The Bookkeepers' Voice

Having a voice is about so much more than talking, or even communicating. Finding your voice is about walking the difficult but rewarding path from being invisible, silenced and ashamed, to being heard, understood, and seen. When Amy started her bookkeeping business in 2015, she found clients difficult and at times abusive, which left her feeling isolated, stressed and questioning her own abilities. After connecting with other bookkeepers, Amy realised that many bookkeepers had the same struggles, experiences and often felt isolated in their business. Whether trying to communicate with a difficult client or set boundaries many felt undervalued and overwhelmed. When Amy started The Bookkeepers Voice Podcast, she wanted a way for colleagues in the Bookkeeping industry to feel less isolated, more connected and know they were not alone. Through sharing real experiences of what it’s like running a small bookkeeping practice, and teaching of topics of interest, Amy makes you think, laugh and know you’re not alone. In this episode, Amy tells her story of how she lost her Voice: literally. On 8 December 2022, she was heading to South Gippsland with her two sons and husband Will, to visit her dad for the weekend. But less than 30 mins into the trip, Amy felt unwell and became unable to speak normally (Aphasia). Will called an Ambulance and Amy was taken to hospital to be assessed for a stroke. Instead, she was Diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, a condition where there is a disruption between the brain and a function of the body. ironically, the disruption occurred between the one function that forms the basis in the foundation for the work Amy most loves to do - speaking, encouraging, telling stories, teaching and training, and giving Bookkeepers running businesses, a voice. Amy recorded this episode about a week after she came home from hospital, and although she had made a great deal of progress in recovering her voice, but the voice you will hear this episode isnot the one you are used to hearing. Since this episode was recorded, Amy’s voice improved but she has since had five further relapses of Aphasia. Amy is currently taking some time off work to recover, and to decide on a future direction that will take into consideration, her reduced work capacity. At this stage, the future of the Bookkeepers voice podcast, and The Savvy Bookkeeper is unknown. But we will post an update as soon as possible. Amy would like to express her gratitude to podcast listeners, and savvy members. You have given Amy a sense of purpose and joy in business. We ask that you would lift Amy and her young family up in prayer, and for healing and protection over Amy’s voice, and for Savvy, a business Amy worked so hard to build. That it would not be wasted or destroyed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you're starting out in business or looking for a job, you may be wondering how to 'get your foot in the door' if you don't have hands on experience. Is gaining a qualification 'just a piece of paper' or will completing a formal qualification increase your chances of finding clients or a job? Tune into the Bookkeepers' Voice Podcast as Amy Hooke, Bookkeeping business owner and mentor, explains the benefits of study but also how to know when it could be a waste of time. Key takeaway: Zoom out and have a look at your big picture goals. Useful links: How To Get Bookkeeping Clients When You Have No ExperienceYouTube videoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Bookkeepers' Voice Amy and Maia discuss a very common question bookkeepers struggle with: should I put my prices on my website? Of course, the short answer is... It depends! But the more detailed answer that this podcast explores includes figuring out why you want to make your prices visible, whether it benefits your client niche or not, and how comfortable you are talking prices during initial consults. Key takeaway: "Consider your 'why' and the impact on your business before deciding one way or the other" Useful links: Pricing for Profit programYouTube video Related episode - Season 3 Episode 1: Charging for Bookkeeping Health Checks Link to podcast episodeLink to YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Bookkeepers' Voice Amy and Maia are answering some FAQs around our Pricing For Profit Program. What is it? What are the benefits? And what is not? Listen in to find out how the program works and whether it's the right fit for you. We talk about setting financial goals and knowing exactly what you need to get there, making sure your pricing is right for your business, and smoothly transitioning your clients from fixed pricing to packages or to new packages. Key takeaway: Create a financial picture of your business to lead you towards your goals. Useful links: Pricing for Profit information pageYouTube videoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this first episode back after a break Amy and Maia discuss Bookkeeping Health Checks and, more specifically, whether or not you should charge for them. They get into the nitty gritty of how to bring it up with potential clients that they need to pay for a health check, and talk through the process they use when doing initial consults. Key takeaway: A health check is a useful document for any business owner to have, whether they end up engaging your services or not. Useful links: Health Check MasterclassYouTube video for this episodeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Amy Hooke, the founder of The Savvy Bookkeeper, and Business Mentor who helps smart bookkeepers become “business savvy bookkeepers”. In this podcast series, I'll be telling my ‘bookkeeping business story', and sharing my bookkeeping business vision, beginning with how I originally got started, what went wrong, how I fixed it, and how I transitioned away from being ‘on the tools' to having a profitable online business that runs without me. During this episode, I'll be telling my story about some of the 'band-aid' solutions I tried using to fix the problems I thought I had. