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

Horace

A potential trip to America - Purple - you are a lucky devil:D

I came out of hospital on Friday - I was glad to get away as it was way too exciting with a drug deranged loonie trying to get out (our ward is locked) and threatening staff and patients with chairs - the shame of it I had to ask a policeman if it was safe for me to go to the loo and there was I dressed in my primarni Jimjams:eek: Today is the first day of being on my own and I admit that I haven't done much - slept, watched telly and been on the computer for a bit. Hopefully, next week I will be able to book an appointment at the hairdressers for a much needed hairwash as I am unable to do that for myself at the moment as bending my head is not good at the mo.

No work for me as yet and I am relieved at the moment.

Hope all is well with everyone.

whitevanwoman

Hello, can I join in please?

I'm registered self-employed, doing 10 hours per week towards setting up my own business, offering workshops in environmental and traditional crafts. I've tried selling at craft fairs but once my time spent in producing my items aswell as the cost of materials is costed in, I would have to sell things at really high prices to make a profit and they just wouldn't sell. Officially I haven't actually started trading yet, I should have done but have been ill since Feb and everything is on hold.

I'm also employed 19 hrs week but unfortunately, stress at work, accumulating steadily over the past 2 years is what has caused the illness and I've been signed off since Feb. I did go back one afternoon last week after a lot of organising and planning a phased return to work, but ended up being in such a state due to some unresolved problems, that my GP has signed me back off again. My SSP runs out soon and I'm starting to get worried now about my financial situation if I don't go back to my job (which is now looking very unlikely) but also worried about the effect on my mental health if I do.

I've only read the 1st two pages of this thread yet so I don't know if LEXXX is still around but I was curious to know how she got on selling her stuff on ebay ("I just started ebaying everything I own for 99p, I feel that if I get rid of alot of the stuff I will get motivated...I will have space to breath and create" by Lexxx) as I've started doing the same. I was intending doing a car boot sale but just haven't been well enough or motivated enough to do it so I've been listing about 6 - 10 items each week on ebay for the past couple of months. After deducting fees etc, my average profit is about £7 per week, but then there are other costs to deduct too (packaging materials etc).

At the moment I haven't declared it as income as I have only been selling personal bits and pieces and have made less than £100 so I consider it test trading but I am thinking about making a go of it as an Ebay trader and quitting the awful dreadful job which has been making me ill. But its a scary massive step to take, particularly as with my medical history , and having been job hunting for several years without success, I feel like I am now unemployable even if there were suitable jobs around (I live in a rural area and there hasn't been much suitable work advertised for ages).

I have a spare room full of junk and craft bits and bobs which I want to either sell on or to use in my workshops but I can't really move on with my business idea till I sort my spare room which means a massive declutter and clear out, hence the ebay selling.

I particularly liked this thread as all the things that you mention in the first post could apply to me at the moment; massive procrastination problem, massive amount of filing to do, etc etc etc and I've been beating myself up about it a bit, or thinking it's a symptom of stress and depression, but hey, maybe I'm normal and others are going through exactly the same.

I also really enjoy writing, and have written an article for a national magazine which was published and have recently produced all the content and done all the publicity for a new village website. I sent a press release to the local paper and was pleased to see an article in the paper almost word for word the same as my press release which is a good sign that you have submitted something good. I have always fancied writing a book but don't know where to start and don't even know if I would write a novel or a reference / information type of book.

Sorry for rabbiting on, I know I should really read all the thread first before posting but after the first two pages, you seemed such decent people here that I didn't think you would mind.

Wordsmith

Welcome, Whitevanwoman! Sorry to hear about your troubles with your job. I've had jobs I've absolutely hated and found very stressful, so I sympathise fully. Good luck with the self-employment - hopefully that will be sufficient so that you don't have to work for anyone else.

As you have had some success with helping to set up a web site, publicity etc., is there any mileage in offering these services to other small businesses, and making a living or part of a living from it?

As for the writing, how about information booklets or how-to books on the subjects on which you give your workshops? Or creating and running a website on the same topics?

Let us know how you get on. And I hope you start feeling better soon.

I have been hopeless about posting on here lately, as I've been working away from my office a lot. I have been keeping up with reading, and thinking that there are posts I'd like to reply to, but just haven't had the time to give considered thought to it. Am away for a couple of days now, but hopefully will get back to keeping up with everyone after that.

