Let's talk about self-employment - [PDF] - Niace

Introduction
Other things to think about
• When you work for yourself, there’s no getting away from
handling paperwork and accounts so it’s important to have
a good grasp of reading, writing and numbers. But, if you’re
shaky on any of these, don’t be put off because there is a
lot of support about to help you gain these skills.
learndirect offers free independent advice on finding a
course and on careers over the phone, online and by e-mail.
You’ll find its details in our Further resources section or
you can also contact your local college or ask your
Jobcentre Plus Advisor if you have one.
• No one knows what is going to happen to them in the
future but it’s a good idea to be healthy if you’re thinking
about becoming self-employed. You don’t get any sick pay
when you work for yourself and your business won’t keep
going for very long if you can’t put in the hours.
• It’s unlikely you’ll make a success of your work if you’re not
enthusiastic about it so enjoying what you do is a priority.
TIP: A point to remember
We’ve pulled together a list of pros and cons for you here
but it’s important to mention that a lot of pros and cons
aren’t black and white. What we mean is that what you
see as a pro, another person might see as a con. For
example, you might see being your own boss as a pro
because you’re in control of your own destiny and have a
certain amount of freedom. But others might see this as a
con because they’d rather just turn up for work and have
someone else deal with the pressure of running the
business.
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