Becoming a self employed artist with practically zero income

SailorSam

Have a read of this about going self-employed.
If the JC will accept you, you can get some sort of benefits while you're trying to build up your business.

https://www.gov.uk/moving-from-benefits-to-work/starting-your-own-business

motorguy

CloboTheHobo wrote: »

I wasn't asking for sarcasm or attitude, I was asking for advice on getting started.
When I last asked the job center about if I earned any extra money outside of JSA, they said no matter how much I earnt, I'd have to register as self employed, hence why I'm here.

Making money as an artist is incredibly difficult - and there is nothing you've been able to tell us so far that is suggesting you have something that is on the cusp of being a real job with real earnings.


Personally - the time you are putting in to this at the minute I would instead be concentrating on finding a job with a steady income.


Stuff like this becomes a distraction and you end up scratching around in the dirt for a disproportionate amount of time to earn a fiver


AND you could be risking your JSA too.

fluffyfox

can you go to uni to study illustration or something? if your doing a few commissions maybe you have a good enough portfolio to get in.

daytona0

CloboTheHobo wrote: »

Hi guys, I got into a sticky situation with family members and ended up being kicked out with no job a few months back.

I think you should have ended the thread here

motorguy

fluffyfox wrote: »

can you go to uni to study illustration or something? if your doing a few commissions maybe you have a good enough portfolio to get in.

Sounds like exactly what the op needs - another 4 years with no job whilst he "studies'"

NotNormal

First off, take a deep breath as you sound quite scared that you'll be in serious trouble. You won't! If someone reports you you could get sanctioned, but that is very unlikely and mostly a slap on the wrists. The best thing to do is inform them yourself.

I was on JSA and had a hobby I want to turn into a career, they will try to help you as a career is less likely to see you back on JSA two months down the line in their eyes.

Firstly is this something you would like to have a career as? Would you like to be a self employed artist? If so work out what support you would need, for example a business/marketing course?

Secondly look at when you last signed on and when you next sign on, the night before/morning of the next sign on you want up to date proof of what income you have received in that time. What will happen is they will calculate how much (if any) to reduce your next payment by. You are allowed to make £5 on top of your JSA, any income after that they will reduce your JSA to match. Each time you attend, just show them what income (if any) you have received in that period and they will note on the system each time.

They are partially correct, you do have to register as self employed at some point though I would discuss with someone like CAB that has more knowledge and time to help you understand but that does not mean giving up your JSA altogether it merely means that you have money coming in that needs to be declared for tax purposes. It is unlikely you will be required to pay tax due to it being such a small income but it has to be declared none the less.

This is based on my experience both as someone with a hobby building a career and someone that has in fact worked in the job centre. If you are still nervous and want to ask more questions or just for moral support, feel free to PM me

AshleyBurf

CloboTheHobo wrote: »

Hi guys, I got into a sticky situation with family members and ended up being kicked out with no job a few months back. I've been living by myself for the past two months and I have no job and claim JSA.
Someone pointed out that I should be classed as self employed as I sometimes get art commissions and now I'm freaking out and I think I might get in trouble? I always saw it as a side hobby as I do my commissions on Deviantart and I sometimes barely get £20 a month from it. I've started a webcomic too a week ago but I have over 3k views and I've only earnt under $1 from that and you can't pull out any money unless you've earnt $25 so that's totally hopeless.

Recently I've started to think it'd be better for me to go self employed (and I think I have to now?) but I don't even know where to start? I mean, for starter's I need at least £160 a month to live on- that's my water, electric, phone bill, council tax and bedroom tax (that's with benefits too and without my food and other daily essentials). I mean, as I said, sometimes barely earn £20 a month, it's never been anything serious. I don't even have a website- I can't afford a website plus my laptop is so close to dying (cuts off when I do my digital art) and I have no spare money to get a new one. If I become self employed, I don't even know if I can even get any help and then... I'm also totally clueless about tax and that?
It's a path I'd prefer to go down but I just don't know how to get started and make sure it's successful, my coach on the job center as just waved it off.

Have you tried the freelance job sites like Elance and PeoplePerHour? Or even Fiverr.com?

muddyl

daytona0 wrote: »

I think you should have ended the thread here

I used to be a regular on here but now rarely bother due to pathetic responses such as yours.

Someone came on here to ask a valid question. Someone who should be commended for wanting to stay on the right side of the law. Your comment helped how? Make you chuckle? Massage your ego? Or simply knock up your post count?

Pathetic.

TyreLever

CloboTheHobo wrote: »

I wasn't asking for sarcasm or attitude, I was asking for advice on getting started.
When I last asked the job center about if I earned any extra money outside of JSA, they said no matter how much I earnt, I'd have to register as self employed, hence why I'm here.

muddyl wrote: »

I used to be a regular on here but now rarely bother due to pathetic responses such as yours.

Someone came on here to ask a valid question. Someone who should be commended for wanting to stay on the right side of the law. Your comment helped how? Make you chuckle? Massage your ego? Or simply knock up your post count?

Pathetic.

I had the same attitude once when I was asking for advice on here. Despite the name of these forums, you're unlikely to receive advice from an "expert". As there is no restriction on who can post what, you can get some right c!nts dishing out any old !!!!!! just for the sake of it. Because of this, MSE forums is not a legitimate source of legal advice or information in general.

bugslet

Sangie used to give excellent expert advice, then when s/he had had enough of people not liking the advice off s/he went.

Trouble is when people who know their stuff get a load of the proverbial, there's no encouragement to stay. Haven't seen scorpion either for a while.