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How to Manage Multiple Bookkeeping Clients From Home
What does a typical day really look like for a work-from-home bookkeeper?
In Part 2 of our Day in the Life of a Bookkeeper conversation, Lynn Talbott continues her interview with Ashley Lamar Morris of Purrrfect Bookkeeping to explore the routines, systems, and workflows behind running a solo bookkeeping business from home.
Ashley walks us through her daily and monthly bookkeeping workflow, explaining how she manages approximately 20 clients while keeping her workload organized and manageable.
From checking emails and reviewing her own books first thing in the morning to requesting client statements, reconciling accounts, managing uncategorized transactions, following up on missing information, delivering reports, and scheduling client meetings, Ashley breaks down how her bookkeeping workflow changes throughout the month.
She also shares the simple color-coded Google Sheets system she uses to manage her bookkeeping clients and quickly identify which accounts need attention, which are waiting on client information, and which are completely closed for the month.
Lynn and Ashley also tackle an important question for independent bookkeepers: When should you bill clients for emails and additional questions?
They discuss the difference between answering a quick question and spending 10–15 minutes researching transactions, reviewing financial reports, and preparing a detailed response and how to make sure you're compensated for your time without making clients feel nickel-and-dimed.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• What a typical day looks like for a work-from-home bookkeeper
• How to organize a monthly bookkeeping workflow
• How to manage multiple bookkeeping clients
• Email and task management strategies for solo bookkeepers
• How to prepare for month-end bookkeeping
• How to manage client statements and missing information
• A simple Google Sheets system for bookkeeping client management
• When bookkeepers should charge for emails and additional work
• Hourly billing vs. monthly bookkeeping pricing
• How to use downtime for bookkeeping training and professional development
• Productivity strategies for working from home
• Why multitasking can hurt your focus
• How to build a bookkeeping business that fits your lifestyle
Whether you're a new bookkeeper, virtual bookkeeper, solo bookkeeper, or already running a bookkeeping business from home, this episode offers practical strategies you can use to improve your workflow, manage your clients more efficiently, and create a business that works for you.
Thank you to our guest Ashley. You can reach out to Ashley at purrrfectbookkeeping.com
If you're looking for a community of bookkeepers who understand what it's like to build and run a business, join us inside the Bookkeepers Training Circle.
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