasks yourself or be a better manager if you get a contract bookkeeper to do the work for you.

The post A Catch-Up / Rescue Bookkeeping Case Study appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Clarifying your client’s needs as you get more involved

As a bookkeeping tutor or trainer, just as when you are working as a bookkeeper, you need to make sure that you have a clear understanding of exactly what your client needs are, right from the outset.

Once you have established your client’s precise needs, you are more able to deliver a value for money service, as well as understand fully the parameters of the job.

Or, if your client’s needs go beyond what you’re capable of delivering, with an understanding of what they are after, you can provide direction, and refer them to a colleague within your referral network.

How to uncover your client’s unique needs

As you get more involved in a client’s business you can start to see areas where you can provide extra help they might need.

These areas are usually focused on your client’s

• business type and Industry, its
• Procedures and systems, and the
• degree of knowledge and experience your client and current staff have.

Your opportunity could come because they lack expertise, systems or resources.

Industry or Niche Integrations

Knowing your client’s industry is important. If they work in an industry with specific or unique needs that you are not familiar with, you will be able to identify this right from the outset, and then refer them on, within your own network.

If you enrol into a Bookkeeping Course which includes 

Industry Connect you might find you have the knowledge to explore these niches yourself.

Become a Value Add

 Consultant with Xero Skills

Some new clients will find it difficult to articulate their understanding of their systems and software.

Once you begin performing work for them you can much easily ascertain their level of experience and expertise, and also how complex their bookkeeping needs may be, which can give you a clearer idea of the services you can perform to do more work for them.

If you have studied how to use some of the powerful Xero Integrations you might be able to help the business improve their procedures and systems. Clients sometimes pay a higher rate for this type of work.

Xero accounting software started as a cloud accounting program and built it’s reputation on the fact that it could integrate with hundreds and now thousands of other online applications.

When you learn how to use Xero you also open up the opportunity to help businesses migrate away from MYOB or QuickBooks.

What are you behind with?

You can be ready to have a conversation with your client about how you can help them to stay on top of bookkeeping tasks by implementing improved systems and processes.

There is very often at least one area where a business is “under resourced” and needs help and by identifying it and bringing it into the conversation you can use your specialist skills or recommend someone in your referral network.

This could be:

• Bank Recs and ATO Compliance lodgements
• Follow-up up accounts receivable and debtors
• Managing the Rosters and Timesheets for staff

Take a look at some of the ways that bookkeeping businesses package their services. It’s a great way to differentiate your services and even charge different rates for different bookkeeping tasks – or just increase your earnings overall.

Have you thought about migrating to Xero?

This question can be an introduction to the benefits of Xero’s Cloud Accounting Software that they may not be aware of, and a way to start a conversation about integrations (that you will be able to guide them in).

Remember that Xero enables you to perform most of your work remotely from home and it also enables multiple staff to login and use it at the same time.

Are you confident in each of the Xero dashboards?

Identify your client’s information gaps by discussing the software in more detail, and the highlighting benefits and disadvantages in the context of their business.

This is an opportunity to make them aware of benefits that they may be missing out on, and to show them the practical difference you can make in the day to day running of their business.

Are you spending too much time on certain tasks?

Find out whether your client is labouring over simple tasks due to a lack of understanding about efficient alternatives. Focus your assistance and problem solving in this area.

What tasks, if any, do you undertake manually?

Have a discussion about the benefits of automation, and focus your tutoring around the tasks that your client still performs manually.

Do you need help understanding apps, software or integrations?

Asking about this can enable you to give your client an idea of the range of solutions that can simplify their business operations.

More often than not software integrations convert manual steps into a systemised set of procedures that are all managed in the cloud.

Become their Bookkeeping Advisor

When you identify needs of a business and have a solution to satisfy those needs you become a valuable resource to that business.

It is up to you now to determine whether you want to be more involved in the day to day work for your client or to try to elevate yourself to an advisor/consultant who sets new systems and procedures in place.

The post Get More Bookkeeping Work from Existing Clients – What to Look For appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Understanding Your Clients Needs

When speaking with or taking on a new client, it’s important to ask the right questions so that you can be sure that you are the right person for the job, and if not, be ready to refer within your own network.

Asking targeted questions also enables you to develop an understanding of the person you will be working with. Knowing this, you are able to foreshadow (and then plan for and avoid) potential future issues, and focus on the client’s problem areas.

What questions should I be asking my client?

Which software are you using? Is it cloud-based software

Knowing the software your client is using, if any, is the first step to understanding if and how you can help. Asking this question also allows you to identify your client’s “information gaps”, and gives you an opportunity to show how else you may be able to help them get their bookkeeping processes into shape, and give them information that might encourage them to automate.

What type of business do you run? Are you a consultant? Do you bill time?

Understanding how a new client operates their business is important, whether they bill in cycles, or according to milestones gives you an idea of the size of the business you will be dealing with.

Are you required to lodge a BAS?

Asking this question will give you an understanding of the kind of revenue you will be dealing with. If the client is hesitant or doesn’t understand the question, you can explain the requirements around BAS.

Are you under the $75,000 limit for lodging a BAS?

Where there is confusion about BAS requirements, these questions can help you identify this, and ascertain whether or not your client has been operating in accordance with requirements, or could potentially need help registering for GST.

Have you ever had an accountant or BAS agent work for you? Do you work with one now?

This question can give you an idea of the complexity of your client’s tax needs, and help you to better approximate the time it will take you to complete the work you are taking on.

It also gives you an understanding about the potential “team” that you can work with, particularly if they relate to BAS Services or Tax.

If they don’t have an Accountant you can introduce them to the one in your Referral Network.

Are your tax returns behind? Do you need Rescue Bookkeeping.

