[Help] Becoming a self employed bookkeeper - help!

[Weststander]

I have to say Weststander, although it wasn't my profession, Xero was much more user-friendly, I used Tas software before that and that took a bit of time to get our heads around it, Sage was a notch more complicated for your average bod than Tas.

So I will have to back Pavillionaire on this one.

TAS and Quickbooks were/are loved by people for personal finances and some tiny businesses. Drawn also by the ultra low cost.

 

[Diablo]

sage used to be ultra low cost. buy it for £30 and it would last years. Nowadays you seem to need regular paid for updates and phone help which aint cheap.

 

[Weststander]

sage used to be ultra low cost. buy it for £30 and it would last years. Nowadays you seem to need regular paid for updates and phone help which aint cheap.

They exploited their domination and bought up competitors. But updates never cost, with phone support a standard add-on of Sage Support.

TAS, xero and Quickbooks will always win on price.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Bottom line is if your business is going to be bookkeeping for clients who themselves will be using the software to import bank statements, produce invoices or try and submit VAT Returns then the client will be happier with Xero than anything else, so training in Xero makes sense.

However, if you plan to be an in-house bookkeeper for a large employer then there's merit in having Sage knowledge.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

TAS and Quickbooks were/are loved by people for personal finances and some tiny businesses. Drawn also by the ultra low cost.

I was saying Xero is much better imo nothing to do with size of business we had lots of supplier and customers and over 1500 products and It was more than capable and easy to use and also recommended by our accountant.

 

[DavePage]

Self employed, get an accountant

 

[HHGull]

Thanks all - I’m sensing that AAT is the way to go!!

 

[Goldstone1976]

Another vote for AAT. Employed several bookkeepers over the years; no AAT? No interview.

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

Study AAT, not the others, it’s THE professional body. Even if your wife only see out a level or two (there are exams), it will give her a great grounding and potential clients/employers will often recognise AAT ... possibly the first thing they look out for.

https://www.aat.org.uk/training-providers/search
There are very reputable organisations providing excellent distant learning courses.

Give the AAT a call for free advice.

Please don’t go by price, by selecting the other bookkeeping ‘bodies’. The investment will be worth it, AAT giving your wife the key skills, and often leading to a greater hourly charge out rate.

Good luck to Mrs HHGull!

This, with absolute bells on it. AAT would be my preferred choice if I were looking for a bookkeeper. It also opens up a lot more doors for when your children get older, because many Accounts Assistant roles require AAT - pay can be pretty good too. AAT will give your wife a better understanding of the transactions, meaning she'd be able to provide a better service (In my opinion at least)

It can be tough, but well worth it because it's a recognised qualification that's respected and will open plenty of doors in to the future. I have noticed more AAT billboards in my area too, so they may have better offers for courses as a result of a drive.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Yes, yes you have


LOL


I agree about the AAT.

I am quite fortunate in that I am being lined up as treasurer of my local golf club when I retire , so I need to get back to remembering double entry. Fnaaaar fnaaar. But of course it is all computerised nowadays.

Hope the OPs wife gets on ok but yes I would definitely look at AAT

I’ve been in the accounting/tax profession, sadly for over 30 years. I’ve seen that debate.

More important than anything is common sense, logic and getting things right first time by taking your time until you’re very competent. With a studied grounding in the logic/rules too.

I’ve seen people who could pass exams all the way to the highest level, but lacked common sense = woeful work.

 

[Normski1989]

As most people have said, AAT is the best way to go.

Although the AAT covers the basics of Sage, it's a software that is becoming less popular in my opinion. In todays market, I'd strongly advice learning Xero and Quickbooks. They're quite simple to learn and becoming increasingly dominant in the market of SME's.

I studied AAT level 4 via Distance Learning with Premier Training about 10 years ago. They were pretty good. Heard bad things about Kaplan, so just be aware of them.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[HHGull]

As most people have said, AAT is the best way to go.

Although the AAT covers the basics of Sage, it's a software that is becoming less popular in my opinion. In todays market, I'd strongly advice learning Xero and Quickbooks. They're quite simple to learn and becoming increasingly dominant in the market of SME's.

I studied AAT level 4 via Distance Learning with Premier Training about 10 years ago. They were pretty good. Heard bad things about Kaplan, so just be aware of them.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

Thanks - I’ve just asked for prices from some AAT providers.