Want To Become a Sole Trader? Consider These Steps

A sole trader is a self-employed individual who is the sole identity of his business making them the sole beneficiary of profits, total command over your company’s properties.

Why consider being a Sole Trader?

Those who want to start a small business and manage and run their own business registering as a sole trader are the best choice. Unlike other business models, it is the easiest and cheapest to set up as well as less time-consuming and stressful and comes with very few responsibilities. As a registered sole trader, your sole trader tax return will be linked with your tax returns and not as a separate business tax return.

Advantages

Along with the authority and freedom that comes with being your boss, this business model provides relative flexibility, versatility, and benefits. Here are a few benefits of being a sole trader.

1. Control: As a sole trader, you have complete leverage over your company and can run it however you want. You don’t have to consult other directors or shareholders, consider their opinions, or compromise your vision for the company.
2. Low setup costs: When forming a limited company, many opt for the services of a formation agent or a solicitor. But when starting your own business and being its sole trader, these additional costs are minimized if not removed entirely.
3. Simple accounting: As a sole trader, your accounting process is much simpler and cheaper than for a limited company. While you’ll always need to keep track of invoices and expenditures, you won’t need to file formal annual Financial Reports or a Corporate Tax Return. As a sole trader, you just have to file a personal self-assessing sole trader income tax return, which would contain information about your earnings from all your sole trader activities.
4. Profit retention: One added benefit is the profit you retain when you run the business on your own. No need to hire professionals to divide work or divide profits among shareholders.
5. Privacy: A limited company’s published accounts are open to the public, but a sole trader’s financial information is kept confidential. Competitors can have less chance to assess your business handlings and profit generation, being thus beneficial to you.

If you have what it takes to be a sole trader- the zeal, expertise, creative idea for new products, and the business sense required to stand out then you’re just one decision away from being one.

Even when being a sole trader has its benefits, owning your own company means that any decision that went wrong can put you out of business. Doing everything by yourself can have its boons and banes hence it is best to keep in mind that business requires a lot of evaluation so if you want yours to be successful and to stand out, you have to be careful and meticulous. Here are a few tips to help you be the best Sole Trader.

• Do your research

Every decision you take to every expense you make requires planning and research so why fall short when it comes to your own business? Starting a business isn’t tough these days, but starting one without proper research is calling for your doom.

The business world is tough and unforgiving and if you don’t have a good market strategy and unique products you will be forgotten. A few research tips will be to devise a strategy that entails researching your competitors and products similar to yours to get a brief idea of their market value and demand. Always start with a targeted audience and then branch out once you have established a successful business.

• Create a plan

Having a business plan is like maintaining a daily to-do list; helping you go about. Never start without a plan for your business as the risks of an unplanned venture is high. Your market plan should have your goals, business ideals, time frame, marketing strategy, and long-term plans.

It’s important to realize that a business plan isn’t just about getting your business off the ground with a simple vision of where you want to go; it’s also a valuable tool for guiding you through the various stages of your small business.

• Work on time management

Being able to successfully control your time is critical to being a good sole trader. With so many different facets of running a company to handle and organize, being able to manage your time effectively and prepare ahead is important. Make carefully timed schedules and learn to be stricter with yourself when it comes to committing to them.

• Research on law and regulations

As a sole trader, the place where you’re most likely to be prosecuted is if you’re not following the law. Several laws apply directly to sole traders, but the good news is that they are typically much less complicated and difficult to comply with than those that apply to larger businesses.

One thing to keep in mind is that you are solely responsible for correctly filing your tax return Perth each year. If you aren’t confident in doing it your own then do opt for hiring a good tax agent in Perth to carry out these tasks.

• Look for the best insurance policy

This is about giving yourself a sense of peace as a sole trader—having proper insurance coverage means you can focus on your job without worrying about what could happen if anything goes wrong. It’s important to find a good business insurance policy.

Take into consideration what your need for coverage is, and then examine any additional coverage you can need to ensure that your policy is as robust as possible. There are many excellent business insurance plans available, so browse around before you find the one that is right for you.

Final thoughts

Once you are sure of being a sole-trader then do go for it with a marketable product and an effective strategy. Remember to be in sync with technology and utilize every advantage the new age has provided to be successful.