Working for yourself
The Ups and Downs of Self Employment
Ups
- You can get great satisfaction from succeeding with your business ideas.
- You have the independence of being your own boss
- You could make a lot of money
- There is advice and funding available to help you with your ideas
Downs
- To be successful you may have to work very long hours
- Stress levels can be high
- You risk losing everything if the business fails
- There is a lot of paperwork to do - eg tax returns - whatever the business
Enterprise
Being enterprising is simply about turning good ideas into a reality, so if you've had an idea that you think could go somewhere there are some organisations that can help you get started.
Would you like to run your own company?
Young Enterprise programmes help young people to learn about business and enterprise through real life experience. This includes the chance to set up and run your own company.
Go to the Young Enterprise website for more information.
Do you want to make a difference in your community?
If you've got an idea for a project that could benefit your community then UnLtd wants to help you. UnLtd is a charity which supports social entrepreneurs by providing a complete package of funding and support.
Want to find out more? Visit The UnLtd website
Get help to explore and test your business idea
The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme supports unemployed young people aged 18-30 to work out if their business ideas are viable and whether self-employment is right for them. To find out more visit the Prince's Trust website.
Funding
Get a loan to start a business
If you are 18-30 you might be able to get a Start-up loan plus other support to get your business running. For more details visit the Start-up Loans website
Page updated 13/03/13
