Should I sign up for a Sage computerised bookkeeping course & payroll course with HLC

gemmagriffin

I am a mum of an 18 month old and am 6 months pregnant so I feel home learning is the best way for me but I'm now very unsure of the Home Leaning College. I am starting my own virtual Assistant business next year and would like to offer Bookkeeping, Vat returns and payroll as some of my services, can anyone suggest another option for me to become qualified? I have thought about trying to buy the books on eBay and putting in for the exams my self I’m just trying to save money as £1770 is a lot of money and although I’m sure it would be a very good investment I simply can’t afford it.
Has anyone else do the course who can suggest anything or are there other home learning courses which are cheaper? I was wondering if a grant would be possible, I am 29 years old so thought I could try Princes trust.
Any advise you can offer will be most welcome
Thanks so much in advance
Gemma

Oldernotwiser

You won't get any financial help with a course like this. I'd have a look on the Student Board where there is at least one thread of dissatisfaction with HLC.

Any

From what I read around here all HLC will do is to send you books.
You might as well buy "VAT returns for dummies" and it will do as much good. Maybe more good actually.

Do you have any experience in this sort of work? If not I think attending Bookkeeping at college might be better idea, because it will give you much more. Kaplan Financial used to do short weekend bookkeeping course which I attended 5 years ago and I think it gives you much more then reading a book as the explanation is much clearer and you can ask questions.

By the way - Kaplan Financial and also BPP are well respected providers of financial training.

EDIT: They still do it http://financial.kaplan.co.uk/TrainingandQuals/Accountancy/Bookkeeping/Pages/default.aspx

sharkie

do you live in an area where there are lots of startups, and are these new startups that need this service? Lots of new people starting up in these times? Say you were to get 2% of all new start-ups in your area, could you live on the income that may bring in?

If existing businesses are happy with their current arrangement they will not move to you. Secondly once past a certain size, often account and payrol is kept in-house.

Kaplan are well respected. Perhaps buy a book, or go to a cheap goverment college?

RedSoleShoes

Please avoid HLC. I think the way they go about providing prices is terrible. I tried to get the cost of AAT and when I rang I was told I had to give all my details (including salary and DOB) and an advisor would call me back with the price. Apparently the call handler had no access to course prices! What a joke.

Try Premier Training www.premiertraining.co.uk. You get a human on the end of the phone who willingly tells you everything you want to know about the course without you even having to give your name. I am now studying AAT with them. They also do bookkeeping courses.

brightonman123

i am doing a sage course at local college- about £150 ** or so..

not sure how HLC make up those £1,700 odd figures, but seems to be about the same they quoted me for an AAT course.

i made my excuses and hung up..

** update- £130 for course, £24 exam fee

holloholloway

Do not go to home learning college they have fleeced me for 1200 pounds for a payroll course which is expensive for what it's worth and also cost me a lot to phone the tutors for advice as i progressed through the course. Plus i can't get a reference from my tutor as the college won't let him give them out. It's a money making operation and they couldn't give a damn about its students only concerned with money.

heretolearn_2

You really need to do a combination - study bookkeeping and study a software. AAT is a good bookkeeping qualificiation but doesn't usually include learning a specific software. Likewise, a software only course doesn't train you to be a bookkeeper. Does that make sense? I'd compare a bookeeping course with learning to read and write, and then the software course with learning to use Word. One is no good without the other!

On the software, I'd recommend a Quickbooks course instead; excellent software, used by lots of pros and accountants, more user-friendly than Sage and a heck of a lot cheaper.