Anybody here self employed?

Blighter · 20-02-2011, 20:23

I'm thinking of starting up a business in the evenings and weekends setting up CMS-based websites, along with social media/marketing for small, local businesses (pubs, hairdressers, the like).

Does anybody here have any experience working for themselves and want to give any tips/pointers?

The main point I can't quite decide on is pricing. There are a few local web designers but I'll be setting up a CMS (wordpress/etc) and a theme for them and maintaining it - not creating a full website from scratch (which I guess is where I can afford to undercut the others).
Also social marketing (Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Foursquare as well as Google Maps listings)... what would you want to pay someone to do that for you?

If you want you can check out the three sites it progress:

Main: http://www.redmoosemedia.co.uk
e-commerce demo: http://ecomdemo.redmoosemedia.co.uk
basic site demo: http://demo.redmoosemedia.co.uk

Jingo · 20-02-2011, 20:42

I can't really offer any help or advice whatsoever on your field of work, but if you have any questions on being self-employed then I could certainly try to help where relevant.

My general pointer would be to record and maintain records of everything you do; having such information to hand is incredibly useful when dealing with clients on the phone, checking/reviewing information without wasting time, and then relating information for more 'official' purposes such as tax-returns etc.

Joe 90 · 20-02-2011, 22:10

I work under an umbrella, so thought I might be able to offer some advice, but perhaps not.

I do however work with guys who write software for HMRC and had a heads up a while back about changes which I think have been made public now with regards to changes to tax small (single person) businesses pay. In 2013 its meant to get a lot worse for companies operating with a single employee. I don't know the specifics though, but its probably something you'll want to look at.

20-02-2011, 20:23	#1
Blighter Dubious Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,571	Anybody here self employed? I'm thinking of starting up a business in the evenings and weekends setting up CMS-based websites, along with social media/marketing for small, local businesses (pubs, hairdressers, the like). Does anybody here have any experience working for themselves and want to give any tips/pointers? The main point I can't quite decide on is pricing. There are a few local web designers but I'll be setting up a CMS (wordpress/etc) and a theme for them and maintaining it - not creating a full website from scratch (which I guess is where I can afford to undercut the others). Also social marketing (Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Foursquare as well as Google Maps listings)... what would you want to pay someone to do that for you? If you want you can check out the three sites it progress: Main: http://www.redmoosemedia.co.uk e-commerce demo: http://ecomdemo.redmoosemedia.co.uk basic site demo: http://demo.redmoosemedia.co.uk __________________ Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine. But if you stopped writing about other things and made this your signature, yours could be like mine. Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on Boat Drinks, reading the signature your signature could be like. I'm on a computer. My Blog \| More Outdoors \| MSN \| Email \| Call Me

20-02-2011, 20:42	#2
Jingo Smother me in chocolate and eat flapjacks with it! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North Somerset Posts: 1,854	I can't really offer any help or advice whatsoever on your field of work, but if you have any questions on being self-employed then I could certainly try to help where relevant. My general pointer would be to record and maintain records of everything you do; having such information to hand is incredibly useful when dealing with clients on the phone, checking/reviewing information without wasting time, and then relating information for more 'official' purposes such as tax-returns etc. __________________

20-02-2011, 22:10	#3
Joe 90 Absinthe Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chester Posts: 2,345	I work under an umbrella, so thought I might be able to offer some advice, but perhaps not. I do however work with guys who write software for HMRC and had a heads up a while back about changes which I think have been made public now with regards to changes to tax small (single person) businesses pay. In 2013 its meant to get a lot worse for companies operating with a single employee. I don't know the specifics though, but its probably something you'll want to look at. __________________ 360 Blog \| Join GiffGaff \| Twitter