craigkeane
Well-Known Member
Hey Guys
Ive noticed a few people dont know where to start and what routes to follow when starting up mobile so I hope this post helps :biggrin:
The most important thing to-do before you offer any services is to get insurance! A great insurance company i use is called Salon Gold Insurance. www.salongold.co.uk Hair only insurance for a year is £43.34. If you want hair and beauty its only £44.52, which includes holistic treatments as well. Beauty on its on is £44.52.
What you get:
· Public Liability Cover (included automatically)
Public Liability insurance covers financial damages and legal expenses as a result of the death, injury or damage to property suffered by members of the general public, caused by your business.
· Professional Treatment Liability and Product Liability Cover (included automatically)
This protects you against claims for injury or damage caused by the treatments you carry out and the products you apply. Even if you have not been negligent, you may still be held liable for damages and injuries suffered as a result of products you use.
Public and Products Liability:
£2 million (can be increased to £5 million for a small
additional premium)
Professional Treatment Risk Liability:
£2 million
Retailing Products
Did you know if you sell a product to a client and they have a reaction you are legally responsible for this? Not the manufacture. . Crazy ay! Make sure you have product liability before retailing any products. Also good advice would be to contact the manufacture to find out what their policy is regarding this. Some manufactures may take responsibility and help you out if any clients do have a reaction. You should never admit liability to a client having a reaction. But reason with them, if they ask for a refund, give it to them. . Or legally they could file a court case against you
Paying National Insurance and Tax
Being self employed you are responsible for paying your own tax and national insurance. You must register as self employed within 3 months of your date you started trading. If you dont you can end up with a fine! You can register online at https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/registration/
The current national insurance for self employed persons is £2.40 a week, you only start paying national 4 insurance when you start earning profits between £5,715 and £43,875, If you are finding you are earning profit, why not give yourself a pay rise to avoid making so much profit?
If you're self-employed
If you're self-employed you pay Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions. The rates are:
· Class 2 National Insurance contributions are paid at a flat rate of £2.40 a week
· Class 4 National Insurance contributions are paid as a percentage of your annual taxable profits - 8 per cent on profits between £5,715 and £43,875, and a further 1 per cent on profits over that amount
If your profits are expected to be less than £5,075 you may not have to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions.
You pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions either monthly by Direct Debit or by quarterly bill. You pay Class 4 National Insurance contributions when you pay your Income Tax.
Voluntary National Insurance contributions
You can pay voluntary contributions (usually Class 3 National Insurance contributions) at a flat rate of £12.05 a week.
Class 3 voluntary contributions are paid either monthly by Direct Debit or by quarterly bill. But if you have gaps in your National Insurance contributions record you can make one-off payments of voluntary contributions to fill these.
Do need an accountant or bookkeeper?
I do my own accounts its pretty simple once you know how to! A basic outline of what you will need to do is:
Keep a record of your incomings (What monies you make)
Keep a record of your outgoings (Where is your money getting spent? Products, Insurance, Phone, Fuel)
Keep a record of your travelling miles (If you are self employed you have 2 options; if you have a business car you can claim use the vat you have paid on fuel to go towards your yearly TAX bill. You can claim back 40p a mile. . Keep track of all the millage you do, keep a book in your car record the date, reason for travel and the miles travelled. You can
Example: You travel 400miles a year for work you can use £160 towards your end of your tax bill
400miles x 40p mile
If you ride your bike for business you can also claim back millage!
Remember to keep track of all your receipts! This is your evidence for the tax man if he ever asks. You need to keep your receipts for 6 years because you can be investigated at any time for your accounts within the past 6 years of trading.
Remember the more VAT you pay for your business the more you can use towards your TAX bill. Try and keep everything separate, personal and business. If you buy stationary, pens, paper for the business keep the receipts and document them on your outgoings!
Youre local HMRC office provides great courses for self employed people, they will give you all the help and guidance for setting up your own accounts. And its free! So take advantage.
Social Networks
Social networks are a great chance to boost your profile and get your name out there. It does take time for people to start following you and for people to Like your page..
Why not run adds advertising when you get to 200 followers they will all be entered into a competition to win a complimentary treatment or a discount on a package?
Why not print a slip to hand out to your clients with your twitter name and facebook link on?
Social advertising financially doesnt cost you anything for the basics!
Where shall i advertise?
The best places to advertise are free places! The thing i would suggest is to do a google search for what youre offering in your home town: Example: Mobile hairdresser in Bristol
Investigate all the pages that come up and advertise on them all! A lot of the sites give you free basic advertising which is great to get your name and number on there. Your aim is to get on all the pages you can!
