I am being made redundant from my full-time job but being re-employed part-time, half full-time hours but worked on a flexible bases over a month. My bosses are winding down towards their retirement. I am hoping that Bookkeeping will 'plug the gap' and take me forward towards my own retirement in 10-12 years time (depending on what the government do with the retirement age) and beyond if I need extra income.
I think it will be the autumn before I get set up. Waiting for results, applying for membership of IAB then getting registered for money laundering and insurance, will all take time. Goodness knows how long it will take to get the first few clients - I think a lot of luck will be involved! I am trying to be very positive.
I don't feel that B190 alone has given me enough training to start the business, I am still undecided what courses to do next. Experience is just as important and that is very hard to get. I have booked some seminars with the HMRC for next month but I am reluctant to spend a lot of courses if I don't get any clients - the chicken and the egg!
I look forward to hearing how others intend to prepare for the business launch date!
Hi Olga
I've sorted the styling issues on your original post for you
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Robyn Bateman (member of the Platform team)
Thank you for joining Olga,
You sound as though you have your next steps worked out, which is great. I have decided not to take any more courses but to continue my learning through books at the moment and I will join IAB. I would like to get some more qualifications but the IAB ones require you to take exams in London or Scotland - not any help to me in Dorset. I would like to do the ICB ones (most home based assessment or local centres) but that is a considerable investment as I would need to start from scratch. I have been advised by a bookkeeper to see if I can find any work and get some experience first. Bit concerned about that as any work I get must be on a self-employed basis.
I find the first of your forums www.book-keepers.org.uk really useful because they have some interesting real business examples. I think it is fine to discuss soft-ware as it is an important part of our job. I know Excel fairly well, I use it in my job now. I will wait until if/when I get my first client before I make any decision. I intend to start advertising once my IAB membership comes in - hopefully October some time.
Best wishes Sylvia
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oh noooo! Sorry Robyn, I did it again!
I don't know what's the problem, maybe it's because I pass the spelling check in word and then paste here. Next time I will not copy and paste, I promise. So sorry! 
Hi Sylvia
Don't worry, I've sorted the gobbledegook again. And yes, it's copying it from Word that does it. You can either copy into something like Notepad or TextEdit first, and that will 'clean' the copy, or once you've pasted thetext across you can click 'source' in the toolbar and delete the gobbledegook. Hope that makes sense?
Failing that, I'll come in and clean up
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Robyn Bateman (member of the Platform team)
Olga, if you look at the icons above the text box you type in, you will see a icon "Paste from Word" (the words come up if you hover your mouse over the icons). This opens a box for you to paste into and ignores the Font Face definitions which should solve your problem.
Thanks for your comments. I have looked at Gumtree and a few bookkeepers advertise from Dorset but they are the other side of the county from me. I am hoping lack of adverts from bookkeepers locally is a good sign. Yes, I have noted the books, I have one on computerised bookkeeping, which I am going to follow with a trail version of Sage.
Best wishes Sylvia
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Hi Sylvia and Olga,
Just found you after looking on the B190 page. I've just started to look into software etc. Not really sure whether it's worth the investment yet though. I had planned to work towards my AAT at the local college starting in September but have just found out I'm pregnant so maybe try something else from the OU instead. I'm going to do the accounts of a friend (who runs a small business) in order to get some experience. I think this is a great time to be setting up a bookkeeping business, the number of people, particularly mums of young children who are setting up small businesses (I think their called mumpreneurs!) and need bookkeeping is increasing. Great idea for a group by the way.
Rowan
Welcome Rowan, I am hoping a few more with join us. Great that you are doing the accounts for a friend and I love the idea of Mumpreneurs! I would love to have one as a client but I would be a Grannypreveur!
Look luck with the pregnancy and your studies.
Best wishes Sylvia
Thanks Sylvia,
I like the idea of a Granpreneur!!
Any idea when our results come out for the B190?
Rowan
Olga and Rowan,
Sorry I haven't been 'around' for a while, I am in the last few days of my full-time job and have now got a different part-time employment, starting next week!
I have decided to join the ICB and take their exams from scratch. The reason is that IAB exams are set when you can take them and none of them are local to me. The ICB exams are mostly from home or a local college (we mix with those taking their theory driving text!). I could get exemption for ICB level 1 but would have to wait for B190 result and it costs more than the exam. Level 1 is taken on-line from home so I hope to take it early next week. Level 2 is in two parts manual bookkeeping at a exam centre, I am aiming for end August and computerised which is a similar assessment to B190 from home - aim is first 2 weeks of September. Which would let me apply for a practise license at about the same time as I could get it from IAB. I hope to pass all these by using the knowledge of B190 and a few extra books. Besides getting me to a position I can start a business it also gives me the incentive to revise and add to B190.
