After I quit public accounting in 2013, I became a Controller at BackOps where I managed the business and accounting of many small businesses.
As I became more confident in my own small business accounting and marketing skills, I decided to go out on my own and open my own accounting business. Since then, I have become a full-time freelance accountant, mainly providing accounting and payroll services to startups and non-profits.
In the last 6 years, I have become obsessed with the freelance industry because I believe it’s a massive opportunity for people all over the world, accountants included.
Based on my perception, becoming an accounting freelancer is one of the easiest and fastest ways to become an entrepreneur because it requires virtually no money to get started and businesses all over the world have a need for part time accountants. In fact, many businesses prefer not to hire full-time employees and instead prefer to work with independent contractors or freelancers.
The other great thing about freelancing is that if you become a successful freelancer, you can open a successful accounting firm where you can have other people do the actual service delivery for you. This is something I currently do in my business and the flexibility is priceless.
A platform called Upwork has been critical to my success.
Upwork is an online marketplace that connects businesses to freelancers. The platform makes it easy to get started with freelancing. Personally, I have used the platform to hire freelancers but more importantly, I have found many of my current clients on Upwork.
Are you ready to start freelancing and working for yourself? I promise you, Upwork can be your key as you grow. Especially if
you don’t have a marketing budget.
The following are some Upwork tips I’ve learned along the way as I scaled my firm to six figures:
Set Up Your Account And Profile:
The first step to getting started on Upwork is to get your account approved. This part is fairly easy. Then, the key to setting up a good profile is filling it out in full. Your title on your account should be skill-based, highlighting the different services that you specialize in. Your profile description should be about building as much credibility as you possibly can. You should highlight all the different skills and services you can offer. If you have a website or an amazing LinkedIn profile link it there as well. Learn how to write an amazing LinkedIn accountant profile HERE.
Targeted Job Search Filters:
To narrow down the jobs available, go to Search and click the “find work” tab in the Upwork platform and set the filters to meet your ideal job. I use keywords such as “Bookkeeper”, ‘Quickbooks”, etc. By doing this, you can easily find the types of jobs you want. You can find jobs with people who have actually spent money on the Upwork platform before, and this also makes it easier to find longer-term contracts.
Write Custom Proposals:
Proposals are all about selling your prospect on getting on a phone call with you. It is typical for any job posted to get 5-30 applicants. You must stand out from the crowd. A key thing that you can do to be different than the other freelancers on Upwork is to personalize your proposals. You will have more success applying to 5 jobs a day with custom proposals then applying to 15 with cut and paste proposals. Do this by thoroughly reading the client’s job posting and using a lot of the same words they use in your cover letter. These things can help you stand out from the crowd and win interviews with potential clients.
Phone Interview:
The phone interview is often where the job is won. You should approach the interview by positioning yourself as an expert, even if you’re first starting out on Upwork. Make sure you are conversational and friendly. Ask them questions about their business, their goals, and their pain points. Then, based on what they tell you, tailor your solution to what they need.
When you’re first starting out, you have to remember that it’s about building credibility by earning positive reviews and over delivering for your client. If you under promise and over deliver for your clients, you can set yourself up to become extremely successful. Upwork will be your best resource when starting out when marketing money is tight. Stay consistent and results will come.
If running an accounting firm or freelancing sounds like 
something you would be interested in but you don’t know where to start, go ahead and download my FREE Firm Quick Start Guide below.
Also make sure you check out my Inclusive Firm Course.
In this course I teach the exact steps I took to start my own accounting business, all the best technology and sales techniques out there, and much much more! You will be able to go out and start signing clients comfortably after going through my course.
If you prefer one on one consulting, we offer that as well! Click here to schedule a strategy session.
Do you have any other questions on what it is like to be a freelance accountant? Leave a comment below and I will get back to you!
