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

louise_1981

Who Hoo!! I have just found you!
I am just starting up, planning to be customer ready at the beginning of March (Fingers crossed) This (In the few pages I have read, going to read the rest tomorrow) and quite a few other threads have been really helpful and just want to say thanks!

I am starting a domestic cleaning business in Hartlepool, after 8 months on JSA so as you can imagine I have a bit of debt. Which means money into the business is tight, as is my personal money. Quite lucky in that I live with my 80 yo nanna, and don't pay a thing, and I have no one relying on me for this to success, cept me and that enough pressure to be honest.

Managed to put about £300 in though, which has gone to a website, new printer, advertising and travel to lots of workshops for start ups, which have helped emensely. I am putting out free ads on a regular basis, but a little short of what else I can be doing. I have been told that you need 6-8 weeks before advertising starts to work, and 3-4 letter drop campaigns before people take notice.

Wordsmith

Hello, Louise. I was thinking yesterday that I would start a new self-employed thread as this one is rarely used, but now I think it would be good to resurrect this one.

Good luck in your venture. It sounds like you are doing all the right things to make a good start. Once you have clients, word of mouth will be the best way of getting work, but it's getting those first clients, isn't it? Is there a local/parish magazine in your area? I think they are a good place to advertise cleaning services, as well as shop notice boards.

I'll try to kick-start this thread back into action, so do come back and let us know how you are getting on.

Wordsmith

I haven't been on this thread in an age, for various reasons. As I said above, I was going to start a new self-employed thread, but thought it probably worthwhile to try to get this one going again. I need it because my self-employed work isn't moving forward and I need to put steps in place to build up my enthusiasm and build up the work.

Since I was last here, I have moved from my €500 a month office to "free" office space at the shop I work in when I am not doing self-employed work. Being here all the time has advantages and disadvantages - I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It's not entirely free, because I do some work for the shop for nothing as "rent".

Today I am working as a no-pay day for the shop. Thursday is pension day, so I am in the office paying out pensions and doing the shop accounts - which are way overdue, so I am feeling very guilty about them. If I am not doing shop admin I can do my freelance work on a Thursday, just breaking off to pay out the pensions. Today's list is very short but there is a lot of work:

To do:
Shop accounts - to continue
[STRIKE]Shop wages[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Admin for training client[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Update client's web site[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Private teaching at 7 o'clock[/STRIKE]

louise_1981

I am definately at the enthusiastic stage ! but wanting to put my money into what will be productive. So thinking of a run of 5000 a6 leaflets advertising the business, and some 'special' spring cleaning offers. i.e book 4 weekly cleans and get 10% off,

Things to do:
Lots of phone calls on my list.
Read through this thread, start to finish

Wordsmith

The leaflets sound like a good idea, as does the special offer. Have you priced the leaflets? Will the offers be something that will be ongoing, otherwise it might be best to leave them off the leaflets as you don't want to be left with a surplus advertising something you don't want to do any more. Can you design them yourself or will you get someone else to do them?

You are being very productive and pro-active! I must take a leaf out of your book.

Amatheya81

Yay! It's great to see people posting on here again. I'm interested to know what businesses you all have and if you have a "proper job" as well?

As I said before I'm a artist and illustrator. I design and sell cartoon cards as well as selling watercolour paintings. I'm only just starting out after taking 10 years out after college (gulp) as a result at the moment I'm spending more time working on technique and creating a good sample of my work than I am trying to market and sell stuff although I do have a website and a blog... I like the sound of LinkedIn and will be having a look at it tonight.
I also have a "proper job" in work order managment. Spreadsheets galore!

I have to admit that I've been a bit lazy the past few weeks. I'm supposed to be painting but I find it practically impossible to work when I'm cold. Now it's warming up a bit I've got to get my but in gear and finish a couple more paintings so that I can display in a couple of galleries (some online, some off) and make some more greetings cards.

Wordsmith

Hello, Amatheya! I had a look at your web site and I love your paintings (not just saying that, I really do)! Where do you sell your cards? Do you take commissions for work? Is it a silly question, or would you like to give up the day job and concentrate on making a living from your art? Your blog is really interesting. For a completely talentless person such as myself it is fascinating to see pictures of the various stages of your paintings.

I live in Ireland now, but I lived in Swindon Old Town many moons ago, and until a couple of years ago my parents lived in Wootton Bassett.

I work as a freelance editor/proofreader/writer, and do various other things as well. When I first moved here I found it very difficult to get work, so I found employment in the local shop, which I still do because although it pays badly it is quite fun and is a steady income. It is also useful to have some kind of interaction with people, because when I was freelancing full time and working from home, I found that I got very isolated. I knew things had to change when I found myself getting excited about going out to buy a loaf of bread!

louise_1981

Hmm, enquired they will only do runs of 5000 per leaflet. Might just get stickers for the special offers.

Amatheya81

Wordsmith wrote: »

Hello, Amatheya! I had a look at your web site and I love your paintings (not just saying that, I really do)! Where do you sell your cards? Do you take commissions for work? Is it a silly question, or would you like to give up the day job and concentrate on making a living from your art? Your blog is really interesting. For a completely talentless person such as myself it is fascinating to see pictures of the various stages of your paintings.

I live in Ireland now, but I lived in Swindon Old Town many moons ago, and until a couple of years ago my parents lived in Wootton Bassett.

Hi Wordsmith, it's a small world Thanks for looking at my website/blog I love hearing what people think of it and thank you for your compliment Artists are notorius for either being completely full of themselves or having absolutely no belief in their own skill... I unfortunately am one of the latter so it always gives me a buzz when someone who isn't a friend or family says they like my work :beer:

At the moment my cards are between shops because I was looking for a new printing company to reduce cost but I'm going to be getting my current stock up on my website and possible setting up a Etsy store in the next few weeks.
Yes, I do commissions although having only just started out things are a bit slow at the moment and it is terrifying when you have to creat something that someone else wants instead of going with whatever you feel like. I have just been approached about a pet portrait for a woman who recently lost her dog though so that's a start.
I would love to give up work and set up a studio in a cottage somewhere. That's one of the things that has inspired me to get rid of my debt. I want to find a little house in the country with a sun room that I can paint in and a garden to look out on while I work instead of a brick wall . I'm similare to you when it comes to becoming isolated without work but I'm a medieval re-enactor which gets me out and about in the summer and if I could afford it I'd happily go back to aerial acrobatic training which requires a lot of gym time to get me out of the house... by the time I can afford to do this I'll probably be way past it but it's my happy little dream and as long as you have a dream to aspire to anything's possible

What type of writing do you do?

louise_1981 - try Vistaprint.co.uk for your flyers. their prices are quite reasonable and they offer lots of different sized print runs.

louise_1981

Things to do tomorrow:

Go into or at least phone 5 estate agents
Mystery Shop Pet sitters
Format leaflet for printing.
Phone Job Centre about becoming self employed EK!

Amatheya85 - thanks I am waiting for smaples from each so I can have a look at the quality