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Daunted but daring to dream
Page 66
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After a few quiet weeks starting up the company the truck is now working. I gave a short presentation to a local business and have now started regular work for them. I'd anticipated a quiet time in August, but perhaps not this quiet: by the middle of the month! started to wonder where work would come from:There was lots of money going out but nothing coming in!
Thankfully by the end of August things began to pick up and it was now time to start to think about taking someone on. I placed a vacancy with the Job Centre, but got very little re sponse, so I had to bite the bullet and pay for a small ad in our local paper The Shropshire Star. For two days the phone didn't stop ringing and I ended up with nearly 20 applicants.
I had experience of recruitment from my time with UCI Logistics so shortlisting down to four was not a problem.! went along to my local business development centre to secure a room for the day very helpful and very reasonable room rates and got ready. With one no show and two people I couldn't see myself working with, I made the choice. Ironically, the man! employed had actually applied via the Job Centre so I could have saved myself some money after all!
John has now started with me and we spent the first day getting all the paperwork completed. Taking someone on is a daunting prospect,not least because of the amount of red tape involved, although the Inland Revenue has been very helpful something you don't hear very often sending out a starter pack for new employers, which eased the concerns I had over National Insurance and tax deductions.
With an employee now on the books I had to be sure I had enough work for each week, after all I wasn't going to pay him to sit at home. I contacted a subcontractor I had used during my time with UCI who had previously promised me work when I started out. He has been as good as his word and reckons he can find work for the truck up to Christmas. Excellent. Or was it? Having just gained work from the local company for regular deliveries, someone else now wanted the truck all week.
Only one thing for it, get another truck. I decided to rent from a local company on a two-month deal with a possible extension for another two -I didn't want to commit to anything longer just in case things didn't go to plan and have now taken on my second vehicle.
The hardest thing at the moment is keeping on top of the paperwork.! try to update my income and outgoings sheets every two days, this should help when it comes to my first VAT return, but with driving at least three days a week this is proving a bit difficult at times.
So far, things are going very well and UCI have approached me to manage, on a self-employed basis, a local outbase they are setting up. If I take up this option! will have to employ a second driver, but it should prove profitable if things go to plan.And it proves you should never burn your bridges.
The Midlum has just been in for its first inspection, which went without trouble, and I've asked Staffs CV dealer Dave Watts to start looking for another vehicle for me.
With the finance deals offered by Renault and the decent service received so far, it will be worth sticking with the brand.•