Working for Yourself: Running a Business, Starting a Company or Being Self-employed; Preface; Chapter 1: Is Self-employment right for you?; The advantages and disadvantages of self-employment; Reasons for choosing self-employment; Helpful character traits and attributes; Can you afford to take the risk?; The chances of success; Editorial comment; Our personal experiences; Footnote; Chapter 2: Leaving your present employer; A good leaving; Your employment contract and competing with your present employer; Details of useful contacts; Notice; Our personal experiences.

Chapter 3: Some fundamental early decisionsBuying an existing business; Franchise; To work from home or not to work from home?; The most suitable legal form for your business; Our personal experiences; Chapter 4: Available advice and information; Business Link; Enterprise Agencies; Accountants; Solicitors; Banks; Chapter 5: The business plan and break-even calculation; What is a business plan?; Should you prepare a business plan?; Optimistic or pessimistic?; Hints for the business plan; The structure of your business plan; Example of a business plan.

Notes to Cash Flow Plan and Profit and Loss PlanBreak-even; Our personal experiences; Chapter 6: Funding the business; Your own savings and assets; Family and friends; Bank; The Prince's Trust; PRIME; Royal British Legion; Your pension fund; Mortgages; Asset financing; Factoring and invoice discounting; Grants; Funding Circle; Chapter 7: Funding your customers; Your existing contacts and old employer; Website; Social networking; Advertising; Networking; Word of mouth; Shows and exhibitions; Shop windows; Our personal experiences; Chapter 8: Running the business; Your computer.

Dealing with customer complaintsEffective time management; Bank account; Simple, straightforward business banking; Managing cashflow; Credit control; Our personal experiences; Chapter 9: Book-keeping and accounts; Hints for your book-keeping system; The end result; Cash book; Petty Cash Book; Sales day book and sales ledger; Purchase day book and purchase ledger; Relationship with your own money; VAT and payroll; Bank reconciliation; Accounts; Our personal experiences; Chapter 10: Dealing with Tax; Flat-rate scheme for small businesses; The requirement to register with HMRC.

The taxes that must be paidNational insurance; Your self-assessment form; Payment dates for tax due; The need to have money available; Expenses that can legitimately be set against income for tax purposes; Value added tax; Our personal experiences.