Those who work for themselves - what do you do?
Discussion
A little idle musing and, less idle being nosey!
Those who have worked/do work for yourself - what is it you do? Did you turn a side hustle into a main job? Was it voluntary? Are you doing physical skills/trades or are you consultancy? Did you follow a dream or was it just something you found you could make a living at?
I compare myself to my brother - he works for himself welding industrial boilers having followed the apprenticeship route. I went a more academic route and ended up in corporate land (sales then project management) after uni. I'd say both have their advantages and disadvantages but I'm interested to hear how people struck out on their own.
Those who have worked/do work for yourself - what is it you do? Did you turn a side hustle into a main job? Was it voluntary? Are you doing physical skills/trades or are you consultancy? Did you follow a dream or was it just something you found you could make a living at?
I compare myself to my brother - he works for himself welding industrial boilers having followed the apprenticeship route. I went a more academic route and ended up in corporate land (sales then project management) after uni. I'd say both have their advantages and disadvantages but I'm interested to hear how people struck out on their own.
21TonyK said:
I was (and still am) self employed most of my life.
Started in IT doing software development, tech and consultancy work. Had a break from IT for a long time before ending up owning restaurants and now a consultant chef specialising in clinical food.
Wow, that's a hell of a switch!Started in IT doing software development, tech and consultancy work. Had a break from IT for a long time before ending up owning restaurants and now a consultant chef specialising in clinical food.
Spent my first 20 years or so of employment in Newcastle working for a motorbike custom paint shop, then Ford, Toyota / Lexus and then a Jaguar Indy when I relocated to Southampton in '98.
Fell back into the building trade ( which is what I initially planned to do when I left school, but what petrolhead can refuse a job with cars or bikes when it's offered ) eventually in 2001, and spent the next decade doing reactive maintenance work for several companies putting right private and commercial properties subject to insurance claims such as flood damage, fire and subsidence. Postcode based, so often found myself driving 100 miles or more in the mornings and evenings for several years.
I went self employed in 2011 and subcontracted doing the same stuff for the same companies for another 5 years until I moved back to Newcastle in 2016, at which point I just focussed on local private domestic work. Which I still do, albeit pretty much as and when I feel like it now. Or when I'm involved in working back in the south, which I currently am.
Fell back into the building trade ( which is what I initially planned to do when I left school, but what petrolhead can refuse a job with cars or bikes when it's offered ) eventually in 2001, and spent the next decade doing reactive maintenance work for several companies putting right private and commercial properties subject to insurance claims such as flood damage, fire and subsidence. Postcode based, so often found myself driving 100 miles or more in the mornings and evenings for several years.
I went self employed in 2011 and subcontracted doing the same stuff for the same companies for another 5 years until I moved back to Newcastle in 2016, at which point I just focussed on local private domestic work. Which I still do, albeit pretty much as and when I feel like it now. Or when I'm involved in working back in the south, which I currently am.
Mid twenties, working for someone else who had ulterior motive for who they ran the business, The were slowly paying themselves hefty amounts and buying lots of stock. I could see it wasn't going to work longterm so begin putting in place quietly but security, options for other stuff and equipment knowing that when they did go into administration I had the ability to outbid them on their stock.
Knew more, ran it better, Made it a success.
Knew more, ran it better, Made it a success.
Workplace stress reduction (mindfulness, work-life balance and related activities). Started off in corporate (IT, web dev and then marketing) but have always been interested in activities such as mindfulness since the 1980s. Then got training and started offering it as a service to private individuals and corporates.
I think the best way of starting a business is to do it maybe one day or evening a week and slowly grow from there; obviously not always possible to do this without making a massive jump eg if you are an accountant and want to run a florist in a local high street, you'll have to quit your job.
I think the best way of starting a business is to do it maybe one day or evening a week and slowly grow from there; obviously not always possible to do this without making a massive jump eg if you are an accountant and want to run a florist in a local high street, you'll have to quit your job.
Always followed my dreams, lots of hard work and fun along the way too!
