Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service

shizah · 03-13-2009, 03:18 PM

Fellow warriors I need some advice on how to market an offline service to business owners. I need some advice on the best way to market outsourced accounting/bookkeeping services to small biz owners. I went overseas and spent some tome and the outsourcing company in place for accounting/bookkeeping services that I formed along with a CPA.

The company that we started is able to do the IT/marketing work that many of threads here talk about. We are more interested in the accounting/finance side of things, since that is what our backgrounds are in. Also, we feel that we can make more money offering these services vs. the IT/marketing services and with less resistance.

Do you think that we should market our services to the business owners for the accounting services and then get the marketing side of things or focus on the marketing and then get accounting? The benefit of an outsourced/offsite accounting firm is that you not need to have a bookkeeper/controller/accountant on staff. Ideally we would want to take over the entire accounting department of a company.

Do any of you think that we should set up an affiliate type of program? If so, based on the type of work for accounting services, the fee would be a minimum $1,000 per month per client with companies that have a minimum of 5 employees. What do you think would be a fair affiliate commission?

Or should we forget that and just handle the marketing ourselves by going to chamber meetings and associations and sending postcards/letters?

Any feedback would be appreciated and if any of you think we are totally off on trying accounting let me know that to!

Thanks,

Mark

TimCastleman · 03-13-2009, 03:21 PM

Mark -

The first thing you need to do - target businesses you think would most need your services. Whatever businesses that might be.

Second - talk with those business owners and find out what they would want from a bookkeeper and what they would be willing to pay for such services.

Third - create the product and sell it to those businesses.

Best of luck.

Tim

shizah · 03-13-2009, 03:56 PM

Tim,

Thanks for the response. We have actually decided to focus on businesses that are NOT in retail (chain stores etc.), franchises, government, or government related businesses. To much of hassle with those types of businesses.

We do know what they would be willing to pay and can offer more at cheaper price because it is outsourced.

Third- we have not thought about a product...are saying create a info product? This might be a great idea we never thought of. Something like "How to Fire Your Accountant and Make an Save $30,000". Is this what your are saying or am I off base?

Mark

TimCastleman · 03-13-2009, 04:00 PM

Mark -

Shoot me an email. We can talk more about it there.

But what I meant was find out from your customers ... if you were going to use our services what would you want included in those services.

It doesn't matter what you want to sell them, only what they want to buy.

Tim

shizah · 03-13-2009, 05:05 PM

Tim,

I just tried emailing you...but I can't!!! My post count is not high enough yet. I need 15 posts...can you just send me a quick email and I will shoot you an email back.

Thanks,

Mark

TimCastleman · 03-13-2009, 10:24 PM

It says I can't email you because you don't have an email listed.

At any rate you can get me a

timothycastleman

at

yahoo

Talk with you soon.

03-13-2009, 03:18 PM	#1
shizah Active Warrior Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 91 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service Fellow warriors I need some advice on how to market an offline service to business owners. I need some advice on the best way to market outsourced accounting/bookkeeping services to small biz owners. I went overseas and spent some tome and the outsourcing company in place for accounting/bookkeeping services that I formed along with a CPA. The company that we started is able to do the IT/marketing work that many of threads here talk about. We are more interested in the accounting/finance side of things, since that is what our backgrounds are in. Also, we feel that we can make more money offering these services vs. the IT/marketing services and with less resistance. Do you think that we should market our services to the business owners for the accounting services and then get the marketing side of things or focus on the marketing and then get accounting? The benefit of an outsourced/offsite accounting firm is that you not need to have a bookkeeper/controller/accountant on staff. Ideally we would want to take over the entire accounting department of a company. Do any of you think that we should set up an affiliate type of program? If so, based on the type of work for accounting services, the fee would be a minimum $1,000 per month per client with companies that have a minimum of 5 employees. What do you think would be a fair affiliate commission? Or should we forget that and just handle the marketing ourselves by going to chamber meetings and associations and sending postcards/letters? Any feedback would be appreciated and if any of you think we are totally off on trying accounting let me know that to! Thanks, Mark

03-13-2009, 03:21 PM	#2
TimCastleman Gunslinger War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,649 Blog Entries: 34 Thanks: 155 Thanked 744 Times in 293 Posts	Re: Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service Mark - The first thing you need to do - target businesses you think would most need your services. Whatever businesses that might be. Second - talk with those business owners and find out what they would want from a bookkeeper and what they would be willing to pay for such services. Third - create the product and sell it to those businesses. Best of luck. Tim
	How To Get Your First Client For Free - Without Leaving The House WSO OF THE DAY - Get others to build your offline empire for you

03-13-2009, 03:56 PM	#3
shizah Active Warrior Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 91 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service Tim, Thanks for the response. We have actually decided to focus on businesses that are NOT in retail (chain stores etc.), franchises, government, or government related businesses. To much of hassle with those types of businesses. We do know what they would be willing to pay and can offer more at cheaper price because it is outsourced. Third- we have not thought about a product...are saying create a info product? This might be a great idea we never thought of. Something like "How to Fire Your Accountant and Make an Save $30,000". Is this what your are saying or am I off base? Mark

03-13-2009, 04:00 PM	#4
TimCastleman Gunslinger War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,649 Blog Entries: 34 Thanks: 155 Thanked 744 Times in 293 Posts	Re: Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service Mark - Shoot me an email. We can talk more about it there. But what I meant was find out from your customers ... if you were going to use our services what would you want included in those services. It doesn't matter what you want to sell them, only what they want to buy. Tim
	How To Get Your First Client For Free - Without Leaving The House WSO OF THE DAY - Get others to build your offline empire for you

03-13-2009, 05:05 PM	#5
shizah Active Warrior Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 91 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service Tim, I just tried emailing you...but I can't!!! My post count is not high enough yet. I need 15 posts...can you just send me a quick email and I will shoot you an email back. Thanks, Mark

03-13-2009, 10:24 PM	#6
TimCastleman Gunslinger War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,649 Blog Entries: 34 Thanks: 155 Thanked 744 Times in 293 Posts	Re: Need Advice on Marketing Offline Service It says I can't email you because you don't have an email listed. At any rate you can get me a timothycastleman at yahoo Talk with you soon.
	How To Get Your First Client For Free - Without Leaving The House WSO OF THE DAY - Get others to build your offline empire for you