When starting up in self-employment, it’s important to stand out from the crowd and also retain your unique personality. Every experience you’ve had to date makes your journey, and thus the service you can offer is different to the next person’s. So, how can you design a brand that reflects all of this? If you have little experience in shaping a brand, this may feel a little daunting – but thankfully, it doesn’t need to be.

Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:

Why do freelancers and contractors need insurance?

Freelancer and contractor insurance is designed to protect you against the unforeseen – from making a mistake in a piece of work that results in your client losing money, to personal injury claims from third parties and employees.

If a claim is made against you (even if it’s unsubstantiated) and you don’t have cover in place, you could be left to pay thousands of pounds in legal fees and compensation payments out of your own pocket.

Whether you’re new to freelancing or an experienced contractor, having business insurance in place can give you the peace of mind that you’ll be covered if something doesn’t go to plan.

This guide, produced in partnership with Qdos, outlines the different types of insurance available, including:

• Professional indemnity insurance

• Public liability insurance

• Employers’ liability insurance

• Directors and officers insurance

• Legal expenses insurance

• Business equipment insurance

• Cyber insurance

When you start working for yourself, one of the first big decisions will be choosing between becoming a sole trader or limited company. Picking the right option for your personal circumstances and business objectives could save you a lot of time and money.

IPSE – The Self-Employed Association, is the UK’s only not-for-profit association dedicated to the self-employed. Funded by its members, IPSE is a support system for the self-employed, offering essential resources, protection, community, events and a voice.

How to avoid legal issues when you become self-employed

One of the biggest concerns many people have about working for themselves is how to avoid legal issues when you become self-employed. If you’ve benefited from the support of corporate lawyers, HR and other teams in the past, it can be scary to think you’ll be solely responsible.

But many problems can be avoided fairly quickly and easily with a little research and preparation. In some cases, you might need specialist advice, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. And if you plan for the cost, it can save you money, and potentially your business, in the future. 

Protecting yourself, and your business, doesn’t have to be intimidating or difficult. We’ve provided some areas to cover when you’re becoming self-employed, but it’s important to note any information is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It’s important to consult with an expert who can make recommendations on your individual situation and circumstances.

Could your self-employed business benefit from some extra money, usually without any need to repay it in the future? Learn how to find small business grants which can support you when you’re starting out, or help to fund areas such as training, research, switching to more sustainable processes or expanding your company.

You might be surprised to learn there are hundreds of grants available for small businesses across the UK, provided by the government or private organisations. They can range from fairly small amounts to substantial sums of money, depending on the size of your business and the purpose of the grant. If you haven’t looked at the grants available, you could be missing out on financial support that could transform your business.

Whether you miss chatting with colleagues, or chose to work for yourself to escape office politics and banter, many remote workers can struggle at times with socialising. It’s a common problem reported in IPSE Research, and various surveys and studies around the world (23% reported loneliness as a struggle in the 2023 Buffer State of Remote Work survey). And the challenge has been heightened due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Just as becoming self-employed means taking on more responsibilities for business admin and promoting yourself, putting some effort into your social life can make a huge difference. It also allows you to tailor your socialising to your own personality, preferences, and other commitments.

You might not make lifelong friends on your first attempt, but it’s worth persevering and trying different opportunities. Studies show that even brief chats with strangers can boost your mood and life satisfaction (SageJournals), even when it’s via an online video chat (Science Advances).

The first step is to commit to becoming more social, even if it feels a little uncomfortable at first.

Make the most of your self-employed income and find out how to pay yourself as a limited company director, using the right combination of salary and dividends. And how to manage National Insurance contributions, Corporation Tax, pensions, business expenses and Directors' loans.

It’s easier to understand how to pay yourself as a sole trader, than if you’re working as the director of a limited company. But while it may be more simple, you’ll still need to keep on top of your admin and accounts. Here's how!

This guide will help you prepare for self-employment

IPSE – The Self-Employed Association, is the UK’s only not-for-profit association dedicated to the self-employed. Funded by its members, IPSE is a support system for the self-employed, offering essential resources, protection, community, events and a voice.

Charging more can actually increase your client portfolio, or let you focus on a smaller number of clients and still achieve a similar income.

This article answers all your questions about why, when and how to register as self-employed, providing a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

IPSE – The Self-Employed Association, is the UK’s only not-for-profit association dedicated to the self-employed. Funded by its members, IPSE is a support system for the self-employed, offering essential resources, protection, community, events and a voice.

