Anyone interested in taking on an assistant/trainee bookkeeper in Bradford/Halifax area? - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

Lisa0912 · Member

Anyone interested in taking on an assistant/trainee bookkeeper in Bradford/Halifax area?

Alison · Senior Member

HI Lisa

Good luck with your search for employment, it is good to see that you want to gain practical experience alongside your qualifications, would say that it is certainly the right thing to do for making it easier if you want to become self employed bookkeeper in the future.

I am in north Bradford but unfortunately don't have any work for anyone having lost 3 clients to the recession. Would say that the Yorkshire area seems to have been heavily hit by the recession compared to some other areas. If my situation changes I will let you know on this forum if I have any work going.

Would say that if you have the time to write out a general on spec letter to accountants explaining that you have started your qualifications and you are wanting to gain some experience it may be that they have a trainee position and with it being accountants you would gain experience in many different industries which is good if you become a self employed bookkeeper because you would be use to dealing with different industries as clients of a self employed bookkeeper can be very varied industries.

Good luck

Alison

Terri · Senior Member

alison

I agree with you about the yorkshire area being a tough one for businesses at the moment. I haven't had a call since april time and I sent out 200 letters last week and haven't heard anything from that yet either, times are hard it seems.

Terri

Alison · Senior Member

HI Terri

I was sending out letters regularly (spending lots on postage) and had no response apart from one who phoned to say unfortunately their business was not doing so well but if it was he would happily have me as their bookkeeper. I got disheartened and stopped sending out letters. Continued with the adverts in newsagents windows because the cost minimum and have had some response from those.

Hopefully the recession will end soon and things will begin to pick up, with more people who got made redundant from their jobs because of the recession deciding they want to start up a small business (rather then find employment again) and want a bookkeeper.

Alison

Terri · Senior Member

Well thats it isn't it? Sending out those letters cost me about £60 so its not something I'm going to keep doing if I'm not getting any response. My target was to get 4 calls in response and 1 client so I'm not expecting miracles. I will keep my adverts in local shops, post offices and market places and keep advertising on Ebay and on all the free advertising websites and hope things pick up. In the meantime, I am focusing on my studying and my one client :)

Alison · Senior Member

HI Terri

I hope you get a response from your letters. I suppose one way to look at it is if you don't have a response now from the letters it may be that they have kept your letter to hand for future use when the recession is over.

Maybe some of the letters I sent have been kept to hand for the same reason.

I really feel for those bookkeepers who started out in the recession as finding clients is hard, at least I had some clients prior to the recession (even though these clients take forever to bring me their paperwork) even if I did lose 3 possibly 4 clients to the recession, so today is the first time in weeks I actually have bookkeeping work to do.

Alison

Terri · Senior Member

Thanks for your encouragement and support as ever Alison. I posted out a flyer together with a business card so hopefully if a few people will keep hold of my business card for future use and call me at some point when things pick up like you said. At least I am getting my name out there. I had a training provider come around to the house last week ( I didn't do the course, really expensive) and she was really giving it the oh my word, at the moment, people are absolutely crying out for bookkeepers, there aren't enough at the moment, guaranteed work when you pass etc and I was like, who are you trying to kid? I am struggling to get two clients!

Terri

Alison · Senior Member

I cannot believe the cheek of these training providers. There is not many people crying out for bookkeepers (not in Yorkshire anyway) businesses are either closing because of the recession or making massive cut backs because of the recession, people are having to do their own books - will take them longer to do then a bookkeeper but if they have less work on themselves they have got the time to struggle through the bookkeeping and I believe that Inland Revenue run free courses for how to do day to day bookkeeping. Once the recession over these doing it themselves will jump at the change to have a bookkeeper so they can run their business doing whatever they do for a living rather then struggling through doing their own bookkeeping.

Alison

Terri · Senior Member

I completely agree with you, but had I been new to bookkeeping, her sales technique was a good one and I probably would have believed her. They shouldn't be allowed to lie like that, I know that they probably need commission to earn a living but its not fair making promises like that to people who would probably to struggle to pay off the course.

Terri

kjmcculloch · Guru

I realised this with the Home Learning College. They would have told me anything they thought I wanted to hear to get me to sign on the dotted line.

With regards Terri and Alison talking about letters. I sent out loads and got no response. So I picked up the phone and started calling people I sent letters to, just checking if they received it, if they have a bookkeeper or do it themselves. The people who did it themselves I helped to realise how much they could be earning if they weren't stuck in doing accounts, and how much quicker I could do them. Out of 25 phone calls I got 3 good clients.

