Hello Everyone!

I desperately need your help. I need marketing ideas for my tax prep business. So far I have approximately 450 loyal clients. I would like to double that this tax season. I have 4 other competitors in my area and two are major tax chains, however they don't get much business. There's one office who has approximately 2000 clients. The area is low income and my competitors fees are EXTREMELY high. My fees are low. I have already done coupons, word of mouth, referral programs, giveaways (dvd, tv, weekend giveaway, flyers, etc. I need a GREAT marketing idea. Any ideas? During the Christmas holidays most offices offers Holiday loans. I can't afford that because I have three kids to feed and a house that needs MAJOR repairs so can someone please help me. Thanks!

Try writing a press release about the top Ten things you need to know for 2007 Tax season. Send it to local newspapers, radio stations, online media outlets, etc.

Host a seminar at your local public library about preparing your records for the tax season.

Your referral program for existing clients should include money off for them and the person they referred. Current clients get a bigger discount but should be no more than a $5-10 dollar difference.

Do you have a website? If not get one created and online as soon as possible. Then always have a link on your emails, online postings, advertising, fliers, etc. to your website.

I hope these ideas help.

GET IN THE NEWS!

YOU want to do something OUTRAGEOUS!

XMAS SPECIAL!
FREE TAX ADVICE OR SERVICE for the most creative holiday cake!!

All cakes will be donated to the local shelter in the area for their holiday celebration!

or something like.

BRING A TOY FOR TOTS GIFT and get 25% discount on TAX SERVICE!


You need to do a FUN AND GIVING PROMOTION to get in the news and be seen!!
have press materials ready to distribute!

Maybe you could teach a short series of classes that help people get the most out of their tax situation. This would place you as the expert, and the attendees would be happy to tell others about their new found knowledge.

Greetings,

Congratulations on having 450 loyal clients.

Who is your ideal client/target market?

What makes your tax prep business different from the competition?

Kind Regards,

Robert Moment
Small Business Coach
www.smallbusinessmarketingideasstrategies.com

Most of my clients are low to moderate income. My rates are low, I compared them to the others before setting them. I make my clients aware of what they can and can not claim on their taxes. Majority of my clients did not know that they were able to itemize. I have a referral program. I am really just looking for a GREAT marketing strategy. I want to double my client base. That is my goal for the upcoming tax season. Thanks for replying.

>Greetings,
>
>Congratulations on having 450 loyal clients.
>
>Who is your ideal client/target market?
>
>What makes your tax prep business different from the
>competition?
>
>Kind Regards,
>
>Robert Moment
>Small Business Coach
>www.smallbusinessmarketingideasstrategies.com

Are your loyal clients referring others to you? Have you asked them to recently?

What about...

Class or article in local business paper: How to raise your fica score

Partner with other businesses and hold a class or have an open house.

And above all..... Raise your rates. You'll work less and you'll attract better clients. Because accountants should never say that they "can't afford that". Instead, you should have so much business that you need to hire a book keeper!

On thing I'd monitor is the average sale you earn with each client per year.

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Hi,

A lot of people search the Internet for tax preparers in your area.
You can get new business through SEO try this. Look at the video and you will see how effective it can be : http://videotour.sitesell.com/traphic.html

Wayne A Carter
Sales And Marketing Plus

Along with the press release idea, how about writing aritcles about why people should use a professional tax preparer as well as other interesting and informative articles.
You could also contact small business owners, as well as those with network marketing, direct sales, party plan type businesses as many of these people specifically may be interested and finding their information should not be hard.

Have you ever thought about changing the location of your business? Maybe the area is too saturated or maybe the location of your actual office may not be key. You could think about trying to move to an area where the area wants a more personalized approach to doing their taxes.

What types of advertising have you worked? Do you emphasize lower fees in your advertising? Trying a newspaper ad would reach to more lower income families. It could be possible, if you emphasize your low fees that consumers could think the quality of work is less superior than the larger companies around you. So, what perception do you think your consumers have about your company image?

When you meet with each one of your 450 loyal clients, give each one of them a postcard and a pen. The postcard has the question "Do you know anyone who needs a tax refund? Then ask them to check the boxes that applied to their experience with you
- timliness
- low cost
- whatever else
- What do you appreciate most about our service?

These become benefits of working with you and when they mark the boxes they see first hand what a good deal you are and it affirms in their minds that they are making a good decision and they should be happy to give you a few names and phone numbers or addresses. Leave space at the bottom marked, Who do you know that we can help get the most of their refund?

Always ask them, "May I use your name as a reference?" just to be sure.

After they fill the card out thank them and give them the pen or something small as a thank you. If a fourth of them give you 3 or 4 names and you capture 10% of them, you'll have almost a hundred new clients for the cost of 450 postcards - print them one color, one side on medium stock. You will keep the cards.

Marketing Mary

You may be able to get a bank to help you with the lone idea. It sounds like you have done alot. If you want e-mail me one one one and I can see where I can offer my expertise.

Thanks

Joanna Swank

JSwank Marketable Concepts
www.jswank.com
info@jswank.com

You need a DRIP marketing program.

I suppose now would be a great time to write a fantastic article about it, but this link to About.com has some good information on setting one up:

http://marketing.about.com/cs/directmarketing/a/dripmktg.htm

You also might want to consider partnering with Financial advisors, allowing them to offer tax prep to their customers at a lower cost than their time... I would consider a bulk discount idea. Targeting groups of customers rather than individual customers will certainly make it easier to double your client base more quickly.

T


Tina Brooks, VP Marketing
Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Inc.
Makers of Peppermaster Hot Sauces
http://www.peppermaster.com

Eat more peppers!

One of the most effective ways to market yourself to these potential customers is to put together a promotional advertising campaign. Although pens and magnets seem to be the norm I would suggest maybe something like a custom imprinted piggy bank with your company logo on it. These are a great giveaway item. If you're looking for something that you can mail out to these clients you might try custom imprinted calendars with tax dates highlighted. Maybe even a budget organizer/ledger.

You want to generate even more exposure couple your promotional advertising blitz with a grand re-opening. I have clients that have done this and they re-invented their businesses. Imagine this: Grand Re-Opening...press release has been sent...you got food...custom imprinted balloons...discount coupons..raffle off an I-Pod or something relatively inexpensive but yet effective..pass out a ton of business cards...and hand out piggy banks or customized budget organizers.

All these things add value to your services. How about playing on your lower fees...maybe a keychain or water bottles that says home of the ($Whatever Your Fees are) Tax Service.

Make sure you speak to other local businesses such as mortgage lenders and real estate pro's even insurance companies to co-op with you.