Look, I talk to a lot of business owners around Brisbane. Most of them think a bookkeeper is just someone who cleans up their mess once a quarter so the tax man doesn't come knocking.
They see you as a cost. A grudge purchase. Something they have to pay for, like a registration fee or a plumbing leak.
But then there’s the ‘Accountant.’ Business owners treat accountants like gods. They pay them five times your hourly rate to give advice that is often six months too late.
If you want to grow your business and stop competing with cheap offshore data-entry bots, you have to change the game. You need to stop being the person who 'does the books' and start being the person who helps the business owner sleep at night.
Here is my honest take on how you actually stand out and get the respect (and the rates) you deserve.
Stop Talking About Compliance
Nobody gets excited about BAS. Nobody wakes up thrilled to reconcile their bank feed.
When you market yourself by saying "I do BAS, payroll, and bank recs," you are telling the business owner you are a commodity. You’re telling them you’re exactly the same as the person down the road charging $30 an hour.
If you want to win, talk about what those things do for the owner.
- Don’t say "I do payroll." Say "I make sure your staff stay happy and you never get a nasty letter from the ATO." - Don’t say "I provide monthly reports." Say "I’ll show you exactly where you’re losing money every single month."
Business owners don't want bookkeeping. They want a clear head. They want to know if they can afford to hire that next apprentice or buy that new ute. If you can answer those questions, you aren't just a bookkeeper anymore. You’re a partner.
Be the 'Real-Time' Expert
This is where you can absolutely destroy accountants.
Most accountants look at data that is ancient. They’re looking at what happened last year. By the time they tell a business owner they spent too much on materials, the money is long gone.
As a bookkeeper, you are in the engine room every week. You see the cash going out today.
You can offer something an accountant can't: Speed.
If you see a client’s margins dropping on a job in Paddington while it’s still happening, and you pick up the phone to tell them? You just became the most valuable person in their business.
You need to position yourself as the person who keeps the dashboard running so they can drive the car properly. When you start speaking at local events or talking to prospects, lean into this. Tell them: "Your accountant tells you why you lost money last year. I tell you how to make more money next week."
Pick a Niche (Seriously, Just Do It)
I know, you’re worried that if you only work with electricians, you’ll miss out on the cafe down the street.
But here’s the truth: generalists get paid garbage. Specialists get paid premium rates.
If I’m a tradie and I have to choose between a "General Bookkeeper" and a "Bookkeeper for Construction Firms," I’m picking the construction specialist every single time. Why? Because I don't have to explain what progress claims are or how retention works. You already know.
When you specialise, you can charge more and keep clients because you are providing way more value than a generic bean counter. You know their software. You know their pain points. You know their industry benchmarks.
Fix Your Website (It’s Probably Boring)
Most bookkeeping websites are a sedative. They’re blue, they have a picture of a calculator, and they list "Attention to detail" as a core value.
Rubbish.
Your website needs to speak to the business owner who is currently stressed out at 9 PM on a Tuesday.
It needs to work on phones (because that’s where they’ll find you while they’re on a lunch break) and it needs to tell them exactly how you’ll save them time. Stop listing your qualifications in the first paragraph. Nobody cares. Tell them how you’ll get them home for dinner earlier.
You want to show them you’ve done this before. Don’t just tell them you’re good—show them. Sharing stories of how you saved a local business $2k a month in wasted subscriptions is how you get better clients to call you. It proves you aren't just typing numbers into a box; you’re actually looking at the business.
The "Accountant" Relationship
Don’t fight the accountants. Use them.
A lot of bookkeepers feel intimidated by accountants. Don't be. A lot of accountants are actually terrible at the day-to-day stuff. They hate cleaning up messy files.
Go to the local accounting firms in Brisbane and tell them: "I specialise in Xero for tradies. I make sure the files are perfect so you can do the tax return in half the time."
They will love you for it. They’ll refer clients to you because you make their lives easier. But—and this is the big one—make sure the client knows that YOU are the one keeping the ship upright day-to-day.
What Should You Do First?
If you want to start standing out tomorrow, do these three things:
1. Change your 'What do you do?' answer. Stop saying "I'm a bookkeeper." Try: "I help local tradies actually see where their profit is going." 2. Audit your current clients. Who are the ones you actually enjoy working with? What industry are they in? That’s your niche. Start moving towards more of those. 3. Review one client's file for a 'win'. Find one place they are wasting money or one process that’s taking them too long. Call them and tell them. Don't charge for the call. Just show them you're thinking about their profit, not just their receipts.
My Honest Take on the Cost
Standing out doesn't cost a lot of money, but it costs time. You have to stop doing the $30/hour tasks for a minute to think about the $150/hour strategy.
You might need to spend a bit on a website that doesn't look like it was made in 2004. You might need to spend some time writing down your processes. But the return on that is huge.
You aren't just a bookkeeper. You're the person who keeps the engine of a small business running. Start acting like it, and the owners will start paying you like it.
If you’re struggling to get this message across or your website is currently scaring people away, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We help local businesses get found and actually get picked.
Ready to get more calls? Let’s chat.