Any bookkeepers out there?

[LadySybilPussPolham]

I need to get back to work when DS starts school in Sept. Have had several years out of work and can't go back to previous role for various reasons. ExH and I ran a small business from home for 4 years and I used Kashflow to do our accounts before handing over to the accountant once a year. I did muddle through it and never had any real guidance but always felt that I could actually be quite good at it, with some formal training.
I've just started to look into training providers, study costs etc but would be really interested to hear from anyone who does this on a self-employed basis. I guess I really need to know if it's viable financially and if I would have realistic chance of getting work, given my lack of experience.
I do have an acquaintance who is a very well-connected business networker; she says that she knows accountants who outsource bookkeeping work and would be happy to introduce me.
TIA!

Hopeful bump

without experience and qualifications you are unlikely to make a decent living
its a highly competitive market and you are up against CCAB's on career breaks!

subbing for a firm is a good start though

Have to agree with TalkinPeace, I find the majority of small business owners I've come across are happy to keep their own books to keep costs down and only pay for an accountant at tax time so bookkeeping clients can be quite tricky to come by....it is very competitive and you need to have experience - clients will expect you to know the answers to all their questions from that first conversation to warrant the fees they would be paying you....going down the outsourcing work is a good option but at the moment you'd be limited to clients who use Kashflow as that is where your experience lies

Thank you both. I've also wondered if the basic qualification would be useful anyway from a point of view of building up some employable skills. My office/admin skills are a bit out of date but perhaps it would be more realistic to brush up on those areas with a view to finding a more general admin role. The problem is, as with millions of others, I'll be looking for the holy grail of nice job, decent pay, term time only!
Hence the self-employed research.

My background is in sales and account management but in the field I was in the hours and travelling simply won't be compatible with young DC.

I employee a book keeper I look for nothing less than AAT book keeping qualification, though actually my current book keeper has some AAT accountancy qualifications. I want up to date sage training, in return I am very flexible my current book keeper has worked from home for the last three months for personal reasons and I allow her to choose her own hours.

lonecat
thing is that when I did book keeping I was a trainee within a firm so had no letters till I was suddenly ACCA
I also know a FAB book keeper who is a Sage trainer and has no letters

in our game it is ALL about personal connections
and I as an accountant will not take on new clients without written recommendations from other clients