Advice re setting up own business please!!!

[Elizabethsmummy]

Hi - I'm new on here and am hoping that you may have some advice for me. I'm at the end of my mat. leave (currently taking employer to Employment Tribunal for refusing my flexible working request but thats another story!). I'm thinking of setting up a small-scale cloth nappy retail/advice business from home and have a couple of questions.

1. If you set up as a sole trader, is your house at risk if things go pear shaped? Would it be better to put our house in my DH's name?
   
   
2. If you have a website and sell products that way, and you don't employ anyone, what happens when you go on holiday/have another baby etc - do you just temporarily suspend the website from taking orders?
   
   Many thanks for your help

[MrsBoo]

Generally speaking, if you're a sole trader don't even think about getting sick or having any holidays. Having a baby? You will either have to pay someone else to do your work - or get back to work really quick yourself. (i run a small company and got exactly one week maternity!)Your house will only be a risk if you use it to secure a loan from the bank for instance - i think.

[Elizabethsmummy]

Thats what I thought really, I must sound so naive!!! I suppose I'm at the stage where I'm thinking unless I take a risk and try to make a go of this I'm never going to be able to bring in any money, as it is looking less and less likely that I can return to my old job. Part of me is quite worried that it will take over my life completely, but I guess that would be a good thing if it meant I was selling lots!! Thanks for your comments anyway - got some serious thinking to do!

[BrownSuga]

on website side, you could post message to say when you're on holiday etc, so orders may be delayed by x days, thus giving people choice still to order through you, better that way than to suspend ordering, they'll go elsewhere.

here's the hmrc site, with links on it, may be of help

[islandofsodor]

Yes, as a sole trader your house is at risk if you go bump, but only if you end up owing more than you can pay.

As a sole trader you are not entitled to any sick pay unless you jpin some sort of insurance scheme, and they usually only kick in after a certain amount of time.

You would be entitled to maternity allowance if you pay NI contributions, but only if you are not working and as a sole trader evenm if you employ someone else money coming in = working.