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Horace

Afternoon all

I have had kind of a productive day today. Unfortunately, I was a tad late getting to my accountants due to my flippin satnav:mad: but I found her in the end and we had a good chat. I showed her my business plan for the new business, it didnt even look remotely like my old one - all I did this time was bash something out and she was well impressed. Had to part with £17.39 today as payment to the company formation agents that she uses - so I shall soon have a Limited company to protect my new business name - I shall continue with the one I have got because there is nothing wrong with it and this branch of the business has no need to become limited just yet.

Had a fab day yesterday, I was met with a rather influential man who is the business development manager of one of the major hotels in Birmingham and as a result he is opening doors for me that would normally be shut or even slammed in my face. He is such a lovely and helpful man.

I am procrastinating a bit this afternoon because I have to get people to come along to the breakfast networking event on Thursday and to be honest getting blood out of a stone is far easier...sigh. I have a few more emails to send inviting people - these are people I have met at other networking events over the last 12 months.

Went to see parents on Sunday - helped mum in the garden too. Dad watched the F1 on the tv. He looks more frail by the day and mum has told me that he is smoking more now than he used to and gets quite nasty when she tries to ration him. Mum isnt faring much better but at least she can get out into the garden and have some respite from him, she told me on the phone last night that she has a lump on her side and that it feels as though she has a tight belt on all the time. Her GP is carp to say the least and things must be bad for Dad to turn around and say that the GPs at the surgery are not looking after them too well. Trouble is, both are old and dad is a bit inflexible and won't shift to a newer practice. I had terrible trouble trying to get dad to go to the hospital to see about his arm - he is complaining that it feels dead after he fell over in the bedroom, in the end I didnt push it because he can get quite nasty and I didnt want to add to mum's burden.

Mum was highly miffed too because there is a horrid cat (a black and white thing) who has been hanging around her garden - this creature managed to get into what was my bedroom after jumping onto the extension roof and in through the open window - he went for mum when she shooed him out. Well this horrid cat was on the fence watching a pair of blackbirds fly in and out of the hedge - then said cat appeared in the garden so mum went out to shoo him off and in the short space of time between him being spotted and mum putting on her gardening shoes he had pounced on the female blackbird and bit her head clean off leaving the carcass on the lawn:mad: The only saving grace for this nasty cat is that he managed to see off a fox other than that he isn't user friendly - mum told me that he went for one of the neighbours after she cornered him in her house (he had wandered in through the kitchen door when she had nipped out to put the washing on the line).

jrossjord

I've been searching for some information on proof-reading - like how to become one. I work from home, mainly full-time mum but also sell Usborne books and I'm a breastfeeding counsellor for the NCT. I've often wondered about proofreading as an extra bit of income. I'm academic, seem to spot mistakes easily, used to correcting written work (previously a university lecturer) so I've always thought it might be something I could do easily.

No idea where to start. See lots of adverts for proof-reading courses but no idea if that's the way to begin, or if so, which one, what is cost to get started, is there a way to get started without outlay.

Etc etc etc....any advice welcome!

Janet

Eltee12

Morning All

Please give me a big virtual kick up the behind so I actually start my distance-learning bookkeeping course. I signed up of it in 2008, paid the fees over two years, paid to extend my tutoring in 2010 AND again in 2011. STILL haven't started it.

The reason I signed up for the course was because I do a lot of tax-returns, basic bookkeeping for rellys & DS's friends and I wanted to extend my knowledge to 'proper' accounts. Also, I had a notion that I could maybe (once passed course) do small business / sole trader accounts part-time and reduce my current PAYE hours (job I dislike intensely, never applied for it, was forced into in following re-distribution of section but that's another story).

Can I join you all please?

EL

Wordsmith

jrossjord wrote: »

I've been searching for some information on proof-reading ... No idea where to start. See lots of adverts for proof-reading courses but no idea if that's the way to begin, or if so, which one, what is cost to get started, is there a way to get started without outlay.

Hi, Janet

I wrote this on someone else's diary, so I have just copied and pasted it here. Hope it helps.

Proofreading work is pretty difficult to get started in, but once you get experienced you can make a reasonable living from it. It helps if you have a specialist interest. People tend to think of this kind of work being for publishers, but nearly every company has some kind of literature (brochures, annual reports, property particulars, web sites and so on), so there is a wide market to tap into - the trouble with a lot of companies, though, is that they don't know that they need people to proofread their documents!

