Ditching your employed job to go it alone

Lots of people dream about being self-employed and being their own boss, but it is not always as straight forward and easy as you think. There is a lot to consider before setting up your own business and even more so if you are going to have to leave a full time employed job to do it.

With employment, although your job is not guaranteed you have a certain amount of rights which means that you usually will not be laid off without adequate notice or adequate pay unless in the case of gross misconduct. With self-employment you do lose a certain amount of rights, or it is harder to get them. You will not get sick pay as you would from an employer, you would have to apply for this and can only usually get it if you are off sick for a good number of days. If you are planning on taking a holiday then you may lose out on money for the time you are off unless you can still fit all your work in that you usually would. There are pros and cons for being an employee and self-employed but you need to weigh up what is right for you in your current situation. If you need the stability of a guaranteed wage then employment may be the best option.

You also need to have a high level of discipline to be self-employed, especially if working from home as it can be very easy to become distracted and not get the work done that you need to.

How to get a promotion at work

When working for a company there may come a time when you fancy a change or that you feel you need to be more challenged. Rather than looking for a new employer you may wish to explore internal vacancies and see if there is a possibility of a promotion. Even if you are already working for the company you will most likely still need to apply for the job the same as outside candidates need to. You will also often need to attend an interview often with the business owner or the manager that will be running that department. Many companies advertise jobs internal prior to advertising to the public so if you are looking to move up the ladder within the business, then this could be a great opportunity and mean that you are in competition with a lot less people.

You should consider if you have all the experience and qualifications that they are asking for. If you don’t then this doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot apply, just that you will have to prove why you still think you would be able to do the job. If you have proven yourself in your current position and have shown to be a hard and reliable worker then this will help strengthen your application.

Helping you find employment

When searching for work you need to ensure that you give yourself the best chance possible to land a job. If you are looking to change career then you may not have much experience in the job that you want to apply for. It is vital that your CV is up to date and contains no silly errors that could cost you an interview.

There are places you can go to help you find a job such as a recruitment agency or the Job Centre. The internet is also a great tool to use to aid you in your search for recruitment. When searching online, browse a number of jobs boards and see if you have to register to find out the details of jobs that are advertised, some will only show you contact details if you have an account with them. Some jobs boards are free others will charge, but most will offer you a free trail.

If you are looking for a job in a specific industry then you may want to find an agency to sign up with that specialises in that industry as they are more likely to be able to find you a position.

Finding space to work when self employed

If you are self-employed you may go out to houses, offices or factories etc. to carry out your main day to day job or you may work from home. Working from home can have many advantages such as being able to fit it around your other commitments and not having any travel costs, but it can also have some negative points.

Working from home can be hard if you struggle to stay focused and get easily distracted. If you are at home you are likely to start to look around you and think of other house hold chores you need to do. You may find that you simply cannot get your work done effectively and you also may often feel quite lonely that you never leave the house. 

If this is the case for you then you may want to look in to renting an office space. This often works out quite a bit less than renting an office, as you simply rent a desk or a room within another business premises. This allows you to work with other people whilst still running your own business. Often these places allow you to pay a weekly or monthly amount and use the office space and facilities such as internet etc. Some may even have a meeting room that you can use when available.

Are you considering going self employed?

Going self employed can be very exciting but also a very worrying time.

Many people dream of setting up their own business and the advantages that come with it such as being your own boss, being able to pick your work hours and set your own pricing structures. Although this may all sound great there are down sides to being self employed or running your own business. If you are self employed then you will not get holiday pay, you will have to apply for stator sick and maternity pay. You will also have to ensure that you manage not only your time effectively but also your accounts unless you are planning on paying someone to do that for you.  

If you are planning on setting up your own company and employing people then you need to get to grips quickly with all employment laws and ensure you are adhering to them you don’t then you could find yourself in big trouble.

It can be hard to set up a new business and also it may be risky if you are having to buy stock and obtain credit from suppliers. You really need to do your research to establish if there is a gap in the market for the products or services that you are going to be offering. Once you know that there is a need for the products or services you can offer you can start to work on your pricing. You need to be able to compete with other businesses whilst still making a profit. 

