I keep getting pangs to set up in business. Only thing is, I'm not sure I want to do Software Engineering. Part of me wants to try something completely new but at the same time there's a mortgage and bills to pay.

Inspire me with your stories of chucking it in and going it alone or setting up a company from nothing 🙂

Setting up a business? Its like having kids.

Its a bloody nightmare!!! It takes up all your time and energy. Causes you endless heartache. If you have any hair, it won't last.

But on the other hand its really rewarding and once you're used to it you wouldn't have it any other way.

DO IT! You'll never look back

mine BTW:

http://www.rowlinsoncooper.co.uk

If you need any design work doing 😉

Go contracting! Best of both worlds 🙄

Get yourself a limited company and bob's yer uncle, you're a businessman.

binners, nice logo. Arsey, eh? Looking at your client list, there's a typo- Canerbury.

do you want to be a businessman or a business man?

read 'the 4 hour work week' by tim ferriss before you do anything

filter out the **** self-help stuff and there are some very smart strategies there – which work.

although nothing works unless you do

You are aware of the legendary spelling abilities of people who colour things in for a living?

I have a theory about it, but its so tedious it even bores me

Cheers for pointing that out though – I'll go and change that now

Jeez Binners – get your site sorted out!!!!

"Whatever the breif, we'll attack it with relish – from coorporate branding to e-commerce – we deliver a service entirely relavant to your companies needs"

And that was from a 10 second glance – it must be littered with many more.

Would I buy your service? No.

If you want a web/print design company with an eye for detail (gawd I hope no-one spots any mistaks) try Mixd

binners, how much for a simple re-brand. three logo options and style guide?

how much for a simple re-brand. three logo options and style guide?

I would be charging around £600 here at Mixd. (Did I mention us already? 😉 )

thanks MF, half the last quote, 3 x more than the agency i use in Mumbai though. will have a look at your stuff later. TVM

binners, you snooze – you lose!

curses!!!

feel free to quote tho' – no fat ladies in song yet……..

binners, you snooze – you lose!

He is probably correcting the speeling mistaks on his site 😉

We will never compete with an Indian agency – but at least you can pop into our office without a seven hour flight each way 😉

Certainly. Do you want to email me on adam@rowlinsoncooper.co.uk with what you're after and I'll put you a quote together

Mates rates will apply to any fellow STWers – I'm cutting my own throat guv etc etc

feel free to quote tho' – no fat ladies in song yet……..

His quote will be £599.99 now I have shown my hand 😉

I reckon I could even go as low as £598.99 😉

Some nice stuff on their MF

I reckon I could even go as low as £598.99

I can't compete with that! 😉

Some nice stuff on their MF

Ta – yours has some nice stuff too – just a pity about the speeling!

Even the main text on the visual for 'DictionaryApps' has an error in it!

I've got a good story on how naive and foolish it can be and the relief of getting back into work without doing too much damage to career and finances..?

i don't want the cheapest, i want what i want at the best price…… 😉

iDave, YGM

Binners – whilst you are amending the spelling on your site, it might be a good idea to increase the font size of the two hyperlinks – I could hardly make out the words they were so small and faint! I suggest you get a mate to look through your site – it's incredibly offputting seeing a website or promotional material with bad spelling or grammar, and may well lose you potential business.

Surfr – there are plenty of advantages to being self-employed and plenty of disadvantages – as with most things the grass is always greener on the other side. Unless you have a very firm idea of what you would like to do and have the requisite skills and experience, or are prepared to get them, I would avoid going self-employed. As suggested doing some contract work or going part-time might help you move into self-employment, but if what you choose to do is not something in which you have experience it will be significantly more difficult.

3 x more than the agency i use in Mumbai though

Good luck finding someone half decent here that'll do it at India prices!

Just a word of advice – go self employed and you wave goodbye to any Job Seekers Allowance if things should go wrong – be warned!

tyger – you gotta burn your boat

if you worry about 'what if', you should stick to being in a job

Ta – yours has some nice stuff too – just a pity about the speeling!

*cough* 😉

Have you thought about overlapping. Setting up your business while still in employment, it's what I did.
It gave me time to build up a customer base and get some money in.
The first year is always the hardest. I was working 7 days a week, usually 10 hour days.
So if you're a grafter and you can make some sort of living from it, go ahead.
There are a lot of things to give up, holidays, perks, etc. However on a sunny day like today you can take out time to ride the bike, making up time another day. 🙂