Join in if you are self-employed and work from home

Horace

Miracles will never cease - the documentation that I requested from Lloyds TSB arrived today - still have a normal sized form to complete but they have sent an instruction book (it claims it is the form) in large print...at long bloody last (sorry for swearing):rolleyes:

Can't get motivated today, my place is a tip because I have had to clear out the pantry so that the repairman can get at my washing machine, I hate being surrounded by lots of clutter.

I realised that I cannot get a filing cabinet into my office because my doorway is too narrow so the charitable organisation from whom I am buying a chair at least are looking into an alternative to a filing cabinet for me:cool: I have measured the space (such as I can) and figured that it is 43 inches long so something will have to fit here.

Hope you all have a fab day...will put my work head back on later.:D

nzmegs

Hello everyone. I have been having a very quiet week or so lately. My regular insurance articles seem to have dried up. He usually sends me a set of 20 to do each month. I finished the last lot and asked him (twice) for another set - nicley of course. But he hasn't sent me anything. He paid my invoice for the last set and i haven't heard from him since. this was early last week.

This was the guy who was a bit miffed at me takining my time with a few articles while he was on holiday. it was mostly down to his incomplete links and the work was completely very quickly once I had all the info I needed. I notice the articles have all been put on his website unchanged so he must have been happy with them. So I am confused.

Anyway I have been knitting up a storm this week. I am making a bolero style cardigan which has this wonderful sweeping leaf pattern. I am very happy with it. it is the most complicated thing I have knitted but I am so proud that it is working so far.

That's about it from me. Not much news. Running race for life on sunday and hoping for a good time (less than 30 mins). Managed to raise a few donations so it is all good.

learning_to_drive

Hi

I'm into my 4th week of being fully self employed and I've found some things out about myself:

* I have an ability to accept work, then get that horrible horrible overloaded feeling where I lose all energy and dynamsim and really struggle. I have no problem accepting the work and indeed often people come to me with first choice of work selection. From there I can then sometimes get myself sorted out but I really struggle and get a bit stressed with it. I have a tendancy to panic and think "how will I get it all done?" etc etc. I do get it done but there is a lot of panic and anxiety beforehand.

*I have a small family and we are very close, a lot of the work is to do with local visits to companies, so the family come along in the car. Plus it's stuff my partner can help with, admin in the car, checking off places visited. As a result my stress levels get high and I end up snapping and getting angry.

That said, it's been an extreme weekend of week and only now is the calm after the storm! There is still a lot to do, any tips for keeping things organised etc? Would a handwritten ledger book be better than Excel? I dont keep updated very well with paperwork (all over the house) and because I'm out auditing etc 10-12 hours per day then I struggle to keep on top of everything.

TCM_3

Learning to drive - try and keep ontop of your paperwork - I didn't and thats when it all went pear shaped for me last summer and it has taken me to now to get things under control that I can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. Excel is good but means switching the PC on and physically sitting down at it - if you can get a box file and put everything in that then sit down once a week and go through it?

Skint Jenny - if you are a member of the FSB you can get your card terminal through them at a better rate than through bank. I got 6 months fee lease of the machine and a lower % rate of charges.

Been busy here thankfully the past week or so, but quieter today so am playing catch up. I have had a horrible man on the phone this morning asking me for proof of payment (I have already paid him and the cheque has cleared the bank) which I have emailed him the part of the statement showing the payment out but that is not good enough for him and I am now having to get a copy of the front and back of the cheque from the bank at a cost to myself. Ho hum.

Hope all well with everyone

sinderella_2

Hello all
I would like to join this thread - have read quite a bit and learned a bit about some of you. You seem lovely and I think it is a great idea for a thread.
I have a p/t NHS job and work self employed as a therapist working from home though my heart is really in the idea of writing for a living, impressed that some of you are doing that. I did writersshare for a while like Magic57 did, I think I recognise the name and also a bit of mystery shopping (recognise another poster on here from that - but I think it is mainly a wast of time and distracts from the other business building jobs. I think having 3 kids of 13, 8 and 3 is my main distraction though!