Iv realised its pointless advertising in local papers etc, there just a one day add. I have never had much response from it, and hasnt been worth the financial costs
Gumtree is a great site to advertise for free!
If you are a mobile business go to the local mother and baby groups, and drop of leaflets and posters. Wait out side after a session of playgroup and hand out leaflets. Go outside the school gates in your area and hand out your leaflets. Its only costing for your time. Its surprising what mothers talk about in the playground. If they have used your services they will take about it!
Professionals love using mobile services such as doctors and teachers, they find it hard to get to a salon. . Why not leaflet drop in high class apartments where they are at costly price. These are most likely going to be your target audience
Check this site out for information relating to your trade:
http://www.cobwebinfo.com/
Great marketing Info
http://www.grantnet.com/HelpfulReports/Cobweb/marketing_plan.pdf
Contacts
5,000 A5 leaflets double sided - £65! http://www.printmarketuk.com/printmarket/A5_flyers_leaflets_5000.html
Business Cards (Better than the cheap quality ones on VistaPrint!) They come from hong kong £15 for 300 double sided! Found him on ebay, i have used them for appointment cards and business cards: user: apzshop
Portable beauty bed? Great quality, 2 years warranty. Great customer service.. Again from ebay! User name: Member ID best-bargainshop
Personalised Badge: £2.50 again ebay! Seller: 1234todayrob
Venture Wales - Provides free information on starting and growing businesses www.venturewales.com
Great courses include: How to Research Your Market, Tax for the Self Employed (Not suitable for Ltd Companies), How to Manage Your Business, How to Price Your Product, How to Start Your Business, How to Stay in Control of Your Business
Princes Trust - www.princes-trust.org.uk
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/enterprise_programme.aspx
Try and apply for the enterprise program! You can apply for a grant up to £250 to use towards advertising, buy leaflets, business cards etc
Business Enterprise a great company offering support for new business start ups
Web Design
I had my site designed by a guy called Chris, He has produced some amazing work at such an affordable price. Lets put it this way the site i wanted was the site i got from him, the closest match in price for the same product was £900 more with the nearest quote to what i got from Chris. He is based in Summerset i have never met Chris, but feel like i personally know him. The whole design was based by telephone calls and exchange of emails, you send him an email and will always have a reply within the hour!
www.ckcreativedesign.co.uk
http://www.enterprisequest.com/ GREAT INFORMATION PACKS ON NEW BUSINESS START UP
Ive noticed a few people dont know where to start and what routes to follow when starting up mobile so I hope this post helps :biggrin:
The most important thing to-do before you offer any services is to get insurance! A great insurance company i use is called Salon Gold Insurance. www.salongold.co.uk Hair only insurance for a year is £43.34. If you want hair and beauty its only £44.52, which includes holistic treatments as well. Beauty on its on is £44.52.
What you get:
· Public Liability Cover (included automatically)
Public Liability insurance covers financial damages and legal expenses as a result of the death, injury or damage to property suffered by members of the general public, caused by your business.
· Professional Treatment Liability and Product Liability Cover (included automatically)
This protects you against claims for injury or damage caused by the treatments you carry out and the products you apply. Even if you have not been negligent, you may still be held liable for damages and injuries suffered as a result of products you use.
HOW MUCH COVER WILL I GET? (Return to Top)
Public and Products Liability:
£2 million (can be increased to £5 million for a small
additional premium)
Professional Treatment Risk Liability:
£2 million
Retailing Products
Did you know if you sell a product to a client and they have a reaction you are legally responsible for this? Not the manufacture. . Crazy ay! Make sure you have product liability before retailing any products. Also good advice would be to contact the manufacture to find out what their policy is regarding this. Some manufactures may take responsibility and help you out if any clients do have a reaction. You should never admit liability to a client having a reaction. But reason with them, if they ask for a refund, give it to them. . Or legally they could file a court case against you
Paying National Insurance and Tax
Being self employed you are responsible for paying your own tax and national insurance. You must register as self employed within 3 months of your date you started trading. If you dont you can end up with a fine! You can register online at https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/registration/
The current national insurance for self employed persons is £2.40 a week, you only start paying national 4 insurance when you start earning profits between £5,715 and £43,875, If you are finding you are earning profit, why not give yourself a pay rise to avoid making so much profit?
If you're self-employed
If you're self-employed you pay Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions. The rates are:
· Class 2 National Insurance contributions are paid at a flat rate of £2.40 a week
· Class 4 National Insurance contributions are paid as a percentage of your annual taxable profits - 8 per cent on profits between £5,715 and £43,875, and a further 1 per cent on profits over that amount
If your profits are expected to be less than £5,075 you may not have to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions.
You pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions either monthly by Direct Debit or by quarterly bill. You pay Class 4 National Insurance contributions when you pay your Income Tax.
