You and your client
Better Self-Employment Guidelines
CARBS research in 2017 showed us that people starting out in hands-on trades and services can get into difficulty through lack of guidance suited to their needs. To help agencies and institutions advising those thinking of self-employment, we’re sharing our experience of where things can go wrong.
2. You and Your Client
YOU
Are fairly new to self-employment and finding your way. You understand the basic rules that you are not covered by the protections of employment law and have to provide for your own holidays, insurance, sickness pay and much else beside. You have the skills to make it work and also the drive and enthusiasm. This is all good.
But have you thought how you present yourself to a potential client?
Maybe….
- Think what is it you offer and what sort of jobs you can take on.
- Self–employment can be lonely. Have you got someone who has been around and you can talk over the odd problem when it occurs?
- Think what specialist extra help you might want to work alongside your own special skills on some jobs. Have you got contacts you can call on with the required skills?
- Are you comfortable with what is required with record keeping and correspondence? Do you need support here, maybe from the family or friend? Don’t rule out using an accountant. They can save you money as well as advising on how your business is going.
- Think how to find work, how to advertise, how to get known.
Know the law on consumer rights.
You are a Trader and your Client is a Consumer. What you provide must meet following conditions:
- The end product matches what was required ,
- Expected quality of end product,
- Fitness for purpose
Now you are ready. Let’s think what the Client wants.
YOUR CLIENT
Expectations
Clients vary but they expect to be treated fairly and not taken for granted. They look for an open transparent approach in discussions and the work itself, all together with
- Competence/ appropriate skills and experience,
- Good communications. Not to be patronised.
- Job, on time, no surprises on billing. With Job complete and the place left clean and tidy with no bits and pieces around.
How to respond
- Open personal presentation from initial contact onwards
- Assess the job, uncertainties and how to deal with them What do you need from the client? Are you going to bring in any help?
- Make sure you have enough information on what the client wants. Discuss practicalities
- Estimates, Avoid if possible – you would prefer to give a quote.
- Quotations – essentially the contract – Acceptance Confirmation and timetable commitment Billing, Records.
Types of Client
You may need to assess what sort of client you are dealing with and how to treat them. Clients may be:
- Uncertain:-Not sure what they want- need guidance – They may be just fishing. Show them what you have done before.
- Good:- Have done some homework. May need help with choices but reasonably informed
- Difficult:- Mind changers mid job. Too many voices. Who are you dealing with? Who is paying?
- Unreliable/Untrustworthy:-Disagreements on quality or completeness, refusal to pay or offer of part payment for properly completed work. Misuse of consumer law.
3) Avoid Risk.
- Keep records to avoid misunderstandings and being taken for granted or even a ride. These should comprise all correspondence (hard copies from e-mails in a job file) from first contact to quotation and correspondence on any changes agreed.
- Keep a record of progress of work with dates and, if felt necessary, photos of work done particularly if dealing with a difficult client or one that keeps changing his or her mind.
- Good records help you to keep control, act as a quality check and make sure you have all the information if you are challenged on completion on the make-up of your final account.
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