Tell 'em to take a jump!
Do they want people who aren't fully qualified setting up in business? You're right to be cautious.

Tell them that running your own business is out of the question until you are fully qualified and financially stable.

Peter are you legally allowed to practise even though you are not fully qualified yet? I mean is there any area of your studies you could utilise to get an income from now and expand when you've done your final year? Also, would they assist you financially in setting it up?

Secs line?

You need qualifications for that?

I wish you well whatever decision you make 

Peter, just tell them that, until you are fully qualified. you will not be able to get insured for public liability and therefore are unable to set up as self employed until then.
Did you get anywhere with your MP?

I am an accountant and have many self employed clients. My advice to you is in line with the other postings - only become self employed if and when you feel ready to do so.

If an outfit are pressurising you to make a snap decision months in advance of when you are ready to decide in which direction you go, then it seems to be that they have their own interests in mind rather than yours, so I would avoid them.

Good luck with your future

Ooooooh this makes me sooooo cross!

Peter... don't do it!     I got pressured into it a few years ago.  Bizarre sequence of events... I'd stopped working for various reasons, and had just got married.  As part of my wedding table decorations my artist friend made for us, we had to bead thousands of wires with different beads.   I got a bit addicted to beads (sooooo shiny, soooo many colours - I must have been a magpie in a former life).. and when I stopped working started playing with jewellery making.

It was just a hobby..  but people kept on wanting me to make them stuff.  My bessie mate (the artist) was also walking round in stuff I had made & she kept getting approached too.   She talked me into taking some of my stuff to one of her relatives... we came back with £400 worth of orders... one thing led to another and before I knew it we were doing a 'party' a week.

So... concerned with tax & liability insurance implications we rang up tax office & Companies House & they all said cos there were two of us we really did have to go legit.   So we formed an LLP (limited liability partnership).

I learned that there is truth in the saying "doctor heal thyself "...  I am the one with the management qualifications, my partner the artist.   She didn't have a clue about jewellery design.. I did all that....   I however, was crap at doing my own admin.   The bloody admin & the tax paperwork and the company house returns and all that crap that eventually made me shout stop!   (ok...  as well as the fact that for two years on the trot my partner had booked parties on Big Brother finale night, and that beads were literally everywhere in my house, everywhere - my dog had swarovski bling poo's).

What I am saying is...     I didn't plan on starting up a business.... I had never wanted a jewellery business... I just like making pretty things.  A business start up is a challenge you have to be 110% ready for...    financially as well as professionally.

Don't do it!

They're interested in their KPIs and not you - don't do it until YOU are absolutely ready

Ditty enjoyed that rant, I can tell!



Look on the bright side Peter, at least it's not her

I did!!!!   

Wow, ditty! I left a job in the City and set up on my own, and for the first 2 years we had less money and I hardly slept, but after persevering and sheer bloody mindedness set in, it turns out it was the best thing (after having my kids) that I have ever done. I managed to build an exceptional team around me, can work remotely and choose my own hours to catch up (or ignore/delegate).
I say...go for it, if you have nothing to loose. Obviously, once everything has been agreed and approved by the relevant authorities. I don't know that much about counselling, but one thing I do know is that it's up to the individual to be empowered by making the choice for them self...so again Peter Cat, I wish you well with whatever choice you make.

I think the dilemma Pete's in is if he doesn't go SE then they will actively search for jobs for him and his refusal to participate in either could affect his benefits. I remember talking about this with him a while back and the problem is he's taking the initiative to do the counselling course and make a career out of it, but needs to have full training before he's allowed to practise professionally. It's an outrage that they're targeting him tbh, given that he's in active training - why not target the wotless gits who cant be bothered to get a job or those claiming sickness benefits who could quite easily work but milk the system and are up to all sorts of fiddles and scams?

I sound like Pete's PA

It does sound like a palava Karms...I'd do what veggie mentioned and see an MP, someone at the council or employment expert and knock some heads together.

Thing is Suzy.... I never wanted to go into business making & selling jewellery.   I never asked anyone to buy what I made.   I just did it cos I like messing about. 

