Business Busyness - The jobs roles of a small trader.
Being a sole trader is hard! It is amazing just how many people you need to be, how many new roles you have to learn to play. In this blog post I will attempt to cover a few of them to give you an idea into the behind the scenes roles you don't normally get to see.
“I'm just a jewellery designer” right? Wrong! Before I even get to pick up my tools I have to become around 15 different people!
DIPLOMAT – To become a sole trader (which you have to do if you plan to sell ANYTHING you have created) you first have to register with HMRC – cue first new role – Diplomat! Dealing with HMRC can be like banging your head against a brick wall, nothing is easy (especially their website), but on the rare occasion you find a helpful member of their customer service team DO NOT let them off the phone until you have asked every question you can think of. The diplomat role is also very usefully for when you are your own customer service team!
INSURANCE BROKER – To sell your items you must have public liability insurance. This covers you if someone trips over at your stall, hurts themselves on a damaged item etc. Fingers crossed you will never have to use it but it also helps knowing it's there ' just in case'. On top of this most events now require you to have your own cover before allowing you to trade with them. Please make sure you do proper research into the different types of cover before you finally settle on one suitable for you and your needs.
ACCOUNTANT – So I'm registered with HMRC and have insurance, I can just pick up my pliers and play now? Nope! Here is where I need to become an accountant. Doing account books is a must as at the end of each tax year you will need to do a tax return. ALL incomings and outgoings need to be recorded, from purchasing stock and website fees to selling even the smallest of items.
SECRETARY - Events co-ordinator, phone calls, answering e-mails, custom order quotes, ordering advertising items like business cards and fliers are just a few things that come under this job role and it takes up to 2 hours of my working day sometimes!
SOCIAL MEDIA CO-ODINATOR AND ADVERTISING OFFICER - Yes, that's another 2 hours or so a day gone! This is your free advertising and it is extremely time consuming. If you don't have a strong online presence you don't get seen and if you don't get seen you don't make sales! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, a Blog and contacting magazines are just a few of the things you will need to master for this role.
WEBSITE DESIGNER - Yes you can pay someone to create a website for you but a lot of sole traders cannot afford this option ( I know I couldn't). Over the years I have tried over 5 different design programmes and host providers and I've never been 100% happy with any of them. It is not just a case of creating a site and leaving it to its own devices either. Websites need updating constantly. Loading new items, new photographs, learning about labelling your pieces properly and using ALT tags so they can be found by search engines... there goes another couple of hours a week!
SET DRESSER AND PHOTOGRAPHER – This role is one of the ones I find particularly hard. Finding a style that makes your photographs stand out in an eyecatching manner for all the right reasons is hard going. It took me 4 years to decide on my layout and background. Then you have to become an editor as well! By the time I have set up, taken photographs and edited them that's over 20 minutes per item (on a good day). I try to set aside a whole day a week for photography sessions if I can.
DESIGNER – Yes! I can finally pick up pencil, paper, wire and tools to begin actually making items of jewellery! This is what I actually created the business to do! The design and creating process can take anything from 20 minutes to 3 months depending on the complexity and design of the piece but I still need to learn new roles here as well. Stock control, ordering items to make designs, tool maintenance to name a few. Not to mention the nightmare that is pricing your finished work!
SALES CLERK - My absolute least favourite role! Selling an item you have created is not easy. Valuing your time and skill is something the general public struggle with due to todays throw away culture. If you are not a brand they recognise (like Swarovski or Beaver Brooks) they will struggle with higher price points. A lot of people just do not class handcrafted items in the same manner as they do these expensive large brand, mass produced companies. In the past I have had people tell me that a sterling silver handcrafted chain necklace with Rubies was too expensive at £210. - This necklace actually took me over 20 hours to make, never mind the cost of my materials. Thankfully I now get this type of customer a lot less as I have learnt to pick my target market and events much better now.
I did say there was a lot to do didn't I?
That's now long past my allotted social media time for today (over 2 hours gone planning and writing this post already) and I really do need to go do some of my mummy duties as well before I can start on a few new pieces.
Hopefully this has given you a small insight into the mayhem that is my life and if it helps you with any small business plans you have please let me know.