After working in my favourite ever job ever, for the best boss I'd had, in the best F1 team I'd worked for we left Italy so our eldest could do their A Levels in the UK
Decided I'd be brave, set up my own company and became a freelance motorsport design engineer
From day one, decided to chase interesting jobs, not money, been very lucky, after 10yrs of working for myself I've never had to find work, only had 3 clients and have a waiting list
Main day job is F1 but have evening side hustles working on Baja 500 unlimited trophy truck, Indy car and IMSA projects
I do engineering consulting, composite design mentoring and hands on designing but my +75hr work week is long
Have the opportunity to switch my Indy car side hustle into my main job which is very appealing
Gives me the chance to chase the dream of achieving the Triple Crown of Motorsport, just need an Indy 500 win to go with my LeMans 24hr wins and Monaco GP wins
After working in my favourite ever job ever, for the best boss I'd had, in the best F1 team I'd worked for we left Italy so our eldest could do their A Levels in the UK
Decided I'd be brave, set up my own company and became a freelance motorsport design engineer
From day one, decided to chase interesting jobs, not money, been very lucky, after 10yrs of working for myself I've never had to find work, only had 3 clients and have a waiting list
Main day job is F1 but have evening side hustles working on Baja 500 unlimited trophy truck, Indy car and IMSA projects
I do engineering consulting, composite design mentoring and hands on designing but my +75hr work week is long
Have the opportunity to switch my Indy car side hustle into my main job which is very appealing
Gives me the chance to chase the dream of achieving the Triple Crown of Motorsport, just need an Indy 500 win to go with my LeMans 24hr wins and Monaco GP wins
crofty1984 said:
21TonyK said:
I was (and still am) self employed most of my life.
Started in IT doing software development, tech and consultancy work. Had a break from IT for a long time before ending up owning restaurants and now a consultant chef specialising in clinical food.
Wow, that's a hell of a switch!Started in IT doing software development, tech and consultancy work. Had a break from IT for a long time before ending up owning restaurants and now a consultant chef specialising in clinical food.
Then bought a restaurant which grew so sold that on having got involved in clinical stuff via my wifes work. Ended up more and more on that side of things working for one of the big names in private care until last year when I hit 55.
Somewhere in that mix I also owned a dating agency, was a teacher and ran the catering for a group of schools.
Those are just the highlights!
I run a visual communications agency (design, video, photography, campaigns). We work exclusively for public sector, mainly in the field of waste management (promoting recycling services) but also other social focused endeavours such as road safety campaigns and work for agencies that protect vulnerable people and young people. 50% is UK, 50% is international, the latter mainly focused on developing nations and Small Island States.
If you live in Suffolk, you will have seen or will soon see a campaign promoting changes to recycling and waste services there. That's our work. And if you plan on visiting Barbados over the next year, you will see similar promoting the introduction of curbside recycling services. That's us too.
My background is that I started off as a Graphic Designer. Began to do a bit of private work on the side. Was made redundant when I was 19 and started to build on the private side of things and within a year had a small design agency. Three years in, we suffered two large bad debts and that was the end of that. Spent the 90s working in various account management, sales types roles in advertising, had three years as Marketing Manager at Barnardo's, then joined a small London design agency in which I ended up getting a 25% share. There, we developed specialism in government, behaviour change campaigns. The 'Think' road safety campaign was one of ours. 'Fit for Life' was one of the others. Sold the company and I ended up running the Advertising division of a Marcomms Group in Essex.
Early on, we won a contract to develop a campaign to promote a new recycling service for Rotherham Council. Within a year, we had won four more similar contracts. We did a bit of research and found that all councils would be needing similar over the coming years and we were one of the few agencies to have, by then, a track record in this field. The owner of the Marcomms Group and me set up a new company to service this market. I sunk myself into the sector quickly becoming an expert in waste management which lead to me becoming recognised as specialist in waste related communications of which there were - and remain - very few others.
In 2019, my business partner retired. The business was in decline, Brexit being an accelerator in its demise (international work accounted for 60% of turnover almost all of which was funded from or by EU institutions which would would no longer be able to access). I set up entirely on my own, doing a similar thing but with a slightly broader focus in terms of sectors and services. Just started year six and things are going well.
If you're looking for nuggets of advice, I'd say....
Start a business doing something you already do (for me, that was Graphic Design and Marketing Communications)
Recognise opportunities or triggers to start up and take them (for me, that was redundancy)
Find a speciality and own it (for me, that was waste, recycling and social comms).
If you live in Suffolk, you will have seen or will soon see a campaign promoting changes to recycling and waste services there. That's our work. And if you plan on visiting Barbados over the next year, you will see similar promoting the introduction of curbside recycling services. That's us too.
My background is that I started off as a Graphic Designer. Began to do a bit of private work on the side. Was made redundant when I was 19 and started to build on the private side of things and within a year had a small design agency. Three years in, we suffered two large bad debts and that was the end of that. Spent the 90s working in various account management, sales types roles in advertising, had three years as Marketing Manager at Barnardo's, then joined a small London design agency in which I ended up getting a 25% share. There, we developed specialism in government, behaviour change campaigns. The 'Think' road safety campaign was one of ours. 'Fit for Life' was one of the others. Sold the company and I ended up running the Advertising division of a Marcomms Group in Essex.