Would anyone recommend a writing-to-get-published' kind of course? And is it essential to have a website as a therapist/counsellor? If so how much do they cost to host and make?
Sorry for the questions - I must say that all this talk at the beginning of the thread about the west coast of Ireland makes me long for Galway and Connemara!
all the best, will keep reading the thread now I've found it
Sinders:D

Horace

Hi all

Learning to Drive - make a to do list every day mark things as A B or C - A being most urgent followed by B less urgent and C can be done as and when. If you can leave the kids behind then do, as having them in the car with you when you are on visits will stress you out.

Sorry I wasnt around yesterday - I spent a long time at the eye hospital and in a couple of weeks I shall spending the night there too:eek: My consultant was talking about the cataract op that he wants to perform (for his benefit not mine because it wont improve my sight) and how he was thinking of performing this op next year because he doesnt want to interfere with my business until I pointed out that I am likely to have clients next year and taking time out for an op will harm the business hence me having the op on 16 July:eek: To cheer myself up I did a little bit of unnecessary shopping too:rolleyes: Had to go to the shops again today - so I went to Primarni and bought some t-shirts (impulse buys but necessary) a new pair of jimjams and a new dressing gown so that I look nice at the hospital and don't reveal too much flesh:eek:

I may well have a mystery shop to do tomorrow - mystery shops may detract from the business but at the moment its the only thing keeping my account ticking over to pay my insurances.

I had some good news too - it looks like the council have reinstated my housing benefit because a cheque arrived today:j (I will ring them about it, because I don't trust them) and you know I submitted an assignment (the last one needs some work as I have to remember to include pictures) well I had it marked. I thought the assignment was complete rubbish, I only typed two pages and yet I managed to get a B:D

Tomorrow I need to tax the car and remember to take my insurance this time:rolleyes: and I have a man from the FSB coming round at lunchtime to talk about FSB and how it might help me. I also need to call the chamber of commerce as they are chasing me for something too - I had a call at 17.36 (I was in an area with no service at the time) from them asking me to call but not to call tonight as the woman was going home, actually I didnt pick the call up til 7pm:D

Have a grand day all:D

sinderella_2

Horace
hope op goes well, good luck, but I don't understand why it needs to be done if it won't improve your sight?

I also did a mystery shop today, know what you mean about needing the income, even though it's not part of the bigger picture. I know some people make it pay as a fulltime biz, though.

nzmegs with you on the lice thing; my 8 year old seems to have them perpetually and I feel like I'm always combing them out:eek:

Horace

Sinderella - the op needs to be done so that they can see the back of my eye to see if there are any problems, they cannot do that with the lens that I have because it is clouded over. I have no central vision in that eye and only limited peripheral vision.

Managed to pick up two mystery shops this afternoon (short notice ones) so that will be £20 wending its way to me. Had a meeting with a chap from the Federation of Small Businesses today and have I decided to join them because I get free banking for life and cheaper cardnet machines - I can have one that I can take with me when I see clients:cool:

Life seems to be one big spend at the mo:rolleyes:

skintjenny

Horace, I know what you mean by one big spend!

I was today awoke by the loving tones of my landlady, telling me that the alarm had gone off in my building... at 5AM! Then had the pleasure of touring the building with the police, before finding out it was a telephone line fault! ARGH!

Am now sat in said building, wearing jeans over jammies, waiting on the stupid alarm company engineer to call me back... I so want my bed but have so much to do today!

Hope everyone else has a better Saturday than me- I bought a load of peacock feathers as I am using them in my logo, and think their bad luck may have rubbed off!

moneymabel

Thats not good Jenny-we sell peacock feathers where I work part time (craft shop) perhaps thats why I hate it lol!

Well at last my website is finished-if anyone wants to have a look and give me any feedback I would be most grateful-the address is in my profile.
The homepage needs a bit of tweaking to make it look a bit more..well..something but not sure what!