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

Smart_Mart

Hi all, just a blatant plug (sorry) for my blog diary. It doesn't start until Sunday so there's not much to look at but it does (and will) explain who I am and where I come from.

Enjoy!!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2036969

travellady

Hi, as it happens I live in Hindleygreen right at the top end of west Leigh! I used to work in the Going Places in Leigh but originally came from Haydock. You got the right Zoe btw have accepted on FB. x

jpwhittle wrote: »

hoping ive sent the friend request to the right person lol, so many people with your name but went with manchester network lol.
were abouts in wigan are you from? im from leigh origanally but amrried a RAF bloke so move around, im back over your end visiting family on friday my mum and dad are in hindley green now. im doing a craft fair in bolton at the reebok in december wich is exciting, lol sorry getting carried away talking to someone from home.

moneymabel

Hi all, luckily my OH is completely clueless with computers Megz so dont need to worry about him joining Facebook!! I am Tracey Phillips on there if anyone wants to add me btw-picture is my Collie Rosie (coz shes better looking than me)
Hope youve got rid of the smell Horace...urghhh
Have had a visit to your diary Martin-looking forward to reading it.
I'm going to look into insurance next year if things pick up, had nothing for a month now .

TCM_3

Morning all!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes - its very much appreciated! Not been about for few days as had a little "blip-ette" but am ok again now. Its a bummer!

Welcome Jollymum! Everyone seems to be getting on well with their jobs - I am still snowed under with rugs - everytime i seem to reduce the pile another one appears! I am registered on facebook but am afraid i do not know how to use it, although i am afraid when i do find out, i will do no work at all!

Am worrying sick at the minute - we are struggling. Sales are good but my overheads are crippling. The landlord is lovely but won't reduce the rent even for a short time, and we are tied to a lease. I will not be able to get stock if I do not pay suppliers (I do not want to offend them by not paying) one or two have lengthened my credit terms but that is not solving my problem. I am working for £0, the tax credits pays the mortgage so at least we have a roof over our heads. Short of selling a kidney on ebay, am at a bit of a loss. Any ideas?

nzmegs

TCM, what a difficult situation. Can you get a part time job in the evenings? With Xmas coming there will be plenty of temporary retail opportunities around. it might be all you need to get you over this hurdle.

Perhaps you could negotiate with your landlord about subletting - or find someone with a similar/complimentry product or service who could share the premises with you.

I am sorry but I don't know exactly what you do (I know about the rugs!) but if your premises are suitable you might have a small office you could rent out or a corner where someone else can sell their product. Spread the overheads.

If you found someone to take over the lease would your landlord let you out of the contract? then you could find somewhere cheaper and smaller.

Talk to your bank too - they are supposed to be there to talk through any business problems - apparantly!


As for me. I have just picked up a little extra work so my income has now crept over £1000 a month. Seeing as how I only work around 4 hours a day thats not so bad. My new articles will be on fibre optics - yeah that's what I thought too! Boring....but it pays the bills. Knowing me I will become an expert and find excitement where I thought none could be found. Thats what happened with insurance.

jpwhittle

travellady wrote: »

Hi, as it happens I live in Hindleygreen right at the top end of west Leigh! I used to work in the Going Places in Leigh but originally came from Haydock. You got the right Zoe btw have accepted on FB. x

no way thats really close to my mum and dad, i get nervous when i meet anyone from home though in case they know me, i was so badly bullied at school and so many untrue rumours went round i worry people will think OMG its her lol. small world you being so close t my parents, looking forward to seeing them on friday then we are going for a day out to blackpool, taking my little babes to the lights before we move to scotland:T

jpwhittle

mabel is your dog a small white one? sorry my brains fried already today, had the kids injections and just took another order wich b dinner is enough to frazzel me these days lol

Smart_Mart

nzmegs wrote: »

As for me. I have just picked up a little extra work so my income has now crept over £1000 a month. Seeing as how I only work around 4 hours a day thats not so bad. My new articles will be on fibre optics - yeah that's what I thought too! Boring....but it pays the bills. Knowing me I will become an expert and find excitement where I thought none could be found. Thats what happened with insurance.

Hi nzmegs,

Can I ask you where you get this work from? Is it e-lancer and sites like that?

I write articles for the club's website and also three articles every issue of the matchday programme but I'd like to explore more thoroughly the art of writing on a freelance basis.

I applied online last night for a position transcribing which sounded good. She had 200 hours of interviews to do and paid £20 for every 45 minute which would work out quite profitable. The work would come in dribs and drabs over the next six months meaning an income averaging out at around £900 a month. Sadly she was inundated with applicants (not surprisingly really) and I missed out.

Horace

Hi all

I think the nasty smell has gone..eww it did stink:eek: I went to a breakfast meeting this morning with 4N and now have people looking for computers, I spoke to someone else about 0845 numbers (I am going to get one), and even to a photographer who can do a shoot for £75 so that I can have some nice pictures of me (it will be a challenge because I hate having my picture taken). The meeting was fun and the world record attempt was scuppered by me as I waited until the chap started then interrupted him with a present of Jacobs Cream Crackers as they would help him with his speech thus one world record remains with Longbridge group:j

I have spent the rest of the morning on the phone and have managed to get an advert in a top hospitality magazine which will be distributed at Confex in January - I got the ad for £100 plus VAT:j (the magazine is aimed at the corporate market and features event planning). I have also been speaking to my friends at Snow Business because I am on the scrounge (am I ever on anything else?:rotfl:) - I became involved today in a small amateur production of Snow White and the 3 little business people (who said networking was boring) and they are looking for snow - Snow Business are sending me 4 samples: frost snow and irridescent flake, if it isnt enough then I will have to buy a box but I am hoping that it will be enough for what is wanted..I am not going down the route of hiring Snowboy machines at £75 for a week.

I am networking again tomorrow with a breakfast meeting in Grosvenor Casino in Birmingham - apparently there will be an events planner there and a wedding planner and it would be good to talk. I am off to Cirencester on 4 November as I have some peeps to see followed by yet another breakfast meeting with 4N on 5 November (I have to deliver a hamper).

:wave: Travellady - haven't I just seen you over on 4N?

TCM - put your OH to work - hire him out (there must be something that he can do?) Seriously I hope you manage to get sorted out - being strapped for cash isnt pleasant.

nzmegs

SmartMart - yeah it is/was sites such as Elance. What I did was mostly apply for UK writing jobs instead of american. There was less competition then. Peopleperhour is another UK one but there are so many people going for the same work. I applied for 3-6 elance jobs a day for two weeks until I got my first paid job. At an investment of $9.95 a month it was worthwhile.
You really need to have a good portfolio and offer plenty of examples of your writing until you get good feedback. Oh, and don't send off a bid which is generic. write each one based on what they want.
I got my first few jobs because i offerred silly rates but very quickly built up a relationship with my clients and was able to up my rates as they asked for new things.
I have three main clients who I have been writing for for more than a year and they trust me. it means that I am the first person they come to and I am very fair with how much i charge - so they keep coming back.
I now work privately with all three but still pick up bits and peices on Elance when I need an income boost.
My advice to you is to swallow your pride and don't expect to be paid loads at first and just apply for everything you think you can do and always meet deadlines!!

Good luck!