Early on, we won a contract to develop a campaign to promote a new recycling service for Rotherham Council. Within a year, we had won four more similar contracts. We did a bit of research and found that all councils would be needing similar over the coming years and we were one of the few agencies to have, by then, a track record in this field. The owner of the Marcomms Group and me set up a new company to service this market. I sunk myself into the sector quickly becoming an expert in waste management which lead to me becoming recognised as specialist in waste related communications of which there were - and remain - very few others.
In 2019, my business partner retired. The business was in decline, Brexit being an accelerator in its demise (international work accounted for 60% of turnover almost all of which was funded from or by EU institutions which would would no longer be able to access). I set up entirely on my own, doing a similar thing but with a slightly broader focus in terms of sectors and services. Just started year six and things are going well.
If you're looking for nuggets of advice, I'd say....
Start a business doing something you already do (for me, that was Graphic Design and Marketing Communications)
Recognise opportunities or triggers to start up and take them (for me, that was redundancy)
Find a speciality and own it (for me, that was waste, recycling and social comms).
Edited by StevieBee on Sunday 22 February 11:46
As I left my teens I had fairly dull factory job with management prospects but was looking for something else.
Found a mobile engine tuning franchise and with a Princes Trust grant and a loan from Midland Bank (it was a while ago
) I went self employed just as I turned 22. The advice from all my friends and family at the time was to get more experience, build up some savings etc but being young, daft and fearless I wasn’t listening 
.
The franchisor ended up being a part of a major fast-fit company which gave some opportunities to run more vans and staff for a few years before they decided we weren’t worth the hassle and closed us down in 2003. I went back to one van and carried on as an independent mobile diagnostics specialist until covid came along and I started working from my home workshop. I’m now winding towards retirement and just work for some local garages etc fixing the stuff they struggle with.
But once you are self employed you think a bit differently so while this has been my main job for pretty much my entire career, I have added a few things along the way.
First we bought and renovated a derelict farm cottage and used the equity in that to buy a barn for conversion that we completed and sold on. Should have done more of that really but the barn sold in 2007 so could have gone wrong if it was a year later and after that getting the finance became a lot harder.
Around the same time I started to turn my trackday hobby into an additional income as an instructor and ran my own trackday events with a friend for a few years. I still instruct regularly and also run a couple of track cars for their owners.
Finally, I converted a building I had put up on our smallholding to keep cars in and now run a small car storage business as well.
It was a lot harder to make a living in the trades 30 years ago but unless they are heading for a solid six figure career working for someone else I would point most young people towards self employment now, it’s where the best opportunities and freedoms lie.
Found a mobile engine tuning franchise and with a Princes Trust grant and a loan from Midland Bank (it was a while ago
) I went self employed just as I turned 22. The advice from all my friends and family at the time was to get more experience, build up some savings etc but being young, daft and fearless I wasn’t listening .The franchisor ended up being a part of a major fast-fit company which gave some opportunities to run more vans and staff for a few years before they decided we weren’t worth the hassle and closed us down in 2003. I went back to one van and carried on as an independent mobile diagnostics specialist until covid came along and I started working from my home workshop. I’m now winding towards retirement and just work for some local garages etc fixing the stuff they struggle with.
But once you are self employed you think a bit differently so while this has been my main job for pretty much my entire career, I have added a few things along the way.
First we bought and renovated a derelict farm cottage and used the equity in that to buy a barn for conversion that we completed and sold on. Should have done more of that really but the barn sold in 2007 so could have gone wrong if it was a year later and after that getting the finance became a lot harder.
Around the same time I started to turn my trackday hobby into an additional income as an instructor and ran my own trackday events with a friend for a few years. I still instruct regularly and also run a couple of track cars for their owners.
Finally, I converted a building I had put up on our smallholding to keep cars in and now run a small car storage business as well.
It was a lot harder to make a living in the trades 30 years ago but unless they are heading for a solid six figure career working for someone else I would point most young people towards self employment now, it’s where the best opportunities and freedoms lie.
StevieBee said:
Recognise opportunities
My biggest mistakes early on were doing the above but being so fixated on my original plan that I ignored these opps. I'm much more flexible in what I do nowadays. This approach was highlighted for me when I had to get a job and ended up working with another startup in a different field; the founder was much more open to chopping and changing, and ditching things that didn't work, and growth was more apparent 2 years in than my business after 2 years.One of the advantages of being a small business is that you can often change direction quite quickly like a speedboat as opposed to a massive business which can be more akin to an oil tanker.
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