I am John and been searching this forum for most of the day, very helpful.
On short term contract, ends end of March 2017, always like figures.
All kids kicked out of the nest, me and partner now living in a beautiful rural setting.
Done all levels of work, best times being self-employed, limited experience in bookkeeping, on paper have a Degree in Business Accounting and HND Accounting.
Keep coming back to the idea of self-employed bookkeeper, few years ago almost started a bookkeeping course but something just said no, reading this forum has may me realised my hesitation.
Just enrolled (for free) Intermediate Financial and Management Accounting http://www.acca-x.com/global/en/courses/intermediate-financial-and-management-accounting-course.html thanks to this forum. Will learn if I walk the walk, its so easy to talk the talk.
Advice is free, taking it may cost, I now have a clearer understanding on the different roads I can take.
The longest road is via AAT, yesterday after kayaking a river I tried taking the shortest path over a floating peat bog.
AAT Bookkeeping really appeals to me, but would it be more wise to do AAT Accounting, the latter appears to be the view of the experienced members here (that answers my questioned) just need prodding in the right direction.
If you have got this far, many thanks for your time.
Just checking - have you been on here before and lost your profile as your name rings a bell? No worries if you have, Im rubbish with names so could have it completely wrong. Plus a few people, it seems, set up new profiles after the forum re-brand, when they couldnt find their old ones!!
Well done you on signing up for ACCA-X. Are you planning on doing their exams at the end of the course or just then moving on to AAT?
I would say do the AAT Accounting. Once you have completed the above course (even without doing the exams) you could probably miss out level 2 otherwise you will find you will be paying money to repeat what you have already learnt. Just do the skills test on the site and take a print and let whichever training provider you wish to go with see it and you could start at level 3. Once you have completed level 3 you can apply for the AAT Bookkeeping certificate - AATQB. Its relatively new, not even a year in the making from memory. It will allow you to provide certain services to clients, although it is restrictive, rightly so in most cases, although some people (dependent on their background) find it overly so - of course you do not need to apply for that licence, instead keep going and finish level 4 and you can then apply for the full AAT membership and licence - MAAT MIP. Care though - this also has its restrictions until you can prove that you are competent. AAT is certainly a good grounding and can then lead you elsewhere if you so choose - eg Chartered Accountancy routes or Tax routes, whcihever and wherever you want to end up.
If you have no knowledge of Accountancy or bookkeeping it is worth looking at the other ACCA-X course that is on offer at the same time http://www.acca-x.com/global/en/courses/introduction-to-financial-and-management-accounting-course.html as the double entry elements alone are the cornerstone of everything else you will do in this area. Thats a freebie course too and running both together shouldnt be too taxing.
Any questions - pop them on here, although be warned - January is our SILLY SILLY Season so answers may not be forthcoming as quickly as usual as most on here dont actually sleep until about 8th February!
Hope you enjoy this mad house forum as much as we do!
-- Edited by Cheshire on Monday 19th of December 2016 07:07:49 PM
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
I did a lot of research some time ago, I did post on the ICB forum for sure, I do not think on this one.
I am doing the ACCA-X to see if I can still study (its free to do) and plan to do the exam at the end of the course so see how well I can recall from my knowledge base. I would then move onto AAT as it ties into what you have said about doing the skills test to try and start on level 3. I have read on this forum that your first result counts to which level you can start on.
Good to know that after completing level 3 I can apply for the AAT Bookkeeping certificate - AATQB, this was not an option last time I was doing research and to be honest the speed of qualifying for other certificates did alarm me and was a major reason I held back.
Double entry, took me years to understand this, so simple that I was embarrassed for a long time afterwards for not grasping it sooner. I did think of doing Introduction to Financial and Management Accounting course but I think Intermediate Financial and Management Accounting will be better for me.
I enjoy talking to people and helping them, along with puzzle solving and figures. The concept of bookkeeping appeals to me, I did finally understand about taxation and auditing. I genuinely got no desire to become a charted accountant. I may be deluding myself that I can find a profitable income just doing bookkeeping, but I am interested that you have found a niche market for your skills.
Might be worth enrolling on the other one and just have it sitting in the background just in case you need it, especially given its free.
For the exam, my understanding is that you would need to pay the ACCA membership fees (student level) as well as an exam fee. Bear in mind that then as long as you are a member of that professional body, you cannot actually do anything at all beyond Trial Balance due to their regulation 8.
Might be worth checking out if the ACCA-X pass counts as an exemption from any of the AAT modules. I posted a link on here a few days ago with the exemption list on it (poster asked which prof body, you should still be able to see the post on this page, a handful of postings down the list I reckon).
Some people take longer than others to grasp double entry, there are ways to hell you remember. As long as you have it now then great- you will still get lots of practice as you work through the courses.
With AAT you have a recognised qualification (unlike some of the others), which if you finish level four and change your mind can open other doors, even counting towards UCAS points and covering the first year of a degree course, so it's a good one to have under your belt. It's also a great one for employed as well as self employed and one which can attract work from other Accountants idc.
Plenty of money to be had in pure bookkeeping. Don't undersell yourself when it's your turn and if you can use prior experiences to help people then you can add value in ways perhaps others can't.
What was it you did before?
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
Went back to check, the one I have enrolled for is "free" there is small print, for it to be accepted for ACCA records you must be enrolled as an ACCA student.
Introduction to Financial and Management Accounting
Intermediate Financial and Management Accounting
Will check out with AAT if I could gain exemptions.
I now understand the advantages of AAT, must put it down to this forum. I accept the roll of the other organisations.
Once I grasped the double entry system I started to enjoy bookkeeping.
Glad to learn money can be made in pure bookkeeping, will be interesting if I can make it happen.
What did I do before, right now on a year contract as a project manager with a charity who have been award money to upgrade their village hall, postie, self-employed running an ebay/Amazon account, tour guide, running a start up forestry project, transport, hill fencer hardest job of all was a house father looking after one small child. If there is one connection with all the jobs is dealing with people and passing on knowledge.
When you start getting clients your experience of looking after even one small child will help, especially if you are good at saying 'no, you cant do that' and having to repeat yourself a million times before they get the message.
__________________
Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
