I promise I won't talk about rabbits in this post...lol (see post in Bookkeeping Training regarding a typo, before anyone thinks I've gone bananas!)
I am going to see a prospective new client next Thursday, one that an existing client's accountant has recommended me to. I want to make a list of questions/things to ask before I go to see them and was wondering if anyone had any ideas/tips etc.
Thanks for the response. I thought of loads of things to ask whilst I was drifting off to sleep last night...lol Shame I didn't have a pen handy! I'm not sure if they've had anyone before me as the accountant said they didn't have much of a clue about bookkeeping! She said that they sold equipment and clothing to the Army that the Government doesn't supply. Hope it's not guns and stuff!
The Government equipment isn't always fit for purpose. One that springs to mind is bulletproof vests with shiny studs to reflect nicely just in case the enemy snipers can't actually see you properly. Another is winter equipment supplied for hot countries such as boots that melt above 55c and sleeping bags intended for winter campaigns being issued for use in the desert... There's actually a very long lists of issues which has ended up with the Government accusing soldiers of creating a two tier force with those who can afford the proper equipment and those who cant!!!! Surely it was down the the Government to ensure that our troops didn't have to upgrade their equipment rather than complaining about "Gucci soldiers" when they do. (and to the best of my knowledge Gucci don't even make combat boots).
I heard that our special forces actually buy American guns as the SA80 jams in desert conditions and freezes up in icy conditions. I've even heard of front line troops using the much more dependable AKs of the enemy. I suspect that sort of supply though would be a little more specialist than your freind is supplying though!
Don't even get me onto French planes on our aircraft carriers!!!
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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.
Its not the army, but the police are sometimes no better. I've lost track of the amount I've spent on kit because the stuff I've been issued isn't up to the job.
in this instance it was son number one (Andrew) doing tour of duty in Afganistan (which he only told me when he had got safely back!!!... I thought that the TA were like Dads army and just played at being soldiers. I didn't think that they actually got sent out to the front line).
However, most of the time it's because I've just been around a bit. Working in banking operations you get to travel all over the world and occassionally you end up in the right place at the right time... Or the wrong place at the wrong time as in Slovenia back in 1992 when I got there and Serbia promptly (and unsuccessfully) tried to invade them.
On this whole subject I was having a chat with son number three (Peter) about this the other day in relation to the film blade runner. There a bit in it where Rutger Hauer as the chief of the group of disident Androids is trying to come to terms with why they are fitted with an expiry date. After all the things that they have seen and learnt what is the point of it all when they simply expire.
The same is so very true of humans in that we study, we perfect, then we expire making one wonder the waste of it all.
Sure you would have been more impressed if I had used Neitche, Voltaire or Chekov to get to that conclusion rather than blade runner but hey, I'm not that high brow!
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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.
