Put Off Going Self Employed As A Writer

shedboy94

Truegho wrote: »

It IS a viable business, and all the business experts have echoed my point.

Or don't these business experts know their stuff then???

You keep repeating yourself, soI will too. WHY is it a viable business?
What "business experts" are you talking about?
What makes them experts?
Can you provide proof that it is a viable business?

Truegho

pinkypoopydoo wrote: »

If it has been classed as a viable business by experts, then why haven't you looked to get on the NEA?

I can't get on the NEA scheme because I am currently on The Work Programme for two years.

Truegho

jacques_chirac wrote: »

What is wrong with low paid work? Everyone has to start somewhere.

I have been trying for low paid work. The amount of competition chasing each job is too high, as I have repeatedly said.

jacques_chirac

Truegho wrote: »

I have been trying for low paid work. The amount of competition chasing each job is too high, as I have repeatedly said.

But there will always be (at least) one person that does get the job, so why shouldn't that person be you? The competition is not too high, you are not aiming high enough.

Dunroamin

dktreesea wrote: »

????!
So all NMW jobs are "not viable" because they are topped up by tax credits? or jobs, if you have a family, paying £30k a year, also topped up by various benefits, like CTC and CB, and maybe even childcare allowances?

Why discriminate against the self employed, especially when "viable" employment in a household with children is 24 hours a week between the two parents?

But the OP isnt earning NMW - as far as we know, he's earning nothing at all!

Dunroamin

Truegho wrote: »

I can't get on the NEA scheme because I am currently on The Work Programme for two years.

Which is, presumably, what has prompted you to declare yourself self employed.;)

notanewuser

paulineb wrote: »

Lots of businesses claim tax credits. Its very unlikely that within 24 hours of starting a business you'll be in profit, it can take 12 plus months for someone to start making money. WTC was a massive help to me when I started trading, both in 2010 and again this year.

Also, the nature of every industry is different, Im a freelance fitness instructor, earnings can be seasonal, some people will do very very well and some people will tick by at times.

.

It's coming up to 20 years since I started work, aged 16, in a hotel earning £2.50 an hour plus tips. Still at school but working 20+ hours a week it got my career started.

My husband and I started our company last year, and it's been very much in profit since day 1, with a turnover in excess of £150k (with only DH working full time).

I make cakes in my spare time, for friends and family and charity bake sales mostly. I wouldn't dream of attempting it as a business unless I could afford to live on the proceeds. It's a hobby.

The OP seems to consider his hobby a business, which I'm sorry, it ain't.

dktreesea

shedboy94 wrote: »

The difference is that the vast majority of those claiming WTC whilst S/E do not even claim to earn anywhere the amount of money they would earn if they even had a job paying NMW for the same hours.

That's probably true. HMRC's statistics for the fiscal year ended 5/4/2011 show that, of 5.37 million self assessments received for the self employed (could be lower numbers of actual self employed people, because they may have more than one business, and if they own different percentages of each one, they may have been separately assessed), only 1.212 million assessments were for profits over £15k a year.

Even so, family income would have a huge impact on whether the self employed person could claim benefits.

There doesn't seem to be any statistics, either on HMRC or DWP's sites, that show the number of self employed people who receive benefits.

dktreesea

Truegho wrote: »

You're forgetting something, aren't you: a lot of these jobs requiring "no experience" are either commission only, low paid, or have some other failing. A proper, decent, well-paid job is hard to find now, esp on blackspot Merseyside.

By low paid, do you mean NMW? You're presumably willing to work for benefits if you are on the Work Programme. Surely even a minimum wage job would pay better?

FBaby

You're forgetting something, aren't you: a lot of these jobs requiring "no experience" are either commission only, low paid, or have some other failing. A proper, decent, well-paid job is hard to find now, esp on blackspot Merseyside.

How is that worse than you working for yourself and making no money at all? As it's been said over and over, you could do one of those jobs and build your writing business next to it. Might take a bit longer, but it is certainly not possible.

What it is is that you have it in your head that it should be your way or no way, unfortunately, that's not how it works as you are finding out.