New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

pinkypoopydoo

I was planning on set fees - it is notoriously difficult to try and work out how many hours a week/month someones books would take to do. I plan to have tiers of charges, for light, medium and heavy users. Set fees for stock control, again tiered by business size.

Advertising is definitely my weak area - I'll go have a look around the forums and see what advice I can find. I fantasize daily about signing off JSA, and being able to look at my children eating their dinner, knowing that I paid for it, out my own earning, and didn;t rely on anyone else for the money to care for them.

andyscott

Best way for you to advertise is probably

facebook page (free of charge)

your own website

a bundle of flyers drop them off to businesses by yourself

phone up businesses (you might already have a phone package that lets you phone landlines free of charge)

You could probably get a proffessional website and a few thousand flyers printed proffesionaly for less than you would pay for an ad in your local paper.

pinkypoopydoo

Another question about NEA.

If I get accepted, how does this affect other benefits? Because I am on JSA, I get council tax benefit (or whatever it is called now!), free school meals for my older children, and most importantly, help with the interest on my mortgage. Do these continue for the 26 months of NEA payments, or do I lose them as soon as I switch over from JSA to NEA?

BigAl127

chummyextreme747 wrote: »

I had no break between the last JSA and the first NEA.

Well this is week 3 of my self employment, and i've not yet received payment of my final 6 days of JSA, Job Grant or any NEA payments. However, I have today received my 1st two payments of Working Tax Credit, so that's actually given me a lifeline in the short term, and i've finally got my first customers this week.

So after the initial hard slog, things look to be improving, but no doubt there will be many more ups & downs to come.

BigAl127

pinkypoopydoo wrote: »

Another question about NEA.

If I get accepted, how does this affect other benefits? Because I am on JSA, I get council tax benefit (or whatever it is called now!), free school meals for my older children, and most importantly, help with the interest on my mortgage. Do these continue for the 26 months of NEA payments, or do I lose them as soon as I switch over from JSA to NEA?

NEA is payable for 26 weeks NOT months.

I'm in rented property, and i've got to submit a new application for Housing & Council Tax benefits. Sorry, I can't help with mortgage interest, or the free school meals, as all my children are grown up.

For benefits advice & calculations, a good site to try is

turn2us dot org dot uk (replace dot with .)

I can't posts links as a new member.

WantToBeSE

pinkypoopydoo wrote: »

Another question about NEA.

If I get accepted, how does this affect other benefits? Because I am on JSA, I get council tax benefit (or whatever it is called now!), free school meals for my older children, and most importantly, help with the interest on my mortgage. Do these continue for the 26 months of NEA payments, or do I lose them as soon as I switch over from JSA to NEA?

Pinky- i would THINK that you can still get FSM for your children, as your income will be low (at least to start with). But it's best to clarify with the JC, just in case.
The NEA is 26 weeks, not 26 months, i presume that's a typo

I am going to the job centre today to discuss all the details with my advisor, so feel free to list any Q's and i'll try and get them answered!

I will be asking about housing benefit/council payment support (as its now called in my area), Tax Credits, FSMs and childcare.

WantToBeSE

andyscott wrote: »

Best way for you to advertise is probably

facebook page (free of charge)

your own website

a bundle of flyers drop them off to businesses by yourself

phone up businesses (you might already have a phone package that lets you phone landlines free of charge)

You could probably get a proffessional website and a few thousand flyers printed proffesionaly for less than you would pay for an ad in your local paper.

I am planning on using either vistaprint, or going through the local 'Outset' group to find a newly established business in my area (depending on cost).
I plan on delivering flyers door to door (with the help of 2 eager children who desperately want pocket money!!).

Outset run workshops to help with setting up a new business, with taxes, marketing, starting up, networking, HMRC stuff etc. There are a few in my area, here is the link:

http://www.outset.org/

pinkypoopydoo

Sorry, yes - late night typo! I meant weeks, not months.

My job for today is to price up printing costs for flyers. I'm happy to spend every free second, trudging up and down high streets, handing them out, sticking them under every business vans windscreen wiper, whatever it takes. I already have a facebook page, which generates a lot of attention, but no business from it so far.

If I get accepted, I'm going to need to apply for a loan, so it's a case of working out where best to use the money top build up business.

WantToBeSE

ahhhhh i have JUST written a huge reply and it got lost!!!! RRRAAA!!!!!!

WantToBeSE

OK, this is what i got from my meeting:


WTC, HB, CTB (or its replacement), FSM and Childcare ALL depend on how many hours you are working.

To get WTC, you have to be working over 16 hours (as a single parent, at least until UC comes in). BUT not every single one of those 16 hours has to see you actively working. You could (for example) be actively working for 12 hours, and spend the other 4 hours advertising, leaflet dropping, buying/making materials.
(I AM NOT SAYING I WILL BE WORKING ONLY 12 HOURS, BEFORE ANYONE MOANS AT ME FOR BEING A SLACKER ETC). All i am saying is that for the first month, until my client base is established, its a bit of a safety net to know.

You get the NEA money regardless of your earnings. You could be earning £150 a week, or £500 a week, or £50 a week, but you will STILL get the NEA.

Childcare- you are just as entitled to childcare as you would be if you were working for an employer. You would apply for this in exactly the same way, and it must be OFSTED registered.

Loan of up to £1000- This IS dependant on your credit score. I dont think i have a chance in hell of getting it, but i'll try applying anyway. my advisor said that if i dont get it, then it MAY be possible for him to get me a grant of about £200 for materials...i am not sure what this is, but i know it wouldn't be related to the NEA, i think he may be planning to bend some arms if it means getting this for me so that i can sign off.

Business Advice- this is an ongoing thing, it doesnt stop once you start trading. You are given access to a personal business mentor. They (the JC) try to match you with a mentor who is in a similar business to your new one, if possible.

TAXES/BOOK KEEPING keep a record of EVERYTHING!!!

So, I made the decision to go for it! I asked my advisor if we could speed it along anyhow, and he said we could get the paperwork signed this week if i liked!!! So i am going in to do the paperwork on Thursday. This will just be to confirm that i am happy to be on the NEA scheme, talk through the finer details (i'll update on here if i learn anything new), and get the ball rolling to find me a mentor!


I think thats it folks! I'll come and add more if i remember anything else!