Advice needed from small business owners

70Ed

I know this kind of thing gets posted all the time but I am at the end of my tether. I have been reading these forums for a while, so I am very prepared to get my head bitten off for coming across as naive & stupid, but I figured it would be worth it to get even a little advice.

I graduated from university in 2010. Since then I have had two temporary cleaning jobs. I am now working self employed for one of the legit work at home companies whilst also volunteering for a local family support charity. I have applied for 100's of jobs, without getting any of them. I live in a city which has been hit hardest by job losses. There's a story in the local paper today estimating another 7000 jobs will go in the next few years. Things are not looking up. In an ideal work, I would be working in a similar role to my voluntary work, working with individuals helping them in some sort of way, but because of funding cuts I know this isn't going to happen. The charity I have been working for are taking advantage of me now, and I need to get out. When I first started volunteering it was made very clear that there was a big chance they would employ me, but I realise now this is not going to happen, they are letting go of staff and getting volunteers to do the same work for free.

I have been thinking seriously about setting up my own business for quite some time. I have enjoyed been self employed for the last couple of months, and a business is something I have thought about for about a year now, I just do not know where to start and I am not sure I have any skills that would be useful in setting up a business which is half the reason I am posting here, just to sound out my ideas.

I have a lot of interests, and I believe it is vital to start a business in something I am passionate about. I have had a few ideas but nothing substantial and I have lost a lot of confidence in myself having been rejected so many times in the last couple of years.
I thought about using my experience job seeking somehow, helping others find work. Living where I do, this is much needed I believe but I would not know where to start. I thought about doing it on a one-to-one basis perhaps, offering advice on CV’s, job applications. The other idea was to set it up as a charity – but I know pretty much nothing about this except for bits I have learned from my voluntary work.

I've thought about getting into events. I organise family events quite often, the most recent been this weekend. It's something I enjoy, but at the moment, something I guess would be a luxury to companies/individuals. Similarly, I've thought about catering. I love cooking & organising, and I do think it would be something I would be good at. I would need premises though.
I live at home at the moment, although my partner and I are saving for a house deposit with the aim of buying at the end of this year or beginning of next. I have even thought of trying to set up a business this way. We live in a deprived city, and there are many bargains to be had house-wise at the moment.

I realise this post is a bit of a ramble, but I would love some advice, some thoughts on my ideas. I am fed up of waiting for the phone to ring, for a letter to arrive offering me an interview. I am sick of letting others be in charge of my future, telling me I am not good enough to work for them. I am only in my early 20’s, and right now I cannot see a future. I know that may sound dramatic but it is how I feel. I want to make something of myself. Money is not the be all and end all for me, I have never dreamed of being a millionaire, but I would like to earn enough so I am comfortable.

If anyone could give me their thoughts, it would be very much appreciated. Is this a bad time to be setting up a business? Am I just completely naive in thinking it's possible to make my own job because nobody else will employ me? Are any of my ideas viable?
Thanks for taking the time to read this.

steve1980

What actual experience do you have? Ignoring the family parties that you've done.

With your current self employed work are you free to take on other work and only work when you want?

70Ed

steve1980 wrote: »

What actual experience do you have? Ignoring the family parties that you've done.

With your current self employed work are you free to take on other work and only work when you want?

Experience is my downfall, same with jobs, everybody wants experience, nobody wants to give me the opportunity to gain it!

The only work I have had was working for an accomodation company in a general assistant role, cleaning, decorating, maintainance, that kind of thing. This job lasts up to 5 months over summer, and I have done it each year since leaving school in 2005 as it fitted in perfectly with college, and then again university.

Other than that the only experience I have is from my voluntary work which I have been doing for five months, and obviously personal experience.

The work I am doing at the moment is very flexible, I have to do a small amount of hours a week as a minimum and that is all.

steve1980

The problem is that you have no experience dealing with events, it's a lot harder than you think.

I've arranged many charity events and to be honest it's was a nightmare.

Why don't you speak to established event companies and explain about the problem you have (no previous experience etc) and see if they would take you on?

Savvy_Sue

The trick is to find something which you are not just passionate about, but which others are willing to pay you to do. Like helping others with jobseeking - great idea, but will anyone pay you to do it?

Setting up a charity isn't to be undertaken lightly: certainly not as a way of getting a job ...

heretolearn_2

Hello there,

Well I'm thinking good for you for trying to find a way round the problems you face locally, both with doing volunteer work (it isn't wasted even if it hasn't worked out quite the way you hoped) and now in thinking about creating your own job!