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Amy Hooke, the founder of The Savvy Bookkeeper, and Business Mentor who helps smart bookkeepers become “business savvy bookkeepers”. In this podcast series, I'll be telling my ‘bookkeeping business story', and sharing my bookkeeping business vision, beginning with how I originally got started, what went wrong, how I fixed it, and how I transitioned away from being ‘on the tools' to having a profitable online business that runs without me. During this episode I'll be telling my story about why I decided to start working for myself, and how I got my first client. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Amy Hooke, the founder of The Savvy Bookkeeper, and Business Mentor who helps smart bookkeepers become "business savvy bookkeepers". In this podcast series I'll be telling my 'bookkeeping business story', beginning with how I originally got started, what went wrong, how I fixed it and how I transitioned from 'hands on bookkeeping' to a business that runs without me. In the beginning, I tried to "grow" my business by trying to fit into other people's dreams and goals. In this series I'll share what sparked my transition away from using other people's ideas of success as a measure my own, and towards building a business which is aligned with my own goals, vision and life purpose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Amy and Maia talk about why traditional business plans are not relevant to bookkeepers today. We show how a client-centric business plan helps you understand your client's problems better. By following this process, you can attract better clients, better staff and have more profit in your business to reward yourself. Listen in to learn the following tips on how to Plan for Growing or Starting your Bookkeeping Business: Useful links: Learn more about Savvy's 6 Step Business Plan and related programs: thesavvybookkeeper.com/businessplan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this insightful episode of The Bookkeepers' Voice, as we take you into the world of lead generation for bookkeeping businesses. Listen in as we discuss how 'digital research driven’ lead generation processes have recently made it more difficult to create genuine loyalty when it comes to landing new bookkeeping clients. We'll also be talking all things 'Fickle Leads' which are potential clients who are typically hard to connect with. We'll be discussing everything from how to gain their loyalty and sharing our tips for capturing them successfully. Key Takeaway: "Learn how to recognise a bookkeeping fickle lead and automate your follow up process." Useful Links: The Savvy Bookkeeper - DIY WebsitesThe Savvy Membership See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for this brand NEW episode of The Bookkeepers' Voice as we are excited to be interviewing a very special guest, Andrew Hunzicker, who is the founder of DOPE CFO and the CFO College. For those of you who don’t know, Andrew is a CPA which means that he is an expert in start-ups, CFO services, turnaround and high-growth strategies, capital sourcing, merger and wealth protection. In this episode, Andrew shares his expertise on start-ups, virtual business and 5 things that he believes make for a good niche concept. Andrew will also be sharing some bookkeeping industry specific tips - so this episode is not to be missed! Key Takeaway: "Opportunities are out there for bookkeepers to continually niche down and increase their profits." Useful Links: LinkedIn ProfileFacebook PageInstagramTwitterYouTubeWebsiteWebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Bookkeepers' Voice, we wrap up our 'EOFY Throwback Series' which was put together so you can be organised in the lead up to EOFY! Last week was all about optimisation and how you can automate and streamline the entire workflow process to save you time and Non-Billable Admin headaches.. In this final #throwback episode of our EOFY series, we share 4 types of bookkeeping onboarding templates, why each are so important, where they fit into the process and how they are going to make your life so much easier this EOFY season! From email templates to proposals, to onboarding templates and authority templates – we've covered them all! If you've ever had any questions about what kinds of templates other bookkeepers use – this is the episode for you! Key takeaway: “When you have templates and a good system, your Onboarding Process is going to be effortless!" Useful links: Email Templates: New Client On-boarding (Company)New Client On-boarding (Sole Trader)Accountant Introduction ReminderReceipt Bank LoginMonthly Client RemindersReview Request Email Template Series Proposal Templates: Bookkeeping Proposal for New Clients v1.0Bookkeeping Proposal v2.0 with Engagement Letter + Terms & Conditions Onboarding Templates: New Client Bookkeeping Getting Started GuideOnboarding Workflow InfographicNew Client Form Authority Templates: SuperStream AuthorityBAS Provider (BASP) AuthoritySTP 12 Month Enduring Authority Other things mentioned: Episode #89 From Traditional to Extraordinary with Sharon Crombie from MicroChilliPandaDocSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for another episode of The Bookkeepers' Voice, as we continue with our 'EOFY Throwback Series' so you can be organised in the lead up to EOFY! In last week's episode, we discussed the importance of Onboarding as part of a bookkeeping business as it sets the foundation for you and your clients. Getting it right EVERY time is also crucially important. In this #throwback episode, we discuss how you can optimise, automate and streamline the entire workflow process to save you time and Non-Billable Admin headaches this EOFY season. Key Takeaway: "Reduce the need for pesky client follow ups during the busy EOFY season and systemise your Onboarding Process today!" Useful links: Onboarding New ClientsNew Client Bookkeeping Getting Started Guide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tune in to another episode of The