Developing your business

Client acquisition & retention

In order to develop your business you need to acquire clients and retain them.  You should ask yourself:

Who are the clients you are approaching and what issues do they face?  How can you help solve those issues and what makes you different from other bookkeepers?

Once you can answer these questions you will find it easier to target your marketing efforts and to keep your existing clients engaged.

Distinguish yourself 

Your ICB membership distinguishes you from bookkeepers affiliated with smaller bodies or those without professional membership. You can use the following marks of distinction to sell yourself as an ICB Practice Licence holder:

• You are a member of the world's leading bookkeeping organisation
• You have a professional qualification, training and membership
• You have Professional Indemnity Insurance
• You are supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations
• Your Institute monitors standards and provides best practice guidelines
• You are governed by a set of Professional Conduct Regulations
• Your skills & knowledge are kept up to date through Continuing Professional Development
• In the case of any disputes your clients can contact the Institute

Use your Practice Licence Holder Benefits

• List your Practice in the ICB Find a Bookkeeper Directory
• Use the ICB heraldic crest on your stationery and website
• Use the designation Certified Bookkeeper if you are an Associate (AICB), Member (MICB) or Fellow (FICB)
• Take advantage of the free checking service for your stationery, website or marketing materials
• Read through these Running a Practice pages of the website for useful information and tips - most of the pages are only available to Practice Licence holders