Just wanted to introduce myself and say hello. I'm Kim and live near Basingstoke. I have just finished my bookkeeping courses and am awaiting my practise license from the ICB, before launching myself into looking for work.
I'm looking to contact all the accountants near me to see if they are interested in outsourcing any bookkeeping work and advertising locally for small businesses. I am looking at putting together a basic website just to advertise what I can do and as a point of contact on any advertising, so might ask for opinions when I have got some where with it.
Are there any other things I should be looking at doing straight away? Or is it just a bit of a waiting game?
Look forward to chatting with you all some more soon
Hi Kim, welcome to the forum, congratulations on finishing your exams! Have you registered for MLR with ICB and taken out Professional Indemnity insurance? It can be a waiting game but I encourage a more proactive approach myself. I go networking at least once a week. It takes a while for any new business to get momentum. I think the contacting the local accountants is a good idea but if you also go networking then you will meet some of the accountants too. It is always easier to refer business on to someone you have actually met! Good luck.
Sounds like my old snowball rolling down a hill adage.
Completely agree on the getting to know the local accountants. You definitely get a feel for which one's genuinely care about their clients and which one's are basically out to strip mine every penny that they can get from their clients.
All my work that I'm not allowed to do due to my ACCA restrictions goes to one small practice... And it's not my own accountant!
on the MLR cover question its actually automatic on issue of the ICB practicing certificate and you can't get the practicing certificate without PII.
Hi Kim,
Sorry, missed your post earlier.
Welcome to the forum. Hope that we get to chat lots over the coming months.
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've gleaned the impression that networking is very successful for you, Rob, and have determined to invest a bit of time myself to get known in the wider business community in my area.
With that in mind, I have a rather basic question concerning presentation of myself. I do scrub up fairly well although I look like a defendant when I put on a suit but I'd be interested to know where you think bookkeeper chic sits in the clothing spectrum. Are you whistle and flute people or smart but informal?
I ask because I've spent years in academia where anything from a suit to a loincloth seems to be acceptable.
if you don't watch "How I Met Your Mother" you won't get the above reference.
However, it's black suits all the way for me.
I don't know if you watch Dragons Den but Peter on there has on more than one occasion really ripped into people for not coming dressed in a suit. It's just expected business wear.
Also, if you dress in a suit regardless as to whether such is compulsory it will make you feel better about yourself and how you are perceived by your audience. If you turn up casual you will always be wondering if the client is taking offence at your casual attire which won't help your confidence during your pitch.
Well, that's my opinion (got a million of them as you might have noticed!).
All the best,
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 Neil, I would say go with the loincloth, it will definitely mean you stick out in a crowd!
Seriously for me I would go in smart trousers, shirt but I never wear a tie even if I have a suit on. This is how I dress for work and seeing clients. I don't think there is a problem with going in a suit and tie it just isn't for me and you will be talking to all sorts and some people do get intimidated by 'financial' types, so keep with the slightly less formal and I think you have a good balance.
The more networking you do, the easier it becomes. I never start a conversation talking about myself but always asking people about what they do. See if you can get along to Chamber of Commerce events and get a little bit known by the people who work for Chambers since they are seeing new start ups all the time and they love to say 'go and see Neil, he'll get you sorted' and they do! You may need to join the Chamber though (it's about £200 but I have had loads of business from them). I also go to BNI which is expensive but to my mind it is the best way to get new business. Your local chapter will probably have an accountant in the group (They only allow one profession per chapter), so go as a visitor and see if the accountant has any objection to you as a bookkeeper (assuming there isn't a bookkeeper already in the group). I would think it would not be a problem. With BNI you will get lots of opportunities to learn how to network effectively and you will make a lot of business friends and some will go to all the other networking events you want to go to and it is nice to see a friendly face there.
You little bohemian!... No tie! sends a shudder down my spine.
Guess with me you can take the boy out of banking but you can never take the banking out of the boy!
Looks a beautiful day out there today.
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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 think I would quite like to be known as The Bohemian Bookkeeper, as people enter the office to 'shine on you crazy diamond' and the waft of jasmine insence...'and back in the room'!
Yes lovely here too, I shall walk Misty shortly and avail myself of it!
Bohemian Bookkeeper! Now there's two words that one doesn't often find in the same sentence.... Bit like Sympathetic Banker! (lol).
Bit of Floyd, we agree on the music anyway. Never, ever found a version of Wish you were here on Vinyl that didn't jump.
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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 go smart but casual, when first meeting a client. Although the last one I got the business about whos who was done in the playground before school one morning as his wife had approached me the day before, (one of my kids friends), and then he phoned me later that day and job done!!! Easiest one yet I must say and I was very casual in jeans as was dropping off at school. So you never know.
