Experience
Experience
Selecting somebody at random from a list of names obtained from a website, is rather like pot luck, and for someone who is going to look after your business accounting, you want to be sure that this person has the necessary experience and expertise that you are looking for.
My first job after leaving school was with Cassell & Co, the book publishers, famous for their dictionaries and Winston Churchill's books. I was in the Royalty Department. I gained experience from this in English, precing contracts etc.
I started evening classes in Bookkeeping, and took a shine to it straightaway, within three years I had gained the RSA Bookkeeping qualifications in stages 1-3, receiving distinction at stage 2. I also took the local Surrey Bookkeeping Exam and passed this as well.
My tutor for Bookkeeping, being a qualified Accountant himself, recommended me to commence the Association of Certified Accountants examinations, being over 21 I was able to be accepted without all the entrance exams. I had to obtain GCSE English Language before I could commence the examinations, in which I was successful; this stood me in great stead for later on in life.
I was successful in the examinations and obtained parts 1-4, but unfortunately, I had to leave my studies due to personal circumstances.
I returned to them a few years later, when the syllabus had changed and had to obtain GSCE Mathematics, of which I did. But alas, the final examination eluded me and I decided not to continue due to my age and having to start from the bottom again.
I did not want to waste all this experience and decided to obtain the qualification of the Association of Accounting Technicians. I was duly admitted as a member in August, 1995 and became a Fellow Member in June, 2003. I obtained my first practice certificate in 2004.
I have carried out work for local garages, employed persons and limited companies.
My professional work involved me in bookkeeping, preparation of accounts and consolidated accounts for a multi-national organisation, Corporation tax returns and schedules, P11D's, Personal Tax Returns, Payroll and all the associated tax returns, Value Added Tax, Cash flow computations and Budgeting. Company set-up and dealing with annual returns etc.
My career has given me the opportunity to deal with people from all walks of life and have dealt with managing directors, company chairmen, and board of directors, together with managers, departments and their staff.