(micro) business legal advice?

rosiulia

Hi there,
I want to open a small business, if I can call it like that, of tie dye clothes including shoes,totes bags etc. The problem I have is I don't really know how to start it. I want to do it exclusively from home as I have already a full time stable job which I want to keep. I would like to do everything custom made, and based on orders. Of course to start with I will make some models for family and friends and I will take photos and post them on my Facebook page because I would like everything social media based.
Here are my questions: how can I write strong T&C's ( considering that I do want to ask the payment in advance and I can't afford someone to ask for a refund after I made a pair of shoes for example )?
Do I have to call hmrc to declare self employment after or before I sell something, or when is the best time to call ?
Do I have to send receipt for the items I send?
Any other suggestion is welcomed ! Thank you very much in advance.
P.s here is a pair o shoes I made

MothballsWallet

The only question I can answer with certainty is the HMRC-related one:

If you're going self-employed, you need to register as such with HMRC within the first 3 months of doing so.

rosiulia

MothballsWallet wrote: »

The only question I can answer with certainty is the HMRC-related one:

If you're going self-employed, you need to register as such with HMRC within the first 3 months of doing so.

So I have to register with hmrc after I start the page?

lincroft1710

rosiulia wrote: »

I would like to do everything custom made, and based on orders.

Here are my questions: how can I write strong T&C's ( considering that I do want to ask the payment in advance and I can't afford someone to ask for a refund after I made a pair of shoes for example )?

Do I have to send receipt for the items I send?
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Suggest you read the 2014 Consumer Contracts Regulations and 2015 Consumer Rights Act before you go writing T&Cs which may offend consumer rights.

It is usual to offer a receipt or acknowledgement of money received in exchange for goods.

MothballsWallet

rosiulia wrote: »

So I have to register with hmrc after I start the page?

Within 3 months of doing so.

Or HMRC will fine you.

Owain_Moneysaver

you will need product liability and public liability insurance in case someone has an allergic reaction to a dye, or a shoe breaks and they trip, etc.

You will need business motor insurance if you carry any business materials in your car, and notify your home insurers that you are running a business from home.

martindow

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Suggest you read the 2014 Consumer Contracts Regulations and 2015 Consumer Rights Act before you go writing T&Cs which may offend consumer rights.

If these are going to be bespoke and made to order you can have stronger t&cs regarding returns than when selling stock items. I'm not clear whether this is what the OP has in mind.

antrobus

MothballsWallet wrote: »

Within 3 months of doing so.

Or HMRC will fine you.

Not really.

Register by 5 October following the end of the tax year you need to send a tax return for. If you’re late, you won’t get a penalty as long as you pay your Self Assessment bill in full by the deadline.

https://www.gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment/overview

You were, however, supposed to notify HMRC of your liability to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions within 3 months from the end of the calendar month in which you started trading. But that might well have changed as well, given that Class 2 NI is now being collected through self assessment.

lincroft1710

martindow wrote: »

If these are going to be bespoke and made to order you can have stronger t&cs regarding returns than when selling stock items. I'm not clear whether this is what the OP has in mind.

Agree re bespoke items, but OP's post reads (possibly unintentionally) as if she does not want to have regard to consumer rights. Even if an item is bespoke, there is the chance it may have a fault or not be exactly what the customer ordered.

slink85

MothballsWallet wrote: »

The only question I can answer with certainty is the HMRC-related one:

If you're going self-employed, you need to register as such with HMRC within the first 3 months of doing so.

there's no such requirement to 'register' as self employed within 3 months, you should do it by the 5th October of that trading year, but even then its not a requirement as you don't get penalties for registering later or if at all.

you simply have to complete a self assessment and pay your due tax

slink85

MothballsWallet wrote: »

Within 3 months of doing so.

Or HMRC will fine you.

no they wont, they wont do anything of the sort.