going it alone

[pk1was]

im self employed.

its hard work, your phone drives you mad people think hey own you, holidays are a myth big gordon brown nails your --- down, when your van engine gos pop its down to you to fix it.

i done it now since 1995 so i guess its okay, but its a big commitment.

van
tools
enrolment to scheme
insurance
advertising

good luck

 

[brs73]

i went with elecsa,they only (?) charged 520 ish with vat. the assessor who came round was pleased i i was a time served spark. (instead of the 5 minute wonders).he gave me plenty of pointers. i've spent a few quid (17th ed update,tester,van lease.certs,etc) but its been worth it. i spent 5 years at heathrow(like prison) prior to going alone but so so so glad i did. good luck

 

[WarrenG]

Some true and good advice.........so what could I add?

Well if you are serious about going it alone, find yourself a good accountant early because any money that you do earn you want to keep and not give away to Mr. Taxman!

 

[ezzzekiel]

do your own books - declare very little
it can be tough being self employed - but god damn it feels good lol

 

[uksel]

some good advice, if i were you i would ask for a payrise to coincide with your wage, anything from £10 - £15 per hour, (domestic and employed i would say £12 is realistic though this could vary by location). if your current employer doesn't agree that you are worth these rates then i'd swallow my pride for a while, get some business cards made up in your own name and hand these out to his clients as you're doing the job, build up a rapport with them, when you get calls in on your personal mobile do them for cash and better rates.

once you're getting plenty of calls on your mobile for private cash jobs then i would say that you're in a position to go out on your own.

it's not very nice for your present employer but if he is really treating you so harshly then perhaps you can put it down to karma.

i would personally recommend setting yourself up as a limited company, the tax benefits if you work the system properly and have a good accountant far outweigh being self employed IMO

 

[WarrenG]

Totally agree uksel.....

 

[bahco]

the thread has come back to life lol

well ive decided to go it alone, got a few big jobs lined up to use as my assesment i just cant make my mind up who to go with.

it was napit on friday but then i rang elecsa and they were really friendly and seem to offer a good service

decisions decisions

thanks for all the replys tho guys

 

[Sparkydan]

i think NIC EIC are the best ones to go with as everyone has heard of them and seem to advertise more (on cabs etc) and alot of housing associations etc insist on using NIC EIC registered contractors.

 

[pushrod]

Very interesting thread as this is what i see myself doing in a year and a half (when qualified). Loads of interesting advice, but what happens if you get people who refuse to pay or the cheque never comes in the post. Can you insist on cash at the end of the job- where do you stand legally? Can you take out insurance to help?

 

[roboze]

i say go for it mate!!

i`m in the same boat as you, i know my job pretty good.

but if you get stuck, your already on this site, and i`m sure people will be happy to help you out.

good luck to us both

 

[uksel]

if you are worried about these sorts of losses (non-paying clients etc) then don't be afraid to get a deposit to at least cover your basic costs (materials & running costs etc).

if the job is going to be an expensive one for the client then you could offer a payment scheme so that each smaller payment will be easier to chase up