Month: June 2023

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creatin...

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Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Dogs are fantastic: they’re loving, inquisitive, furry bundles of joy, from the smallest Yorkshire Terriers all the way up to the biggest, lumbering St. Bernards. All over the world, they’re companions, hard workers or cherished members of families.

In this blog, we’re sharing the love with a selection of the best dog quotes that people have coined over the years. From the inspirational through the funny to the most thought-provoking, we hope they make you feel all warm and fuzzy about our canine friends – and maybe even spark some entrepreneurial desire, too.

Inspirational quotes about dogs

“Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.” – Kinky Friedman

“Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can’t imagine living any other way.” – Caroline Knapp

“To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.” – Aldous Huxley

“No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you feel rich.” – Louis Sabin

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” – Josh Billings

“The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them.” – Stanley Coren

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.” – John Grogan

“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.” – Woodrow Wilson

“Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well.” – Bonnie Wilcox

“When an 85 pound mammal licks your tears away, and then tries to sit on your lap, it’s hard to feel sad.” – Kristan Higgins

“Dogs are wise. They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more.” – Agatha Christie

“The dog has got more fun out of man than man has got out of the dog, for man is the more laughable of the two animals.” – James Thurber

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.” – Milan Kundera

Funny dog quotes

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” – Will Rogers

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx

“What do dogs do on their day off? Can’t lie around – that’s their job!” – George Carlin

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” – Charles de Gaulle

“I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.” – Rita Rudner

“I don’t think twice about picking up my dog’s poop, but if another dog’s poop is next to it, I think, ‘Eww, dog poop!” – Jonah Goldberg

“A well trained dog will make no attempt to share your lunch. He will just make you feel so guilty that you cannot enjoy it.” – Helen Thomson

“Dogs never bite me. Just humans.” – Marilyn Monroe

“Reason number 106 why dogs are smarter than humans: once you leave the litter, you sever contact with your mothers.” – Jodi Picoult

“Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.” – Franklin P. Jones

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the centre of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” – Roger A. Caras

“Watching a dog try to chew a large piece of toffee is a pastime fit for gods. Mr. Fusspot’s mixed ancestry had given him a dexterity of jaw that was truly awesome. He somersaulted happily around the floor, making faces like a rubber gargoyle in a washing machine.” – Terry Pratchett

“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.” – Harry Truman

“It’s tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she won’t drink from my glass.” – Rodney Dangerfield

“Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” – Ann Landers

“Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place with curators in museums; others we take for walks.” – Roger A. Caras

“Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul, chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we’re the greatest hunters on earth!” – Anne Tyler

“The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.” – Andy Rooney

“Dogs teach us a very important lesson in life: The mail man is not to be trusted.” – Sian Ford

“My cats inspire me daily. They inspire me to get a dog!” – Greg Curtis

“Even the tiniest Poodle or Chihuahua is still a wolf at heart.” – Dorothy Hinshaw

Thought-provoking dog quotes

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”– Orhan Pamuk

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.” – Mark Twain

“When the dog looks at you, the dog is not thinking what kind of a person you are. The dog is not judging you.” – Eckhart Tolle

“Science has so far been unable to tell us how self-aware dogs are, much less whether they have anything like our conscious thoughts. This is not surprising, since neither scientists nor philosophers can agree about what the consciousness of humans consists of, let alone that of animals.” – John Bradshaw

“When you adopt a dog, you have a lot of very good days and one very bad day.” – W. Bruce Cameron

Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realise that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.” – Christopher Hitchens

“Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless he’s owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes.” – Gene Hill

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain

“I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross, and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell lies because they cannot talk.” – Mark Haddon

“Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate. What’s one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on? A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully.” – Jon Katz

“I don’t understand people who don’t touch their pets. Their cat or dog is called a pet for a reason.” – Jarod Kintz

“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” – Winston Churchill

“Intelligent dogs rarely want to please people whom they do not respect.” – W.R. Koehler

Get dog walking insurance with Protectivity

If the quotes above inspire you and remind you why you love dogs so much, have you thought about turning that love into a business opportunity? One area where dog-lovers can easily set up their own enterprise is through a dog walking business, where you walk owners’ treasured pets in your local area in exchange for a fee.

It’s a great way of becoming your own boss, spending time with some great dogs and earning some really good money (especially if you can walk multiple dogs simultaneously). But if you do pursue the idea, make sure you take out good-quality insurance cover, so that you don’t end up out of pocket if something unforeseen happens to one of the dogs you’re in charge of – or yourself.

