Hello All, this is a bit late but I have just realised that I have never introduced myself!
My name is Lorraine, I won't put my age, you should never ask a lady her age lol
I am working Full Time, 36.25 hrs per week as a bookkeeper up to year end, using sage, which means I do all the accounts related stuff, as there are only 5 members of staff at my work. When I get stuck for answers I have nobody financial wise at my work to speak to, can be hard but then I have this forum to turn too.
I also started out self employed in dec 2008, and have enjoyed it, and it has made me feel proud of what I have acheived, also gained one monthly customer, and 5 more were one offs. Hoping to have more work soon. Because they were one offs their work is done until they hopefully return to me again with all their receipts!.
I was finding it manic between beg. oct to end jan, but now I am pretty quiet.
I live with my boyfriend and 2 cats called bert and ernie.
I studied AAT and am now a MIP. I did AAT at college in the evenings over 3 years. The most difficult bit was the costing exams in technician level, and the unit 10 project took ages to do! I did this mainly because the college was local and thought it would get me a job in accounts, which after completing foundation level it did, I didn't even think of being self employed bk then, but after reading about others doing it on the aat website I thought why not, nothing to loose sort of thing, now i have never looked bk. I finished AAT summer 2008.
Then I fell upon this website which is great, can't remeber how, on another forum won't mention they can sometimes make you feel you are stupid for asking qu's, but this forum is great.
Thank you for all the peeps that have been so welcoming since i joined, sorry for the late intro!
Hi Lorraine, I would say 'welcome' but you've been here longer than me! But nice to get some background, but I'm a bit worried that you may be an imposter, I'm sure you used to be a scarf wearing kitten!!
Do you think you may go full time self employed at some point or do you like being employed too?
what a Muppet coincidence, mine and Bills real names are Staedtler and Waldorf! You know, the two old hecklers with their own box. lol.
Like Rob, I can hardly say welcome to the forum cos you've been here longer than me as well!
Bet it was accountingweb that you escaped from. They do know an awful lot over there but they can be very condescending... Or on occasions downright rude especially to newbies.
Great route that you've taken into this business. Definitely think that it's the supervisory body that everyone should start with.
Talk later,
Shaun.
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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.
Hi Lorraine, I would say 'welcome' but you've been here longer than me! But nice to get some background, but I'm a bit worried that you may be an imposter, I'm sure you used to be a scarf wearing kitten!!
Do you think you may go full time self employed at some point or do you like being employed too?
Hi Rob, it is difficult to say, at the moment, there isn't enough self employed work to do just that. But doing just self employed work would be my ideal dream job!
Yes a lot of people seem to be saying how little work there is out there, I seem to get enquiries all the time, picked up two definite jobs last week and probably another couple on my answering service (Which hopefully will turn into payroll and bookeeping too). Next week I have a prospective client coming in to see me on Tuesday and potentially a meeting with a trade association looking for a mixture of bookkeeping and secretarial work that could take around 3 days per week (may turn that one down as I don't think they will want to pay enough for the responsibility involved)...I was thinking the recession was a positive boost to my business!
It sounds to me as though BNI may be paying dividends for you Rob.
You may be in the same boat as Sheila (Semsley) in that her business has really gathered pace in a snowball rolling down a hill sort of way to the point where there aren't enough hours in the day for her.
If you're inundated maybe you should consider hiring one or two of the members on here who don't have enough work at the moment? (That's not me I'm talking about there by the way).
Just a suggestion,
Shaun.
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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.
I have taken on a self employed bookkeeper who does around 25 to 30 hours a week and an admin/secretarial lady to answer the calls and do clever stuff I can't do! My aim is to not have to do too much actual work myself but to build the business. Not sure why I am at the office 7 days a week still..something is not right! Need to work on that QOL Shaun!