I hope that wasn't all to long winded for you! Now my timetable is set in writing, I don't intend to be too upset if 'life' gets in the way and it takes a few more weeks.
Do let me know what your plans are, once we get are results in mid September.
Best wishes Sylvia
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Hello Everyone.
I've just found you after looking at the B190 Student Cafe. Like most of you I am looking to start my own bookkeeping business, I am just waiting for the EMA results so I can join the IAB.
I have worked in Finance before so I do have a little experience, I now have two young children so want to set up by myself. I've looked at a lot of the book keeping websites and there is a lot of information out there. I personally don't think I will use Sage unless a client specifically asks for it. It can be quite expensive. I will probably use Quickbooks but I am not making any decisions yet until the EMA results come in!
If I find out any useful information I will pass it on. If you want any experience, a tip someone gave me was to approach charities such as scouting groups and playgroups etc Many of those are desperate to find someone who will do their books for pretty much nothing as usually the individuals running them are trying to do it with no experience at all, and will be grateful for the offer. You never know what contacts you might make in the long term!
Oh, and I am based in Buckinghamshire.
Good luck to all of you in your new business adventures!!
Jayne
hi all. i passed my B190 exam so where do i go from now!! how do i join the IAB or ICB now. i want to prgress with my book keeping as am starting up my own business but want to do others books at same time!! can anyone give me any advice. thanks
Hi Jayne, thank you for joining us. We are still waiting for those results!
Samantha, I assume you took your course on a different data from us (we started May 11) and are luckily enough to have your results. If you look above you will see a message from me (on 28/7) about why I have chosen to study with the ICB, I have taken and passed Level 1 (100%), not difficult after B190 and hope to do my Level 2 computerised next week. Taking the ICB exams has given me a lot of confidence plus I have learnt some new things and I think I will be ready to start my business in the Autumn. Good luck with your business and bookkeeping, do let us know how it is going.
Best wishes Sylvia
Well the course results are out, how did we all do? I passed, thankfully, so now moving on to registering with the IAB. Am about to email them to find out how to go about it. Hope you were all successful, Well done Sylvia on passing level 1. You've probably taken your level 2 by now aswell! Hope that went well.
All the best,
Rowan
Glad you passed Rowan, I passed but was very disappointed with my pass mark of 72%! As soon as I have time I want to go through my answers to see where I went wrong. I am waiting for my ICB Level 2 computerised result and I take manual on Thursday. Hope you new business goes well, when do you hope to start it? I hope to get set up within the next few months, aim to start by 1 Nov and get first adverts in before Christmas.
Best wishes Sylvia
PS I hope everyone else passed and got the mark the expected/wanted.
Well done Sylvia, don't worry about the 72% it's a good mark, and a pass is a pass at the end of the day. Can I ask everyone what software they'll be using, it's a bit of a maze. I'm planning on getting set up in the next few months too. What are your thoughts on hourly rates/per job, how much to charge etc?
Rowan
Hello everyone - i have just passed B190, and got the details of this forum from the course site. I am interested to have people to talk to about where to go now with bookkeeping and seeing how people progress.
Really glad to pass - although no way of knowing where you went wrong!
Andy
Thanks Rowan and Welcome Andrew. When I get time I will look at my spreadsheet and see if I can see where I went wrong, I am wondering if I zipped the wrong sheet. As this isn't an academic study but learning a skill it would be nice not to repeat the same error on someone's books! But the results from my ICB is more important and they do offer feedback.
Software is complicated, Sage is most popular but the pricing structure means it is unaffordable for bookkeepers. I would wait for you first clients, they may have software which they want you to use at their premises. Other clients and/or their accountants want you to use a particular software. I intend to use Excel to start with.
Hourly rates are vary, the general rate seems to be between £15-£20 depending on the experience of the bookkeeper and what they offer. The IAB may offer you help on this. I will be interested in what information they send you when you get your licence. Hopefully the OU will not take too long to send you your certificate.
Best wishes Sylvia
Hi all I wish I knew this group was here a long time ago. I also did and passed the B190 and am really confused on where to go after this. I'd like to became a qualified accountant and work from home eventually,but haven't a clue on the best way to go around this.I'd like to do some work from home along the same sort of lines but don't know what the B190 will actually get me.Any advise would be great.
Hi Sylvia,
I just finished B190 myself. No idea what the result will be (results June 15th) but I have been wondering about where you are now. Your original post was almost one year ago so I am curious as to how far you got with IAB membership and what level is awarded after completion of B190 AIAB or MIAB and what one would need to do to get an MIAB. Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,
Martin O.