The Self Employment Thread

[Gracii Guns]

Do you run your own business? Have you ever been self employed? Did it work out for you? This is the read to share your stories and advice.

As you may know from the job hunting thread, that I've abandoned my job hunt in favour of quitting my job as a graphic designer and going self-employed. I have a business partner whom I can share a nice office with in the centre of town. I'm going to take a shop job for a few days a week to help cover my overheads until business really picks up. At the moment, I don't have any time for improvement, so I'm going to use the time to assess my skills and learn new ones to make me more employable.

My husband got a new job in March, which means that he can cover out household bills, but nothing else. So it will be no holidays and no saving up for a while.

All I need to do now is grow the balls to give my employer my notice.

[Len Cnut]

Do you run your own business? Have you ever been self employed? Did it work out for you? This is the read to share your stories and advice.

As you may know from the job hunting thread, that I've abandoned my job hunt in favour of quitting my job as a graphic designer and going self-employed. I have a business partner whom I can share a nice office with in the centre of town. I'm going to take a shop job for a few days a week to help cover my overheads until business really picks up. At the moment, I don't have any time for improvement, so I'm going to use the time to assess my skills and learn new ones to make me more employable.

My husband got a new job in March, which means that he can cover out household bills, but nothing else. So it will be no holidays and no saving up for a while.

All I need to do now is grow the balls to give my employer my notice.

Speak to the council, as a small business you should be due rates relief my dear.

Also, keep it low key, dont start borrowing tons and make sure you have minimal overheads in the first few years. You can make a go of any business really, the key is sticking to it, the reason most small businesses around here is they always fold cuz people are expecting some massive immediate lucre but it dont work that way.

Also, check out your competition, gets your rates worked out but try not to undercut anyone, its bad practise, just stay in your lane, be confident in your value and that of the service you provide.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Len B'stard

[Snake-Pit]

Small business, buy for £60, sell for £70.

Try not to loan if you can.

But I'm out of that racket now.

[Len Cnut]

I dont think dear ol' Grace is talking about shotting draws from a urine soaked alleyway in South London somehow i mean i cant see her with a set of digi's in a manky bedsit chopping an O, can you? Not cuz shes any less resourceful than you, its just that she seems somewhat more bound by morality

Edited May 2, 2015 by Len B'stard

[Snake-Pit]

I dont think dear ol' Grace is talking about shotting draws from a urine soaked alleyway in South London somehow ...

I digress, but;

Want:

and I don't even want to buy bulk and sell just incase I flood the market with it and everyone begins to wear one...

Edited May 2, 2015 by Snake-Pit

[Len Cnut]

The main thing with starting a business is reconciling yourself to the fact that the first 3 years you've got to gut it out. It can be hard and it can be soul destroying but you have to ride it through that initial trough getting established. Working as an Estate Agent i get to see first hand small businesses getting set up and the one killer is that, the initial idleness, the feeling that you've got nothing out of your day, it's soul-destroying and it's what makes people quit cuz a lot of people that go into business for themselves do it because they are trying to make a load of bunce real quick but it don't work that way.

I know people that have like, opened up offices, started ad campaigns and then moonlighted doing some other work at night to pay for the rent and rates of the office and just basically find or found themselves working 18 hour days and just sleeping and working, sleeping and working. But it's the fruitlessness that kills you, coming in every day to your office, going through your correspondence and then just finding yourself like...sitting there.

The best thing is to meet people in the trade, get yourself out there, talk to everyone, get known in your local community ( a lot easier in a small town i suppose) and like, your first few oppertunities, just grab em with both hands, don't turn ANY custom down and the few clients you get, do em favours, do em stuff that might be a big business no-no.

See what you gotta know when you start a business is there are always people out there looking to approach a small firm to do 'x' thing for them and they do it with the intention of like, making a saving basically so you can look at a thing and go 'hang on, I'm doing this for peanuts'...but you should do it and do it well, you'd be suprised how much business you get through reccomendation like that or through like, just being straight with people basically. It's a rough ol' hustle, the straight and narrow, doing right by people, you might not become Mr Big doing it but you can make yourself a good living and sleep at night and thats priceless.

And one of the MOST important things is to always be open. Even if you get fuck all trade, it's dead as a fuckin' dodo, just make that resolution, that you ain't gonna shut up shop and naff off for two hours cuz, hey, you're self employed right, you can do what you want and it's quiet anyway, none of that, ever. Always be open for business, in fact, stay over, never leave early, never just close up cuz you're feeling crummy today or whatever, always always always respect your gaff and treat it like a job properly.

All simple stuff really but you'd be suprised how many people don't follow it. Oh yeah, if you can get yourself signed up to any official body relatiing to your trade thats always good. They're often just bullshit talking shops but they offer a certain comfort to aspects of your client base.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Len B'stard

[Gracii Guns]

Cheers Snake Pit for your...erm... advice.

