is happy the jan rush is over! - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

lor · Guru

is happy the jan rush is over!

Julie · Senior Member

Hello there,

Well Im self employed... chasing my tail at the moment, managed to get on the books of a couple of accountants leading up to Christmas and have been assigned a few clients to go on-site and work with.

Been self employed now for over a year, business is starting to pick up with word of mouth referrals.

Still enjoying the freedom and flexibility of working for myself, although will admit it is hard work keeping yourself out there !

Julie

lor · Guru

I am happy with how things have gone so far, I seem to have quiet periods and then very busy periods, but I don't really mind that. I am currently working Full Time as a bookkeeper so that will keep me occupied at the moment.

Denise · Senior Member

Hi Lor,

I'm glad you seem to have got yourself quite a bit of work recently and I hope you enjoy your rest, but not for too long hopefully. Was it mainly tax work you had extra to do? Cos personally I had no increase in work but I don't offer a tax service at the moment but looking to do that in the future.

Julie, sounds like you are getting on really well. Was it difficult to get in with the accountants? Did you just write to them first and follow up with a call? Hope you don't mind me asking.

lor · Guru

Hi Denise, It was mainly due to Tax Returns, I had a CIS Tax Return and one asked me to go to his house to run through how to fill in the online tax return. It was good experience, I am starting to build up quite a few different clients now, which makes it interesting.

What services do you offer?

I try to offer everything to increase the amount of work I can do.

-- Edited by lor on Sunday 7th of February 2010 02:00:40 PM

Denise · Senior Member

Hi Lor,

I am an associate member of the ICB (I have only passed level 2 manual and computerised) so I am limited to what I can offer at the moment. But I have had quite a few enquiries about payroll so I am hoping to get that under my belt as quickly as possible. I think from the enquiries I have had, it seems it would be a good idea to offer as many services as possible so I am aiming to offer tax too, but at the moment I don't feel confident enough to take that exam.
I have found that only offering bookkeeping services to trial balance is nowhere near enough and a lot of people are prepared to do that themselves in order to save money.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Just had to put in my two penneth to get the full set of cat pictures.

I'm with Denise. I'm ACCA so am limited to the services that I'm allowed to offer until I've managed to do two years post qualification supervised! Only self assessment that I did in Jan was my own.

Denise. Good cheap(er) and faster approach to Payroll qualification is to use the AAT level II & III texts and workbooks. Your also going to need a copy of some payroll software to get through the ICB exam (try the trial version of moneysoft payroll as post qualification that's a good one to use for clients).

Talk later,

Shaun

Denise · Senior Member

Hi Shaun,

Thanks for the advice about the AAT payroll books. Could you point me in the direction of where I could buy them please?
I did buy the Sage self study payroll course, and although I have found it quite good, it is based on the 2006/07 tax year and I really need some decent books too. By the way i have seen your post about the level 3 sage 50 self study books and I am really tempted, but I must smack my hands and try to control my spending.

I thought it seems like there are a lot of cat fans on here so I have added a picture of my big girl Cleo who like nothing better than to climb into every carrier bag or box around.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Denise,

Hate to admit it. I'm actually a dog person! Families always had Retrievers and Labradors. The fat cat actually relates to me being an ex banker.

The AAT books are again over on Amazon. I tend to put the books that I want into the "Save till later" area and buy when they hit a price that I'm willing to pay for them.

The Payroll books are the BPP versions and are :

The NVQ level II & III course companions (ISBN's 0751767786 & 0751767794)

And also the Revision companions which test your practical application (ISBN's 075176776X & 0751767778).

On the Sage level III, bear in mind that one's the stock control and bill of materials level! I've never seen it that cheap and when it flashed up in my save for later list today I just thought Well, I can live without it but that price isn't going to happen again anytime soon.

Have fun and talk soon,

Shaun.

-- Edited by Shamus on Sunday 7th of February 2010 09:37:03 PM

Julie · Senior Member

Hi Denise,

Accountants work... came via a mail shot I did when I first started out, followed up with a few phone calls, plus also managed to get some work via clients recommendations.

Took a while to get the word around as mail shots are not a quick fix, a lot of time and effort is required with this method, just ensure the letter you send looks very professional, keep your opening paragraph short and to the point as often they will not bother reading the rest... a bit like a cover letter for a job !

Good luck,
Julie

Denise · Senior Member

Hi Julie,

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Are you working for yourself full time or do you have a job too? If you are just self employed are you doing okay from it? Just ignore me if I am being far too nosey. Its just that I am thinking of packing in my part time job because I haven't even got passed the 1st hurdle with a good few potential clients as they wanted me to work on site and because I work from 9.30 till 3 it takes up the best part of the day. But I am scared of giving up the money and then being sat at home twiddling my thumbs.

