Beyond Redundancy: Setting up as a Sole Trader

For creative people going through redundancy and wanting to set up a business of their own.

Who's it aimed at?

If you've been employed, are going through redundancy and want to set up as self- employed, this is the course you can't afford to miss.

It's particularly aimed at creative people, production folk and anyone who feels like running for the hills when they hear the words 'tax return'.

No previous knowledge of self-employment is necessary. And it doesn't matter what kind of business you're setting up. It could be anything from consulting to dog grooming, production work to jewellery making.

What's the focus?

Setting up on your own is daunting when you've not done it before. So we go through ways to organise yourself, how to get to grips with the big changes coming up in taxation, and plenty of short cuts so that you can hit the ground running.

Areas covered include:

• why self-employment is different from employment
• why a sole trader is different from a limited company
• separating out your personal and business finances
• what is tax and national insurance
• paperwork you need to keep (and how to keep it without going mad)
• getting ready for Making Tax Digital: digital record keeping
• how not to run out of cash
• understanding your market
• how not to work too hard

What resources will I get?

You'll get templates and downloads aplenty so that you're not wasting your precious time and can focus on being great at the fun stuff. And everything’s online for you.

Who's the trainer?

David Thomas has been running his famous 'setting up as a sole trader' courses for redundant staff for 13 years. Clients include the BBC, ITV and indies. David understands what you're going through. He set up his own small business after 22 years of employment at the BBC.

It can be done!

Cancellation Policy

We appreciate that when circumstances change you may no longer be able to attend a training course you have already booked and paid for.

While we will always try our best to accommodate any alterations to your plans, the BECTU sector of Prospect has a standard cancellation policy which is as follows:

Individual bookings

• If you notify us by phone or email at least seven full days before the scheduled course date, you will not be charged and will be refunded in full any course fees you have paid.
• Cancellations that are less than seven full days before the course date will be charged at 50% of the total course fee, with 50% refunded. This is unless you can demonstrate extenuating circumstances.
• If you do not attend the course and/or fail to notify us in advance, you will be charged the full course fee.
• If you notify us by phone or email up to three days in advance of the course that you can no longer make the booked training, we can transfer you once to another course scheduled within the calendar year.
• We are unable to reimburse any non-transferable travel or accommodation expenses that may arise from a course being rescheduled or cancelled.

Bulk bookings (two or more tickets booked)

• If you notify us by phone or email at least 14 full days before the scheduled course date, you will not be charged and will be refunded in full any course fees you have paid.
• For any cancellation you make that is less than 14 full days before the course date, you will be charged 50% of the total course fee, with 50% refunded ­­­­- unless you can demonstrate extenuating circumstances.
• If you do not attend the course and/or fail to notify us in advance you will be charged the full course fee.
• If you notify us by phone or email seven days in advance of the course that you can no longer make the booked training, we can transfer you once to another course scheduled within the calendar year.
• We are unable to reimburse any non-transferable travel or accommodation expenses that may arise from a course being rescheduled or cancelled.

BECTU sector reserves the right to cancel courses without liability. However, where possible, delegates will be offered an alternative date or a full refund.

BECTU is a sector of Prospect, and provides training courses for members and non-members. In accordance with guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Prospect is a “data controller” for the purposes of your personal data. The Vocational training course privacy notice can be downloaded here

Prospect is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with our obligations under the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

The data that you have provided or your company has provided is to fulfil our contractual obligations, and the processing of the data supplied by you is necessary for the performance of the contract to which you have entered into with Prospect/BECTU.

The personal data we would like to collect from you are:

• Name
• Contact Details
• Email
• Union membership number
• Qualifications
• Age
• Language

The personal data we collect will be used for the following purposes:

• Administration of the online booking process
• To contact you regarding any matter arising from your booking or attendance at the course.
• To distribute a student list to the course tutor
• To keep a record of course attendance by the completion of sign in sheets

The special categories of personal data we collect are:

• Race
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Disability
• Trade union membership

We will use this data to fulfil our contractual obligations, and the processing of the data supplied by you is necessary for the performance of the contract to which you have entered into with Prospect/BECTU.