Hi anyone that might be able to advise,
I have posted about this subject before but am having a crisis of confidence so am just 'checking-in' before I dive head-first into something!!
I have been working in Administration since I left school (around 18 years ago ....jeez, there's a wake-up call!) and have always loved 'being organised' or organising people (but not in a bossy way, you understand, strictly in a professional capacity!).
So, following the arrival of my DS's (now aged 4 and almost 7) I'm regularly having the "In September, when DS2 starts school, are you going to go back to work?" convo with DH. I've been working from home (for a ridiculously low monthly salary) for a National Charity (but in a local Branch) as Secretary for the past 5 years, so I've still had my foot in the 'Employment' door and on occasion, its been my one grown-up thing that I've managed to hold onto.
I've also been a Childminder for the past 3 years, which has now come to its natural end, as the Pre-School aged children I looked after are now about to start Reception (with my own DS2). I also did not enjoy Childminding at all. I did well enough in it and achieved a 'Good' grading from Ofsted but to be honest, I couldn't wait to finish.
So, as there is not a snowflakes chance of a substantial payrise in my Secretarial job, I'm thinking of becoming a Self-Employed Administrator from home. BUT, is that even a job? I've gone down the 'Book-Keeper' route and have a Computerised Book-Keeping qualification as well as a Business Management HNC and NVQ2 & 3 in Administration. So how can I apply this to being Self-Employed? Obviously I need to fit my work around a school day. I advertised as a Book-Keeper in my local village magazine as we have quite a few small businesses, but it seems that they all do their own 'books'. Accounts and Book-Keeping is something I can do (as I've ben doing it manually for my current job since I started there) but I don't 'love' it or have the confidence to set up solely doing that as a job. To what extent does a Book-Keeper manage a company's books? Its all a bit grey and I don't know what I should advertise as. I know this all sounds a bit pathetic but I'm really trying to get it right and don't want to advertise and come accross as a bit dithery when / if someone actually asks me for help. A lady did phone after one of my ads and asked if I could carry out her business year end / tax return. I've done it on a small scale, but God, I don't know how involved it would be for a large company, or if she just hands me a Tesco carrier full of receipts and says "sort that lot out"!!
HELLLPPPP!!!! (please)