Protectivity’s comprehensive dog walking insurance includes public liability; Care, Custody and Control; and up to £250 of free equipment cover. That way, you can indulge your passion for dogs and grow your business with confidence. Find out more on our dog walking insurance policies today.

Get Dog Walking Insurance from Protectivity

*Disclaimer – This blog has been created as general information and should not be taken as advice. Make sure you have the correct level of insurance for your requirements and always review policy documentation. Information is factually accurate at the time of publishing but may have become out of date.

Last updated by

16:45:18 GMT • 13 November 2024

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

What skills and qualities do you need to be a personal trainer?

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

16 June 2023

•

6 mins read

Contributors

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creatin...

Get personal trainer insurance from Protectivity

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Personal trainers are in high demand in many parts of the UK, as people of all levels of fitness look for support in improving their performance or in losing some weight. At first glance, it’s easy to think that learning how to become a personal trainer is relatively simple, and just needs some decent know-how on fitness and exercise. But there’s a lot more to it than you might think.

Running a personal training operation is much like running any small business, and needs a certain level of aptitude in many different areas, from promoting your enterprise to how you deal with customers. In this guide, we’ll explore eight of the most important skills you need to be a personal trainer, including:

Fitness knowledge
Marketing skills
Communication
Positive attitude
Willingness to improve
Reliability
Flexibility
Patience

Fitness knowledge

Firstly, let’s cover off the obvious: you’ll need to have strong, up-to-date knowledge of training routines, general health and fitness trends, and how different exercises and techniques can affect the human body. If you don’t have any formal qualifications in this area, it’s essential to get some so that you can run a professional operation and give your customers confidence that they’re in good hands.

Marketing skills

Getting your name out there and finding new clients is a major challenge, especially when you’re starting out from scratch. But it’s crucial that you learn how to market your enterprise well (if you haven’t done so already): that means engaging and interesting posts on social media, a clear and well-written website, and creating eye-catching advertising within your local community. The personal training market can be saturated and competitive in some places, making it especially important to stand out from the crowd.

Communication

This is one of the most important skills on this list, not only because it’s how you can help your clients get the most out of their sessions, but also because it’s a very flexible skill. No two clients will be the same, and while some will like to be strongly encouraged and pushed to their limits, others will respond much better to a softer approach. Understanding different clients’ feelings and how best to connect with each one of them individually is absolutely key.

Positive attitude

The last thing anyone who is struggling will want is to feel downbeat about their performance. Criticism that isn’t constructive will not go down very well – especially given that your clients will be paying you for the privilege! Try to put a positive spin on everything as much as you can, especially at the end of a session: this will maximise the chances of a client wanting to persevere and continue to use your services in the future.

Willingness to improve

Just as your clients come to you so that they can improve themselves, so you should make the same effort to lead by example and improve yourself. As well as maintaining a good level of fitness, you should also take a continuous approach to learning about new techniques and training styles, and pick up more qualifications as and when you can. The personal training sector can change very rapidly in terms of customer demand and new trends, so it’s vital to stay on top of things.

Reliability

Your clients will be paying you good money for a session at a designated time, and won’t be happy if you continually turn up late or without all the equipment that’s needed for the session. If they can’t trust you to deliver a reliable service that helps them meet their goals, then they can easily find another PT who will. Make sure you turn up on time, every time, and always give every session 100% commitment.

Flexibility

If you want a nine-to-five job, then being a personal trainer is most definitely not the job for you. Most clients will want their sessions to fit around their work and home lives, which means weekday evenings and weekends will be most in demand. This applies whether you’re self-employed, or are working as a PT in a gym. So you’ll need to be prepared to work unsociable hours, and to adjust to short-notice demands as and when required.

Patience

It can be easy to forget that the people that you’re training aren’t as proficient or knowledgeable about fitness as you are. Similarly, they may not have the drive or discipline to stay fit and eat healthily outside their sessions, meaning they might not make the progress either they or you would like. That’s why it’s vital to be patient with your clients and encourage them along, without rushing them or making them feel like they’re under pressure.

Get personal trainer insurance with Protectivity

Very few personal trainers start out with every single one of the above skills covered: it’s a learning process to work out where you’re strong, and identify the other areas where you need to improve. And because nobody is perfect, it’s easy for mistakes to be made along the way – which can cause a problem if there are financial consequences as a result.

That’s why every personal trainer, whether they operate outdoors or in a gym, should always have comprehensive insurance cover in place. That way, if someone gets injured while taking part in one of your sessions, or any of your equipment gets lost, damaged or stolen, you won’t end up out of pocket.