Try it guys, it really works. You've nothing to lose.

Kris

Alison · Senior Member

Hi Kris

You were lucky getting 3 good clients.

With me I really hate using the telephone especially phoning people I don't know it makes me really nervous and I would worry that I was being too pushy by ringing them - would say to be able to gain clients this way you would have to be a confident outgoing person and I unfortunately don't fit that category. My husband says that if he ever is out of work (hopefully this won't happen) he said rather then getting another job he would come and help me he is very assertive and confident and said he would be able to market my bookkeeping for me leaving me just to do the bookkeeping.

Alison

Terri · Senior Member

I am the same as Alison, I am not confident on the phone. The other problem is that the 200 people that I targeted are all new business start ups and being one myself, I get so sick and tired of all the calls that I have received since I started up from stationery providers, printers, advertisers etc, I think that calling them would only annoy them :) I am glad to hear that it is working for you though Kris

Terri

Marky65 · Guru

Hi

It is both interesting and reassuring to see your comments Terri & Alison as I know exactly how you feel and I know that Kris is so correct when he says about following up with a phone call. It is now getting to the point where I am approaching telemarketing companies who specialise in working with accountants to make the follow up call on my behalf after I send out my initial sales/contact letter.

I will let you know how I get on.

Regards

Mark

Terri · Senior Member

Thanks Mark, that would be great if you could let us know how you get on. I hope that it works for you

Terri

kjmcculloch · Guru

Alison, I totally understand how you feel. But it's amazing the boost you get after someone agrees to discuss it further in person. Of course there are more than a few knockbacks, but you just need to get back up.

Mark, if you're serious about outsourcing this get in touch with me. I had a guy I was going to use for something else. He charges £10 per hour.

Kris

Lisa0912 · Member

Hi Alison

Thanks for your advice and I hope it picks up for you all soon. I would really appreciate it if you would bear me in mind for the future.

Lisa

BackOfficeGroup · Guru

The best way for marketing by mail is to send the letters out and 2-3 days later call them to see if they have recieved them and what they thought. The most difficult part of all is getting on the phones, then you have to learn to overcome any objections.

I used to do 10 letters per day and then call them all with a spreadsheet, so I knew their response and who I had spoken with - this can help for future mailings or contacts too.

It is hard work and you will get rejected, but thats all part and parcel of running your own business.

P

Marky65 · Guru

Hi Kris

Thanks for the info, I will give you a call tomorrow (Friday) morning

Regards

Mark

stephen72 · Senior Member

Hi
I have tried the letters and follow up phone calls but it still does not seem to work .The main responses are why should i pay someone to do what i can do myself .This is the reply i have had over 100 times now so i am at a complete loss as to what to do next.

Terri · Senior Member

Stephen,

Times are tough at the moment and a lot of people need to tighten their belts and so are doing their own books. I am waiting until things pick up and then trying to talk them into using a bookkeeper saying that paying out a small monthly amount for their bookkeeping will free up their time to run their business or free up more spare time so they're not working all day and working on the books all night. Also, if they are new businesses then I would tell them that at the end of the year when the accountant looks at the books, they may have to do additional work to correct mistakes, etc which could work out more costly than paying a bookkeeper.

But other than waiting out the recession, sorry, I am all out of ideas at the moment.

terri

stephen72 · Senior Member

Thanks Terri
I know from looking at the posts on the forum that there are many others who are in the same position as myself and we will just have to wait until things start to pick up but it does become a little bit disheartening.

Terri · Senior Member

I totally hear you, Ive put so much money into training and getting my business off the ground and was told that bookkeepers are always in demand, you don't even have to advertise, get a few clients and through word of mouth you will never be short of work and here I am sat twiddling my thumbs with one just client. At least you know its not just you, most of us are in the same boat

Terri

lor · Guru

Hi All, I think that is a good idea to call people up. I have sent out flyers and letters and to my knowledge no response. But I have had response to my website which is on google, which is promising ish!....

I have managed to have one client which was for end of year accounts so therefore a one off and now I want another........

I have recently (a couple of weeks ago) had 2 appointments in one week, to see people re: carrying out their bookkeeping but they both cancelled - one had found someone they knew who had an accounting qualification and the other siad they would re arrange, aarrrrgghh!

I feel like I almost got another client, I think we need to keep pushing for it!!!!. At least then you know you have tried.

