I am in a crossroad, I dont know what to do. My questions are:
1) I am an ACCA Finalist but I can only do book keeping for SME, which limits the services I intended to be offering, I have now joined IAB and got practicing certificate but I can't do tax and other Accountancy services with this certificate. I am thinking of join AAT as a member because I have got an honour degree which I think would give me exemptions from AAT foundation. I want to know if I am taking the right strategy to achieve my plans or more cost.
2) My experience of sofware is in SAP, I want to know if there is any difference in SAP and Sage, because am thinking of enrolling for Sage training.
In look and feel Sage is very different to SAP. Sage is aimed at small to medium side companies where SAP is aimed firmly at the medium to large scale company market.
Before spending loads of money on Sage training though take a look at my thread "Quick, Quick to Amazon Now". Sage certification course for level III was available for £24.95 with a six month version of Sage 50 2008 professional.
If you combine a copy of the 180 day trial version of Sage with the BPP book AAT Foundation bookkeeping with Sage and spreadsheets with Excel. you will pretty much have Sage sussed.
The overall question related to direction is another matter. Premier training will start your AAT at level 4 via the NVQ route if you've passed ACCA foundation.
The problem is that when you're through it and have MAAT you're still going to be in the position that you cannot offer the services that you need to without stepping down from the ACCA.
The only advantage to MAAT in our case is that some employers may take you on who would not have considered a PQ ACCA. (Think sometimes it's wise not to mention that you've got higher qualifications than the person hiring you!). And of course once you have supervised experience gained as an MAAT that also counts towards your ACCA experience requirement.
Have a read of the entirety of the correspondence between myself and Catherine and then come back to this thread and we'll chat some more.
Talk soon,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
In look and feel Sage is very different to SAP. Sage is aimed at small to medium side companies where SAP is aimed firmly at the medium to large scale company market.
SAP has an offering for small to medium size companies, called SAP Business One. A nice integrated system including accounts, inventory, service and sales.
I am a certified Consultant for SAP Business One, that is a great software designed for SME's. My smallest customer, for instance, was a 4 people company.
SAP Business One is not so different from Sage if we just look at the financial modules... But that would be stupid to look only at the financial modules, since SAP Business One is an ERP (Enterprise Ressources Planning) that manage commercial, production, CRM and accounting.
However, SAP Business One is really closer from Sage than from SAP R/3 (called SAP ERP now) and of course so less expensive.
AAAAK, if you are able to manage bookkeeping with SAP Business One, that would be quite easy for you with Sage 50.
__________________
The two principal figures without which no project is possible: the perfection of the circle, the principle of all regular bodies, and the equilateral square. (Fra Luca Pacioli)