If you dream of more freedom, flexibility and potential earnings, find out how to switch to self-employed contracting and take more control over your work.

Make the most of your self-employed income and find out how to pay yourself as a limited company director, using the right combination of salary and dividends. And how to manage National Insurance contributions, Corporation Tax, pensions, business expenses and Directors' loans.

In this guidance, Integro Accounting talk you through dividends: How they work, the benefits, the restrictions and whether paying yourself through dividends is right for your business.

In this guide, we run through the key things you need to know about IR35 as a self-employed professional, including the difference between 'inside' and 'outside' IR35, how IR35 status is determined and who is liable for applying the rules incorrectly.

There are a wide variety of methods for marketing your self-employed business, giving you options to suit whatever time and budget you’re able to invest. Clients and customers need to be aware you exist to spend money on your products or services, but it’s difficult even for large companies to cover every promotion channel.

The aim of this guide is to give you a quick overview of the many marketing techniques available, helping you decide which are most appropriate for your business. And IPSE members can find a growing number of more detailed resources on each marketing tactic via our resource library, webinars, and the Incubator for those new to self-employment.

Having too much demand for your time isn’t a bad problem to have. You can use it as a justification to raise your rates, earn goodwill and commissions through referrals, or invest in additional resources to support and grow your business. It can be daunting to start outsourcing and subcontracting work when you’re self-employed, but the benefits can be enormous.

Most freelancers, contractors and business owners will say that they became self-employed to have more control and autonomy over their careers. And it can be difficult to trust anyone else to meet your standards, especially when reputation can be so important in winning new clients and customers.

But outsourcing and sub-contracting can actually improve quality and reliability, and allow you to focus on the areas of your business where you can have the greatest impact. Especially if you’re able to delegate time-consuming business admin or tasks.

The market for subcontracting is large enough that some white label agencies exist solely to provide their services under your brand name. And many freelancers can build successful careers as an outsourced or subcontracted resource.

Professional Indemnity insurance protects you and your business if a client suffers a financial loss because of work you completed for them. This guide explains what PI insurance covers, who needs it and why it matters. We also show you how IPSE members can access exclusive discounts through our insurance partner, Qdos.

Whether you’re planning to offload an old computer to free up some money and space, or considering closing your business, selling assets from a self-employed business will have implications for your tax returns.

Business assets can be tangible (physical items such as equipment and property), or intangible (intellectual property, for example). They might also be classed as current, referring to those which will be turned into cash within 12 months such as inventory, and non-current which will continue to provide value for more than one year.

To be classed as a business asset, it needs to be something which was bought exclusively or primarily for work use. Or that you have created as a result of your business.

The complexity of a sale will depend on the nature and value of the asset, and it’s often worth contacting an accountant or financial specialist to ensure you’re compliant with the correct tax system, as well as getting any allowance or tax relief which you may be eligible for. IPSE membership includes tax and legal helplines which can provide guidance on a range of self-employed financial matters.

• Can you sell a business asset to yourself?

• What taxes apply when you sell business assets?

• Setting a value for your business assets

• Can you offset any costs of sale and disposable?

Your time is likely to be the biggest limiting factor when it comes to growing a self-employed business. Taking on more work or larger projects inevitably requires more hours, and often also increases the amount of admin involved. But taking on your first employees can be intimidating when you’re self-employed. 

Many freelancers and businesses start by outsourcing specific tasks. It’s a great way to lessen some of your burdens and responsibilities, especially when it can be quicker and easier to hire a specialist in areas that you’re not confident with, or don’t enjoy.  

Taking on a part or full-time employee requires a bigger commitment, but means you gain a dedicated person available to work across your business during their contracted hours.

If you dream of more freedom, flexibility and potential earnings, find out how to switch to self-employed contracting and take more control over your work.

You know the ambitions for your business. So why create a self-employed business plan if you're not seeking investment or funding? Even if you're working as an individual, going through the process can reveal incredibly useful and valuable insights, including strengths, weaknesses, potential opportunities and problems. Which gives you a much better chance of building a successful and sustainable self-employed career.

IPSE – The Self-Employed Association, is the UK’s only not-for-profit association dedicated to the self-employed. Funded by its members, IPSE is a support system for the self-employed, offering essential resources, protection, community, events and a voice.