Setting up a bookkeeping business

[Flissy]

I hope in the not to distant future to set up as a self employed bookkeeper. I am currently studying for AAT exams and hope to complete them all in June. I have been working part time doing bookkeeping on Sage for a friends business which has involved purchase & sales ledger, credit control, bank recs , some journals.

I am a bit stuck as to how I should get business. I don't feel very confident as yet as I feel there is so much I don't yet know - things that I have studied but never put into practice but am struggling to know how I could get the necessary experience to progress this further.

Any ideas would be gratefully received.

I use an accountant and a book-keeper.

The accountant I found via word-of-mouth (sales note for you - once you've set yourself up make sure you tell everyone you know that you've done it and are looking for work).

The book-keeper - I'd been looking for someone local because this would mean they could easily come to my home office periodically, or that it was easy for me to drop all those handfuls of receipts and things off at their place. I eventually found who I was looking for via a noticeboard full of businesscards and little adverts at another local business premises.
(sales note for you - make a little flyer advertising yourself, doesn't need to be anything fancy with posh logos, just organised, no typos etc and stick it up places you think potential customers may pass by!)

I've been wondering this too as i'm trying to go self employed.

I think i'll start a thread asking how self employed mners found their bookkeepers, might help?!

FYI, i've advertised on gumtree, it's free and I had a few calls, some I couldn't do as they wanted someone to go to them, which I can't do atm with 2 small kiddies, but might be wirth a go?

here's the new thread you never know it might inspire us!!

Goodluck by the way

Thank you for your advice. I think my problem is that I don't know if I have enough experience yet to set up alone but I am not sure how to get this. Have considered asking a local accountants if I can do some work experience with them. Am not sure how this would be viewed.

Eddas do you mind if I ask what your background/experience is?

flissy, that's a good idea, I work in an accountants and we had someone ring up and ask for work experience and they ended up giving her some self employed work(at a very cheap rate though as they're tight ) and she now has other clients too, worked well for her.

My background is that after doing A Levels I got a job in a local accountancy firm. I've been there 11 years and am AAT qualified(I did start to do another qualification but due to circumstances didn't complete it) Now I have children, one at school(started in Jan) and a nearly 2 year old i'm finding I want to do something alone so am starting to try and get some self employed clients so that i can work from home.

I'd definately ask around local accountancy firms for some experience, accountants are(as I said) quite tight so they love some free help! Also, they may either keep you on, or recommend you to clients if you're any good.

HTH

Eddas thank you for that feedback it is really helpful. I will phone around some accountants. I will take the weekend to psyche myself up for it and let you know how I get on.

Have you thought about going along to local networking forums for small businesses and approaching business link. I was thinking of doing that when I had more experience under my belt.

Hi Flissy - there are a few of us posting on craft business from home thread - but it is full of tips for starting up and some sales things maybe relevant to you.

Two of us have been to businesslink to see advisors - maybe book yourself in there.

I am starting a business and even though I have a degree, I only have a basic understanding of 'real account' so dont underestimate your what your new knowledge and skills will have given you that others dont have. I have been struggling with doing a cashflow forecast for a week and I have been teaching about these for years!

MRSB - once again I like your 'sales not' tips I shall just follow you around you guru you!