Are you having a difficult time attracting the right clients for your business? Developing a bookkeeping “niche” may be the solution you’re looking for. This is a bookkeeping business strategy that allows you to focus on your strengths and position yourself as an expert in your corner of the market. Is a niche the change YOU’VE been looking for? Read on to see if this is the right strategy for your firm!

What is a niche?

In the simplest terms, a niche is a specialty. Having a specialty, or niche, is great for marketing your business! Think about it. When you google services you need, do you look up “babysitter”? Or do you search for “babysitters in Los Angeles”? You’re probably going to get pretty specific with your search terms to ensure you find exactly the person you’re looking for. To continue with our babysitter example, you might want someone in your area, with more than five years of experience, to care for a child under five years of age. When potential clients look for bookkeepers, they are searching the same way!

To help us illustrate what we mean, which of these seems like a better pitch for your business?

I am a bookkeeper who works for small businesses.

I specialize in auditing services for small businesses.

You can see how the second pitch might help you land the exact kind of job you’re looking for!

Should you develop a niche?

There are a couple of things you should consider before diving headfirst into developing a niche for your bookkeeping firm. Namely, is this strategy right for you? How could you benefit from specialization? Here are some questions you should be asking yourself before you make your mind up.

  • Am I having a difficult time reaching potential clients? As we’ve previously alluded to, having a niche is great for SEO. If this is a marketing problem you’re having, utilizing a niche could be a good strategy for scoring on keywords.
  • Do I have a specific client I tend to serve? The easiest way to decide if having a niche is for you is by looking at who you’re already serving. You might already, in practice, be a specialist! For example, if the bulk of your clients come from one industry, that industry could be your niche.
  • Is there a specific client I’m looking for? Okay, maybe you don’t already have a specific type of client you cater to, but it’s never too late to change your business model.
  • Is there something I’m really good at? If overhead analysis is your thing, do your thing! Whatever it is that you have the most experience in, are exceptionally skilled or trained in, or just prefer doing, let that thing guide your business.

Sometimes, it’s okay to think small. In fact, thinking small might be just the change you need to start attracting the right clients for your bookkeeping firm. Finding your niche is all about embracing the qualities that make your firm unique, and letting your individual strengths guide your marketing decisions.

Show off your strengths below and tell us what your niche would be!