How to find a legitimate part time job working from home

Geens
Geens Posts: 5 Forumite
in Employment, jobseeking & training
Does anyone know how to find some legitimate part time (school hours) work either from home or otherwise? There seems to be so little out there - I'm a qualified health, safety and environment management consultant/trainer but am thinking about starting up my own cleaning business - any suggestions or ideas would be great.


Thanks


G
«1

Comments

  • Caroline_a
    Caroline_a Posts: 4,071 Forumite
    How much do you know about the workings of a cleaning company? Or are you thinking it would be something easy to do to fit in with school hours? Any business you start will need planning and deciding on your target market. Offices? Private individuals? Both very different markets with very different needs.
  • xapprenticex
    xapprenticex Posts: 1,760 Forumite
    you can try but there are a lot of cleaning companies out there, if you want to do it then at least have some clients lined up, do some market research.

    As for working from home opportunities, starting your own business and working from home or a normal job that lets you work from home is your only options, the rest are scams and lies.
  • Geens
    Geens Posts: 5 Forumite
    Caroline_a wrote: »
    How much do you know about the workings of a cleaning company? Or are you thinking it would be something easy to do to fit in with school hours? Any business you start will need planning and deciding on your target market. Offices? Private individuals? Both very different markets with very different needs.


    Hi and thanks for your response,
    I don't know that much except that I do enjoy cleaning which is a start - I realise I'll need insurance and to buy my own equipment - in terms of market research I know there are plenty of people around my area wanting a cleaner/dog walker/girl Friday type person - I suppose I just don't know if I want to be that person?


    But finding work that fits in to drop offs and pick ups is not easy.


    I do think the cleaning thing could be a goer but I am hesitant
  • Geens
    Geens Posts: 5 Forumite
    xapprenticex wrote: »
    you can try but there are a lot of cleaning companies out there, if you want to do it then at least have some clients lined up, do some market research.

    As for working from home opportunities, starting your own business and working from home or a normal job that lets you work from home is your only options, the rest are scams and lies.


    Yea there do seem to be many scams out there - I had a great contract for 20hr per week for 18 months but that has come to an end and so now I'm considering my options and to be honest I'm not sure what to do and which options to consider :-/ , I've got lots of qualifications but no job and the most important thing to me is be there for my kids so that pretty much constrains me to 9.10 to 3.20 every day.


    Tricky isn't it - I am thinking of becoming a sole trader or LTD company and then approaching some of the small businesses in the area as a HS&E advisor?? (with a spot of cleaning on the side :-)) We'll see I guess.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,093 Community Admin
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Post
    Geens wrote: »
    Tricky isn't it - I am thinking of becoming a sole trader or LTD company and then approaching some of the small businesses in the area as a HS&E advisor?? (with a spot of cleaning on the side :-)) We'll see I guess.

    I know someone who did this when they left a similar role in the council. Self employment usually stands more of a chance of success when you're doing something you already know and have done in a commercial context.
  • Geens
    Geens Posts: 5 Forumite
    Any ideas on sole trader vs LTD company - which is the best to be and how difficult is it to do? thanks
  • jobbingmusician
    jobbingmusician Posts: 20,343 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Intrepid Forum Explorer
    Ltd Co protects you, doesn't it. I would have thought that particularly if you are giving H & S advice, you'd want a very good insurance - a formal company might stop you losing everything you own if you did slip up....
    I was a board guide here for many years, but have now resigned. Amicably, but I think it reflects very poorly on MSE that I have not even received an acknowledgement of my resignation! Poor show, MSE.

    This signature was changed on 6.4.22. This is an experiment to see if anyone from MSE picks up on this comment.
  • TBagpuss
    TBagpuss Posts: 11,199 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    A limited company means that your liability is limited, so that if the company goes bust you are not personally liable for the debts. For something such as cleaning where you won't have large outstanding debts to suppliers, or employees working for you (at least in the first instance) that element is probably not a major one (although you should make sure that you have appropriate insurance, and that you understand what is and is not covered.

    To start with, you could advertise locally - cards in your local supermarket / post office and see what interest you get. And you can discuss with clients whether they want you to provide your own equipment or use theirs.

    I don't have a cleaner, (I wish I could afford one, I don't enjoy cleaning!) but if I did, I'd want them to use the cleaning products I have bought, because I have issues with scents and contact allergies.

    At our office, the cleaning company use products we supply. They let us know when anything is running short and we re-order, but they don't supply anything. I don't know how common that is, but you might not necessarily need huge amounts of equipment to begin with.
    All posts are my personal opinion, not formal advice Always get proper, professional advice (particularly about anything legal!)
  • Geens
    Geens Posts: 5 Forumite
    does anyone know which is better sole trader vs ltd company please? the costs and the process
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Your best bet is to use your knowledge/skills to provide a consultancy service within your local area, working the hours you choose. Site visits, advice, form design, mini staff training courses.

    Of course you'll first have to research the local market to discover "who does what" like that already .... and/or maybe find those companies/people and offer yourself to them as a freelancer.

    I had a friend who was a specialist in the areas you mention, working for colleges across two counties and writing entire training manuals and being an internal and external verifier .... but that was 15 hour days and she was driving all over the place every day, with a vehicle loaded down with piles of fat training manuals.

    There must be many companies, start ups, existing providers, who can give you enough scope to put together your own portfolio of offerings without resorting to poop scooping behind a random stranger's dog in the rain because they went away for a nice 3 day break in the sun.
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