Roger and Robin discuss going self-employed in the second episode of the new Skill Builder podcast. It takes some courage to make the leap from the security and comfort of your job, but the fact that you’re here tells us that you’re thinking of making the leap into the world of being the master of your own destiny, but what do you have to consider in your new self employed life?

Have you got the courage to quit your job and find the motivation needed to build a new happier and more fulfilling life?

Useful links

A guide to going self-employed in the UK

GOV.UK Working For Yourself

7 Hard Questions You Need to Ask Before Going Self-Employed

Our thanks go to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at Milton Keynes Dons F.C. for allowing us to record our podcast in their matchday bar.

Transcript

Roger: Hello, this is Roger Bisby and Robin Clevett with our second podcast, Skill Builder podcast coming to you, from where are we?

Robin: Well, the pub was a bit noisy by all accounts, so we fought, where can you go where it’s really quiet? Well, an empty football stadium, of course.

Roger: Yeah. Don’t ask us why we are at the MK Dons Football Stadium. Now, the first one we did, basically Robin was telling us how he priced, conditioned people and how he gets the right money for the job, and that really struck a chord. People are saying to us that, oh well, you should tell me this 30 years ago. I could use this information. So with this podcast, what are we going to be doing is, we are going to be talking about taking that plunge, becoming self-employed.

Robin: We are.

Roger: We’ve never been self-employed before. It’s taken away the safety net, really isn’t it?

Robin: The way this one came about. It’s obvious we looked at the comments and everything else and there’s a generic line that runs all the way through these comments. And that’s about anxiety, about becoming self-employed or being your own boss and so on and so forth.

Roger: Yeah. The other thing I picked up on from the comments of the first podcast was that people were saying, look, I’ve been self-employed for two or three years, and it’s not really working out. I’m thinking I’m going to have to take a part-time job stacking shelves at Sainsbury’s or whatever they’re doing. Somebody said they’re going to go work evenings at Screwfix. If it’s not working for you, then don’t give up, but just think tomorrow is the first day for the rest of your life. In other words, the fact that you’ve had two years of hardship and so on. It doesn’t contaminate the future. If you take on board maybe some of the things we’re going to say, and then start from, not start from scratch, but just push yourself forward from that point rather than being tied down, weighed down by your failures. Look at your success and potential.

Robin: Because the thing is, nowadays, what we call the gig economy and everything else, whether you like it or not, most industry wants to go towards people who are self-employed because it’s easier for people to hire and fire. There’s less liability involved. Because generally, if you’re self-employed, you’ve got to cover your own insurances and all that sort of stuff. So, this is probably why this subject is going to get a lot of interest. Now, tell us about you, Roger,