Self employment help

[xnailsbylisax]

I am due to go self employed a week today with the help if my local job centre. I have no idea what i am doing i know they will help with the coming off income support/going onto working tax credits but i have no idea what to do in regards to insurance & working out my ingoings/outgoings.

I am qualified in Level 2 Nail Services & currently studying Level 2 Beauty Therapy .. I am already qualified in spray tanning so what insurance woukd be best? Just insurance to cover nails? Then when i am qualified in beauty therapy could i just add that on at the renewal? Which is the best insurance company? I was looking at The Guild but seen a few posts on here saying they don't always insure certain private courses which would be no use to me as i am wanting to do a gel course in the future.

Also, (breathe haha) i am clueless as to what i need to charge for treatments. Do i include petrol into the price? Do i have to take petrol & everything into consideration when writing down my ingoings/outgoings?

Sorry for the long post but i am at a loss x

 

[Misskimsi3bee]

Heya, firstly congratulations on going self employed - it is scary but well worth it in the end I have my insurance through SalonGold - they are fab. You can speak to them and ask for advice on what insurance to get.

I am mobile and I do charge petrol outside my local area (look up on google/sat nav to see how much it would be) I always include it within the price of the treatment and clients are happy to pay it from my experience.

For treatment price, you need to do some research and see what salons are charging in you local area, and then go from there, You need to charge enough to show you are a professional, but not OTT.

Good luck!

 

[xnailsbylisax]

Would i alter the price of treatment according to where abouts it is/how much petrol? Or just do an average? I was thinking of doing some price list leaflets but if i will have to amend prices to suit travelling that won't be no use with a price list lol x

 

[Misskimsi3bee]

No, well I definitely wouldn't alter it - just because somebody may live 5 miles away outside your local area does not mean you knock off a fiver from their treatment price - don't be scared of charging for your treatments - most clients expect to pay petrol if your mobile and don't mind. You are a professional and must show that at all times
If you are charging one price for one client and another price for another client, it would firstly get confusing and secondly, you wont be making back your petrol money

 

[Misskimsi3bee]

On your leaflets/website just write something like "a charge for petrol will be added to your treatment price if outside the local area of ________. A quotation of this can be given on booking the treatment"

 

[xnailsbylisax]

The whole thing is daunting lol i just hope i'm making the right choice x

 

[xnailsbylisax]

On your leaflets/website just write something like "a charge for petrol will be added to your treatment price if outside the local area of ________. A quotation of this can be given on booking the treatment"

Never thought of that. I sound so dim! I don't know if its just nerves of going self employed but my mind has gone completely blank with everything x

 

[Steph86]

Have a set radius, mine is 9 miles. Anything over that is £1 per mile extra. As said above use aa route planner to find out exact distance.

Just keep a detailed appointment book name, address, treatment & price charged. Then make a note of your milage for that appointment. Keep all you business related receipts.


If you use your car for social/domestic pleasure aswell as your business you can claim an expense of 0.45p per mile for your appointments. But you then can not claim anything else car related ie tax/insurance/mot etc, this is all included in the 45p. This also applies for trips to your suppliers.

So if a client lives 5 miles away, & you return home that is 10 miles x 0.45= 4.50. That £4.50 you can earn back tax free as it is a business expense.

Call up some insurance companies to check they cover your courses. For now get insured for the treatments you are qualified to do.

You can get a student insurance for your treatments you are practising, but if you are just practising in college then I wouldn't worry about that for now.


Also don't forget to change your car insurance to business use.


Good luck xx

 

[xnailsbylisax]

Have a set radius, mine is 9 miles. Anything over that is £1 per mile extra. As said above use aa route planner to find out exact distance.

Just keep a detailed appointment book name, address, treatment & price charged. Then make a note of your milage for that appointment. Keep all you business related receipts.


If you use your car for social/domestic pleasure aswell as your business you can claim an expense of 0.45p per mile for your appointments. But you then can not claim anything else car related ie tax/insurance/mot etc, this is all included in the 45p. This also applies for trips to your suppliers.

So if a client lives 5 miles away, & you return home that is 10 miles x 0.45= 4.50. That £4.50 you can earn back tax free as it is a business expense.

Call up some insurance companies to check they cover your courses. For now get insured for the treatments you are qualified to do.

