Hello Carol,
Thanks very much for taking the time to reply to me, it's much appreciated. The whole process of going it alone feels very different to having the security of an employer..
This has been my thinking, a software subscription is going to be of good benefit to the client and to me in providing the best service for them for a pretty minimal outlay really. I haven't used QB, I have used SAGE line 50 and SAGE One but to be honest, find SAGE One very clumsy and difficult when making any amendments. Before opening my business I will download a trial of QB and have a play around with it so I have an understanding of both before making a decision on which to recommened.
Thanks for the information on excel. You can make a pretty decent excel bookkeeping spreadsheet but glad you confirmed my thoughts that this isnt the answer in terms of an ongoing accounting solution but more a record of a low volume of transcations perhaps at year end etc.
When you say you would use your desktop version of QBs to process higher volume once-a-year clients, how would this work? Can you just process a clients income/expenses, asset etc to say, print out a profit/loss or balance sheet but not really go indepth in setting up their company on the software.
This really is the question and the thing im struggling with here, given that I haven't had to do it before: If I go into a client, who has a bunch of invoices/receipts, maybe an odd spreadsheet or two or whatever and wants me to take over the bookkeeping on an ongoing basis, I would want to set up an accounting system using a software. Like you say, with SAGE I would need opening balance, creditors/debtors control information, details of any fixed assets etc but this information may not be avalaible to me. If the client had a good record of his creditors/debtors, a good fixed asset schedule etc they probably wouldn't be wanting my services.
Are you saying you can set up QB with some basic information such as a bank balance at given date when you take over, some information on who the client is expecting pay from etc and work from there?
Basically, and this is going a little off topic, what do you do when you take on a new client that you need to transfer to a software system?
This is the part I find daunting,whilst I know I can do the work (and do in my current role, and more if anything), it's the taking over a clients bookkeeping and getting a system started that seems the hard part.
Thanks again for your reply,
Liam
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