hi there folks, my b/f needs a bit of advice. he has been a builder/roofer/plasterer for the past 20 odd years and thinks the time has come to become self employed but he dosent know how to go about it has anybody got an ideas please.:smile:

Hi!

i became self-employed a few months ago...try SENTA (sheffield enterprise agency) or business link - they offer support for new businesses. You have to register as self-employed with the inland revenue - www.hmrc.gov.uk. Phone the helpline for the newly self-employed: 08459 15 45 15. Don't be scared of them, they're actually really helpful and run workshops to help with self-employment issues etc.

good luck to your fella! (tell him to do it - it's so worth it)

hi, hes actually taking the plunge this monday!!!!!!!!! i am so scared i cannot tell you. will he need some sort of insurance?
already registered with the inland revenue and has applied for his cis card. is there anything else we need to sort out?
do i need to tell the mortgage people? and the insurance we took out in case of redundancy sickness on the mortgage? please if you can help it would be most appreciated.

Good luck to him i am sure he wont regret it and i am sure he will gets lots of jobs through the forum once he gets started.

will he need some sort of insurance?

do i need to tell the mortgage people? and the insurance we took out in case of redundancy sickness on the mortgage?

You need to tell the people who provide the insurance cover on your mortgage - otherwise you may not be covered in the event of a claim. It's better to be safe than sorry in these circumstances.

He'll need Public Liability Insurance, to cover him incase he injures a member of the public or causes damage to someone else's property in the course of his work. He should also give serious consideration to taking out extra accident/sickness cover because, if he can't work due to illness he won't get paid. Whilst it sounds like the mortgage will be ok, he will need some money to cover other expenses, unless he has enough savings.

starting up next week. Being doing electrics 25 yrs just sick of being used by fat cats who say they are hard up,not making any money.They dont live in real world.2Just going to be myself,give good prices and quality work.Word of mouth best advertising

If he only uses his home to do office admin (paperwork) then there is not normally any need to tell the mortgage company or get any extra insurances. If you were performing a busines operation at your home, ie making or fixing something for example, that could be a different matter.

And normal contents isurance covers basic things like a desk, computer, printer in a home office....but not much more.

starting up next week. Being doing electrics 25 yrs just sick of being used by fat cats who say they are hard up,not making any money.They dont live in real world.2Just going to be myself,give good prices and quality work.Word of mouth best advertising

Good for you and the best of luck.

hi, hes actually taking the plunge this monday!!!!!!!!! i am so scared i cannot tell you.

There is nothing to be scared of, but be supportive. There will be times when work is thin, cash is owed and he's not sure how to pay his suppliers; its having your loved ones with you at those moments which really matter and counts.

The very best of luck to him...being your own boss might not always be financially rewarding but it is the most liberating thing you can do in your working life :)

BusnessLink yorkshire (do a google search for the website) help people set up in business. They have small business advisors (free) and excellent courses on all aspects of running your own business (also free), The advisors are experienced business people and can help with everything, and all for free.

BusnessLink yorkshire (do a google search for the website) help people set up in business. They have small business advisors (free) and excellent courses on all aspects of running your own business (also free), The advisors are experienced business people and can help with everything, and all for free.

Re courses, because of the cuts, most of these courses have been cancelled (including a number of schemes they were running too). If in Sheffield, you might still get help from BiG though.

Hi Nikki

You might want to change your signature here on SF so it gives some details about your fella's business...his phone number and what types of work he does. You could also look at Google Sites - you can make a website for free. It can be a bit fiddly sometimes but it is worth it as many people expect every business to have a website these days. It couldn't hurt!

I also suggest he gets a website, its amazing how many people use the web to search for tradespeople these days, yet many aren't on the web. A good way to get new customers if there's little online competition

_________________
Owner, Last Minute Hotel
www.last-minute-hotel.co.uk

Might be better to ask, did he start it and how did it go, way back in 2006..

Word of mouth after doing a good job for someone is a good benchmark to a successful business. Advertising does help but if the business can attract customers in the early stages ie people who you know who are willing to employ your services then if the work carried out is good standard then the customers will pass on to others how happy they were with your work and reccomendation is a valuable thing.