You can get a student insurance for your treatments you are practising, but if you are just practising in college then I wouldn't worry about that for now.


Also don't forget to change your car insurance to business use.


Good luck xx

Will that make me car insurance shoot up? Thats another point i didn't even think about! So could i still claim back petrol if using as domestic? Or is it just the 45p? Xx

 

[Steph86]

No, you cant put in petrol as an added expense. The 45p is to cover everything car related.


Check with your current car insurance see what they say, it does usually increase xx

 

[Cholo]

Lisa - whereabouts are you? There's plenty of support for people setting up new businesses and so it might help if you can sit down and talk through these issues.
Have you got a business plan? If not, get it done! This will guide you through all the pricing, marketing etc and make you consider all the angles etc
Finally, have a look on the HMRC website and either attend their webinars or go to one of their training sessions. That will explain everything you need to know about what is a legitimate business expense and what isn't!

Good luck!

 

[xnailsbylisax]

Lisa - whereabouts are you? There's plenty of support for people setting up new businesses and so it might help if you can sit down and talk through these issues.
Have you got a business plan? If not, get it done! This will guide you through all the pricing, marketing etc and make you consider all the angles etc
Finally, have a look on the HMRC website and either attend their webinars or go to one of their training sessions. That will explain everything you need to know about what is a legitimate business expense and what isn't!

Good luck!

I'm in south yorkshire i'm gonna have a word with the lone parent avisor at the job centre but they just fob me off. I'm serious about setting things up just don't know where to start. X

 

[Cholo]

Here you go, this should keep you busy!

http://www.inovaconsult.com/mentoring.shtml

http://www.fsb.org.uk/enterprise-club

http://www.red-sky.co.uk/business/grants/

http://www.mumstheboss.co.uk/syorkshire/index

http://www.businessdoncaster.com/supporting-your-business/

http://www.peopleperhour.com/hourlie/link/70507 - I can provide a business plan template for a be...

http://www.yorkshiregraduates.co.uk/employment-training/yetiss/99/Self_Employment/South_Yorkshire

https://www.gov.uk/events-finder

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/webinars/self-employed.htm

 

[xnailsbylisax]

Wow thankyou will have a read when i get home. Thankyou again xx

 

[Elaine Armani]

Does the UK insure you based on which courses and who you've trained with ?
In AU you're required to have Public Liability insurance & Biz @ home insurance but never goes by the courses you have undertaken and also doesn't require you to show them certs or who you have trained with.
That's strange :O

 

[xnailsbylisax]

Does the UK insure you based on which courses and who you've trained with ?
In AU you're required to have Public Liability insurance & Biz @ home insurance but never goes by the courses you have undertaken and also doesn't require you to show them certs or who you have trained with.
That's strange :O

The ones i have looked i to we have to send off our certificates. Otherwise how would they know we are qualified? Also, some companies don't always insure private courses depends who they are done with x

 

[Elaine Armani]

The ones i have looked i to we have to send off our certificates. Otherwise how would they know we are qualified? Also, some companies don't always insure private courses depends who they are done with x

Oooh!
Yeah every country has different laws!!
It is kind of better in a way tho it reduces the salon owners that aren't qualified in beauty and hair and only own the salon cause it's good business. Xx

 

[xnailsbylisax]

Oooh!
Yeah every country has different laws!!
It is kind of better in a way tho it reduces the salon owners that aren't qualified in beauty and hair and only own the salon cause it's good business. Xx

Oh believe me they still do that lol we still get salon owners with no experience in beauty whatsoever but they don'tdo the treatments so don't need the insurance. I should imagine they have a business insurance & building/contents but i know there is definitely some salon owners with no experience whatsoever. Makes me so angry x

 

[xnailsbylisax]

If you use your car for social/domestic pleasure aswell as your business you can claim an expense of 0.45p per mile for your appointments. But you then can not claim anything else car related ie tax/insurance/mot etc, this is all included in the 45p. This also applies for trips to your suppliers.

So if a client lives 5 miles away, & you return home that is 10 miles x 0.45= 4.50. That £4.50 you can earn back tax free as it is a business expense.

So i would only be able to claim back on the trips i make to clients & the trips i make to the suppliers? 45p per mile? X

 

[Steph86]

So i would only be able to claim back on the trips i make to clients & the trips i make to the suppliers? 45p per mile? X

Yes, & the return trip home. Xx