This will also help you estimate your own billable hours. You can also find out if you will need to communicate with the ATO to avoid potential action against your client.

Is the ATO sending you any charges, like general interest charges?

If your client is behind, find out how far, and let them know their options for dealing with the ATO. Put a plan in place to avoid additional charges.

What is your ABN?

Your client’s ABN could be under their name or their business name and getting their ABN will help you clearly identify who you will be billing, as well as whether they are registered for GST.

Do you have all of your receipts?

Your client may have hardcopy receipts, credit card transaction history, email receipts or a combination. You need your client to

• locate all relevant receipts (excluding those under $82.50),
• differentiate between business and personal expenses if dealing with credit card records, and
• plan for how to have them delivered to you for data entry into their accounting software.

You can get an understanding of the amount of time you will need to spend entering data, where it has to be performed manually.

Where are you located?

With online accounting software like Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB Essentials most bookkeeping tasks can now be performed remotely from anywhere.

In some cases however, completing the work remotely may not be the best way for your your client. If this is the case, you may be able to find a colleague within your referral network to help.

Start a Bookkeeping Business

When you start a bookkeeping business it is very important to create a business plan that is based on your own market research.

In your bookkeeping business plan you will identify what an “ideal client” looks like. This might depend on how much you want to charge and what kind of work you want to focus on.

If the bookkeeping prospect you speak to doesn’t fit the criteria of an “Ideal Client” you might be better off referring them to someone who can do a better job at a better rate so you can focus on getting your ideal client.

Bookkeepers who try to do anything for anyone find that they are stretched for time, spend time learning how to do things they don’t know and provide bad customer service.

The post Understanding Your Clients Needs Because NOT ALL Customers are Ideal appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.

Helping a Business Catch-up with their Bookkeeping has Risks. Here are the risks for Rescue bookkeeping work?

There is no doubt that opportunities are abundant in the world of catch-up bookkeeping. This is because even the most organised among us have at times let things slide when it comes to our businesses money matters.

However, if you are taking on this kind of bookkeeping work, it is important to remember that it can come with some significant risks and pitfalls that you need to identify and plan for.

Uncovering the risks of catch-up bookkeeping

If you are dealing with someone who is months or years behind in their bookkeeping tasks, you need to be ready to deal with a host of potential issues that can make your work and quoting more difficult.

Lost receipts

If your client is significantly behind in their bookkeeping tasks, it is likely that they will have lost at least some of their receipts.

If this is the case, you will need to

• give the client time to gather all the records that they are able to,
• remind them of the task if they drop out of communication, and also
• explain that any purchases in excess of $82.50 for which they cannot locate a receipt, will not be claimable.

While this will be disappointing for the client, explain that clearing the backlog and getting out of harms way is the ultimate goal, and encourage them to keep moving forward.

You can also suggest ways to help your client stay organised in the future by implementing the right technology for their business.

Bank statements

Where a client has fallen into disorganisation, you will have to deal with unreconciled bank statements and unmatched transactions. When this has happened you may have to factor in additional time.

If the client is significantly behind, you could be dealing with huge amounts of records covering several financial years.

Client stress

If your client is a long way behind, they are likely to be in a state of overwhelm, unable to see the forest for the trees.

In this case, it may be difficult for them to understand and follow through on the tasks they are being asked to complete, particularly if they are very busy doing other work that EARNS THEM MONEY. Some business owners think good finances is just a cost and they may struggle to do the work to help you help them!

If your client is stressed, you will need to break down and simplify the tasks into “chunks” that are clear and manageable, and remind and encourage them to complete the small steps as you proceed.

Issues with the ATO

In some cases the ATO may already be involved, or soon will be. In this case, your client will be under significant pressure, and may have been avoiding even thinking about the issue.

If this is happening, you will need to reassure your client, and explain exactly what can be done to get them on the right track, and that the ATO can be good to deal with if you communicate well and show progress.

Where you can identify client stress and provide a solution or even just simple reassurance, they will be easier to work with.

Potential for non-payment

Given that your client is so behind, it may be that they have a pattern of being disorganised and that may include non-payment or late payment for some of their bills.

It is essential to protect yourself against potential non-payment by setting out a clear terms of engagement and even receiving part payments in advance of any work completed.

For example, 10 hours in advance at a time, or by particular milestones if there are any that are sufficiently clear.

Your billable hours

All of the risks and issues outlined can make it difficult for you to assess the exact parameters of the job, and how long it is likely to take you.

You will need to make this clear to the client, and let them know that it may be difficult initially to estimate the scope of the job with complete accuracy. However, after you have completed the first portion of the work, you will be able to provide a more precise assessment.

You should also make it clear that the more organised they are, the easier (and cheaper) the bookkeeping will be. To be organised is to

• make sure that all invoices have been sent,
• business and personal transactions have been separated, and
• accounts received have been logged.

If they need help with these “regular” bookkeeping tasks you can let them know you have a different rate or fixed price package.

Benefits of catch-up bookkeeping work

While catch-up bookkeeping work does bring with it a particular set of issues, there are also some advantages. With clients who are struggling to organise, you are able to offer skills, expertise and insights that can lead to further work.

For example, you can offer to implement a receipt tracking system to help them in the future, or if they are ready, you can help them to implement and manage automation and integrations.

Training on MYOB & Xero

Up-skill in MYOB and Xero with the Bookkeeping PRO training course package (include Career Academy & Industry Connect).

Our team will teach you how to use accounting software, give you full support, connect you with Industry Practitioners and even help you start your own Bookkeeping Business.

The post Catch-up Bookkeeping – Know The Risks for Rescue Bookkeeping appeared first on The Sales Training Academy.