STW collective,

I am about to start my one business offering architectural services (architecture, planning, landscape), working independently from home, keeping my own records, advertising locally and through the web.

Presumably the first step is to register as self employed and decide on a business name (does this have to be registered? if so how?). Contact the council regarding business rates (does working from a bedroom qualify?), and buy a domain name (who is the best agent?). Set up a bank account (in my name, the company name?)

Truly clueless.

Any other pearls of wisdom? I’d rather start off on the right foot. Thanks

Register the company and set it up with Companies house, do all your own accounts with a package like M.Y.O.B (but it’s getting dropped in a year or so) Don’t worry about the council, but maximise the ‘Use of Home’ expense. Get the company to pay for telephone and internet. Ideally set it up as a limited company so you can pay yourself a salary and top it up with a dividend. Email me, I run my own companies.

As Joxter says but forget MYOB. Do your own books. A simple spreadsheet is enough. You won’t be putting out too many invoices as a one man band. Get an accountant for your year end (c£600). Pay yourself £400 / month to stay below the NI threshold and take a monthly dividend. Accoutant will advise. Abbey business banking is free if you aren’t depositing loads of cheques etc and gets you a Visa / Debit card for business related expenditure. Consider registering for VAT if you think your turnover will be over the threshold and check out the Fixed Rate Scheme as it might save you a fair ammount.

Register the company and set it up with Companies house,
YOu only need to do that if trading as a limited company. If you are trding as a sole trader you do not need to do that.

See Business Link for lots of good advice and good luck! I did it 4 years ago (web/print design business) and don’t regret a second of it.

🙂

Just some further thoughts.

If you need a domain just buy from whoever is cheapest. Don’t go to the expense of setting up an elaborqte website unless it is critical to your marketingt strategy. A RIBA listing / Yellow Pages etc might be more effective.

Should of course have said at the outset……Get advice eg BusinessLink / Regional Enterprise agencies etc. If you are serious you also need a business plan mapping out your operation, products, finance, marketing strategy

Get some customers first!!

One other thing not mentioned above, notify your home insurance company, most home/contents policies stipulate in them that the property is not to be used for business.

Can’t add much to the useful advice above, but see if your local Business Link does a workshop on setting up your own business.

Should be free, and will explain all the basic stuff that you’re confused about.

They also produce a handy booklet about starting your own business, and their website is quite comprehensive.

You’ll want to get specific advice from an accountant rather than BL, but they were good for the basic IME.

Really is worth getting a small business advisor. Are you claiming benifit at the moment? ask at the benifit office.
Don’t blunder into it on your own. 😀

All superb advice, just touching on the things I was concerned about. On a few points;
– So, no need to register company name if acting as a sole-trader, but I will make relevant checks
– No need for licences from the search I have done
– Not registering for VAT, I cant see any benefit, low overheads and I am not likely to reach the threshold (chance would be a fine thing)
– Advertising will be via local mags and papers, yellow pages, web, word of mouth, partners with other tradesmen, perhaps a letter drop locally (again in partnership)
– Accounts on a spreadsheet and checked by an accountant, presumably consumables like petrol, ink, stationary are subtracted from profits as working costs? I will read up on all the relevant ‘how to’
– Have just been on the phone to Business-Link, they are sending me so info.
– “Get some customers first!!” I have some, plenty, the idea is to put a formal (read legal) face on it all and to drum up some work from further afield.
– “home insurance company” noted.
– There are no issues regarding liability as far as I can see (re: LTD), as I will be taking out PI insurance.
– Would it be worthwhile taking these up to save on bother? here

If you’re offering a service to your customers then make sure you’ve got some firm Terms of Engagement in place – 99.9% of the time you won’t need them, but it’s the first thing you’ll wish you had if TSHTF and a job goes belly up. I’m guessing RIBA have something suitable for architectural services.

You might need to look at having public liability insurance as well as PI. I’ve need to speak to our PI unsurer today, I’ll ask.
As far as PI goes I seem to remember that there’s a simple RIBA package.

You’re better to claim a mileage allowance, it’s 40p a mile. It’s far less hassle than claimimg petrol.

Becoming a Limited company has benefits, if it goes horribly wrong the client is claiming off the company and not you which could involve you having to sell your property to cover costs. It’s a bit extreme but can happen.

Also when claiming expenses, if you don’t have a reciept don’t claim. Being VAT registered is a benefit (but a PITA) as you can claim VAT back on stuff bought for the company 😉 your computer, desk etc

Get a website and domain with your contact details, and an email using that domain name. Nothing screams “cheap” to me quite as much as a gmail / yahoo / hotmail address.