So the business started on £50...  pushing that round was hard work (& in reality I put more in bit by bit buying supplies).  There was definitely a business there... but it got to the point where investment was needed, & premises.  I nearly went for it... we found a start up unit in a complex of business units that was perfect...  but the whole thing burnt to the ground a fortnight later.... I took that as an omen.

As you say...  two years of determined committment and hard slog...  if it had been a well thought out plan... something I had wanted to do for years, then maybe...  but I hadn't.  

Also... I HATE sales.  I especially hate selling something I have made...  I would struggle to see it as the finished product and was always wanting to under price stuff.

our stuff must have been good though...   my friend managed to get a designer surf wear shop in town to display a collection of our stuff...  I was a bit chuffed to see my jewellery sharing a display cabinet with Oakley stuff.

I haven't seen my MP yet, because ironically the company are actually using the soft approach on me at the moment. I think Karma is spot on, to be honest, though so far the pressure isn't too bad. I get the impression that it'll get far worse in around 5 months' time, and that's when I'll really have a fight on my hands (just in time for Xmas!)

I'm still checking out what I'm allowed to do regarding practising before I'm fully qualified. (I do have over 200 hours of client practise under my belt, btw - far more than most people at my stage of training.)

However, I'm very much coming down on the "not yet" decision at the moment, just because I'm not sure that I'm ready to take on running my own business. I'm far less sure about that than I am about my ability to counsel clients!

We have a centre in our town called the life-force centre.  From what I understand it rents rooms to councillors who see clients in them.   If you ring Life Force with an initial enquiry (as a client)... they give you a counsellor for the first meeting...  So I assume they work a bit like a hairdressers where the stylist pays the salon for "the chair".

I know this cos my brother had some counselling there... and his councillor was part qualified... she was building up her hours worked for her final qualifications.   She told my brother this... and he was fine about it... they got on.. in fact she was fab... totally sorted him out. 

So actually... if you could find that kind of set up...  maybe being self employed is the way to go.  At least in a centre like that you wouldn't be alone.

Dunno if these types of set ups are common.

Peter, I don't "know" you that well, but I go along with everyone else saying be cautious and good luck with what you decide.  It sounds to me as if the person who contacted you is just after commission!!

My husband is self employed (private hire driver) and has been for 12 years.  The paperwork is hard at first, but you get used to it and even though I was scared doing his books at first, I got used to it.  He wouldn't change anything now (apart from the tax bills!!) as he can earn money when he needs to and can take breaks when he needs to (as long as there is money in the account).  Sickness can be a problem so I would recommend making sure that you always pay NI contributions as they count towards long term illness and eventually your pension.  Another thing I would recommend is to get a good accountant, best way is referral, don't go with the first one you find in the phone book (bad memories!), ask around and find a good one, they can really help you at first and I believe your first year of tax is at a discounted rate anyway (it used to be, not sure now, maybe El Loro can advise), my husband has a really good one who sorts it all out, I just do a weekly spreadsheet and keep ALL receipts.

I truly wish you luck in your career. Being self employed can be challenging but it is also rewarding.

I agree with Pink Babe. I haven't followed this story but in our area new businesses receive free advice and grants. The advice isn't always great but the money is. I also know that there are sufficient sole traders and small business people on here who would answer specific questions, or give advice if asked.

Sort of. Basically, he's part of a company which is paid by the government to "deal with" long-term unemployed people. They get paid by results, if I guess rightly, so his main interest is getting me off JSA by hook or by crook.

I am currently retraining, doing a 4-year Diploma which I paid for out of my savings. In the meantime I'm also looking for work. However, this will probably not be enough to satisfy this company.

My brother has dealt with a similar company PC.  He has gone self-employed because he came to believe he had no other choice.... and you are correct these companies are paid on getting people off the jobless figures.

My brother was promised all sorts of support and help if he went self- employed......you may be surprised (or not) to know that now that he has, very little of this has been forthcoming. He is also now on his 3rd Advisor Lesson learnt - look very carefully after your own interests - because you'll be the only one who is.

Peter, I only have limited knowledge of this sort of thing, but it appears there are people on this thread who are offering constructive and useful advice and support.
So I'll just send you very best wishes that 'things' will soon seem clearer and more satisfying for you.