I am trying to be positive but it is a bit disheartening.

I will have to try calling people but its finding the time as I work Full Time in the day.

I will keep you posted......

lor · Guru

Lisa0912 wrote:

Hi, I have just passed the ICB level 1 with a distinction and am currently studying for the ICB level 2 computerised. I am very aware of the fact that qualifications alone are not enough and I need to gain practical experience. If anyone is thinking of taking on a part-time assistant to unload some of their more basic work onto, please get in touch. My email address is lisagreenwood@blueyonder.co.uk. I have done some basic sales and purchase ledger work for my father's small company.

Hi Lisa, good luck with finding work for you to gain experience.

kjmcculloch · Guru

Terri wrote:

Stephen,

Times are tough at the moment and a lot of people need to tighten their belts and so are doing their own books. I am waiting until things pick up and then trying to talk them into using a bookkeeper saying that paying out a small monthly amount for their bookkeeping will free up their time to run their business or free up more spare time so they're not working all day and working on the books all night. Also, if they are new businesses then I would tell them that at the end of the year when the accountant looks at the books, they may have to do additional work to correct mistakes, etc which could work out more costly than paying a bookkeeper.

But other than waiting out the recession, sorry, I am all out of ideas at the moment.

terri

Hi Terri,

Regarding the above I think you really need to sit down and think what makes you better than anyone else. What can you add to someones business that only Terri can? Can you do it quicker than them? More accurately? Are you insured?

One of the ways I do it is if the business owner says it's ok, I do it myself. I start out asking them how long it takes them, then I ask how much they charge an hour for their services. That quickly tells you how much it roughly costs them. People think if they do things like bookkeeping themselves it saves them money. Your job is to show them that you save them money.

Point out that while they're doing the books they could be out winning more business, they could be doing another job earning them more money. Find out how who does their SA, is it them or an accountant? Remind them how much time it would save (and money) to have all of the figures there at hand, and accurate. Or if you do SA's then tell them you'll give them a good deal for all their accounts and the SA.

Tell them you'll do it for a month (or a quarter depending on the number of transactions) and if they're not delighted with your work they don't need to pay you. You'll be amazed how few people would actually say they're not happy after that.

In short you need to make them believe that Terri is better than any alternative.

Hope this helps.

Kris

Terri · Senior Member

Times must be hard around here Kris, I have been offering the first week/month or quarter free (whichever they will require from me) since April and it's still not worked but thank you for the advice. You are right, I need to focus on my unique selling points - like the fact that I don't work 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday, a client can call me 7 days a week. I'm going to go away now and have a think :D

Alison · Senior Member

HI

I do think Yorkshire has been hit hard by the recession.

Possibly it is Yorkshire people are known to be more careful with money so business people are doing their own bookkeeping when it is a recession.

Have found with clients that are not VAT registered who use to be organised at getting their paperwork to me are now taking much longer to do this (possibly down to cash flow) and timing it for when they know they can afford to pay my bill.

I have lost 3 clients to the recession one of these a major client, have only took on 1 client to replace this and however much I advertise nothing.

I wish the recession will end.

We run an Internet cafe and IT sales/repair shop as well as me doing the bookkeeping and had a shop lifter steal a £400+ laptop last week, he has been caught today but he is a druggie and steals to order and have been told by the police it was probably sold on within an hour of him steeling it, if we sued him he would not pay and because we have an high excess on our insurance and it would increase our premiums next year we have to bear the cost of the laptop out of our own pockets so really fed up with this unjust world. Bet the guy will get off with a fine that he won't even end up paying and a communtity service that he won't turn up to.

Alison

Terri · Senior Member

Sorry to hear about the shoplifter Alison, that sucks and you are right, he won't get punished enough and you won't get your money back

Terri

Alison · Senior Member

Hi Terri

Thanks for the message.

The police told me it was just the way things are, that a shoplifters "working" week consists of either shoplifting for the day or appearing in court.

I am not into politics much but next time there is an election I will find out which party that is keen to get the UK Law System to be like the Americans "Three Strike" system that on the third misdemeanour they do they go to jail, if they reoffend within a certain time scale then they are back in jail and definitely will ensure I get round to voting.

Alison

lor · Guru

Even if people who break the law do end up in prison then they get free food and bed, paid by us, tax payers this country's got it wrong.

kjmcculloch · Guru

Oh dear, it's getting deep and political now

Kris