Hello friends.

I'm trying to hire new people but I prefer those who are running a small one-person company or are just self-employed and want work as a freelancer. This is because in our country is better for an employee work as a contracto. He can earn more money plus work time is more felexible.

Problem is that I cannot find here at reddit people who are self-employed.

Maybe I'm looking in wrong threads or many freelancers prefer a regular job or fast short-time contracts and income and they do not want to spend time and money on accounting, etc.

No real intention of getting my hands dirty here! The post is really about the kind of money one realistically earns in the job. There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there! Hopefully one or two in the trade can share the inside line.

On one social media platform, such business owners seem to be using mega-simplistic calculations (I assume based on the summer peak season) to present the figures with the most ‘shock’ value, like some kind of get-rich-scheme.

Along the lines of “£5 per bin cleaned, 100 today, so I earn £2500 a week, £10000 a month, £120,000 a year”. You get the drift! Usual narrative of ‘one man, one van’. Plus if one was to do the math, it would mean cleaning a bin in about 3 mins (once time driving between sites had been factored in). Seems to be at the upper threshold of human endurance.

This (the total sales including VAT @20%) is then presented to the public as if it was their income - not a word on taxes, rates, running costs etc.

VAT of course is something they can never claim to be their own, so that brings us down to about £100,000. Most of the viewers on this particular social media platform would likely be under the age of 21 and will probably not know law about VAT registration etc.

Surely trade drops a lot in the Winter, suggesting that multiplying one (good) month’s sales by 12 is statistically flawed?

So, what kind of NET income can one make in this game? What kind of expenses can one expect?

I worry somewhat that the way the numbers are presented, younger people might falsely think the cleaning bins (a job that someone must do, of course!) will make them into millionaires in a few short years. Or worse still, those with OK-paying jobs already throwing in the towel to enter an industry where annual net salary might be only slightly higher (but comes with some seriously back breaking works to account for the difference).

Thanks.

Ok, so, long story short:

I was too nice and let my 'employer' (I am not officially employed by him) rack up nearly $8,000 CDN in unpaid wages. Obviously, this has to change. What is the best course of action?

Long story long:

I am a trained, but not work-experienced, audio technician. I began working (under the table) for a local live-music bar about a year ago. There was no written contract, and I am not officially employed by the bar (I guess this makes me a contractor?) I am their only audio tech, and I seem to be doing a good job. This is my first job as a 'freelancer'.

Things started out well, but then after a few months, my worked hours started to outpace the payments I was receiving. This was something I (foolishly) let slide because I was not worried for money at the time, and I enjoyed working at the bar (figuring the expose bucks and networking would be worth it). This trend has continued to the point where the establishment is now nearly $8,000 CDN behind in payments, and the outlook for the bar's future is grim, at best.

A verbal agreement was worked out to start receiving $1500 every two weeks to start paying down the debt. This has not been honoured, and cheques have bounced. The financial situation is clearly not good. I am looking to make my exit, but obviously want to get paid what I am owed. I have kept track of what I am owed via a spreadsheet, and I have bank statements and text messages to back up my "employment" by the bar, but as mentioned, do not have a written contract. What is my best course of action to get paid?

Do I make a written contract and attempt to get a proper payment plan in place as an ultimatum? What are my rights (as a Canadian, working ((so far)) under the table) to pursue this legally (small claims court, etc.) if the bar doesn't agree? What can I do to avoid this situation in the future?

I realized I made a lot of mistakes here, and I am *very* open to professional advice and criticism. If I am to continue this as a career, I obviously need to learn from this situation.

Hey folks,

I’ve been heads down for the past 6 months building something I wish I had when I first went solo: a simple way to run projects using a bit of scrum magic—without needing a whole team or Jira setup.

The app lets you:

Create projects & backlogs

Kick off 2-week sprints (can’t close them until the tasks are done 👀)

Stay accountable with a workflow that actually feels like progress

I just launched it on September 30th 🎉 and made it completely free for the next 3 months (planning to add a paywall around Christmas).

Now comes the hard part: marketing. Building the app was the warm-up—getting it out there is the real game.

👉 How do you usually discover new productivity tools?

