What Automations Can I Introduce Into My Bookkeeping Practice?

twobirdsresources
Jul 29
5 min read

As a bookkeeper, I bet you’re always looking for ways to work smarter, not harder and make your life easier, right? The good news? Technology has evolved to offer incredible automation opportunities that can transform your practice from reactive to proactive, giving you more time to focus on what truly matters – providing valuable insights to your clients and growing your business.

Why Automation Matters More Than Ever

Let's be honest – bookkeeping has come a long way from manual data entry and chasing receipts, you’ve probably found loads of ways already to introduce automation into the bookkeeping side of your business, such as Apron, Dext and leveraging Xero’s automations to your advantage.

But are you using the software you have to its full potential and do you know there’s loads of other ways you can leverage technology in your business?

Your clients expect faster turnarounds, and you deserve to have a life outside of work. Automation isn't just a nice-to-have anymore; it's essential for staying competitive and maintaining your sanity!

Game-Changing Automations for Your Practice

Bookkeeping Process Automation

Receipt and Document Capture

Gone are the days of shoebox accounting! Tools like Dext, Hubdoc and Apron automatically capture, extract, and categorise data from receipts and invoices. Your clients can simply snap a photo, and the information flows directly into your accounting software. Great for you and for them!

If these apps aren’t set up correctly you could be investing more time than you need into categorising expenses. We were speaking to a bookkeeper recently who hadn’t set up all her rules and it was taking her ages each month to categorise everything. Once we got this sorted for her she saved a good few hours a week!

Bank Feed Integration

Your accounting software such as Xero offers automatic bank feeds that import transactions in real-time. Set up bank rules to automatically categorise recurring transactions, and watch your reconciliation time plummet.

Automated Invoicing and Payment Reminders

Set up recurring invoices for regular clients and automated payment reminders for overdue accounts. Your cash flow improves, and you're not the "bad guy" chasing payments – the system does it for you!

You’ve just got to make sure you’re up to date with your reconciliation as you don’t want to be chasing people who have already paid. This can lead to damaged relationships.

You’re probably thinking, so far this is everything I already do and know, the only reason I mention these things is because quite often the simple things are overlooked. So here’s some more automation ideas that you may not have thought of which you could introduce into your bookkeeping practice.

Leave Sinnergy to reconcile your clients accounts whilst you sleep!

There’s no need for mundane reconciliation when you have Sinnergy by your side. You can integrate Sinnergy with Xero so that it matches up all your transactions over night. You get to your desk in the morning with all accounts up to date. This gives your clients access to real time information and ensures you’re not chasing payments that aren’t actually outstanding.

Marketing & Business Development Automation

Here's where many bookkeepers miss a trick – your practice is a business that needs to grow, and automation can be your secret weapon for consistent marketing without the constant effort.

Lead Magnets That Work While You Sleep

Create valuable resources and set up automated delivery systems. When someone downloads your guide, they're automatically added to your nurturing sequence. The trick to lead magnets is using a title which really reaches out to your ideal client. For example if your ideal client is a service based business then your title would be something like, “A-Z expense guide for service based businesses’ not just ‘A-Z expense guide.

Anyway, I’m going off track, let’s get back to automations

Email Nurturing Sequences

Set up automated email sequences that educate prospects about your services over time. A 5-7 email sequence might include:

Welcome + your story
Common bookkeeping mistakes (and how you prevent them)
Client success story
Your service offerings
Soft call-to-action to book a consultation

Content Marketing Automation

Use tools like Social Pilot to schedule social media posts weeks in advance. Create templates for different post types:

Having a focus or topic each month can be really useful to help you think of great ideas. A monthly blog will be a fab contribution to your content ideas too.

If you’re struggling to come up with ideas or just don’t have the time, then why not leave it to Two Birds Resources?

Find out more

Blog Scheduling

Blogs are great for driving more traffic to your website. You’re reaching out to your audience and giving them valuable information. Blogs can be written and scheduled in advance and you can even set up email automations to email the blog out to your waiting list. At Two Birds Resources we help Bookkeepers and Accountants to ensure there is fresh content uploaded to their website on at least a monthly basis.

This content can then be delivered via various channels such as email and social media.

Not sure what to write about or whether you have time to fit this in? Book a call with me.

Book a call

Administrative & Client Management Automation

Client Communication Workflows

Use practice management tools to automate client onboarding, send progress updates, and deliver reports. Create templates for common scenarios and let the system handle routine communications while you focus on building relationships.

Having a well organised Practice Management tool means all your client data is in one place. You can share information securely within the portal that both clients and your team can access. You can also limit what is shared with clients.

By building out workflows for the team, everyone has visibility of where everyone is up to just in case a member of the team is off sick or on holiday. The work can easily be picked up by another member of the team, keeping your clients happy.

Email Rules and Filters

Set up smart email rules to automatically:

Sort client emails into dedicated folders
Flag urgent requests
Forward specific types of emails to team members
Auto-respond to common enquiries with helpful resources

Appointment Scheduling

Tools like Calendly eliminate the back-and-forth of scheduling. Clients can book directly into your available slots, and the system sends automatic confirmations and reminders.

Document Management Systems

Automate file organisation with cloud storage rules. Set up folders that automatically sort documents by client, date, or document type. No more hunting through messy file structures!

Client Onboarding Sequences

Create automated workflows that guide new clients through your onboarding process:

Signing of proposal and letter of engagement
Welcome email with next steps
Document request checklist
Access to client portal
Introduction to your team
First meeting scheduling
AML checks

Your onboarding process is the first impression of your working relationship together. So make sure you make it as smooth as possible.

The Human Touch: Where Automation Ends

Here's the thing – automation should enhance your expertise, not replace it. While technology handles the mundane tasks, you become the go to expert your clients truly need. Use the time you save to: