1. Accreditation
It’s crucial to ensure that the course you are potentially going to be committing to has been accredited by a recognised organisation!
Accreditation is a process by which a third-party organisation evaluates and recognizes the quality and standards of an educational institution or program.
This helps to ensure that institutions meet certain standards of quality and provide students with a quality that meets industry standards.
After all, we’re talking bookkeeping, so a few to look out for are: The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), or one that is slightly closer to home for us at TBA, The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).
Head here to read more about the AAT and their approach to bookkeeping courses: AAT: the leading professional body for accounting technicians | AAT
2. Course Content
If the content of the course you are looking into doesn’t cover the essential topics required for bookkeeping, it’s probably not a good option for you, as someone looking to become a bookkeeper. (add link to other blog post/TBA)
The course should provide a full understanding of bookkeeping principles, software applications and tax laws!
3. Delivery Format
The way in which a bookkeeping course is delivered is a big thing to consider!
You are going to be paying money to enrol and work through the course, so it’s important that you feel comfortable with this for the journey to completion.
Some courses may be delivered online via distance learning, some may require you to commute to a classroom, or even a hybrid-situation of the two.
Whatever the format is, there are various options – make sure you choose the one that suits both your preferred style of learning and schedule!
4. Course Duration
Next up is the course duration – committing to a course means you’ll also be committing to putting aside time from your regular life outside of studying!
It’s a good idea to do some weighing up, consider how your work/life balance will be affected along with other responsibilities you may have such as family.
If the length of the course and time-commitment required is the final box ticked – that’s one step closer!
5. Cost
This one is often the most influencing factor of them all, as you could expect now considering the cost-of-living crisis.
Everything seems to be more expensive now so it’s understandable to need more time to understand and compare the costs and value provided by different providers.
One thing I will suggest is to not compromise the quality of a course for a lower price if you can help it!
6. Teacher qualifications
What I mean by this point is, is your potential teacher going to be the right fit for your learning?
Everyone has different needs when it comes to understanding new information, a good way to ensure you are on-board with the best teacher for you is to do some research into the qualifications and experience of them.
Top Tip: Having some real-world experience in bookkeeping can make a teacher more valuable to you!
7. Student Support
Being a part of a community can be empowering and securing!
If you’re someone who thrives with extra communication or when working with other people, look for courses that offer student support such as access to tutor-support or a wider learning community.
8. Reviews and Feedback
Finally, and maybe obviously, scan through recent reviews for the course or training provider you are researching.
This can give you an indication into the quality of a course and how much satisfaction is up for grabs.
See what past students had to say about the course, the teachers, the content etc. to give yourself a bit more confidence that you’re making a decision that you’ll thank yourself for later down the line.
To summarise things
I truly believe that these considerations mentioned are the most important to look out for when thinking about bookkeeping course alternatives.
You should consider your own personal goals, your preferred style of learning and a realistic budget when making these comparisons.
Be sure to choose a course that meets your needs and current circumstances that can also provide you with the skills you’ve been searching for to reach your goals!
Get the ball rolling with The Balancing Act
We never want compromise on any of these points discussed, from value for money to accreditation – we really care!
If you’re looking for a trustworthy, friendly, and reliable provider to get yourself or your employees trained with, look no further. The Balancing Act bookkeeping course has been especially designed to be a fast and cost-effective way to train new accountants.
It minimises the impact on your internal resources and ensures efficient training is provided to new recruits during the first week of their employment with you.
If you’re unsure whether The Balancing Act is worth it, head over to our pricing page where you can find a breakdown of who we think it would be suitable for and who it might not be for: Pricing – The Balancing Act (thebalancingactedu.co.uk)
If you need no more information and agree with us that The Balancing Act is the best way to train as a bookkeeper, buy it now here: Buy The Balancing Act (thebalancingactedu.co.uk)
