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

demonloop

Reading all the previous posts I must be doing something wrong, I work from home as well but don't get a) cookies b) excuses out to Chamer of Commerce or c) time to tidy up!

My day today, typical example.

8am-9am Switch on PCs, answer all emails received from 6pm last night
9am-9.30am Type up invoices/packing slips for orders placed on websites yesterday
9.30-10.30 Type up invoices/packing slips for ebay sales
10.30-11.30 Parcel up orders going by Parcelforce
11.30-12.30 Parcel up orders going by Royal Mail
12.30-12.45 Eat sandwich
12.45-2.30 Finish the rest of the parcelling
2.30 Take in Parcelforce delivery, send out parcels
2.30-3.00 Sack up and weight post, place order via Royal Mail
3.00-3.30 Answer emails received since the morning
3.30-4.00 Few updates to website and check competitors prices on ebay
4.00-4.30 Pack up jeep, drive to post office, return home
4.30-5.30 Sort delivery that Parcelforce broguth earlier
5.30-6.00 Back up data, power down PCs

I'm doing too much....

Horace

Demon - it could be that we make time or that we are skiving, I am work better in the early morning and and night, its the bit in the middle that I have a problem with plus I will work at weekends so will let myself have a day off in the week. Also the thing is with me is that I have no clients as yet so really I can do as I please:rolleyes:

[Deleted User]

Hello all

Please can I join..... As you can see from my signature I'm on maternity leave at the mo, am due to go back to work in Nov for 2 days a week up until Christmas, as I will have accrued holiday, my work have suggested go back 2 days and them pay me for 5.

My husband was laid off the day he went back to work after having 2weeks off (1 unpaid!) which wasnt the best timing in the world. He worked the 4 weeks and as of Mon 27th he was self employed! He has been subcontracting for a company and getting quite abit more than he was getting before. I'm trying to sort out all the paperwork :rolleyes: luckily I work for an accountants (I'm a [STRIKE]scivvy[/STRIKE] secretary.... ) so I understand SOME of the stuff! Thank you to the person who put the link to the accounting software its really good!

I'm also thinking of becoming self employed to sell cards. The more time I'm at home I dont want to go back to work, so at the minute I'm trying to make the money stretch as far as I can!! x

Horace

Welcome to our happy band Loopy:D

Making cards can be profitable - my mum does it but I think that now she is retired she does it for fun.

I made another contact today - I went a local shop that dries bouquets, makes them as well as selling cards, jewellery, her own artwork and runs a frock exchange. She is trying to sell up and has been for the past two years but has said that she may be able to take some wedding stuff off my hands (50/50 split). She said too that as I am skint then when she has a clear out she will clear a filing cabinet in my direction. She is going to have some of my business cards to hand out.

I went to my normal florist today and the business cards I left there the other day have gone so I am wondering if its worth taking in more or not especially as the phone doesnt ring?

Eventually received the self employment form from the council - what a stupid form it is - asking about being a director, vat returns etc. Nothing for a business that is new. Test trading doesnt count so HMRC have said that my official start date for my business is 28 April 09 because that is my first day without JSA. Methinks, I will have to ask Sammy to look at it and advise. The council seem to want to see official accounts - don't they realise that I am not legally obliged to have audited accounts?:rolleyes:

[Deleted User]

Hi again!

Its quiet on here over the weekend isnt it?! I couldnt keep up with the reading in the week!

On the card front... I wouldn't be very good at making them I was thinking of Phoniex Trading. I've sent off for an information pack.

Better check emails then go to bed me thinks, was a long day today!

starxtrouble

It can be quiet over the weekend, some people have children so they dont get on the pc much at wkends, or they like to switch off from work. I dont have kids so I can work whenever. Spent the day with my OH today, meant to do some work this afternoon / eve as I have a big project due next week that I have to work on (start???) but I ate too much in the pub at lunchtime and spent most of the afternoon feeling ill and asleep. Will be working all day 2moro and prolly monday in my friends garden as we are having a bbq.

Whats Phoenix Trading loopy?

Star

Wordsmith

Hello, Loopylou!

Horace, I'd leave more cards at the florist. I imagine people will pick them up and keep them - there seems to be a lot of planning goes into weddings and it may be that the people who have your cards aren't yet at the stage of needing to employ your services yet - they may keep them and phone later.

Star - congrats on the new project. Hope it goes smoothly.

I've been working hard over the last few days, but nothing of note to report. Will be working all over the bank holiday, too - I don't mind that, though.

Have a lovely weekend, all.

starxtrouble

Must not moan about working at the weekend, must think of the money. Must not moan about the complicated legal translation, must remind myself that its so much more interesting that the business tenders Ive been doing a lot lately. Must get up, shut the door and put classical music on so I cant hear OH and flatmate playing computer games next door.

Must stop procrastinating on MSE and do some work :P

Horace

Afternoon all

I had a long lie in this morning - eventually emerging from my bed at 10am:eek: I havent done much answered my emails including one from my nice accountant, I watched some telly and part stripped the bed coming to the conclusion that I hate duvets as two people are needed to wrestle with them:rolleyes:

I want to try and have a day off today or at least try and do other things which I have been putting off and off. I am also toying with the idea of returning to the charity shop on Tuesday to buy the bookshelf that I saw being sold for £25 and they will deliver it for free, it won't be much good for my files but at least I can put some more books on it including my work ones.

Off to do some work...ciao everybody and have a fab weekend.:D

tyllwyd

Horace wrote: »

...

I went to my normal florist today and the business cards I left there the other day have gone so I am wondering if its worth taking in more or not especially as the phone doesnt ring?

...

I'd agree that if the cards have gone, it is probably worth taking in more. If they hadn't gone, that would be more of a negative. I remember once someone saying that for a marketing mailshot, about 5% response was good (I might be wrong, but that was the figure that stuck in my head), so if you've left out 100 cards, maybe one call would be all you might expect? And you do have to give people time to think about it.