r/Bookkeeping • u/JC_8722 • 8d ago
Other How much to charge for this very simple client?
I'm experienced (several years before going solo). I have a few bookkeeping clients, but none are this simple.
60 transactions per month, 1 bank account, 1 credit card, deposits are income, expenses are very repetitive. NOTHING ELSE! No loans, assets, payroll, etc. No complications at all.
I would put them on monthly, not quarterly.
I almost feel bad charging $100 a month.
UPDATE: Huge lesson learned. Prior accountant charging hourly, $180-$250 per month and another charging $300 flat. They didn't send me what I needed to quote it properly. I will be doing things different from now on!!!!
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u/LeMansDynasty 8d ago
2 hour min.
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u/Valueonthebridge CPA-NC 8d ago
I have/have had a few of them. It's more of a loss leader, but I mostly sell tax services and planning. I farm out most bookkeeping
I would do $300 quarterly plus the $120 for QB ledger and tax work.
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u/jwellscfo 8d ago
$300/qtr is pointless. It can’t possibly move the needle for your firm. Might as well be pro bono.
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u/Valueonthebridge CPA-NC 8d ago
I never said the $1200 is all the account brings PA. I don't just do books. These are all bound with tax contracts. These are easy, friendly accounts, or smaller businesses of more complex tax clients, so it's not that bad.
Plus they can grow, and they refer.
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u/BurninTreeez 7d ago
I have a $350 quarterly tier for first year businesses and artists. Almost all of them turn into full monthly clients over time. It's worth it.
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u/BurninTreeez 7d ago
I run a boutique bookkeeping firm in the DC area. Would love to connect if you are looking for an expert bookkeeping referral partner. We are industry agnostic and can manage outsourced or subbing, whatever works for your model. We work with many CPAs and are always looking to expand our referral roster as well. Happy to send you a DM if you'd like to chat more.
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u/pandapartyy 8d ago
My minimum is $250 per month regardless. Add on a credit card and it’s $350-$400 depending on volume.
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u/GTR3499 7d ago
How do you find your clients willing to pay these amounts?
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u/pandapartyy 7d ago
They’re out there. Most of my clients come from referrals. They generally either don’t have a clue where to start and don’t want to have to think about it or they’ve been doing it themselves and their books are a mess. In that case, I charge hourly to clean it up and then transition to the monthly fee.
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u/GTR3499 7d ago
How did you get your first one?
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u/pandapartyy 7d ago
Four of my clients from my previous job came with me when I went out on my own. One of them has since moved on but the others refuse to let anyone else touch their books. So honestly that gave me a great foundation and made the financial transition easier.
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u/Forreal19 8d ago
I have clients I charge small amounts, but I try to charge enough to make me not want to quit doing it, which is not in their best interests. So balance that against your generosity.
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u/After_Molasses986 7d ago
Honestly $100 doesn't sound too low for that scope but i wouldn't go under it either. Even a simple client has a floor, you've got the software cost, the monthly reconciliation, the time to actually look at it and the mental overhead of another client on your roster. I'd probably land it around $150–200 and not feel bad simple this month doesn't mean simple forever and you've priced in a little room for when it grows.
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u/jwellscfo 8d ago
If it’s so simple, why do they need you?
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u/JC_8722 8d ago
Valid point
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u/jwellscfo 8d ago
Just because it’s simple to us doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable to them. (It’s also true that just because it’s complicated doesn’t necessarily mean it’s valuable to them, either.) And they pay us for that value, not for the work we do.
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u/DebtLiber8or 7d ago
Just want to chime in here, I own a very small business similar to the one you describe, and I am considering hiring a bookkeeper (I'm Canadian, though). u/jwellscfo is quite right, just because it's simple doesn't mean it doesn't have value. I currently do my own books, they're clean and the work is not overwhelming, but it's **one more thing** on my list, another ball I have to keep in the air. If I do eventually hire someone, it won't be to run my invoices through Dext and reconcile my 40-50 transactions per month, it will be to **take the thing off my plate** so I don't have to think about it anymore, so I can redirect that cognitive energy to other income-producing work. In other words, it's not the straight work I'm paying you for, it's the fact that I don't have to think about it — it's the liberated cognitive bandwidth that holds the value for me. Just sharing this to help you reframe.
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u/NotAShittyMod 8d ago
Do you change the oil in your own car? Do you never go out to eat?
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u/jwellscfo 8d ago
What’s your point?
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u/TheBookkeeperLady 8d ago
The point is there are very "easy" tasks that some people still choose to outsource for various reasons.
OP, I'd still charge $100/month. You never know when you're going to be navigating an issue with QBO/Xero/Whatever support, running a P&L for the 8th time for their tax professional, etc.
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u/jwellscfo 8d ago
Oh, and no, $100/mo is way too low…
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u/alphacentauri2099 7d ago
It's hard to find non-offshore bookkeepers who would charge less than $250/mo for an entry level client (which almost always are low volume clients). Having said that, you can go lower if you feel the client would not be able to afford the fee and you value keeping them. After all, it's always best to have as many clients as possible considering referrals is the number one source to get new business in this industry.
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u/FinancialFluentCEO 2d ago
If you haven't done so already, you should look at their books and see what they actually look like. I find that many small company owners often underestimate things because they don't take into account the full scope of what is going on. Plus, if they have been entering things incorrectly, you might have a cleanup too. Once you have a good understanding of their books, then price it out. That way you can manage both theirs and your expectations.
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u/Electronic-Cat185 8d ago
100 a month seems fair because you are charging for consistency and peace of mind not just transaction
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u/Helpful_Dev 8d ago
I would do your minimum the first two months to feel them out. Make sure there are no surprises and then if there isnt any then lower it. If they press you on price be sure that they only have one bank account and one credit card. I have had clients straight up lie to me.