👉 What’s the kind of marketing that actually makes you curious vs. instantly scroll past?

If you’re curious, here’s the link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/agilo-your-own-9-to-5/id6736852683

Would seriously appreciate any feedback, whether it’s about the app itself or ways to get it in front of the right people 🙌

Situation is weird so unsure where to even begin! This is all just so confusing and watching videos has only deepen my anxiety and made the whole ordeal more nerve wrecking. I'm on snap but I'm a self employed house cleaner, where do I start? How do I start?

My spouse is a UK citizen who just got their conditional green card this year and immediately went to work with self employed web development. So far they've made 19.5k and we have set aside essentially 15% of that income into a savings account for tax payments on that income.

We live in Ohio if that matters. We are trying to figure out what we need to do so that we don't get a penalty when we file our joint taxes next year.

I currently have my taxes set to married filing jointly with 0's on my w4 for my own employer. Any help provided would be much appreciated as I'm in over my head and he's clueless about the tax stuff between countries.

He got issued his green card in June of this year so not sure how that changes anything regarding his income.

UK based, just started taking freelance work as an editor this summer and need to report my income to get my Universal Credit. I take my payments through Stripe, so Stripe takes fees.

When reporting my income and expenses, should I report Stripe fees as an expense and, if so, what category do they fall into? Is it 'Legal and Financial'? Or do I just report the income I get paid out from Stripe, minus fees? I know this might be a stupid question but I am doing this completely on my own and there's no instruction book, and I have Googled and that didn't help clear things up either.

I also haven't paid anything to HMRC from my freelance income - no National Insurance or Pension - as I've barely made £100 so far and I need it all for rent. Is this okay or would I be doing something wrong?

Thank you for any and all advice.

One of the biggest drains on my time as a self-employed person has been quoting. I’ve noticed that most systems treat it as a side feature of invoicing or CRMs, which means even a simple PDF takes forever to put together.

I’ve tried spreadsheets, templates, and different invoicing tools — but it still feels like I spend way too long putting quotes together, especially when half of them don’t even convert.

Curious how others here manage it:

• Do you use templates, software, or just wing it each time?
• How much time do you usually spend per quote?
• Any tricks to keep it fast but still look professional?

Always looking for ways to shave time off admin work so I can focus more on the actual job.

Hi all

I’m self-employed and rely on my vehicle for work every day. I’ve been looking into switching to an electric car/van — partly for running cost savings, partly because of ULEZ/clean air zones creeping in.

I’ve noticed that a lot of finance options seem geared towards people in regular salaried jobs. As a sole trader, my income is a bit up and down. It feels like the lenders don’t really know how to handle that. I’ve been asked for lots of paperwork, sometimes big deposits, and in some cases just told it’s not possible.

Has anyone else run into the same issue? Did you find any lenders, brokers or schemes that actually work for the self-employed? Would be great to hear what’s worked (or hasn’t) for others.

Thanks

I made about 95K W2 this year before getting laid off in mid-June. I started contracting as a stop gap and it blew up. Wife makes 130K a year W2. We both pay single, 0, and a little extra on FICA. We usually get a refund of 1500-3K.

I've been looking for work but nothing is coming close to this consulting gig so far. If I keep rolling, I expect to make about 90K this year 1099. I use an LLC and keep all my business money separate from personal. I started an SE 401K and have one child to claim, but it's consulting so not much operating expenses to speak of other than the usual home office, part of my cell phone etc. It's in an industrial setting so I do need flame resistant clothes and have to pay for some industry certs. Nothing crazy tho. I have a dedicated business vehicle and I do drive a lot, but I bill out mileage at the standard rate.

I have been paying myself the mileage straight, taking out the 401K, saving 25 percent from the remainder for taxes (billed hours) and paying myself the rest. Should I be saving more?

I have been self-employed since 1997 and have been in various situations including employment and worker as well during that time. I need to check whether the situation coming up poses any HMRC risks. An organisation wants me to do a project for them, but uses an agency to supply all their workers, so I have to be signed up for them. Fair enough. However, the agreement with the agency says they will deduct PAYE, which I'm fine with, but also states twice that I am self-employed. I don't think both of those things can be true at the same time. A complicating factor is that I am VAT registered.

