Advice on Bookkeeping from home?

PaigeCR

Hello, I'm looking for some advice on offering Bookkeeping services from home. To fill you in with some of my details:- I have just completed AAT Level 2 & I am studying AAT Level 3 at the minute; I'm currently unemployed due to having a 1 year old child. Before I finished work & started studying I had 4/5 years work experience in sales/purchases/credit control etc. so studying hasn't been too challenging for me (yet!); My ambition has always been to run my own business & once I've completed my studies I hope to progress onto CIMA or ICCA, decisions decisions.
Now onto the actual question! I'm hoping to offer bookkeeping services to small/new start up companies or other accounting firms and build up my clients and services as I progress, then by the time I've finished AAT I will have enough practical experience and income to further my studies & offer full time work, rather than wait until I've finished studying to start my career. I have some savings which I can use to start up and I'm aware you need insurance, charging rates and all the 'boring' stuff but I'm really interested in other people's experiences from similar situations.
I've looked online and a lot of it is about insurance, marketing yourself & bringing in clients whereas none of it is a more personal account of how people put the wheels in motion?
Thanks in advance

gwenb

Hello. Having finished the Accounting qualification a couple of months ago while working for a company doing bookkeeping, tax and credit control, I believe there is much more to learn in order to start flying solo.
It is not just about your experience, marketing yourself and the bit of knowledge gained with the qualification, it's also got to do with the legal requirements established by AAT for all members in practice (those who want to provide services to clients). I believe you cannot do that unless you're fully qualified, make an application for MAAT and MIP. All these are steps that need to be taken.
I suggest you have another read at the AAT website about the requirements to start offering bookkeeping services. I am going through the process right now and it's taking me a while as I have to juggle family life and work.
Best of luck!

shaunhulse

PaigeCR, I am too in the same boat wanting to get experience by offering bookkeeping; but I do not agree that your need to be MAAT and MIP to be a bookkeeper.

I believe that you can do bookkeeping up to trial balance (whilst I am not entirely sure if this is up to and or including trail balance, I have yet to establish this) and you will have to ask the HMRC to be your MLRO, as AAT will only offer this service to MAAT or MIP members.

This information is based on many searches and I am yet to complete my searches as there is a lot to consider.

gitaraback

Hi! Just will share my experiance! So I decided to do bookkeeping from home and started to look for information. So if you have level 3 qualification you can apply in AAT to become licenced bookkeeper. Go to the main website and you will find all info under Membership