So - here is the text for my January mailing. Yep, thinking ahead! Suggestions?

It’s Almost Tax Time. Are Your Accounting Records Up To Date?
If not, we can help! The Virtual Office Goddess provides basic bookkeeping and office support services. We can take your years worth of deposit slips/receipts and organize them into QuickBooks for about a third less than your CPA will charge you. This will give you the peace of mind that your CPA will be happy and your taxes will be filed on time. The deadline for providing us with your paperwork is (Month Day), 2008. Visit us at www.virtualofficegoddess.com for more information.

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Lily, great strategy! It looks great!
Here's my version...but please don't feel like you have to use this (I tend to be very conversational and somewhat sarcastic in my copy...so if that doesn't feel true to you then by all means ignore me! )

It’s Almost Tax Time. Are Your Accounting Records Up To Date?
If not, we can help! The Virtual Office Goddess provides basic bookkeeping and office support services. We will efficiently and accurately organize your years' worth of deposit slips and receipts (yes, even the ones stuffed in a bag at the back of the closet) into QuickBooks for about a third less than a CPA will cost you. Let us give you peace of mind, knowing that your taxes will be filed on time. The deadline for providing us with your paperwork is (Month Day), 2008 so visit us today at www.virtualofficegoddess.com for more information.

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Looks Great, thanks! I put in and then took out "the shoebox full of papers" half a dozen times 'cuz I couldn't think of a better way to word it!

Next project - finding out from the CPAs what THEIR deadline is and giving myself 30 days prior!!

Did I mention your sarcasm tends to match mine?

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Then we're the perfect team when it comes to writing copy.
When it comes to unpleasant realities (and what's more unpleasant than a shoebox full of tax related papers!?) people relate immediately to the straightforward. They'll be touched by and respond to that more than anything else on the card, I'd imagine

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What a great idea! I need to get an updated version of Quickbooks so I can begin offering bookkeeping services. I have an ancient version! lol Maybe next year...

I'll just leave the bookkeeping and stick to what I'm good at!! haha

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Winslow Girl Virtual Assistant
www.winslowgirlva.com
Taking Virtual Assistance to the Next Level

Good job planning ahead. I like both versions.

Originally Posted by winslowgirl

I'll just leave the bookkeeping and stick to what I'm good at!! haha

Good thinking

There was a posting on Craigs List Denver yesterday, to which I say "AMEN." The ad text read as follows:

"Employers: QuickBooks/Bookkeeping experience is minimum of $20/hour (you get what you pay for)

It is a profession, and it brings 20-80/hour. $12-15 is great for a file clerk! I make a lot of money cleaning up for my clients who pay clerical workers to do the job of a professional bookkeeper or accountant. It costs you a lot more in the end.

Learning a software package doesn't give you the qualification to do someones books, so paying someone what you would pay a file clerk makes no sense unless you enjoy paying more to clean up the mess!"

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Ha!
I've seen similar posts for designers, VAs, etc. It's incredible what some believe they can get away with paying.
I was checking out the site stats the other night (for the Virtual Assistant Forums) and saw a search for '$5.00 Virtual Assistant' - is there such a thing??

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Originally Posted by Tess

I was checking out the site stats the other night (for the Virtual Assistant Forums) and saw a search for '$5.00 Virtual Assistant' - is there such a thing??

Not a GOOD one

I look at Craig's List every day and am always amazed at how many people think $12-14 is reasonable for an experienced bookkeeper. When I started my 9-5 job 2.5 years ago, (temp while bookkeeper went on maternity leave - she didn't come back!) the bookkeeper here was making $17/hour. I spent the next 8 months cleaning up the books so we could file our (extension requested!) annual taxes. Goes to show that you really DO get what you pay for!!

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"