What a great forum. You all sound so friendly. I need to know if anyone thinks I have enough experience to start my own business? I have been doing my husbands accounts for the past 7yrs now. I have been preparing the vat for the accountant for the past 3yrs, as my husband has a limited company. Only I'm not sure if this will be enough experience. Please help?
If it's a book-keeping business you want to start you appear to have some really relevant experience, and if you've been involved in preparing your husbands accounts for 7 years now, you probably have more experience than most book-keepers have when they start!
I appreciate that becoming self-employed and offering your services to others is daunting (I should know, I did it myself), but it sounds as though you'd make a real success of it.
I think the correct term for what I have been doing is called analyising the books.? If this makes sense to you.
I just wondered if what I have been doing, is too trivial for me to think I could take it even further and start my own book keeping business. I would be greatful for your views/advice.
Analysing the books correctly is very important and it's from this information that an accountant will prepare the statutory accounts and calculate the tax liability. I've seen lots of book-keepers who try and do too much, without the adequate experience or knowledge (this is when they get in a mess).
The key I believe (which is what I do) is to stick to basic book-keeping tasks i.e. VAT returns, keeping the ledgers (sales and purchases) and analysing the data correctly.
If you're apprehensive about starting your own business, why not approach family and friends who may need their books doing. This will give you the confidence to offer it to others too!
You could always pursue a book-keeping course to get extra training if you want to advance your knowledge and skill set.