Hope everyone else is OK.

whitevanwoman

Wordsmith wrote: »

Welcome, Whitevanwoman! Sorry to hear about your troubles with your job. I've had jobs I've absolutely hated and found very stressful, so I sympathise fully. Good luck with the self-employment - hopefully that will be sufficient so that you don't have to work for anyone else.

As you have had some success with helping to set up a web site, publicity etc., is there any mileage in offering these services to other small businesses, and making a living or part of a living from it?

As for the writing, how about information booklets or how-to books on the subjects on which you give your workshops? Or creating and running a website on the same topics?

Let us know how you get on. And I hope you start feeling better soon.

I have been hopeless about posting on here lately, as I've been working away from my office a lot. I have been keeping up with reading, and thinking that there are posts I'd like to reply to, but just haven't had the time to give considered thought to it. Am away for a couple of days now, but hopefully will get back to keeping up with everyone after that.

Hope everyone else is OK.

Thanks alot for the reply - what good ideas!! :T

I do like the idea of writing information booklets. I had thought about offering downloadable session plans for a small fee or maybe a membership fee on a website - have registered the website name and got hosting but not done anything more about that yet. I just need that kick in the backside to get going...

Whilst I'm good at layout and content, I don't think I have enough technie knowledge yet to offer websites as a means of earning money but perhaps once I have built my own website... The village website was a partnership between me & an A level student, he did the techie bit and I've done the content and structure planning. (Thinking aloud.... hmm, he's finished his A levels now and looking for work - I wonder whether we could make a go of it as a partnership - Note to self to follow this idea up...)

On a practical [STRIKE]day[/STRIKE] level, how do people who work from home structure their days? Are you all very disciplined and have regular "work" hours and do not allow yourself to be distracted by phone calls, knocks at the door, doing odd bits of housework etc, and if so, what are your hours, or do people have a more ad hoc approach, where you might do bits and pieces of work now and then, but then spent a whole day & evening when you're in the mood for it (or deadline approaches!)? (Sorry about the dreadful grammar - I can write well, honest, but am more in a musing mode at the mo).

whitevanwoman

Ps Wordsmith - I love your signature - who said it? It's just what I need to be saying to myself at the moment.

moneymabel

Hi all-Glad the op went ok Horace glad to have you back and hi to Whitevanwoman :-)

Well my websites done and I had my first customer!!!! but I now have a problem with paypal and her payment hasnt gone through-hopefully we can sort it though :-) Must remember to find out from her where she heard about the site as my mag adverts dont go in til next month :-)

Horace

Hi to whitevanwoman

Have you thought about offering craft classes either from home or even as a party piece - whereby you go to people's homes and teach them something (I know what I mean to say but can't think of the words right now but hope you get my gist?). I did crafty things once - making jewellery (no longer do as can no longer see that well) and my mark up was 300%:eek: - I was told at the time that my mark up should be 500%:eek:

As for my work - sometimes I will work from 9-5 or if I get de-motivated and I have a bright idea in the middle of the night then I will get up and type something up before I forget, there are other days when I don't feel like working at all:rolleyes: I always make sure that if its a nice sunny day that I will let myself be distracted by washing as it can hang on the line whilst I am working.

Mabel - I hope you get your paypal thing sorted soon and that you find out where your customer came from.

whitevanwoman

thanks Horace, do you mean Party Plan?

I'd thought of doing kids birthday parties. Just haven't got myself motivated to do a proper session plan and sort out exactly what I would need in resources etc.

I think I should start a "Please kick me in the backside" thread on MSE :rotfl:

Ps - Horace, I'm sure we've met before on MSE, didn't you go in for an op on your eyes earlier in the year. I hope it helped.

whitevanwoman

Btw, I googled Wordsmith's signature and it is a few lines from a hymn. Now I'm not religious but I did find the whole hymn quite beautiful and the next 2 lines of the hymn after the lines that Wordsmith quoted are worth quoting too... here's the whole hymn, I couldn't find out who wrote it...

In heavenly Love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me,
My heart may low be laid;
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim;
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o'er me,
Where darkest clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure,
My path in life is free;
My Father has my treasure,
And He will walk with me.

itsnowtime

moneymabel wrote: »

Hi all-Glad the op went ok Horace glad to have you back and hi to Whitevanwoman :-)

Well my websites done and I had my first customer!!!! but I now have a problem with paypal and her payment hasnt gone through-hopefully we can sort it though :-) Must remember to find out from her where she heard about the site as my mag adverts dont go in til next month :-)

Hi Moneymabel - congrats on the order! Hope you've got the paypal thing sorted...