Do you want to take back control of your time and money by starting your own bookkeeping business? Starting a Virtual Bookkeeping business offers the perfect way to get back your time and be in control of your money. In this article, you will learn about how you can start a virtual bookkeeping business by setting SMART Goals. Before we talk about starting a Virtual Bookkeeping business, let's talk about what SMART goals are and how they can be achieved.

The SMART goals method talks about making your goals Specific, Measurable , Attainable , realistic and Timebound. 

As bookkeeping routines are often predicated on outside factors, setting annual goals can be an exceptionally challenging task for bookkeepers. While it may seem ironic that those responsible for the counting and managing finances have difficulty determining their own objectives - this is unfortunately a reality faced by many in similar roles. Hence, setting SMART goals can help set your business up for success & rapid growth!

How to Write SMART Goals for Accountants:

Goals should be Specific: 

Creating a specific goal for your aspirations makes them more achievable. Reflect on what you want to accomplish and break the larger goals into smaller, actionable steps that are easier to reach. With each success comes an increased sense of motivation – allowing yourself time to recognize why this goal is personally meaningful can also be key in inspiring progress.

For example, your first and laser focused goal should be investing in and setting up your work space &  work tools.  Working remotely as a virtual bookkeeper and it's only fitting that you invest in a good computer, At least 1 extra screen (I go nuts with just 1 screen!), stable internet along with the best software that will help streamline and automate your work flows.

Goals should be Measurable: 

No goal is too tough - try giving yours a quantitative perspective! Setting SMART goals can be tricky especially for bookkeepers, but with the right rephrasing of any objective can become measurable. Make sure to track your progress and know when you’ve reached success!

One of the most basic goals for this business that you can easily measure is that you set a measurable goal of achieving x amount of revenue that will take a x number of average clients in the next x months or so. This can be easily tracked and measured. 

Goals should be Attainable:

Now that we are slowly understanding what SMART goals mean, it should be clear that setting SMART goals give you a lot of clarity and help you achieve those goals with a clear mind set. 

Setting lofty goals can be a great way to motivate ourselves, but making them too ambitious may lead to discouragement. Aim for achievable objectives and consider any potential roadblocks that could prevent reaching the goal within an acceptable time frame. 

For example, if you set your goal to be something like “I want to improve my marketing strategy for my bookkeeping business” then you ll be banging your head against the wall because you are never going to know if you have achieved this or not, as mentioned above the goals should be measurable and achievable as well. A better rephrasing of this goal is “I will post 3 times a week on social media regarding my bookkeeping business” OR “I will attend 2 networking events per week to develop relationships & promote my business”, goals set like these will help you gain more confidence because you ll be motivated to achieve this goal as you’ll be able to measure it on your own as well. 

Goals Should be Relevant and Time Bound:   

Every goal must have importance to the broader vision of the individual, for example having financial freedom in the long run through your bookkeeping business. One needs to uncover the why here. And your why has to be bigger than your excuses, when you work with Fast Track Business Academy, we help you map your goals out and break it down into daily actionable steps to ensure that you get the results to turn your dreams into reality.

Consistently establishing sensible time frames for each goal and regularly reevaluating your progress is essential. It's reasonable to adjust the timeline as needed, recognizing that unforeseen circumstances can arise.

A relevant and timebound goal for bookkeepers can be “I will be completing a quickbooks/Intuit course next month”. Setting goals that follow a SMART approach can set you up for success in the long run.

Click here If you would like a copy of my Free Training where I go over my methods & strategies to set your business up for success & rapid Growth.  I have perfected these strategies over the last 11 years and have grown my Accounting practice to 10k per month in less than 6 months, three times over!
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