To want to quit self employment and go back to being employed?

[Confused2018]

Just that really.

I’m tired, tired of working 7 days a week to make this business work. It is working and I have been lucky that it’s been relatively successful in a fairly short period of time (18 months) but it is such hard work.

I have had 5 days off in the last 18 months, I even worked Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Whilst my wage is okay it’s not great and I can’t take on anything else myself to increase if as I’m too busy, yet don’t have the funds to be able to take anyone else on. I have looked into it and spoken to other people in my field who have done it and they said, realistically they had to give the new recruit half their business/ wage for around 6 months before they got their diary full. That’s on top of paying them a pension and mileage allowance each month. There’s just no way I could do it.

The job itself I don’t mind the majority of the time but it’s the customer side of things that’s grating me recently. I’m very lucky in that I do have a lot of lovely customers but trying to keep them all happy every single day is stressing me out and making me ill.

I’m tired of not being able to afford to take holiday (or if I can stressing trying to find cover for the business) I’m tired of always worrying about what would happen if I became ill (again no one to cover and no income for me) I’m tired of trying to keep everyone happy all of the time yet often making myself miserable in the process. And I’m tired of always worrying about money because my wage fluctuates each month.

I never thought I’d say this but I’m fairly lonely too some of the time. I do miss having colleagues and a laugh each day.

But how on earth id go about going back into employment I don’t know. I’ve always gotten on well in every job I’ve done and have good references (or should) but I have job hopped a bit. There are about 5 jobs (including my self employment) in the last 9 years on my CV as I haven’t really stayed with any one company for more than 2 years. That genuinely is because of redundancy once though and the others just through career progression but not within the same company.

I can’t go into too much detail re my self employment as it would be too outing but it’s not at all related to anything I’ve done before or anything I would be going back to.

I’m really struggling to think what to put as my reasons for not wanting to be self employed anymore. The reasons above aren’t really professional and I don’t know how to paint it in a positive light.

Has anyone left self employment to go back to paid employment but in a different sector?

Am I mad to be considering giving up my business?

[underneaththeash]

Its difficult to say without knowing what you do, but can you not just turn work down when you're too busy? If someone enquires, just say that you are currently not taking on new clients.
Make sure you take 2 days off a week and you book in a holiday.

I'm self-employed and I've said that many times over the last few years.

[BIWI]

Yes, I did it. Had my own business (albeit with a partner) for 15 years.

But things changed, and it was time to review what was going to work for me. And the insecurity of the self-employed world was less and less appealing (even if the freedom and flexibility was!).

I've been back in the world of the employed by 4 years now, and - mostly - it's great. Get paid every month, without fail. Don't have to worry about where the money's coming from, and I have the benefit of social interaction too.

I'm very firmly of the view that self-employment should be for your own benefit, and it sounds like it isn't (any more) for you - so definitely consider going back. I doubt any employer would see your experience as a negative thing, especially as you say your business is working.

Good luck

[hidinginthenightgarden]

Is it the kid of work where you could take on an apprentice, or someone to do admin just for a couple of hours a week to free up some time?

[PositivelyPERF]

You’re a dog sitter aren’t you, OP? 😬 I’m in the same boat, but ‘luckily’ 😒 I absolutely hated my job, by the time I left. I had one week off in two and a half years and I work 7 days a week. Recently I took on a flexi worker. They look after the business for a day or two every two or three weeks. I spend that day relaxing. Doing absolutely nothing work related. You.must.not. take that time off to catch up with work. Get a cleaner for an hour or two a week to do the jobs you hate. You don’t have to employ a full time worker.

[GetShitDone]

I started out employed
Then self employed for about 2 years
Then employed
Now self employed again, but in a very different role.

Both have their merits, both have their drawbacks.

As far as employing someone goes, could you get someone for after school, or casual hours - to help take the strain when you are busy, but with no set salary you have to meet?

[Confused2018]

I just feel so despondent if I’m honest. I feel like I’ll never be ‘employable’ again due to not sticking in one role for more than 2 years by the time I’m 30! I’ve only been self employed 18 months and I’m now wanting to jump ship from that.

Except if I could expand the business and get some help I wouldn’t, I would grow it and take a back seat from the actual ‘doing’ and just run the business from home.

I’m looking into potentially taking someone on part time but even just a few hours a day means a loss of about £700 a month for me. I’m just not sure I can shoulder that loss. I rang the local LEP today about the possibility of getting a small business grant, they are phoning me back tomorrow to discuss but I doubt I’ll have any luck there to be honest.

I feel like I’m stuck in self employment whereby I’m run ragged, working 7 days a week for not a great wage and no prospect of improving on that unless I expand, and on the other hand not employable as no employer would want me.

[RemainOptimistic]

I feel like I’ll never be ‘employable’ again due to not sticking in one role for more than 2 years by the time I’m 30!



I'm 32 and this applies to me, DH and more than half my friends. It's the new norm.

You say no employer would want you - how do you know that? Have you spoken to them all? sorry that was sarcastic. But you see what I'm getting at. You're going to need a change in mindset which is very hard to do when stressed and run down as you are. I'd say focus on self care before you try to take any other actions.

Temp agencies can be a great way back into conventional employment. Not saying it's easy or pleasant but if you're willing to make the most of an assignment it will get you back on track.

[lanbro]

How about registering with the job centre to offer work experience? No cost to you but job seekers get to build their cv.

I've worked for myself for 6 years, things have been up and down over the years. I now have 2 businesses, stbxh runs one and I run the other. It's bloody hard work, long hours, lots of responsibility but the pros outweigh the cons for me. I can do the school run, go to events, performances etc. I couldn't imagine working for someone else even tho it's sometimes a struggle.

Make a list of pros and cons

[Ladybird11]

I suppose it's weighing up if taking someone on is an opportunity to bring in more work and therefore have the costs of staff covered by the extra work; the extra work also making you some money after you've paid the staff and therefore reducing the hours that you personally have to work to bring home the same amount?...
Self employed here too.. I'm used to having staff for admin and find I get caught up in things like that a lot.. about 2.5 years in.. and only now finding my groove.. but hate not being sure what I'll have on my books each month. I suppose in time I'll have some security.
Remind yourself of the benefits of SE. And if you can't see any just now, maybe it's time to think smarter about diversifying, how you market yourself etc.. smarter and not harder. Life is hard enough..
Hugs.. 👭

[GetShitDone]

You don't need to hire someone for a few hours a day though. Initially you maybe need to look at your work life balance, what would make a difference? I think getting two days off a week would be a great start. Could you get someone in for two days a week for maybe 3 or 5 hours or whatever it would need, so that, once you know they are up to speed, you could have those days off? That wouldn't cost 700 per month, maybe half that. They wouldn't earn enough for you to have to pay either employers NI or pension contributions (although they may be entitled to join a work pension if they choose to).

The fact that you get some downtime will help your energy levels while you are working to be able to put more effort into expanding your business and maybe getting more hours for your employee(s).

Compare how much you get paid per hour by your clients to how much you would have to pay someone else (adding in 12ish percent to their hourly rate to take into account holiday pay, and to future proof it maybe add in employers NI and pension contributions). Is there enough of a gap to make it worth building a business getting others to do that work so you can focus on business building and managing employees (while still doing some of the work yourself, especially initially)?

It sounds like you want to keep the business going ideally, so you need to sit down and do the calculations. Yes, it's a faff, but until you do that you won't know if it's doable.

[DoooooWhoop]

Did you decide in the end what to do?

I'm self employed and in the same position. Not too sure what to do.