Self-employment queries

FlorayG

I'm about to be made redundant and just considering setting up self-employed as a gardener as I know there is a shortage around here. (That's not 'garden maintenance' with a lawnmower and power strimmer, I'm talking proper old-fashioned plantsman gardening, so I won't be needing any expensive or dangerous tools)
I've never thought about self-employment before - what legal things do I need? Some sort of insurance obviously, where would I seek that? What else do I need in order to be legal and safe?
thank you

Flugelhorn

Good idea - (strikes me there is a big difference between garden maintenance and proper gardening - the latter know what they are doing with the plants) - though suspect people might want their lawns mowed too - if you don't want to do this then pair up with someone who just does this bit

Presume public liability insurance in case you damage something ?? then registering as self employed etc 

FlorayG

My next door neighbour is a machinery gardener so we can easily get together over that ( although he too is mostly fully booked)
how do I 'register as self-employed'?

DullGreyGuy

FlorayG said:

I'm about to be made redundant and just considering setting up self-employed as a gardener as I know there is a shortage around here. (That's not 'garden maintenance' with a lawnmower and power strimmer, I'm talking proper old-fashioned plantsman gardening, so I won't be needing any expensive or dangerous tools)
I've never thought about self-employment before - what legal things do I need? Some sort of insurance obviously, where would I seek that? What else do I need in order to be legal and safe?
thank you

Legally all you need to do is register as self employed but you have a fair amount of time to do so, though better to do it now than forget about it, and then do your annual self assessment by end of January after the end of the tax year in April. 

Anything else like insurance is legally optional but some companies may demand that you have insurances in place if you are going to work for them. The most obvious one is Public Liability should someone fall over a spade you'd left laying about and injure themselves but you may want to consider things around income protection or health so that you recover quicker from an injury and/or have an income whilst convalescing. 

Presumably you're going to be driving to customers? In which case make sure you have at least Business Class on your motor insurance. 

My advice to anyone who's thinking of setting up a business is to focus on who your customers will be and how you will find them. Have known people spend significant chunks of their savings on a flashy website etc and then sat there watching the tumbleweed roll by as they had a "build it and they will come" attitude but no plan or monies set aside to actually find customers. 

FlorayG said:

how do I 'register as self-employed'?

https://www.gov.uk/become-sole-trader/register-sole-trader

tacpot12

You will need to keep accounting records and have a good system for recording your schedule/availability. 

You need to keep your costs down to the bare minimum until you have a good amount of work coming it, so look for free software that has a low payment increment when your volumes go up. 

Also check out the Small Business ToolBox Channel on YouTube. Make sure you check out the threashholds for VAT, and Making Tax Digital. 

FlorayG

DullGreyGuy said:

FlorayG said:

I'm about to be made redundant and just considering setting up self-employed as a gardener as I know there is a shortage around here. (That's not 'garden maintenance' with a lawnmower and power strimmer, I'm talking proper old-fashioned plantsman gardening, so I won't be needing any expensive or dangerous tools)
I've never thought about self-employment before - what legal things do I need? Some sort of insurance obviously, where would I seek that? What else do I need in order to be legal and safe?
thank you

Legally all you need to do is register as self employed but you have a fair amount of time to do so, though better to do it now than forget about it, and then do your annual self assessment by end of January after the end of the tax year in April. 

Anything else like insurance is legally optional but some companies may demand that you have insurances in place if you are going to work for them. The most obvious one is Public Liability should someone fall over a spade you'd left laying about and injure themselves but you may want to consider things around income protection or health so that you recover quicker from an injury and/or have an income whilst convalescing. 

Presumably you're going to be driving to customers? In which case make sure you have at least Business Class on your motor insurance. 

My advice to anyone who's thinking of setting up a business is to focus on who your customers will be and how you will find them. Have known people spend significant chunks of their savings on a flashy website etc and then sat there watching the tumbleweed roll by as they had a "build it and they will come" attitude but no plan or monies set aside to actually find customers. 

thanks
I already have business vehicle insurance because I drive to meetings in my present job. I won't have a website and customers I have waiting "Do you know a decent gardener or can you do it for me please?" (Can't while I'm fully employed)
Also this will only be part-time as I am going to semi-retire, so I only need a few regular customers.
I'll have a look into different insurances thanks

Green_hopeful

You should look at Class 2 national insurance to make sure you get that right. You don’t want to miss out on the benefits. 

LITRG

Hi, our self-employment guide is full of lots of helpful information that will stand you in good stead for managing your tax position: https://www.litrg.org.uk/working/self-employment/self-employment-guide.
Good luck with your new venture. 

EnPointe

Flugelhorn said:

Good idea - (strikes me there is a big difference between garden maintenance and proper gardening - the latter know what they are doing with the plants) - though suspect people might want their lawns mowed too - if you don't want to do this then pair up with someone who just does this bit

Presume public liability insurance in case you damage something ?? then registering as self employed etc 

the reality is  , unless   you manage to get an in at a major location that does  it;s  gardening in house and all ready has  groudspeople  that the OP  will haveto  undertake  the 'dangerous tools ' work   ( mowing,  edges , hedge trimming  ) even if they don't do actual Dangerous tools  work (  chainsaws  , hot work  etc )   certainly the  Gardener my mum used until  the gardener retired while a properly qualfied horticulturalist  who could plan , source and plant  really good  gradens  also  did  grounds maintaince type work ( lawns, edges, hedges ) for his clients 

but   yes they would need public liability  inurance, may need some form of professional indeminity   and may well need  employers  liability if they  ever  engage  any form of assistance 

Savvy_Sue

FlorayG said:

I already have business vehicle insurance because I drive to meetings in my present job. I won't have a website and customers I have waiting "Do you know a decent gardener or can you do it for me please?" (Can't while I'm fully employed)
Also this will only be part-time as I am going to semi-retire, so I only need a few regular customers.
I'll have a look into different insurances thanks

I believe you'll need to tell them of your change in status, and you may need to think about insurance for any tools you're taking from job to job. And FWIW, my gardener brings her own hand tools, I think anything that doesn't fit in her bucket comes out of our garage while she's here, because she knows what I have (a very nice garden fork, for example). And she'll only mow the lawn for customers who supply the lawnmower - which I'm sure is so she doesn't have to lift it in and out of her car!