Summer work for students

If you are a student you will probably be looking forward to the Easter break, but with summer well on its way, you may want to start thinking about finding work you can do during the summer break to earn a bit of extra money. Whether you are staying local to your university or heading back home for the summer, there are often a number of employers who are looking for staff to cover during the summer period. Bar work, waiting on table’s staff and retail work is often a popular choice as often this type of work is readily available and you may not need any previous experience.
It is worth getting your name down early as masses of students look for work during the summer, and if you leave it too late you may miss out.
Even if a restaurant, pub, cafe or shop is not advertising for people, you may still want to register your interest with them. The best way to do this is to create a CV and covering letter that you can drop in. They can then keep this on file and contact you should something come up.
On your covering letter, explain what type of work you are looking for, what hours you can do and the dates you will be available. If you have a holiday booked during the summer period you may wish to state this on your letter or wait until you attend an interview to let them know.

Are you having pay issues at work?

No one expects to turn up and do a good job for an employer and then struggle to get paid for the work they have done, but unfortunately this can happen. This is more common in smaller businesses where funds may be stretched and employees often get left till last when it comes to paying bills.

If you are experiencing issues with getting paid on time or paid the right amount then you need to seek advice. If you are part of a union then this will be the first people to contact. Keep records of what and when you have been paid and any documentation which supports issues you have had.

You may want to have a chat with your employer before taking it any further. Explain to them the effect late or missing payments may be having on you and that you cannot afford to continue working for them if it continues. Sometimes a simple conversation is all it takes for them to understand how serious the situation is.

If you feel that you cannot talk to your employer or that you are not getting anywhere with them then you will need to progress the matter and get independent advice. The CAB can often help point you in the right direction of who to speak to if they cannot help

What options do you have when leaving education?

As of September 2015, students who are looking to leave school at the age of 16 will have to stay in some sort of education until they are 18. This has been quite a big change in the education industry and is supposed to help students get the grades and education they need to go on and get a job. Students are allowed to leave school before they are 18 but they will either have to go to college or take up an apprenticeship or spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training.
Research has shown that pupils that stay in education up until they are 18 are more likely to get a better paid job than someone that leaves at the age of 16. It also shows that they are less likely to get in trouble with the law and involved in crime.
Education, especially in a school or college situation, may not be right for everyone. You need to work out what is right for you and if you are eager to start working then an apprenticeship may be better suited to your personal circumstances.

The effect of Brexit on your business

With Brexit at the forefront of many businesses at the moment, it is a worrisome time for many. Of the with any change, it is the uncertainty that causes the worry and often the outcome is not as bad as we may have first thought. When the UK does leave the EU then either it will be that we have made a deal with the EU or that we have left with a no deal in place. Until this is all decided there is little point in worrying about the exact situation we will be left in as so much is still uncertain.
If rules are tightened on who can stay in our country then it may affect your employment. Some businesses find that they need to employ people from outside the UK to fill certain positions as either there is a lack of skilled people in that area within the UK or that they are simply not interested in the jobs available. This may make it harded to keep a business running, but it is better to stay planning for how you can overcome that. You may decide that you train people that you already employ to do the more skilled jobs. This may mean an initial cost implication but will hopefully mean you get employees that are loyal and that are highly skilled.

Getting more work after the Christmas period

If you are have found that your work has died down over the Christmas period you may be starting to think about what you can do to pick it back up again. Some businesses such as in the retail sector tend to do well over Christmas but many others tend to see dip around this time. When you start back in January it is a good idea to have a plan on what you can do to increase enquiries and/or sales. Marketing needs to be planned out in advance and you need to work out how much time and money you can invest in it in order to get it to work for you. You need to think about which marketing avenues you are going to sue and whether it is going to be online, offline or a combination of both.

Offline marketing may take more resources and more time to complete where as if you look at doing paid for ads for example then you may be able to see results very quickly. If you are concentrating on your Search engine optimisation then you need to expect to wait a few months to start to see results. This is something that needs to be built on over time.