Hope things continue to go well for you!

Shaun thanks for the info on the payroll books, I will definitely be buying a couple of those.

-- Edited by Denise on Monday 8th of February 2010 12:22:41 PM

Julie · Senior Member

Hi Denise,

Yes, I am just self employed.

I have one client I work for roughly 10 - 20 hours per week, often taking work home to complete. Another I just visit once a month for 1 day to do just general `housekeeping`.

The rest are a combination of either working on-site for an hour or two and picking work up for completion at home. Daily hours vary from just maybe 4 to say 8 + and can include the weekends !, all depends on what is required and time of the year ie vat returns etc.,

Its a constant battle of negoiation as regards hours on-site, a lot of juggling to please everyone as I am not in a position to turn work down, hence weekend working.

It may be an idea to try to encourage those potential clients to allow you to take work off site and perhaps just do a couple of hours on-site per month, this would mean perhaps negoiating your part time hours a little. I wouldnt give up your paid job anytime in the near future, its best to have a regular income comming in than none at all.

Keep at it though, you will find clients that you will be able to fit around your part time job.

Julie

lor · Guru

I agree with Julie, it is best to keep a regular income with a employed job, until you have built your business up enough to be able to make the leap!

I am working full time at the mo, so my business is carried out in the evening or on the weekend. I have busy weeks, then some weeks just doing my full time job for a few weeks, with no work for 1st Stop Accounts. Then all of a sudden they are like buses 2 come at once!.

Good Luck xx

Amanda · Expert

Hi,

I am in the same boat as Julie, gave up a proper paid job (not that self employed isn't a proper job), a couple of years ago, and haven't looked back yet!

I have got regular clients most of the work is done at home and a couple are on site. Most are regular with one only annual. I stopped advertising over a year ago as was turning work away. I do think word of mouth is best, I can only do part-time as have 2 kids to be here for after school etc and I do do the odd weekend when needed. My theory is is I can earn a resonable amount now, especially when in a recession, then later as the kids don't need me so much will increase and look for more.
Also just been to see an accountant on behalf of a client and had a good chat and off course left my card for future business. Got another one in the pipeline at the mo, so who knows.

In answer to the first question about the January Rush, yes glad its over and I don't even do self assessments apart from my own! But February I thought I might be quiet but it doesn't look like it at the mo, so long may it continue!!!! I think people are considering doing it themselve as the recession have it people but as soon as it turns and they once again get busy, they won't have time for their paperwork and will be looking for bookkeepers.

Sorry waffled on abit.

A

Denise · Senior Member

Thank you Julie, Lor and Amanda for your advice .

I understand what you are saying about keeping my regular paid job. I only actually work Tuesday to Friday as I was put down to 4 days about May last year and I managed to find a client that I now work on site for on a Monday which is great. But didn't go down well with my boss who wanted me to go back on 5 days when the company picked up a little. The problem I have at work too, is the fact that it is a very small company, 4 employees with only 2 of us in the office (driver and boss out most of the day) and when the other lady in the office who is full time, is off or throws a sickie (quite regularly), I am expected to drop everything and be at his beck and call,full time because someone must be in the offfice to answer calls and he has never took the time to learn how to produce a delivery note.

So as for reducing my hours there I think that would probably give my boss an heart attack at the suggestion.

Anyway after that rant, sorry about that,

I also have 2 other clients who I do work from home for on a monthly basis. I have not really been trying to gain any clients recently but I still have had a few calls via internet, google etc and as I say they wanted someone to work on site.

I should be grateful for my job really!!

Julie · Senior Member

Hi Denise,

I fully understand your position regarding your part time job. I was in a similar position before deciding to go solo ! so understand your frustration only too well.

In the end I just weighed up the pros and cons, had a good talk with my husband as I knew my income would drop whilst finding my feet. But after a long haul and struggle it is now paying off and I would not contemplate working for anyone else now.

Despite the recession, things are just ticking over, but of course I need to increase my client base and Im always on the look out for more work.

Another service I provide is just pure administration, such as compiling mail shots, design sales flyers and just basic letter writing for the clients I already have, of course this is chargeable as extras !!

Just dont think that you have to provide `bookkeeping`, if you have a strong admin background, utilise this, particularly to small sole traders.

Good luck, just grin and bear it for now, you will know when to make your move into self employment and hopefully will never look back.

Julie