Am I ready?
Tue Jan 03 2023
Ready to become self-employed and happier?
4.3 million people are self-employed in the UK. Sheffield and Exeter Universities conducted research into
those who were self employed and those who were employed, the conclusion of the study was that self
employed people are happier. The findings were that the freedom and control of being your own boss
boosted happiness and overall work satisfaction. As 2023 gets underway, many of us may be flirting with the idea of running our
own business and being our own boss, but are we actually ready to leave behind the security of
employment?
There are many services that can help you come up with a plan when starting out as
self-employed. Here in the east of England MENTA can help you decide if it is for you. MENTA courses can
help you plan for the change. MENTA have been a trusted name for nearly 40 years.
When considering if you are ready to go self employed you will undoubtedly have many questions. People
often ask about tax. When you are employed your employer’s HR department takes care of your pay, tax
and national insurance. When you become self-employed you will need to register with HMRC as soon as
you start your business. You will need to fill out and file your own tax return each year. It is done online
and must be submitted by the 31st January. It can be a complex process and if you are not confident in
doing it yourself, it may be worth paying a local accountant to do it for you. You will be required to submit
all your income from April to April of the year prior to the tax return submission. You will also be required
to record any taxable expenses that you have incurred whilst carrying out your work. As part of the tax
return you will also be required to pay national insurance contributions.
Depending on the type of work you do, you may be considering work space and start up costs. For many
of us part of the appeal of being self employed or a sole trader is working from home. However if your
home is not suitable then you may need to take into consideration workshop or office costs. The option of a co-working space is a popular move and something that again, MENTA offer.
Start up costs to think about may
include IT equipment or tools and a vehicle to do your job. You may also need to consider insurances
such as professional indemnity and public liability. Professional indemnity insurance protects you if a
client accuses you of negligence. Public liability covers you if a customer or member of the public suffers
a loss or is injured as a result of your work. It may not be necessary if you don’t come into contact with
customers or the public.
Remember that MENTA has courses which specifically target these questions and help you to come up
with a plan before you take the plunge.
Talk with the MENTA team by emailing: bookings@menta.org.uk
