By Small Business Team on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Setting up as a self-employed sole trader is the simplest way to start a business. Paperwork is generally minimal, accounting and record-keeping is fairly straightforward and the benefits of being your own boss are numerous.
When establishing a business on your own for the first time then, being a sole trader is the sensible legal entity to start.
How to become a sole trader
There’s not really a difference between being a sole trader and being self-employed. ‘Sole trader’ describes your business structure, while ‘self-employed’ is a way of saying that you don’t work for an employer or pay tax through PAYE. As a sole trader, you are the legal entity in your own right, employing people and entering into contracts. You have no limited liability; your own assets are at risk should the business fail.
Getting started
The first step to becoming a sole trader is to choose a name. Make sure you have chosen a name that’s not being used by any other business. If you do then they could stop you using it. With this in mind, it is worth considering registering your name as a