Bookkeepers' Voice, as we continue with our 'EOFY Throwback Series.' We're bringing you this series so you can be organised in the lead up to EOFY! In this episode, we'll be throwing back to an episode where Maia and Angie discuss one of their favourite topics - 'Onboarding,' and how it can be systemised to make your life easier. Did you know that by utilising a streamlined Onboarding process, you'll not only avoid an EOFY stress, but you'll change the way you do business forever! So join us and learn how you can increase your client loyalty and retention through a systemised onboarding process along with the use of Savvy templates and processes. Key takeaway: "By getting your Onboarding Processes out of your head and onto a workflow your EOFY can be stress free and streamlined." Useful Links: Onboarding WorkflowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us on The Bookkeepers' Voice as we bring you the third episode of our 'EOFY Throwback Series.' In this episode, we discuss improving your knowledge, reducing your risk and winning more bookkeeping clients. So what does this mean? We’re talking about bookkeeping and rescue jobs! As your business evolves, so does your processes, pricing and most importantly - health checks. So we've also included a #throwback episode where Amy Hooke discusses the challenges of scoping rescue jobs and why you should always perform bookkeeping health checks before providing a quote or taking on a new client. Key Takeaway: "Stop wasting time stumbling through Health Checks and gain the templates that will help you optimise the process!" Useful links: Bookkeeping Health CheckFree Health Check TemplatesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for another episode of The Bookkeepers' Voice, as we continue with our insightful 'EOFY Throwback Series,' so you can be prepared in the lead up to EOFY! This week, we'll be discussing the ongoing headache of pricing our services - because seriously - who likes focusing on their pricing?! After all, it’s a tedious task and hard to know if you’ve got it right. Throwing it back - Amy also discusses what to do about Non-Billable Time and how to achieve Pricing for Profit within your business. So whether you're new to this industry or you’ve been in the game for decades, this is an episode you don’t want to miss out on! Key Takeaway: "Save up to 15 hours creating profitable quotes for your EOFY jobs." Useful Links: Pricing Catalogue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us on The Bookkeepers' Voice, as we begin our exciting 'EOFY Throwback Series,' so you can be prepared in the lead up to EOFY! As the guru and founder of The Savvy Bookkeeper, Amy Hooke is a big believer in doing things in the right order. So in this episode, and now that EOFY is upon up, we'll be chatting about the importance of having your foundations sorted and in the right order to avoid an EOFY headache! Throwing it back - Amy also uncovers some alarming statistics about Australian small businesses which will help you understand the bigger picture and why Bookkeepers are SO important. Key Takeaway: "By getting your business foundations in order from the beginning, your EOFY will fall into place!" Useful Links: Get Savvy! Business Foundations ProgramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for another episode of The Bookkeepers Voice' as we interrupt our Stress Series because EOFY is only around the corner! In this episode, we'll be sharing the details on an insightful 'EOFY Throwback Series' we'll be bringing you that will cover everything you need to be prepared for in the lead up to EOFY. So tune in over the next 6 weeks as we share some of our most memorable #throwback podcasts along with some additional templates and processes to help you implement each episode topic into your business right now for EOFY. Key Takeaway: "It’s bookkeeping season. Let’s get our templates and processes prepared for this busy End Of Financial Year season ahead." Useful Links: The Bookkeepers VoiceTemplates and ResourcesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for another insightful episode of The Bookkeepers Voice' as Amy Hooke, owner and founder of The Savvy Bookkeeper and Off the Hook Bookkeeping once again takes over the Podcast! For our last episode, Amy was joined by Savvy Client Relationship Manager Angie as they discussed the importance of managing stress levels as a bookkeeper and business owner. In this episode, Amy chat's with our Practice Manager, Maia Coghlan to discuss some Savvy Tips on Managing Bookkeeping and Workflow Stress. Key Takeaway: "By learning how to create a successful balance between work and home you’re able to increase your profits, productivity and overall happiness." Useful Links: Tips to Managing Your Bookkeeping InboxPriorities Masterclass Podcast Ep #72 - Setting SMART Goals and Maintaining Your Focus With Maia Coghlan and Amy Hooke Savvy Business Stress Test Blog Post - 5 Steps to Banishing Invoicing Stress Forever Blog Post - Diagnose your stress level to work smarter, not harder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this exciting episode of The Bookkeepers Voice' as we welcome back the owner and founder of this very podcast, The Savvy Bookkeeper and Off the Hook Bookkeeping - Amy Hooke! Tune in for the beginning of a three part Podcast Series that will focus on Managing Stress. Over the next three episodes, Amy will be interviewing a few members of the Savvy team to chat about stress and how it can affect our bookkeeping businesses, our workplace and our lives in general. In this episode, Amy will be interviewing our lovely Client Relationship Manager Angie Martin who many of you already know from past podcast episodes. Key Takeaway: "Your energy is like a budget - you can spend all you want but eventually you need to replenish your ‘account’ to keep you going." Useful Links: Business Stress TestBlog post - 5 Steps to Banishing invoice stressBlog post - Business Coaching Stress Workplace anxiety and depression\ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.