There are many benefits to working as a self employed tradesman, such as the freedom to choose when you work, what type of work and who you work for. However going it alone also means you are totally responsible for your success.
Here are a few tips to get you up and running the right way.
Qualifications and Experience
In order to get work a a self employed tradesman, you have to have the right qualifications and work experience.
Taking an NVQ course will teach you the skills and give you the necessary qualification you need to begin your career. It is a good idea to take a range of courses in different trades, as this may improve your chances of getting work. Take regular training courses so a to keep your skill-set up to date. If there are any trades that you are qualified for but have no experience, then getting some work experience through temporary or contract work will fill that gap.
Another alternative to training is to seek out an apprenticeship. Here you get both a recognised qualification and the necessary work experience at the same time.
Setting Up as a Sole Trader
A good idea is to put together a realistic business plan that gives you an idea of how much you will need to start-up and how you will run your business going forward. It is important to factor in all your start-up costs, such as the essential equipment you need to start. Having the correct equipment is key to ensuring that work can be done to a professional level in a safe and efficient manner.
You must then set up a legal structure for your business. One of the easiest options is to become a sole trader, it is cheaper and involves less administration and you can start straight away. It is then time to contact HM Revenue & Customs to register as self employed.
Next comes the necessary permits and licenses. You should contact the relevant trade associations to find out what licenses and permits you need in order to comply with regulations. At this stage you will also need to get some tradesman insurance to cover your equipment and for public liability and accidents.
Marketing Your Services
Once you are set up legally, then the next thing to do is to get the word out. Most of your business will come from word of mouth referrals, but in order to get the ball rolling you will have to do some advertising.
Depending on your budget it would be wise to a combination of offline advertising and online advertising. For your offline advertising it would be better to put small adverts in your local papers and local shop windows, than advertising in national directories. There will be less competition and it will be cheaper and more effective to begin with.
For your online advertising you can post in local listing sites and directories, and use social media to spread the word. You can also set up free a web-page which showcases your services and skills as well as any photo’s of jobs you have done. Once your business takes off you can then look at having a professional website designed.
Managing Your Business
Once you have your first clients, then your attention should be on the day to day running of the business, and this will involve keeping records. You should have a routine set up that is a combination of basic bookkeeping and diary management.
You need to file all your receipts and payments slips as well as record any incoming and outgoing transactions on a daily basis. Staying on top of this will make it easier when it comes time to complete your yearly HMRC self-assessment. You could hire a bookkeeper or accountant to do this but they will charge for it.
Dairy management is important so as to beware your availability for new work and to avoid double booking on prior appointments. It also ensures you have a record of what was done and how long jobs are taking.
In summary, getting started as a self employed tradesman is just like starting any other business, in that it requires a bit of planning and preparation. However once you are up an running you can look forward to interesting and varied career.