Picture research and indexing are other areas you could look at. For proofreading and picture research I would recommend the Publishing Training Centre. They do distance learning courses in both subjects (and copy-editing), as well as one on how to freelance - how to get clients and that kind of thing. They also do a couple of on-line courses, including a free short course on proofreading, which might give you a taste of the distance learning course. Their website is www.train4publishing.co.uk - it also has information about choosing a career in these areas.

If you are interested in going down this route, I would highly recommend joining the Society for Proofreaders and Editors (www.sfep.org.uk). They do a number of one-day courses, have a newsletter, run an annual conference, etc. They also do a mentoring scheme, and provide ways of becoming accredited in proofreading and editing, which will help with getting work (although probably more with publishers than other types of businesses). I think they might also have details on grants for training – but I don’t know too much about this.

For picture research, see www.picture-research.org.uk. Their distance learning course is actually the one provided by the Publishing Training Centre.

For indexing, see www.indexers.org.uk. They also do a distance learning course. Quite a lot of people who do indexing also do proofreading.

Wordsmith

Hello, EL. Doing bookkeeping for small businesses is a good way to freelance. All businesses need bookkeeping and a lot of people don't want/can't do it themselves, and sending all the paperwork to an accountant is more expensive than using a bookkeeper. So, GET STARTED ON THAT COURSE.

Wordsmith

I have a busy week this week. My list, not broken down into days because I don't know when anything is arriving:

• update web site for client 1
• update web site for client 2
• update web site for client 3
• update web site for sister
• emails and admin for training client
• newsletter typesetting for client
• finishing off some accounts for restaurant (was there all day yesterday but didn't get everything finished)
• proofreading annual report
• proofreading novel 1
• proofreading novel 2
• post office duties - every day except Wednesday
• shop duties - when needed during the week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for certain, and either Wednesday or Thursday evening probably
• at training client's premises Wednesday morning
• bookkeeping for shop

The books are both urgent. No surprise there, then.

Eltee12

Thanks Wordsmith

I know you are right and am angry with myself for not getting on with it - I could've finished the course by now. Unfortunately, due to a nasty bout of depression and whatnot, I let things get out of control (part of the reason I'm in debt as well), but NO MORE........... I will dig out all the relevant info on Friday.

ooooooohhhhhh, I've said it now.....

EL

Wordsmith

I've made a note in my diary ...

Eltee12

:eek: I'd better get on with it.......

Wordsmith wrote: »

I've made a note in my diary ...

Horace

Hi folks

Sorry I have been missing in action - it is all down to work and lots of it:eek::j

Welcome to the newbies (EL you need to get a wriggle on with that course, says I who is sitting on a Diploma in Event Management because I am to busy walking the walk:rotfl:)

A lot has happened recently, I hardly know where to begin.

I discovered late on Friday that the formation agents hadn't registered my new company name so I called them on Saturday (why don't people work on Saturdays?), I also called my accountant. It seems that there was a computer glitch at the formation agents so they only received part of the information but a few extra details done over the phone yesterday and the company is now registered:D

Admittedly, I can be quite a lazy person (I know that sounds mad when I manage to squeeze so much into a day) and I hadnt realised just how much work is involved in setting up a new business. Yesterday, I was visiting venues and found one that was perfect, so perfect that 4 breakfast meets have been booked already so that will be one group off the ground. I am updating my blog because I have skills tips to write and do the SEO for and link them to each other. I have only things to do too like learning how to use this new website - I am using Buddypress which is taking some getting used to, I have just about gotten my head around Wordpress too.

I was offered a JV with an international speaker too but today, I contacted him because I have bitten off more than I can chew and don't really have time to put bums on his seats with everything else going on:o.

Recently got three quotes for a new business logo, two companies wanted to charge me £350 plus VAT for only a max of 4 designs, I contacted the company who did my logo for the event management side of the business and he has quoted me £250 and I know he will produce around 34 logos to choose from and then I will whittle them down and go into his office to tinker and get them down to a choice of 1. Needless to say I have chosen the cheaper but better option.

I must say that it is strange being an MD of a Limited Company and being the only director and shareholder. I must remember that the Limited Status is to protect the business name which is already on the first page of Google:T (not bad for a few hours' work eh?).

Hope all is well with folks and that you are all beavering away.:D