Len, actual thanks and gratefulness for your words of widsom. I work hard, but currently I spend 4 hours a day on a train. I could use those four hours to be productive. Or get home and look after my personal life, which has been really neglected lately.

My biggest worry is that the work won't come. Basically, my weak point is that I get jealous of people who go on holiday. If I stayed in my current job, I could save up and do that, but leaving means I'll working harder without any breaks, so I'm going to have a think about how I can deal with that.

Any advice on getting pension together? I've asked several times for one at my current job, but they've not got round to it, so I don't have one, but I'll need one.

[Facekicker]

My family ran a smallretail business for nearly 20 years. Len speaks a lot of truth.

All I'll say about it is I'd never, ever do it myself.

On the business side of things, you've no life, no rights (everything in Ireland is in favour of staff or customers), no safety net if it goes tits up and all more red tape bullshit to cut through than you'll ever believe. Everyone is out to screw you, suppliers, accountants, solicitors etc.

Then there's dealing with the public. You'll end up hating them. Every single fucking one of them.

A fucking nightmare.

But yeah good luck Gracie

[alfierose]

My boss (who now heads her second successful business) has said on a number of occasions that people don't value free things in business so try not to accept no fee jobs as favours or because you think it will help your profile. People who know their worth are respected more.

[Len Cnut]

My biggest worry is that the work won't come.

The work will always come, it just takes time and the trick is keeping your overheads minimal during that period so as to make sure that you survive that period. A million and one people will tell you to sink tons into fucking advertising right away because 'it's the only way forward' but don't be led by the nose like that cuz they'll fuck you up, you know how much you've got coming in and how much you can spend on a thing, never look to recoup based on projections in the next quarter or whatever cuz they have a way of kicking you up the arse.

As for the pension thing you need to speak to a financial advisor really but don't go looking for one yourself, ask people, get a reccomendation...and good honest business people, not some flash fly by night git with a skinny tie and a dodgy gelled v cut I could reccomend you someone actually, if you're interested.

About the holidays, look, lifes a fuckin' long hustle and you're what, early 20s? you got your whole 30s/40s/50s etc etc to go on holidays...and you're gonna want em more then but in these early knockings it's pretty much graft. Hope I'm not putting you off cuz it's great in a lot of ways too, the sense of achievement, the not having to be answerable to some limp willy with a GNVQ in being annoying.

Fours hours travel? Fuck me...

Oh and another bit of advice, might sound stupid but make sure you got all your accounts on paper as well as on computer, as a back up, in case anything fucks up. And also its good to have an extra record that you can cross reference in case you make any administrative cock ups.

And also, DO NOT scrimp and save when it comes to getting an accountant, always make sure it's a big firm, they might cost a bit more but TRUST ME, in the long run it's worth it for the security and also the respectability in lends your firm. The sad fact is when the taxman sees a firm and the accountant is Khan & Co and opposed to like...Gerald Baldwin and Clarke solicitors then he's immediately gonna approach your shit with a sharper eye. Sad thing but it's the way the world works. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making a fuckin' race case here, just make sure your accountant is one of the better ones in town, a well established and respectable firm.

You're gonna pull it off though and the business will roll in, it's just about having the bottle to hang it out through these early stages. And hey, it ain't essential y'know, you might find success real real quick too Hope it goes fantabulous for ya.

My family ran a smallretail business for nearly 20 years. Len speaks a lot of truth.

All I'll say about it is I'd never, ever do it myself.

On the business side of things, you've no life, no rights (everything in Ireland is in favour of staff or customers), no safety net if it goes tits up and all more red tape bullshit to cut through than you'll ever believe. Everyone is out to screw you, suppliers, accountants, solicitors etc.

Then there's dealing with the public. You'll end up hating them. Every single fucking one of them.

A fucking nightmare.

But yeah good luck Gracie

Don't put her off or nothin, will ya?

[Gracii Guns]

Cheers Facekicker, Alfie and Len. I'll take that advice on the accountant and pension provider. Might even look at getting a solicitor too, so I can get a decent contract and have letters written when needed.

I've had lots of encouragement from you guys and other friends, which is really helpful. I am wondering though, which of these supportive friends would lend me £20 if it all goes tits up? I hear lots of stories of small businesses which do "well" though not so many which go badly. That's the dose of reality I'm looking for. I'm still in the arts. I've been lucky enough to find a reliable job straight out of my degree for the last three years. I'm lucky that my husband's job means that as we stand, we can pay the rent. If the rent or another bill increased, we'd struggle though.

If it all does go wrong, I can find a full-time shop job and maybe look into retraining for a more reliable career.

[Len Cnut]

I'll sort you out 20 quid

[arnold layne]

No.

Too much of a bum with no true skillset. I suppose I could be a whore though.

[drtydane]

I haul shopping carts out of ponds for a living..