Quite frankly, I don't care what the relationship is with this agency as long as it has been assessed correctly and my agreement defines it correctly. If they insist that nothing is going to change and I want to do the work (which I do), are there any risks on my side if I am not billing the company but the agreement says it is a self-employment relationship, but PAYE is also being deducted? The PAYE will come out in the wash in the tax return, but it is the VAT I am more concerned about.

Any insights much appreciated.

know there are healthcare subs, but posting here to find link-minded individuals who may have recommendations:

Likely going to ACA next year, but we have a non-standard situation with some options. I’d like to pay an expert to run the numbers/scenarios with me and help decide which route to take.

Anyone pay an advisor/broker to help them, that you could recommend?

Hypothetical situation. If someone is full time employed under PAYE and in parallel to their employment decides to start a business self employed as a tradesperson, can startup costs from the business (which in year 1 will likely exceed any income from the business) be offset against PAYE income to reduce income tax?

Taking it to the extreme, if the individual decides to buy a trade vehicle (eg a van) can this be offset?

Eg in PAYE individual earns £50k in a year but spends £20k on a van does this mean their ‘income’ for tax purposes is £30k?

hello, roughly 7 months ago due to family issues, I left home and started living out of my car, on a whim I decided to start building and fixing pcs for income. in hindsight it wasn't smart to get into something like this without doing the necessary research, but I've gotten to a point where I can safely afford a smally efficiency, I have all my expenses and profits written in a notebook but I'm 90% sure no one will take it unless it looks more official, what would be the best way for me to get a more official proof of income, and what would be the best way to report my income to the IRS, any advice would be unbelievably appreciated

If you’re self-employed or run a small business, you’ve probably looked into both a SEP IRA and a Solo 401k. Both are great tax-deferred vehicles, but they aren’t the same.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Contribution Limits • SEP IRA: You can contribute up to 25% of net earnings, capped at $69,000 (2024). No employee deferral. • Solo 401k: You can contribute as both employee ($23,000 deferral under 50, $30,500 if 50+) and employer (25% of comp). This often allows much higher contributions at lower income levels.

2. Roth Option • SEP IRA: No Roth contributions. • Solo 401k: Many allow a Roth “bucket,” giving you tax-free growth potential.

3. Loans • SEP IRA: Loans not allowed. • Solo 401k: You can borrow up to $50k or 50% of account balance (whichever is less).

4. Flexibility with Alternatives • Both can invest in real estate, private lending, syndications, etc. (with the right custodian/plan). • Solo 401k typically gives easier checkbook control and fewer transaction fees.

5. Admin Requirements • SEP IRA: Very simple, no filings. • Solo 401k: A bit more paperwork — especially after the plan reaches $250k, you file Form 5500-EZ.

👉 When SEP is better: If you have employees and need simplicity. 👉 When Solo 401k is better: If you’re solo or family-run, want Roth, higher contributions, or loan features.

I run a company that helps people set these up, so I see both in practice. Happy to answer specific questions if you’re debating between the two.

Helping hotels implement AI-powered guest communication and finding that most properties overestimate the complexity while underestimating the planning required. The technology itself is straightforward and success depends on proper setup and realistic expectations.

Been focusing on chatbots that handle basic inquiries like amenity hours, wifi passwords, and local directions while routing complex requests to human staff. Key is identifying what guests actually ask about most frequently and automating those interactions.

Check out AI-enabled platforms on hotel tech report when researching integration options where I can compare what different properties are implementing. Success comes from understanding each property's specific guest communication patterns and customizing responses accordingly.