Welcome to the forum. As others have said, networking is really effective for bookkeepers as people tend to work with people they know and like. There are lots of different networking clubs out there - some are more formal than others and you should attend a few to see which ones are right for you.
Also, as Amanda has done, tell everyone what you do - friends, neighbours, family, people at the school etc. Ask them to tell their friends as well - you never know who knows someone that needs a bookkeeper.
Neil - I always think the dress depends on the client. We tend to dress smart, but not necessarily suits unless we are visiting clients in London or bigger companies. A lot of our clients are owner managed businesses and we feel we are more approachable and less indimidating without the suits, however, I think a lot of people expect those offering professional services to be dressed smartly as they relate the clothes (rightly or wrongly) to the service.
It's probably fair to say that money people are conservative then? Shaun, your Buddhist leanings must chafe in that environment? Not many lentil munchers per square metre there.
Like Rob, I think ties are an anachronism although I can see the point of a suit. I always wear one when I'm talking at seminars although usually I wear black shirt and no tie. It looks like I'll have to think about hair management too. My wife desperately wants me to keep it long but I'm not sure. Maybe keep it long at the front and glue it back with some products.
Rob, thanks for the BNI tip. I've had a look at their website and there's a chapter in Newark which I'll check out. What does one do if the BNI has no spaces? Join the underground?
Zoe, I take your point about pitching yourself at the right sort of level. It sounds like there's a skill lin getting that right.
Cheers Neil
-- Edited by Neil on Tuesday 16th of March 2010 10:20:34 AM
I would say just make sure that you present yourself well, so if you are are more the casual dresser you don't look scuffy and if you are suited and booted make sure you look really good. It dosen't apply to you guys but I always make sure I have abit of make-up on, bit of perfume and present myself well and confidently. All my clients are smallish and they have all met me in jeans themselves, so you don't want to feel over dressed. My biggest client came round to meet me etc and I was smartly dressed and he had jeans and a t-shirt on!
I do just think it depends on the client as to how smart you decide to dress.
Welcome to the forum and from the way this thread has gone you can see how easily we all manage to send it off in another direction.
For meetings/networking etc I am always suited and booted. It is something that I have always done and it feels really strange not wearing it. Even now working from home today I am wearing my suit it just doesn't feel as if I am working if I am not dressed properly for it.
In one large multinational company I worked for they had a "dress for the day" policy. It didn't mean we could all come to work dressed in jeans and T shirts but it left open to smart casual. If we had to attend meetings with clients/general public/ directors etc, we were expected to dress appropriately.
A few years ago, I (had to) attended a training course on how to dress for business and it actually turned out to be quite interesting. Suits send a strong subliminal message and if you want to take charge of a meeting, say with a bank manager "power dress", which includes a suit with a waistcoat (particullarly for the ladies). The other thing was the venue, if you are attending a clients premises dont over do the strong aftershaves/ perfumes, it is perceived as a threat (something to do with marking territory) and invading their space, especially in same sex meetings.
Anyway thought the whole subject QI. When do we start on Nuero Linguistic Programming?
Hi Kim, welcome to the forum. You can see, as Mark said, we get easily distracted
These posts have cracked me up. Bohemian bookkeepers and loin cloths indeed. Sure cheers up a dreary Wednesday. Keep them coming guys!
Mark, funny you should say that about dressing for work even when you are just working at home. I do the same, I can't take myself seriously having to make business calls in my pjs! lol
When seeing a client for the initial meeting I tend to wear black trousers, smart shoes, and normally a blouse and a smart jumper. I like to look quite smart, but I don't like suits myself, I don't feel relaxed in a suit.
Once I had to see a client for a 2nd meeting on a sunday, and it was short noticed so I turned up in my casual attire, which is normally leggings, ugg boots, and hooded cardi, but then I feel that was suited to the circumstance and it was Sunday and V. short notice.
Once I did in fact go to see my monthly customer with pink wellies under my black trousers, lol, but it was at the time when it was snowing quite badly and was bloody cold, I had matching pink hat also lol, but I think again considering that bad weather it was acceptable.
But would say "normally" I try to be pretty smartly dressed, and am normally going to see clients after working in an office all day so am pretty much dressed for the occasion already.
I'm a bit like Rob in that I tend not to like wearing a tie. I got some black shirts embroidered with my logo and a fleece, tend just to wear them with black trousers.
Although I have been know to turn up to regular clients for quick meetings with jeans and a t-shirt. I think it depends on how well you know the person.
The views expressed in this post are my own personal (HRA protected) views, and are not representative of any organisation I have any involvement with.
And this morning I presented the accounts at the AGM of a working Mens Club and .........I wore a tie! Just goes to show, sometimes you have to dress to the expectations of your audience! I probably shouldn't have borrowed Neil's mankini though!