[wasted]

I've always wanted to open a garage in the dessert. Just one pump on the highway. Like at the end of T2. Once a day a truck comes by.

[Snake-Pit]

I've always wanted to open a garage in the dessert. Just one pump on the highway. Like at the end of T2. Once a day a truck comes by.

That'll be cool.

[Gracii Guns]

Thanks SR_GR for that advice, that's really valuable to know. I'll definitely refer back to this thread for your wisdom. I definitely want an online presence and will be doing marketing before I leave work. I have to give 8 weeks notice, which is a comfortable amount, and don't think I will give it for a few more weeks.

I'm writing a business plan this weekend and am saving up for a standing desk. My husband is developing some software which keeps track of all the admin work.

[wasted]

I've always wanted to open a garage in the dessert. Just one pump on the highway. Like at the end of T2. Once a day a truck comes by.

That'll be cool.

I want an ice box and coke machine. Store dead bodies in the ice box then hot chicks will run ice cold cokes on their necks like in the ads.

[BetterDay7]

Gracii - work for myself, albeit on a small scale, sometimes more than others (due to long-standing health issues). The advice from the others is spot on.

I would say that joining the Chamber of Commerce helped me. Not as stuffy as they used to be. Also being a good networker in general really helps. Tell everyone you meet what you do - in a chatty way not a digging-for-money way. Most work comes through word-of-mouth and you doing a good job. Even if people you talk to in person don't employ you they may well have friends who need your skills.

My longest-standing client I secured by going to an exhibition at a local arts place. I ended up chatting to the niece of the artist and it developed slowly from there. It's been 12 years now!

Glossy advertising is pointless for start-ups unless you have cash to burn. Small scale advertising can help but you have to do it on a regular basis.

Better to do a good press release with a great photo, if your business lends itself to that. (That's my work - mostly writing press releases and getting tiny businesses or artists in the press, esp local and regional mags and newspapers or on the radio.)

Good luck and lets us know how you get on.

Do you run your own business? Have you ever been self employed? Did it work out for you? This is the read to share your stories and advice.

As you may know from the job hunting thread, that I've abandoned my job hunt in favour of quitting my job as a graphic designer and going self-employed. I have a business partner whom I can share a nice office with in the centre of town. I'm going to take a shop job for a few days a week to help cover my overheads until business really picks up. At the moment, I don't have any time for improvement, so I'm going to use the time to assess my skills and learn new ones to make me more employable.

My husband got a new job in March, which means that he can cover out household bills, but nothing else. So it will be no holidays and no saving up for a while.

All I need to do now is grow the balls to give my employer my notice.

Sorry - forgot to add the opening quote to alert you to my reply. Still finding my way around this forum... See my reply above.

[Gracii Guns]

Thank you so much. That's wise words. So you're an arts copywriter? I'll be in touch if I ever need you.

I already posted this in General Chat; I gave my notice to my bosses on Tuesday and they are working out something so I can continue working for them, but from home, probably at a reduced salary. It means that I won't need to get a shop job. I don't have a leaving date yet, but it will e around mid-July.

Much of the emotional worry had subsided now, so I just need to get my head down and sort out the paperwork.

I shall definitely let you know how it goes. Thanks

[Chris1989]

I've been really enjoying writing press releases recently, and I am so tempted to do that as a side job as my photography is a bit slow at the moment.

[BetterDay7]

Thank you so much. That's wise words. So you're an arts copywriter? I'll be in touch if I ever need you.

I already posted this in General Chat; I gave my notice to my bosses on Tuesday and they are working out something so I can continue working for them, but from home, probably at a reduced salary. It means that I won't need to get a shop job. I don't have a leaving date yet, but it will e around mid-July.

Much of the emotional worry had subsided now, so I just need to get my head down and sort out the paperwork.

I shall definitely let you know how it goes. Thanks

No worries. I wasn't trawling for work though! I really hope it works out for you. Yes, keep us posted.

I've been really enjoying writing press releases recently, and I am so tempted to do that as a side job as my photography is a bit slow at the moment.

Go for it. Media always need good press releases!

[streak]

Well done Gracii, hope it all goes well for you.

I had to enlist the services of a graphic/web designer a while back. There are A LOT of them about! Some work for peanuts, but that was more the web design side. I did have some really cheap prices though, some where just stupidly cheap!

There are websites like eLance.com and peopleperhour.com. I found someone through there, but as I said before, pricing seemed very competitive. But you never know, it may lead to something.

I def think you need a good glossy online presence though, maybe pay for google ad words etc. If you could work from home, it would be better. Overheads really kill businesses, here in the UK anyway.

[Dazey]

I used to work in a design studio on ads and whatnot in a past life. I was typesetting an obituary one time and named the file "old bastard wot died". The printout was forwarded to the client with the title printed at the top of the page.

[Len Cnut]

Seriously?