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

moneymabel

Thanks for the welcome Wordsmith :-)

Bit of a standstill today as my web designer is in hospital just as she started my site for me! Am looking into advertising-the cost is astronomical,how do you know what is worth it and what isn't??!!! My head hurts so am going to take the dog for a walk and clear my head :-)

Horace

A tip that I picked up from a chamber open day and from one of the speakers (I was the only start up business that even bothered going to a talk on the recession), she is a lawyer and told us that her secretaries had done some research and had found that it is cheaper to put a leaflet inside a newspaper than it is to advertise in the newspaper - this may be true elsewhere in the country.

I find that leaving my business cards all over the place helps as well - 250 of mine are on a table (wasnt allowed a stand) at a luxury marquee company open weekend, I also have them in florists, bridal shops, photographers, in fact anywhere I can get them. One day, I will get a client from them.

moneymabel

that's a great idea about the leaflets , will look into that. Have got some new business cards, as soon as the website is done I'll do the rounds with them too.

blue_monkey_2

Good evening everyone,

I've been working from home for 7 years now. I started selling some things on eBay and I now run a lingerie website along the lines of Brastop/Bravissimo/Figleaves. It's been a hard slog but I am still hanging on in there. I have not borrwed anything other than my own money - the money the business owes me though, that is a different story, £10-£20 here and there in cash and from my pocket - if I sold all my stock tomorrow to get my money back I'd have enough for brand new people carrier *sigh*

End of the year is looming so that'll be more paperwork than usual, I am VAT registered as well.

I too have terrible problems with advertising. I did think that I'd look into advertising and it is around £1400 with the glossies for a small ad at the back and with Take a Break it is £3000 for a 1/4 page ad!! It is not worth it because I get such little profit on the goods I sell and I'd be flogging my guts out for months to get that sort of money to waste on an advert.

The thing I find really difficult is because it is underwear. I worry about where I advertise for fear of offending people.

Essex-girl_2

Good Morning All

Well its Monday today & the start of my finally getting organised week.

Monday is always a busy day - I didnt mention last time that as well as running a business with my oh, I run my own business as well though this is noway as profitable I do it because one day my Dad's business is linked & will be mine.

Anyway, today is invoice day - use a debt factoring company so need to get them input on there also, and update the bank a.c's day. This shouldnt take too long but I usually pop onto here or facebook when I should be working - but not today!!

I have also VAT to input, its already worked out as I have a simple spreadsheet that is completed each time month end happens & it will only take me 5 mins to input it online so why I am avoiding it?:rolleyes:

Have a massive in pile and loads of little things to tie up so will really try and get this under control today, however I wont set myself silly targets as then I fail, feel sorry for myself & think oh well there's always tomorrow.

Think I might try and set my timer for half hour stretches, do nothing but work for half hour then make a cup of coffee - check emails etc for 5 mins at the end iykwim? Anyway will give that a go for today.

Happy monday everyone & hope it is productive for you.

sammy115

Morning Essex-girl....I too will set my clock for half hour stretches....its a good idea..one which I use for doing the housework (cos I can't stand it).

Freyagirl

Morning everyone it's a lovely day here so hope it is with you as well.

I'm not nearly such a high flyer or artisitically talented as most of you seem to be. My self employed work at the moment is merchandising, mystery shopping and retail audits. My other skills are event organising and I have also studied for an HNC in canine behaviour and training. If I lose my paid employment I thought I'd try dog walking/training/house visiting type of thing. I (hope) I have good people skills but am still waiting to grow up and work out what I want to do with my life :rotfl: (I'm in my fifties now).

Well that's a bit about me if anyone works in this sort of area I'd be interested to hear of your experiences.

Enjoy your day.

freyagirl

Horace

Hi all

I have made a decision - today I will and I stress the word will - write my remaining assignments if not both then one today and the other Wednesday but ideally I want to get them done and sent off today then I can send my marking sheet and get that bloomin' diploma, logo for my website and stationery and free advertising.

Wish me luck:D

If you see me on here - give me a kick up the bum so that I can get moving again.

nads

Morning all, this is my first post on the thread. I've still reading though the start but just wanted to say a great big thank you for starting this off!

I'm in the middle of looking at various opportunities including webdesign to start my own proper business, I'm so happy to see a thread dedicated to motivate and inform

blue_monkey_2

Quite a productive morning so far. I've paid 2 suppliers so that is done, another 2 to do. Sorted my invoices printed some stuff out, caught up with emails from 2 accounts (another one to do) decided that when the kids go to bed I am goin g to do at least half an hour of exercise on my powerplate. At the moment I wanted to do that in the morning but I drop the kids off and get held up with other parents or work and it never get's done. So, now I shall do that in the evening instead of wasting time on here reading stuff that I've got no opinion on.

Just printing off some shipping notes and orders then I've got some orders to get in. Had a good weekend and quite a few orders came in so now I've got to get those charged, packed and dispatched, should take me until lunchtime and then I can watch doctors and catch up on more emails. What would us work at home types do without Diagnosis Murder. It is so bad but I love it!! I'd hate to be any friend/colleague/neighbour or Doctor Sloane!! You'd have a ready made coffin surely, LOL.