I don't have a whole lot of advice though I'm afraid - the two areas you've identified, well, events have been hit by the recession and there is less demand as companies have cut back on these, and for charity events I think you'd need experience and a track record. I suppose you could try dipping a toe by 'volunteering' to organise events for smaller local charities to build up the experience and contacts you need, then trying to find work in that field. On helping people find work - the DWP is recruiting at the moment - there is a national website with all the vacancies - and a lot of them are Executive Officer level so not bad for graduate entry level. I can't see much scope for you with your own business as job seekers are skint unless you are looking at the higher level ones, and there are already high level consultancies for them.

Your local area is bad - have you considered moving? Even if you are applying for jobs elsewhere, it's best to be applying from a local base, as applying from a distance looks odd to employers.

Suarez

70Ed wrote: »

I've thought about getting into events. I organise family events quite often, the most recent been this weekend. It's something I enjoy, but at the moment, something I guess would be a luxury to companies/individuals. Similarly, I've thought about catering. I love cooking & organising, and I do think it would be something I would be good at. I would need premises though.

Why would you need a premises? Have you though about organising small events for people?

You could start off small with a marquee? Organise childrens parties, weddings etc etc.

lincroft1710

70Ed wrote: »

Experience is my downfall, same with jobs, everybody wants experience, nobody wants to give me the opportunity to gain it!

The only work I have had was working for an accomodation company in a general assistant role, cleaning, decorating, maintainance.

Well that is what you could do as a self employed person - cleaning, decorating, maintenance.

A little advice and I'm probably misjudging you, but this how you come across - you radiate negativity, employers (and any potential future business clients) want positive people.

Horace

As someone who has had their own events business for the last two years - I have the qualifications and the experience to match. I would stay steer well clear - people are not spending money on events because they do not have the money to spend. Organising a family birthday party is one thing but organising and theming a wedding, organising a conference, sourcing venues (which all need to be visited and interviewed) etc. etc. is something entirely different. I know of many freelancers (myself included) who have had to go onto JSA and look for a job (any job) because we just don't have the work coming in and it is impossible to live on freshair (working tax credit is available for working 30+hr weeks but that is only £51.58 a week which is less than dole money). I have a friend who ran his own business for 12 years - 7 of them out in Gran Canaria, it was quite successful at first but since the recession started to bite, he has been forced to give it up - he now manages a pawn brokers. He has all the qualifications and experience to run events - he can even officiate at weddings because he is a reverend but that hasn't stopped his business going pear-shaped because folks just don't have the funds.

If you want to do catering - then get yourself some training - you will certainly need your food hygiene certificate, you will need premises (a domestic kitchen is not going to cut it I am afraid), clients - these you will have to find by marketing so you will need money for that. At the moment I would say get your basic food hygiene certificate and get a job as a kitchen assistant in a hotel or somewhere and then work your way up from there because at least you will be getting paid for learning instead of trying to 'play' at catering at home.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, I am trying to point out the realities of the events industry at the moment - there just aren't the jobs either working for an event company or as a freelancer (I should know - I have been looking for event jobs since my business went pearshaped in September).

somethingcorporate

If you cannot find work for yourself are you sure you are the best person trying to help others look for work?

Sorry if that is brutal but I wouldn't take advice from someone that couldn't find work or have any experience themselves.

Horace

OP - if you graduated in 2010 and cannot find work maybe you need to tailor your CV to each job that you apply for and look further afield? Have you thought of approaching the Careers Centre at your old university to see if they can assist as I know that they often provide advice for their old graduates.

I work in Britain's second city which has been decimated by the loss of industry and the loss of jobs. Currently there are 243,000 unemployed people here and 3,000 vacancies most of which seem to be in industry as there is a shortage of engineers.

I also know that the staff agencies will help you improve your CV so give them a try.

Yes, it is disheartening to get knockback after knockback - it is doubly hard if you are older and have a disability, my confidence is rock bottom but I keep picking myself up and dusting myself off. Self employment is great if you have lots of work but you also have a lot of expense - the biggest one being marketing. Pay is not brilliant either especially when you are starting out - think of 100+ hrs a week on less than minimum wage.

You need to be creative when looking for work - register on jobsites, use the jobcentreplus website, register with agencies, use the newspapers, use Twitter, approach companies directly, look at company websites because not all companies will advertise in the paper they list their vacancies on their website.

Amend your CV each time to demonstrate that you have transferrable skills.