Self employed

PlutoinCapricorn

She will need to look into the implications of having people come to where she lives. This may be against some terms in the lease. The neighbours might not like a lot of extra parking and comings and goings.

Many people work from their homes, and there are no problems if the work is done online or sitting at a desk, but if the business involves customers coming in, it raises issues that need to be addressed. Public Liability Insurance covers damage to customers and their property, but what about changes to home insurance? In theory, having a lot of customers coming in increases the chances of theft or damage for example.

Unfortunately, you can't just start a business and get on with it: there are many rules and regulations involved.

antrobus

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

Unfortunately, you can't just start a business and get on with it...

Yes you can. That's exactly what OP's 'friend' has been and done. Plenty of people do and then deal with each problem as it comes along.

Problem 1 - HMRC. Register as self-employed ASAP in order to avoid getting fined £100 if you're late.

Problem 2 - Insurance. If the friend is mobile I'd be more worried about whether or not her motor insurance covers business use than public liability. I mean how much damage can you cause to someone by painting their nails the wrong colour?

PlutoinCapricorn

Perhaps I should have said that it very unwise to start something before you have looked into what is involved and what will be required. It is indeed possible to just start doing it, but this could cause problems. For example, if you started without having got permission/a certificate or licence as relevant.

As for insurance, I suppose that in theory you could gouge someone's hand with a nail file or they could trip over your products case and hurt themselves. What about infection? This makes me wonder about health & safety in general.


There must be a forum for freelancers in the beauty business, or even a professional body.

Savvy_Sue

antrobus wrote: »

Problem 2 - Insurance. If the friend is mobile I'd be more worried about whether or not her motor insurance covers business use than public liability. I mean how much damage can you cause to someone by painting their nails the wrong colour?

I'd think there's a bit more to it than that, but I don't know what a 'beautician' pedicure involves.

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

As for insurance, I suppose that in theory you could gouge someone's hand with a nail file or they could trip over your products case and hurt themselves. What about infection? This makes me wonder about health & safety in general.

I think I'd worry more about feet than hands, tbh: I hope she has a questionnaire which includes disclosure of health problems such as diabetes.

But the tripping is not to be dismissed: you'd be surprised a) how much damage you can do by tripping over something! and b) how many accidents in the home and workplace are caused by trips, slips and falls. Well, maybe you and anyone's who's done Level 2 H&S wouldn't be, but you get my point!

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

There must be a forum for freelancers in the beauty business, or even a professional body.

You'd have thought so, wouldn't you? IF I ever felt the need to get my nails done, I'd be glad to know that the 'technician' took her job seriously enough to WANT to be a member of a professional organisation, if there was one.

DCFC79

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

Perhaps I should have said that it very unwise to start something before you have looked into what is involved and what will be required. It is indeed possible to just start doing it, but this could cause problems. For example, if you started without having got permission/a certificate or licence as relevant.

As for insurance, I suppose that in theory you could gouge someone's hand with a nail file or they could trip over your products case and hurt themselves. What about infection? This makes me wonder about health & safety in general.


There must be a forum for freelancers in the beauty business, or even a professional body.

yes re the insurance ill see if shes got it and a good idea about the forum for freelancers in the beauty business, or even a professional body.

DCFC79

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

You'd have thought so, wouldn't you? IF I ever felt the need to get my nails done, I'd be glad to know that the 'technician' took her job seriously enough to WANT to be a member of a professional organisation, if there was one.

yes theres a professional boddy so it seems, its even close by as well which i never knew

PlutoinCapricorn

I think a lot depends on how far she wants to go. If it is just pocket money, with family and friends as the customers, then a lot of the requirements seem like red tape. I guess that some people operate unofficially under HMRC's radar and don't bother with all the points that have been mentioned.

Someone who wants to be professional will have an advantage if they say they have insurance, are qualified and are a member of whatever. As Savvy Sue said, if people want to get their nails done as opposed to doing it themselves, they want something special that makes it worth it.