Voluntary National Insurance contributions
You can pay voluntary contributions (usually Class 3 National Insurance contributions) at a flat rate of £12.05 a week.
Class 3 voluntary contributions are paid either monthly by Direct Debit or by quarterly bill. But if you have gaps in your National Insurance contributions record you can make one-off payments of voluntary contributions to fill these.
Do need an accountant or bookkeeper?
I do my own accounts its pretty simple once you know how to! A basic outline of what you will need to do is:
Keep a record of your incomings (What monies you make)
Keep a record of your outgoings (Where is your money getting spent? Products, Insurance, Phone, Fuel)
Keep a record of your travelling miles (If you are self employed you have 2 options; if you have a business car you can claim use the vat you have paid on fuel to go towards your yearly TAX bill. You can claim back 40p a mile. . Keep track of all the millage you do, keep a book in your car record the date, reason for travel and the miles travelled. You can
Example: You travel 400miles a year for work you can use £160 towards your end of your tax bill
400miles x 40p mile
If you ride your bike for business you can also claim back millage!
Remember to keep track of all your receipts! This is your evidence for the tax man if he ever asks. You need to keep your receipts for 6 years because you can be investigated at any time for your accounts within the past 6 years of trading.
Remember the more VAT you pay for your business the more you can use towards your TAX bill. Try and keep everything separate, personal and business. If you buy stationary, pens, paper for the business keep the receipts and document them on your outgoings!
Youre local HMRC office provides great courses for self employed people, they will give you all the help and guidance for setting up your own accounts. And its free! So take advantage.
Social Networks
Social networks are a great chance to boost your profile and get your name out there. It does take time for people to start following you and for people to Like your page..
Why not run adds advertising when you get to 200 followers they will all be entered into a competition to win a complimentary treatment or a discount on a package?
Why not print a slip to hand out to your clients with your twitter name and facebook link on?
Social advertising financially doesnt cost you anything for the basics!
Where shall i advertise?
The best places to advertise are free places! The thing i would suggest is to do a google search for what youre offering in your home town: Example: Mobile hairdresser in Bristol
Investigate all the pages that come up and advertise on them all! A lot of the sites give you free basic advertising which is great to get your name and number on there. Your aim is to get on all the pages you can!
Iv realised its pointless advertising in local papers etc, there just a one day add. I have never had much response from it, and hasnt been worth the financial costs
Gumtree is a great site to advertise for free!
If you are a mobile business go to the local mother and baby groups, and drop of leaflets and posters. Wait out side after a session of playgroup and hand out leaflets. Go outside the school gates in your area and hand out your leaflets. Its only costing for your time. Its surprising what mothers talk about in the playground. If they have used your services they will take about it!
Professionals love using mobile services such as doctors and teachers, they find it hard to get to a salon. . Why not leaflet drop in high class apartments where they are at costly price. These are most likely going to be your target audience
Check this site out for information relating to your trade:
http://www.cobwebinfo.com/
Great marketing Info
http://www.grantnet.com/HelpfulReports/Cobweb/marketing_plan.pdf
Contacts
5,000 A5 leaflets double sided - £65! http://www.printmarketuk.com/printmarket/A5_flyers_leaflets_5000.html
Business Cards (Better than the cheap quality ones on VistaPrint!) They come from hong kong £15 for 300 double sided! Found him on ebay, i have used them for appointment cards and business cards: user: apzshop
Portable beauty bed? Great quality, 2 years warranty. Great customer service.. Again from ebay! User name: Member ID best-bargainshop
Personalised Badge: £2.50 again ebay! Seller: 1234todayrob
Venture Wales - Provides free information on starting and growing businesses www.venturewales.com
Great courses include: How to Research Your Market, Tax for the Self Employed (Not suitable for Ltd Companies), How to Manage Your Business, How to Price Your Product, How to Start Your Business, How to Stay in Control of Your Business
Princes Trust - www.princes-trust.org.uk
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/enterprise_programme.aspx
Try and apply for the enterprise program! You can apply for a grant up to £250 to use towards advertising, buy leaflets, business cards etc
Business Enterprise a great company offering support for new business start ups
Web Design
I had my site designed by a guy called Chris, He has produced some amazing work at such an affordable price. Lets put it this way the site i wanted was the site i got from him, the closest match in price for the same product was £900 more with the nearest quote to what i got from Chris. He is based in Summerset i have never met Chris, but feel like i personally know him. The whole design was based by telephone calls and exchange of emails, you send him an email and will always have a reply within the hour!
www.ckcreativedesign.co.uk
http://www.enterprisequest.com/ GREAT INFORMATION PACKS ON NEW BUSINESS START UP