Starting a cleaning business

[DangerousMouse]

What do I need to know about starting a cleaning business? Insurance and costs etc.

I would like to set up a company, with one employee. I will not be doing the cleaning myself but will run the financial/business side of things. I have the cleaner ready to go but what do I need to know as an employer?

I know this kind of business won't make me very much money, I'm mainly doing it for the lady I am employing, she can't do the paperwork/money side of things, so long as I break even I don't mind.

Why are you doing it at all? Seems very odd and making things more complicated than they need to be. Why doesn't the lady just register as self employed? Much easier all round.

Ok, didn't want to out myself, but maybe I need to give more info. It's for my Mum, she is severely dyslexic with massive self confidence issues, she can't do it herself. Like I said, so long as I don't lose money then I don't mind investing my time into doing this for her - and you never know, it might take off!

It would be easier if she were self employed and you just do all the money and HMARC stuff for her, rather than setting up a company with an employee

HMRC even!

Exactly. You set her up as self employed. Will be a hundred times simpler. All you have to do is make a phone call and then they talk you through what you need to do paperwork wise-you just do that for her.

If she is employed then her employer will need to get Employers Liability Insurance - a huge chunk of overhead that does not apply for the self-employed.