I have been working as a bookkeeper for several years now, started out training at an accountancy firm and then went on to work for other companies in accounts until most recently I have worked as the sole bookkeeper of a small business - Now I am thinking of going soloand offering freelance bookkeeping services but through all my experience I have no formal qualifications or professional memberships
What would you all reccommend I do, I dont mind some study but dont really want to start from scratch with a course and recover all the same material again but wondered if there was a way to take the exams to get my experience certified?
I trained on the job too with no formal qualifications and am now going solo. I am however doing AAT courses. I've started at Level 2, despite my experience qualifying me for Level 3, as there were a few things I wanted to freshen up on, plus I had a crisis of confidence so thought I'd start easy.
I do the study alongside my work but in my business I don't advertise as studying AAT, I just state my experience in the jobs I have done. It hasn't hindered me getting work - I do a bit of outsourcing work from accountants, and am starting to get quite a few enquiries from all the networking I have been doing. I am mostly targeting sole traders, though once I have the qualifications I will then be able to branch out to Ltd companies & partnerships with alot more confidence.
If you can get references from a couple of previous employers you may be able to gain membership of IAB on a QBE (qualified by experience) route. This will enable you to get a practicing certificate and be covered by them under the MLR regulations which is required by anyone doing self-employed book-keeping, otherwise you will have to pay HMRC for their cover think it's about £120.
If you want to take exams to gain qualifications the best way when you are experienced is to get hold of some old exam papers (from the awarding/professional bodies) and see how you get on with them then just sit the exams (cheaper than doing a training course). Look on their websites for this.
