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MJPD29

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Hi guys I have been thinking about going out on my own for a while now and I feel like I've had enough of working for the all important boss man, i was just wondering if any of you had any advice or help on going out in my own. All comments great appreciated thanks.
 
factor in about £100/week for overheads.. van,insurances, etc. then work out what you need as a weekly income, bearing in mind that on average you will have 40 weeks earning per year. divide the weekly income + £100 by 40 to come up with a hourly rate. that will be the minimum hourly charge to the customer.
 
Start off with as little expenditure as possible and a good dose of capital to help you along.

Get free listings on the web asap especially ones that you can collect reviews on, and encourage reviews from all customers. I get a large proportion of work from my web reviews when people do searches.

Treat the early slack days as a day at work. If you have no work, spend it trying to generate work through whatever means.

Set out your rates and stick to them, you'll soon get to be a dogsbody for skinflints if you try to be the lowest price.
 
Take a look at the business section on the forum. There have been loads of threads like this.

As for overheads factor in £25 per day , assuming you have a vehicle you own ...
 
Thanks again I'll take a look there. Already have my own van and hand/power tools as they were required for my previous job
 
Keep all receipts and keep track of expenditure and anything you can claim for, you will need insurance so factor that in.
 
Here's one for you that I've found to be really useful:
I keep a daily record of journeys - date, mileage, destination, time out, time in..
Perhaps a tad over the top but invaluable if you can't remember where you've been on a particular date...
 
Are you planning to focus on domestic and small commercial?

For Belfast area being an NIC EIC Approved Contractor may be of benefit. I've a couple of mates who are sole traders in Belfast area and they get a lot more work now because of it.
 
Best advice I can give is DO IT! :)
Dont be scared by the thought of having to fend for yourself, or rather do be a bit scared but do it anyway.
I gave up my job 8 months ago and it feels bloody great being my own boss.
Give it a go, if it doesnt work out then you go back back to a paid position!
 

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