I think that some self employed people in the beauty business hire a chair in a salon, and the owners will almost certainly require the above. If she visits people in their homes, what if some are elderly and vulnerable? CRB checks may be needed - I am not sure about this but it is worth thinking about.

A bit of googling will pull out others in the same business and more, specialised information.

blue_monkey_2

antrobus wrote: »

Yes you can. That's exactly what OP's 'friend' has been and done. Plenty of people do and then deal with each problem as it comes along.

antrobus wrote: »

Problem 1 - HMRC. Register as self-employed ASAP in order to avoid getting fined £100 if you're late.

Problem 2 - Insurance. If the friend is mobile I'd be more worried about whether or not her motor insurance covers business use than public liability. I mean how much damage can you cause to someone by painting their nails the wrong colour?

How much damage can be done if someone is allergic to a chemical or cream she uses? Wrong, someone could be scarred for life. Seriously.

Or if she hurts someone by accident and they end up in hospital - say a child knocks a bottle and chemical splashes in their eyes. That could cost her thousands and she has no insurance? Madness that she would be so complancent - even more madness suggesting she should just get on with it and deal with the problem as it arises.

If she has people coming to the house she will need to check whether:
a) her landlord/mortgage company will let her work from home.
b) her home/buildings insurance company will let her work from home. If she has a fire, escalated by chemicals kept on the property, and she has declared the house is not being used for business they will not pay out. This IS important. MoreThan cover you for business on a standard policy now and it costs around £18 a year extra. Most Insurance companies have an 'assumption' that the home is not being used for business and it could make her policies null and void.
c) that her car insurance will cover her for business travel.
d) that the local council do not mind her working from the property at the level she is. Someone called the planning department about me working from home but I had already checked and it was fine as I have no visitors and they gave me the all clear. This will not be the case if people are visiting to have their nails done. If they deem her running a business from the property she may have to pay Business Rates.
e) the neighbours might grass her up for all of the above and make life difficult for her so while it might seem like 'red tape' it is better she gets it sorted now rather than later.

She also needs to register as self employed with HMRC and do a self assessment once a year.

She needs to (ideally) pay her Class 2 NI so she can claim things like sick pay if she is ill.

Yes people do just set up and get on with it but that is a very naive attitude to take. It's all very well to earn £1000 a year having people come to your house but then you get slapped with a £5000 a year business rates bill because 'too many' people are coming and going to your house and the council say you are a business. Or for someone to have an allergic reaction and for you to be sued for negligence and you not have any insurance. You need to find these things out BEFORE you start working for yourself. I only sell bras and even I have Public Liability incase something random happens, for the sake of the small amount of money I pay per year, it's worth it.

I believe that if she is working in the beauty industry she needs a license to practice which she can get from the council.

Likewise, being alone with people and visiting homes of people of people she does not do - I was going to do this but got a bit worried in case something might of happened and I guess I would have to be CRB checked, look at how many care workers are accused of stealing and lose their jobs. Kind of scary really.

Oh, and business rates in some London Boroughs cost 10 times what I quoted above.

Savvy_Sue

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

CRB checks may be needed - I am not sure about this but it is worth thinking about.

You can't get a CRB check done on yourself. I think you can get a statement of your record from your local police force, or get a Disclosure Scotland check done, but as I don't think such checks would be worth the paper they are written on IN THIS SITUATION, it's not something I'd necessarily expect to see.

pitkin2020

I highly doubt she will need a license of any sort from the council to operate.

As savvy sue said a CRB check in this instance would be useless and you can't get a full disclosure done yourself. If you could and it wasn't good you wouldn't say you even have one would you!! If people are concerned and you are a regular visitor they may wish to carry one out on you but most people wouldn't bother. As for theft if they are going to steal off you a CRB won't mean anything, not everyone who is a thief has a criminal record!!