Creating Space in Your Schedule as Bookkeepers and Accountants

The Bookkeeping Schedule Space Struggle

When I ask bookkeepers what their biggest struggle is when it comes to their bookkeeping schedule, often the answer is, “What do I do next?” They have all these emails and client work and are struggling with figuring out what to do and when. That is why I use programs like Asana and my calendar to track EVERYTHING, so I don’t over-promise my time. 

In this blog post, I am going to give you some strategies to help you avoid overpromising for clients and becoming overwhelmed when it comes to organizing your time, so ultimately your time is spent more efficiently and you can create more room in your bookkeeping schedule.

Let’s get started. 

Bookkeeping Schedule Challenges…

As I said, the challenges in terms of schedules for bookkeepers is what to do next and staying on top of just how much of their time they have promised to clients. This is especially true during tax time. 

We all want to provide the best service for our clients and it can be so hard to say no to work or pick up the phone every time it rings…but those things do create schedule space challenges. 

I’ve come up against these challenges myself in the past, where I was scrambling in different directions trying to do 19 things at once, and my schedule sucked. 

I have since learned that implementing a schedule and systems is what keeps me on track.  Now I have days where all I do is client calls, other days where all I do is work and I am unavailable for meetings or calls. 

Tackling Your Bookkeeping Schedule

So how do we tackle schedule challenges?

In a word – systems built on formulas. I know they’re hard to set up, which is why I want you to join my Template Lab. I’ll tell you more about that later. 

Formulas for your time so that you know what you need to be doing and what is due when. I use what I call a block schedule, where I have set times for specific tasks. 

For you, this might mean blocking off time in the day where you’re checking your inbox, instead of living in your email all day, setting a time aside strictly for social media or client calls. Whatever the task, set a time for it and just focus on that.  

Think about it. When you’re going back and forth between client calls and then work throughout the day, you’re constantly starting and stopping. By dedicating blocks of time or even full days to specific tasks, you get into a flow and ultimately get more done. 

So here is what I recommend if you’re challenged for time…

• Block your time. No starting and stopping tasks. And block the times you’re unavailable!
• Sit down with yourself and create an ideal schedule. I recommend you start with personal commitments and go from there to schedule in your client work.
• Create accountability for yourself. That can mean setting reminders, using task management software that will show you when things are coming due, or rewarding yourself when you complete something on time. Accountability is key. 
• Use availability software. This can help you forecast out your workload, show clients when you are available and schedule your commitments, so you don’t get caught up in over-promising. 

Sometimes it can be hard to initially put this kind of schedule and systems in place…but I promise you, these kinds of systems will have you praising the gods and wondering how you survived without them before. 

*Insert happy dance here* 

So in closing…

Systems and schedules = workflow = supreme organization and efficiency. Plain and simple. By creating a schedule that keeps you accountable and integrating systems that keep your work organized, you’ll find you have so much more space in your schedule. 

Plus, once you set your schedule boundaries, you will discover how efficient you can really be. Promise. 

I know creating schedules and systems that can give you time back in your schedule sometimes is frustrating and time-consuming. If you need some help, I want to introduce you to the NumberNerd Template Lab… where all the systems guesswork has been done for you. It’s got all the templates and step-by-step guidance you need to… 

• Take inventory of your current processes to see where you can create efficiencies
• Improve your workflows and gain back your time, so you can take on more clients 
• Eliminate backtracking so you can efficiently manage all of your clients’ needs

Ultimately, it will help you streamline your work and give you that space you want in your schedule. 

If you want your business to benefit from my templates, then I want to invite you to join me in the lab. Take advantage of all the systems I have spent years developing and grow your business!