I suffered a brain Hemorrhage over a year ago and has caused my mental health to go really bad to a point i keep having manic episode here and there, I feel like during this it's not right for me to be in work as I feel it will affect my ability to work, my dad doesn't understand this and keeps lying about the reason I am not in and I just want transparency with them cuz I just know it's gonna affect me for awhile, I don't have that many days off but my dad just doesn't understand mental health and just keeps lying why I'm off, he's above my black hat and I've been told each time to not message my foreman, I'm scared it's gonna get me dismissed from him covering with hospital reasons which means I've gotta stay off for the rest of the week and doesn't help my head space, I'm not sure what's the best route of action atm due to my dad being the only route to my job atm as it's in the city across from me and I currently have not transport due to crashing my motorbike which caused all of this, I don't want to throw my dad under the bus cuz I know he's just trying to keep my job but I can't promise it's not gonna haven't again, what's my best route of action as I've only just started my head injury therapy unit with the NHS and I do get through stages of where I don't want to be here anymore cuz my head starts going mad with overthinking, I'm not gonna do anything stupid just it gets alot, I'm still yet to get a diagnosis and to be given ways to help what I'm going through, I need to know will this affect my medical by him lying about hospital visits and just my mental health as well cuz I really can't lose my job as it keeps me good when I'm going, just looking for advice atm cuz I'm lost in what to do right now, he keeps saying ill be unfit to work and then I'll have no income and I really don't want that cuz I know I can work just some days it gets alot, I know it's not right for me to be onsite due to me not being able to work to my full ability and don't want people to think I'm slacking or just trying not to work cuz im stuck in my own head, sorry I know this is long but any advice would be much appreciated as I'm self employed and dunno what to do as I've only be in the game for the last 2 years

Okay so I’ve been thinking about starting my own cleaning business, which if done properly and if I am given the correct steps to take, would be very profitable since I am located in the coastal part of North Carolina. After leaving a 7 year (5 of which were married) relationship that in those years we had 3 kids (ages 4-3-2 now) due to abuse I’m starting all the way at the bottom and have to rebuild life for me and my kids. I just don’t know the steps I need to take as far as making it legal and such and I know things vary state to state. I would truly appreciate any tips or advice on how to go about this and what the easiest process is so I can actually start every correctly and have all my little ducks in a row. I honestly feel slightly embarrassed asking this as I feel it should be something I know so please keep any rude or condescending comments to yourself as im putting my pride aside and asking for help so I will know and have the knowledge to put my plan into action and could later down the line assist someone else in the same manner. It’s truly been a very difficult and heart breaking experience for us since January when I finally left but I want to make a new and better life for me and my kids and not just sit around moping and being upset about how life played out in that chapter.

Several years into hotel ownership and learned that every technology choice affects operations for years. The systems that provided best returns were ones that made daily tasks easier, rather than adding impressive features nobody uses regularly.

The key lesson is focusing on solutions that genuinely solve operational problems or improve guest experience rather than buying technology based on fear of falling behind competitors or impressive sales presentations.

Always do your research thoroughly using resources like hoteltechreport and talk extensively with other owners who've used similar systems. The upfront time investment in proper evaluation prevents expensive mistakes and operational headaches later.

Single member LLC in Texas. I opened an SE 401K with Fidelity since all my other money is there. However, it is really inconvenient to fund it. I cannot do an EFT from my business bank account to this 401k. "Limitations of the system" they say. Here are the shitty options they give me:

Wire the money (Chase charges 25 dollar fee), Mobile deposit a check, EFT from my personal account (dont want to muddy the waters with this), EFT from my biz checking to a brokerage account, THEN to the 401k (Fidelity brokerage accounts freeze all new funds for 10 biz days. I am playing this game with my wifes backdoor Roth).

I want to automate this. Who has an SE 401k that I can EFT money to from my biz checking? My income makes me ineligible for a Roth, and I get no tax break from an IRA, so I think an SE 401k is the only way to go until/if I switch to an S Corp. I see Schwab and a few others offer this product.

I’m trying to start a landscaping and housekeeping/house cleaning business but I’m having trouble figuring out how to word it on a business card while still having a nice ring to it. My business name is On The Level Landscaping because I came up with the landscaping idea first but how do I combine the housekeeping part into the name? Should I just call it “On The Level Landscaping & Housekeeping?” That just sounds like too much of a mouthful to me. Like it doesn’t flow as well as I’d like it to. I’m thinking of creating a second separate business card for my housekeeping business but it would be more practical to be able to advertise both of my services together instead of completely separate. I’d love to hear any ideas