Sage Business Partner Accreditation Scheme

Jonno1

I am thinking of doing some part-time work as a SAGE consultant/installer/problem solver for SMEs. Do people feel there is a demand for this type of work amongst SMEs? Does anyone have any experience relating to the Sage Business Partner Accreditation scheme, which I presume I must complete in order to advertise my services to carry out these particular tasks, or would achieving the standard Sage Customer Accreditation suffice? I have AAT level 4, but am still seeking the practical experience to achieve MAAT status.

burg

My mother runs such a business. Although she is a bookkeeper/management accountant the bulk of her work in terms of time spent is helping with business recovery which often also involves messy Sage data. The work is often specific in terms of helping to tidy up data and provide some training. On occasions it leads to a longer term project. Such work can often come from other accountants who do not have the time to be involved in such a long term project. She also though has regular bookkeeping to keep regular work and income in between.

Jonno1

Thanks for this reply, what you describe is exactly the type of work I would like to pick up. I did computerised accounting systems as part of AAT Level 2, but I think I would need some further accreditation in Sage - do you think the standard customer accreditation in Sage would do to carry out this work (1 hour web-based tests for 2 levels)? I am very IT literate, especially in MS Excel. Going down the Sage Business Partner route seems expensive and time consuming as I would have to attend a 4 day course, and I am currently working full time (though not in finance & accountancy). Also how does your mother manage to procure this type of work? Any suggested wordings for advertisements etc to attract potential clients?