Advice needed from small business owners

Mistral001

One general point on self employment. Probably most people who go self-employed have actually been trained by a former employer and that training will have to last you throughout your self-employment unless you make a big effort to kep up to date. Training involves on the job learning as well as courses. When self employed you can still go to the courses (paying them out of your own pocket of course) but there is no on the job training as there will be nodody around to guide you. Anything you learn on the job will be by trial and error often. This can work out well sometimes, but the general point I am making is that often people who go self-employed overlook the fact that when you go on your own you are actually that: on your own.

70Ed

Thanks everybody.

Sounds like I should just give up!

CKhalvashi

steve1980 wrote: »

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?

I don’t want to sound like I’m putting a dampener on here, but we’re not taking on at the moment on the events side, and I don’t think I actually know anyone in the Media game that is?!

All we’ve recruited in the last year is Holly on the front desk, who’s earning about £16k, with 2 Events on Maternity and one retired?!

Broadwood

70Ed wrote: »

Thanks everybody.

Sounds like I should just give up!

Hi Ed. Wrong reply !

Let's recap so far.......you asked for advice.

All the above posters have given good advice based on personal experience and knowledge gained over time. So maybe now you should look at your future prospects from a different angle.

Make a list of your paper and practical qualifications, also another list of jobs that you could physically and mentally actually do right now without much additional training. Using these two lists as a guide, make a third list of jobs that would interest you enough to see them as something that you could do week in and week out to earn enough to pay the bills. Once you manage to get a steady job, then you are in a better position to see what you have to do to progress into other areas which would perhaps use the higher qualifications gained at uni.

As an example, I left school at age 17 with only 5 'O levels in Maths Geography Physics English Language and Music, having decided that sixth form studying was not for me. I then did six months in the RAF passing through basic training then passing my car driving test before dropping out of trade training (police & security). After this I worked for six months as a labourer in the pottery industry before moving into the firm's laboratory as a trainee technician. The pay was rubbish so I left.

Next I worked as a cashier in a petrol station or two before getting promotion to supervisor. After about a year (aged 20) I decided I hated working indoors so left and got a van driving job delivering parcels. I did this for 10 years then got promoted to driving 7.5 tonne vans delivering bigger heavier parcels. Twenty or so years later (aged 48) I take voluntary redundancy which comes with free training for anything I might want to do next (up to £1000 worth).

I decided get HGV driver training while agency driving on 7.5t little trucks. By the end of eighteen months I had passed both the class 2 then the class 1 HGV tests which enables me to drive artics until the age of 70 so long as I pass the required medical every 5 years, and do 35 hours of relevant CPC study also every 5 years.

Currently I've been driving artics for 4 years for a multi-national parcel carrier. It's not the job I ever dreamed I'd be doing as a career while I was at school, but it more than pays the bills and I enjoy it. The geography qualification comes in handy too sometimes !

Good luck!

BigAunty

70Ed wrote: »

..

Sounds like I should just give up!

This has been a constructive thread, albeit your confidence is very low, and you've had advice warning you of the risks you face, it's not been focussed on the rewards you seek.

It is very hard to inspire someone on a forum who is feeling low about such a complex endeavour as self employment. Your posts are shot through with anger and negativity, though it's fairly understandable why you are so demoralised.

As you are under 30, I recommend that you look at the Princes Trust who can support you into self-employment.

http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/enterprise_programme.aspx

Do some online research about self-employment ideas - you may find some that leap out at you and chime with your interests, something that you've not considered, that has very low entry costs.

BigAunty

And here is a thread from those offering gardening/cleaning services that are positive. Suggest you PM the two self employed people if this is an area you have an interest in

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3570535

Horace

BigAunty has hit on something..about your posts being full of anger and negativity - this probably comes across when you are looking for work. Yes, it is tough out there and it is demoralising but you have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and keep moving forward. When you get a knockback after interview ring up and ask for some feedback that way you can learn and find out what sections of your CV and experience need improvement.

My self employment is on hold because I actually need a full time job to pay my bills, it is not to say that I have given up entirely because I haven't but I have acknowledged that I am in difficulty and need something more.

Have someone look over your CV - do some more training, ask at your jobcentre about training that you can attend because you are likely to be seeing a personal advisor every month or so. I managed to pick up some and got my basic food hygiene certificate - this demonstrates that I am willing to undergo training. An agency or a training company recommended by the jobcentre (eg Pertemps Development or JHP Training amongst others) will re-write your CV, give you interview training, other certificated training e.g. team leading, hospitality, food hygiene, computer skills etc. etc and these are free. Undergoing such training shows employers that you are not sitting idly waiting for a job but doing what you can to improve your prospects, it also demonstrates a willingness to learn new skills.

I learnt how to organise events from previous employers where I worked as a PA so I was organising business meetings, international conferences, exhibitions, business workshops, office parties, balls and then away from work I held a voluntary role on the committee of a national one-make motorcycle club as their PR person and was involved in organising motorbike rallies - one very large international one at 2 weeks' notice after it was discovered the social sec hadn't been doing his job.

When I was at school I wanted to be an archaeologist but then decided not to study history to O Level and instead studied languages thinking that I could work as a translator but I got bored half way through Sixth Form and A levels and went and did secretarial training at college. At college, I got myself onto the events team in the student union and was organising events eg. top named bands to give concerts and took over the role of DJ every Friday night for our weekly disco. Now I have another voluntary role with a business club and organise their events, sell raffle tickets and find speakers as well as taking minutes of meetings.

70Ed

I apologise if my posts have come across as angry or ungrateful. I am genuinely grateful to everybody for taking the time to reply, even if it is not what I wanted to hear it is what I expected to be told.

Just to give a bit more background, I have applied for every job going, cleaning, shop work, care work, admin, but there's always somebody with more experience. I am registered with all the local agencies and chase them up reguarly. I have had my CV looked at by various different people, and paid to have it redesigned last year. I have my CV on every job website going, including linkedin, and have heard nothing from any of them. I am currently volunteering, and I am getting to go on a lot of training courses as part of this, at least one a week since last month.

I am sorry if I come across as negative, but it really is very hard not to when I believe I am doing all I can and still its not enough.

Anyway, thanks again, you have all given me food for thought.

CKhalvashi

70Ed wrote: »

Sounds like I should just give up!

One thing that I learned VERY quickly when starting up myself was never to give up on your dreams. Everyone thought I was nuts, but I’m now in the 6 figure savings club through hard work and determination!

I’ve just found out that a Spanish company is taking on following a huge contract award (That they kept quiet about until after the tender) I’ve wanted for about 5 years, but hey, it’ll come again in 2 years!

Although it may sound like I’m clutching at straws here, we may be taking on over the next few months for a junior events person. Keep an eye out on the ‘music industry’ section of Reed, where anything we have gets advertised.

As people are spending at the moment, many more companies may be in the same position!

lindens

Don't apologise to us 70Ed- you're not angry or ungrateful towards us I think we realise that. Just take those comments as one of many posts giving you advice of all kinds. Please just take it constructively.
I would keep going with the volunteering but maybe tailor it towards something that will help you gain a full time job/self employment. That way the experience that the volunteering is giving you, is meaningful. Ring companies up and say you've just done a training course in XYZ and could they offer you an internship for 1 week/or whatever to put it all into practise.