Self employed jobs.

[Jameshow]

If you were to become self employed what would you do?

I was thinking this recently due to various life events...

What would you do? Any niche areas??

Categorized them into jobs of different responsibilities/ stresses.

Low stress = flooded market = cheap start up costs.

Dog walking, gardening, delivery driver. Many with van.

Medium stress = higher skills = greater rewards

Carpenters, Builders, wood burner installations, sand blasting etc etc.

Higher stress, risks and reward.

Plumbing, sparky, tree surgeons,

 

[Electric_Andy]

I would like to be an odd job man; lots of adverts on FB asking for someone to mount a TV on a wall, or carry a wardrobe, or do some gardening. All you would need is a van, and I could also of course advertise myself as a man with a van. I'm convinced that there is a huge market for 2nd hand furniture but no-one buys it because they cannot transport it, so they fork out for new because they get it delivered.

It's effort, and probbaly hard to find full time work, but it's things I generally like doing and have experience with. I couldn't do anything technical because I don't have any skills!

Or...if I had to train...a door Dr. I paid a chap £100 to adjust 2 upvc doors and 2 new door handles, he was only there for 45 minutes. Though you would have to learn a lot about doors

 

[Jameshow]

I used to be "Jim Will fix it" back in early 2000's!!🤣🤣🤣

 

[Sterlo]

I used to be "Jim Will fix it" back in early 2000's!!🤣🤣🤣

I'd keep that to myself if I was you!

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I was self employed for a number of years from the mid 90’s until 2002.

There were a number of companies in my area who would fix PCs for people but they had to take them to their shop and I kept hearing of people struggling to get everything back in the correct place when they returned home with it.

Seemed an obvious fix, offer a service repairing the computer in the customer’s home. So I stuck an advert in the local paper and it took off big time.

Gave it up when I moved away from the area. Sold the ‘name‘ and telephone number though.

 

[Ian H]

34yrs ago I spent £35k of the bank's and my money, bought a printing press and darkroom equipment, and set up as a label printer. It was a high-profit niche market in those days.

 

[Oldhippy]

Writer.

 

[Jameshow]

Writer.

Really with AI??

 

[Slick]

34yrs ago I spent £35k of the bank's and my money, bought a printing press and darkroom equipment, and set up as a label printer. It was a high-profit niche market in those days.

I think it still can be, certainly seems to be around the whisky industry round here for example.

 

[Oldhippy]

No, imagination.

 

[Slick]

My brother is about ready to retire from the cops after reaching his 25 years service.

He was looking for suggestions and he came up with gardener/handyman type thing. My input was why would you graft as hard as that for anyone, as it won't be wee tidy gardens needing a trim, it will be overgrown monstrosities that have been neglected for years.

My advice to anyone is stick to what you know and are good at, and in this case he was an ex LGV driver. So my advice t him was to set himself up like an agency, and on Monday morning when the screwballs have all called in sick, make yourself available at double the normal rate. They would sooner pay double than leave an expensive machine lying idle.

Won't work for everyone, but the underlying idea is sound.

 

[Slick]

Me, I'm actually considering it now. I've got a well paid job working from home, but I'm not sure I'm ready to take the easy road to retirement just yet.

I do company audits for an Industry body, and I've taken on another role on a self employed basis, but it hasn't started yet and I'm unsure exactly how much work it would generate but it is lucrative. All things being equal, I reckon I could give up my current position and earn the same or more working 6 months of the year.

Everything is in the melting pot right now, so we will just have to see what becomes of it.

 

[albal]

My brother is about ready to retire from the cops after reaching his 25 years service.

He was looking for suggestions and he came up with gardener/handyman type thing. My input was why would you graft as hard as that for anyone, as it won't be wee tidy gardens needing a trim, it will be overgrown monstrosities that have been neglected for years.

My advice to anyone is stick to what you know and are good at, and in this case he was an ex LGV driver. So my advice t him was to set himself up like an agency, and on Monday morning when the screwballs have all called in sick, make yourself available at double the normal rate. They would sooner pay double than leave an expensive machine lying idle.

Won't work for everyone, but the underlying idea is sound.

Been self employed lgv driver since 1999. Still at it... just about.

 

[Slick]

Been self employed lgv driver since 1999. Still at it... just about.

I know there are plenty do it self employed on a regular basis, but my suggestion was to be more like an agency to try and get paid as much as possible. My brother isn't looking for anything regular, he has too much cycling he wants to do, but backfilling for top dollar appealed to him.

 

[Sharky]

My Dad wasn't, but used to say a Green Grocer would be a good choice. You buy all the stock "on the day" and sell while it is still fresh. Apart from the premesis, you wouldn't have any huge costs in building up stock.