Freelancers working together business offer?

[Penners]

I was phoned today by a 'potential customer' who also has had a business idea, She wants to set up a company that provides freelance hairdressers, she would do all the advertising etc. and book the appointments and myself and other hairdressers would work for her for say 2 days and do our own thing the rest of the week.
She feels it would be better to have more than one of us at a time to give more presence and is thinking of approaching business parks, care homes etc.

I politely said I'd think about it and to email me the details but I can see so many flaws in this I don't think its a starter - not for me anyway.
What do all you think?

The major plus point for me doing mobile is that I can book in my own clients around my schedule, I like working alone and I didn't get the impression shes a hairdresser either.

 

[Ruth Mills]

I'm sure there are businesses doing similar things already; there are websites that provide a common booking interface for several salons, e.g. INAA.com

What sort of cut would she be taking for doing this incidentally? I would hope that she'd have looked into the tax implications of this too.

 

[Penners]

She hasn't emailed yet, i'm interested to see how she's worked all that out. At the moment I'm self-employed, pay my own tax and public liabiliy insurance etc., not sure how that'd be worked out either?? I'll wait and see.......

 

[weezie]

Unless she has a massive data base of regular clients then there is no point in going through her and loosing money in the process. There is nothing stopping you approaching care homes etc yourself.

 

[jenny miles]

As a mobile hairdresser myself i dont think i would like the idea of someone else taking a cut of my wages, the good thing about being mobile is that you keep all of your profit! I only advertise on the internet (free advertising sites) & i have a website (also free, google sites!) & i'm busy all the time. As you said yourself the plus side of being mobile is that you can fit your clients in to suit you! x

 

[craigkeane]

This is what my business is! What's her business called?

 

[craigkeane]

Oh and my Tannist makes more from my client she she would normally charge on her own.. Can be a good thing for you

 

[craigkeane]

She hasn't emailed yet, i'm interested to see how she's worked all that out. At the moment I'm self-employed, pay my own tax and public liabiliy insurance etc., not sure how that'd be worked out either?? I'll wait and see.......

My staff are called consultants and are responsible for paying there own tax etc..wouldn't cause you a problem

 

[LindaHR]

The point of this is these are clients you haven't found for yourself so it's worth it even though she takes a cut.
If you don't want the extra clients or restrictions on time planning then it won't work for you but if you want more work then there's nothing to lose. She is not taking your potential clients...she is finding clients then passing them on.
I think these alliances are great.

Linda
x

 

[weezie]

Yes it's absolutely great for the owner of the company taking the cut! :biggrin: So a business I would consider setting up, but I personally wouldn't work for one being self employed but it depends if you want to take the step to full self employment or feel more comfortable not doing your own marketing.