To wonder how many of you employ yourself and if not why not?

[girlfriend44]

Instead of trying to get someone else to employ you, and have the worry of applying for work, interviews, and all the other things that go with working is there a reason why you don't work for yourself?

There are lots of positives to it and you don't need to rely on anyone else?
If you don't self employ why not?

I am a radiographer. I can’t carry or afford the machinery I would need

I do not have the spoons to do all that. I just about have enough to make things.
I made toys but all the CE stuff and the new rules about selling to the EU. It is not worth it, and I can't deal with it anyway.
One day, I would like to make my own patterns and possibly sell them. It seems a more passive way to get income from crafts. But right now I can't even brush my teeth on a regular basis.

I'd love to go into business for myself, but I don't think I'd have a fucking clue about running a business. The legalities, getting clients and marketing, pricing, sorting out the accounts and tax returns, just even how to run it. I just don't think I'm clever enough in that sense and I'd drop the ball.
I'm great at my job and have a lot of experience and expertise. I could do a shit ton more in the private sector, enjoy it too. But starting a business is terrifying and I'd just feel so out of my depth, and I'm at a time in my life I just can't give my all to my career (little kids) so I'll stick with my shitty unhappy but very secure NHS job for now!

I know a sole trader managed to pay a mortgage etc

Yes I do, and wild horses couldn't drag me back into working for someone else

Because if I did my boss would definitely be an arsehole

OMG, mine too.

1. I just don’t want to
2. Civil Service pension is great 👍
3. Great annual leave
4. Sick leave- 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay
5. Ability to work from home
6. No need to ‘hustle’ for work. I can just do my job and finish for the day.

Because it's actually really difficult to make a living from a small business. Been there, done that for 14 years.
Because some of us have to keep the NHS, education system etc going.
Smug post OP?

I used to do Business Coaching and far too many people take the opposite view to you unfortunately
They think having a skill or experience in an area means that they can start a business doing it but its just not that simple.
You see it so often with tradies, they look at their day rate and then what the boss charges and think "I could do that". Ends badly far too often

Because I would rather stick pins in my eyes than have to constantly be on the ‘hustle’- lead generation, networking and sales are my idea of hell!

Because I like the security of sick pay, holiday pay, working in a team of people who pick up each other work if someone is off...benefits like private healthcare which can work out cheaper to buy in a group rather than individually. The certainty of what I'm going to be paid each month

A high proportion of new small businesses fail within about 3 years.

It is not easy. You can employ yourself, but you can't pay yourself until your customers pay you, and before you get to that stage, you have to go out and find some customers who actually want to pay for what you are offering.

I have been self-employed in the past and am looking to start up again in the future (currently off work due to long term illness). The reason I haven’t been for the bulk of my career is because self-employment in my field isn’t really a thing. You need to be attached to an organisation for prestige and indemnity reasons to acquire projects. There aren’t freelancers who do specifically what I do. It just has never been a thing. I’m looking to make a career change because I’m burnt out, so then I will start up my own business again.

Dh is self employed (company director with about 5 FT staff). One thing I would say is that I think there are 2 reasons more people aren’t self employed (and that’s probably a good thing).

One is that you actually need business skills. Dh has a degree in business, not in the field he works in. Lots of people know how to graft, but they don’t know how to develop a business plan, how to network, social media marketing and content creation, basic accounting and HR, conflict resolution, nor the first thing about employment law. That’s the stuff that makes the difference between a little side hustle for play money and running a company with £1 million of turnover a year.

Beyond that, it’s also potentially quite risky. I’ve recently been going through cancer treatment and I haven’t worked since June of last year and don’t expect I’ll be able to work until I finish treatment in December at the earliest. Because I’m employed, I have until recently been paid my full salary. If this had been Dh, yes, he’d probably be able to do some low key admin work, but the company would have really suffered. We have critical illness cover, but that doesn’t cover cancer unless it’s end stage. There is no fallback. Things for us would be a whole lot more tenuous if it was dh rather than me with the big C.

Because my working life involves dealing with highly unusual and complex circumstances, billions of pounds and the consequent levels of interest those supply. Running a one (wo)man band just really wouldn't have the same appeal, even if I do wish I had that flexibility sometimes.

Why I don’t……the main ones would be: hard to get employed in my industry without being on a framework contract, I hate marketing and sales type work, I need a guaranteed income as I live on my own and have a mortgage and bills to pay. See also paid annual leave, company pensions schemes and benefits such as private medical cover.

I’ve been self employed for a while now and earn more than when I was employed but it took a couple of years to get used to the fact that there wouldn’t be a regular wage coming in every month. I love my work and love being self employed, but it’s not for everyone. You need quite a lot of self confidence in your own ability to solve problems otherwise it would be too stressful.

I’m self employed and my colleagues annoy me on a daily basis. Lack of security is stressful! And lots of responsibility! Sadly it’s really hard to do my job on an employed basis.

I’m thinking of pivoting to a new career advising the unsuspecting public about the pitfalls of frozen mash. I’ve spotted a gap in the market and I’m hugely optimistic for success!

When self employed, most people have to rely on more than one person in order to get paid. In a lot of cases, a lot more than one person.

Due to COVID I'm back in employment, rather than being fully self-employed. (I still do some work self-employed, but it's much less than what it was). There's a lot of positives for being employed too.

I’m a teacher so I couldn’t do my role without being employer, or I’d be a tutor.

What are you selling, op?

People say it’s less secure but surely the opposite is true. In a job you have one “client” your employer. If they make you redundant that’s it, if you are self employed there are lots of clients if one doesn’t like you there are plenty more. So actually it’s less risky.

Errr because some professions you can’t go it alone ? Self employed teacher springs to mind 🤣. Or nurse. Also I like having colleagues …

I don’t think I could stick it if another adult
told me whether I was allowed to go on holiday or not.