I was wondering if any one can help me out/advise me please. I have just finished studying and have passed the following with the ICB: Level 1 Basic Bookkeeping Level 2 Manual Bookkeeping Level 2 Computerised Bookkeeping Level 3 Diploma In Payroll Management
I'm 22 and don't feel confident enough to start up any sort of business yet. So I'm currently looking for any basic accounts/bookkeeping jobs. The trouble is every one I've seen advertised want previous experience, of which I have none. I've tried writing to local accountancy firms but hear nothing back. I was wondering if anyone out there has any ideas of where I can go/look to help me? Or is there anyone from the Suffolk area who would be willing to take me on as a very willing apprentice?
Have you considered trying to obtain unpaid voluntary work?
Alternatively, if you do not feel confident enough within yourself to set up your own bookkeeping business then you could consider buying a bookkeeping franchise. One of the best known is thelocalbookkeeper (see. http://www.thelocalbookkeeper.co.uk). This franchise is looking specifically to recruit ICB qualified individuals and will provide assistance in helping you to run your own practice (helping you to source potential clients etc), however, it is not cheap and will cost you the best part of £20K.
The problem I think you face is that the ICB and its suite of qualifications are more geared towards individuals looking to run their own businesses, whereas the AAT qualifcation is more designed for students looking to gain employment within Accountancy practices. From the sound of it, it may well be that you have studied for the WRONG qualification.
Have you tried advertising your services in the local paper under the business section? You have a wide range of qualifications, so should be able to tackle a range of work. It doesn't cost a lot to advertise and they often have offers on if you have the advert in for a month.
Good Luck and have confidence in yourself! Corinne
I work as a self-employed bookkeeper and I am less qualified than you, I can do the work but I am still in the process of getting qualified. I have been doing it for around 3 years and I'm 23, It was quite scary at the start but most people that call me are so because they need me to do their work as they have no idea so they don't question me at all. Don't give up on working self-employed it's the best way to go. What I do for advertising is I print out leaflets then deliver them to local businesses and I also write letters to accountants with my CV asking them for self-employed work. Also you could go and work at an accountants for a while to get work experience which I did for 3 months too, to get a reference and experience. I could show you my leaflet that I deliver if you want as it has got me work.
I see that you have taken the payroll managent course with the ICB and this is something I want to take but as I am also studying for a degree and other qualifications can't afford to take at the moment but wondered if you were interested in selling me the study books/course materials????
If you are interested then please email me raychelmc@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks for that. I'd love to see you leaflet/advert if you don't mind?
I was just wondering how far you take your clients books up to? I've just seen that theres an ICB level 3 in Bookkeeping which covers things like disposals of fixed assets, limited companies, post trial balance adjustments and provisions etc etc I don't know if I actually need to know how to do all that for clients or not?
I've managed to get some experience now, for a local accountant, although it was just the basics of inputting onto Sage 50.
If you don't mind I'd like to keep the Payroll material, not being confident in things means I like to have as much info as poss to refer back to in times of need! It is a good course though. But I felt that the Sage Instant Payroll that you learn on is alot simpler than the Sage 50 Payroll. So if you used the latter its like having to learn all over again!
If you post your email address or send an email to mine raychelmc@hotmail.co.uk I will reply with an attachment on my advert, it's very basic but it has worked.
I am taking the level 3 qaulification now to get the diploma in bookkeeping so I can get the practicing certificate etc and because I want to do more than hthe basic bookkeeping.
Right now I take the complete payroll up to year end but with the bookkeeping I only really do basic bookkeeping for businesses, entering everything up for the account to process the year end 'stuff' but everyone I do this for is fine with this as it saves them alot of money so the accountant does not have to do all the work. With self-employed individuals I do all their work and their tax return at the end, I find this quite difficult but I do get there in the end and get help when I need it from the tax office or HMRC website.
Who did you do the payroll management diploma with and how much did it cost you? and how long does it take? I really want to do it but can't afford to pay more than £200 with all the other courses I take.
I studied with the company Home Learning College and bought it with all the other courses that I listed above. It cost £1300 which I have now discovered is a rip off!! Plus the tutors were terribly slow at marking and sending the assignments back so it took about a year to do. It could easily be done so much quicker though. Have a look at http://www.book-keepers.org/where_to_study/distance_learning for others that do it.
Do you enter all your clients books onto Sage? And then print out the reports etc so they can pass onto the accountant?
As you say the client doesn't really know what its all about do they so I suppose it isn't as bad as I'm anticipating!
With the self employed clients does that mean they don't use an accountant because you do the tax return?
Have you considered the Local Boy Scouts ? ... offer them a fiver (or whatever after inflation ... I'm retired by the way), and get them to deliver your leaflets instead of doing all the foot slogging or spending on petrol yourself.
Just a thought from when I did that myself way back when ! !
