Max

The most important thing is that you don't take on work you don't feel is beying your competency. Stick to what you are confident with and develop it from there. I am CMIOSH with 23 years in the business and I've turned work away in the last 6 months because I felt it was outside my sphere of expertise - even though the money was good!

Work as a freelance or Associate for others to start with if you can - I have and it's been a good start. If selling and merketing yourself isn't your forte then this can be a great way to get known and get some consultancy experience. Also to find out if it's really for you.

Use your contacts shamelessly - you never know when a job might be lurking!

Get free business cards and dish them out to all and sundry - yours might be the card they find when they need someone.

Don't forget insurance. PL and PI are essential. Others may be too - take advice.

Have a read of the IOSH guide http://www.iosh.co.uk/in...e2a2bcc94&version=-1

Be clear on your tax position as self-employed. HMRC have some excellent guidance on their site. Keep records of all your income and expenditure.

Work out your daily rates (the IOSH guide gives useful advice on this) BEFORE your first client asks you what they are! Don't be afriad to have different rates for different types of job.

Enjoy it. I went self-employed last July and it's the best move I've ever made.

I've really displayed my competency in typing here haven't I? :P

Ok the first sentence in its entirety should read

"The most important thing is that you don't take on work that you feel is beyond your competency"

(I'm sure Max knew what I meant but honestly where's the edit function! If the site is set-up to STOP us posting again in a thread within a set time - which I just found out apparently it is - why can it not be set up to allow us to correct a post within a set time...Bah)

The only thing I would disagree with is the free business card, shop around a pay for some, get the headed notepaper and compliments slips too - perhaps even envelopes. If you are looking to be remembered for 'another day' then it is the business card that will do it for you. Get a local printer to design a logo and do your printing - you might even be able to trade it for a bit of free H&S work!

IOSH provide a free information leaflet for those wanting to set up as a consultant.

Max,

Get an accountant unless you know your way around all the tax issues, and get a website, you can not under estimate the power of a good website has in getting you noticed.

Also, decide what makes your consultancy different from the numerous other consultancies out there and use this as a marketing tool.

I started my own consultancy last year and it has been the best move I have made so far in this career (zenithriskmanagement.co.uk)

Cheers

Like I said, if your not comfortable with the taxation issues etc then a accountant would be benificial, however, it would be personal preference.

I'd agree with Claire for a self-employed sole trader just starting out. I haven't been to any HMRC sessions (though I might try one!) but have found the advice and guidance on their website clear and easy to read.

The key to this is to keep good records - I do this with an Excel spreadsheet that totals it all up every month and keeps a running balance sheet - retain your receipts and be very clear about what is and is not an allowable business expense - it's all listed in the HMRC guidance. Keep mileage records and if you're going to run your business from home you can even claim some household running costs on a proportional basis.

Save the cash for promoting your business and attending the odd training course or seminar!

kofi,

All good sound advice on this thread. I set up as sole-trader 3yrs ago with NEBOSH Cert., science degree, 8yrs experience as safety manger in previous employment.

As mentioned above, there will be times when potential customers contact you and you must say 'can't do that' as you just haven't the knowledge. I tend to avoid building projects, there are plenty CDM Co-ords to do those.

But you must be prepared to learn. I'd worked in the chemical industry so thought I'd present myself as COSHH expert, well, not one of my customers has been a chemical company. My expertise has become equipment, LOLER, work at height and doing suitable risk assessments.

Create your own documentation - yes you can borrow forms and things from the internet, can be very useful. Risk assessments, policies, checklists for this and that, method statements. Yes use them as templates, but work through them with the regulations or ACoPs at your elbow and you'll find a lot of freely available documentation is just not up to the job and with a bit of effort your own documents can be developed and are much more satisfying to use, and you will have learned so much while working on them. And when you come to use your forms and checklists at customers the learning process just goes on and on.

Get to know other consultants at IOSH meetings and also at (mentioned above) RosPA Local Safety Groups. It can be fun.

Some customers are excellent, take advice gratefully. Some don't want to spend money and don't ask you back. Sometimes you surprise yourself; I was delighted that one customer achieved OHSAS 18001 first time!

Only problem right now, for me, lack of business. Two customers gone out of business, three others not asking me back due to recession. You need to accept that you might most weeks have just 3 days of earning. Sometimes I have just 1 day of work a week - that leaves lots of time to dream up training courses for customers... :o)


John W