Protectivity is one of the UK’s leading providers of personal trainer insurance, and our policies include public liability cover, professional indemnity, and up to £250 of free cover for your equipment. Take a few minutes to explore our personal trainer insurance policies and gym liability insurance and discover how they can give you all-important peace of mind as you grow your business.

Get Personal Trainer Insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

16:46:04 GMT • 13 November 2024

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Personal trainer quotes

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

14 June 2023

•

8 mins read

Contributors

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creatin...

Get personal trainer insurance from Protectivity

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Personal training isn’t just about the physical exercise: it’s also about getting maximum mental performance and drive out of a client, so that they can push themselves on to achieve their goals. That’s why motivating clients – and motivating yourself – is such an important part of the trade.

To give you some inspiration, we’ve put together this compilation of some of the best personal training quotes around. Not only can you use them within your sessions to inspire your clients to greater things, but they can also be used as social media content to help you promote your business to a wider audience.

So that you can find the right personal trainer quotes for your needs, we’ve curated them into four categories: inspirational, motivational, funny and thought-provoking.

Inspirational personal trainer quotes

“The hard days are what make you stronger.”

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”

“It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.”

“You don’t train to add days to your life. Instead, you work out to add life to your days.”

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.”

“If you fail to do what’s best for the body, you are setting your body up for failure.”

“Fitness is not about trying to be better than those you train with. It’s all about being fitter than you used to be.”

“You will never know what your body can do, unless you are willing to push yourself to the limits.”

“Muscles work like cars. If you want them to run well in the morning, you must be ready to warm them up first.”

“The difference between your body this week and next week is what you do for the next seven days.”

“Of course it’s hard. It’s supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great.”

“You are only one workout away from a good mood.”

“Sweat is just fat crying.”

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

“No matter how many times you come up short during your workout or how slow your progress is, you are much better than everyone else who hasn’t started.”

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.”

“You may hate every minute of your training. But, you should never consider quitting, regardless of how tough it gets.”

“You either have results or excuses. But you can’t have both.”

“It may hurt you today, but you will be stronger tomorrow.”

Motivational personal trainer quotes

“It never gets easier. You just get better at it.”

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

“A one-hour workout is 4% of your day.”

“Shift the focus from what your body looks like to what it can do.”

“Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.”

“What seems impossible today will one day become your warm-up.”

“We don’t need to be perfect… we just need to get started.

“The same voice that says “give up” can also be trained to say “keep going”.

“You can’t put a limit on how much you can improve and how much you can do. There are no limits on what you can be, do, or have in life.”

“Each day is another chance to change your life.”

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

“You can’t out-train a bad diet.”

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today matters most.”

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”

Funny personal trainer quotes

“I hate personal trainers because they make me do things I don’t want to do.”

“If you still look good at the end of your workout, you didn’t train hard enough.”

“I need to get in shape. If I were murdered right now, my chalk outline would be a circle.”

“I’m always weirdly proud when my pee is clear…”

“I hate cardio.”

“No pain, no gain. Shut up and train.”

“Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep sleeping.”

“Sore? Tired? Out of breath? Good… it’s working.”

“I’m sorry for what I said when I was hungry.”

“Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!”

“It’s your workout. You can cry if you want to.”

“My favourite exercise is a mix between a lunge and a crunch… I call it lunch.”

“The only BS you should need in your life is breakfast and squats. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Train like a beast and look like a beauty.”

“Aspire to be a MILF: Mom In Love with Fitness.”

“Dear Abs, I may not see you, but I feel you brewing something serious under that layer.”

“My gym playlist is 50% music, 50% grunting noises.”

“If I worked out every time I said “I’ll start tomorrow,” I’d be a fitness model by now.”

“My fitness goal: to have a body that makes people question if I have a life outside the gym.”

“The only bad workout is the one you didn’t post on social media.”

“I don’t sweat, I sparkle.”

“If fitness came in a bottle, every person would have a killer physique.”

“I love working out so much that I sometimes wear my gym clothes to bed just in case.”

“If you want to know the correct way to perform an exercise, the answer is: “Whatever hurts most”.”

“I have trust issues because of personal trainers who say “last one”.”

Thought-provoking personal trainer quotes

“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

“The only limitations that exist are the ones you create in your mind.”

“Believe in yourself, and anything is possible.”

“Progress, not perfection, should be the ultimate goal in fitness.”

“Your body can accomplish almost anything. It’s your mind that you need to persuade.”

“You are going to achieve your fitness goals if you are persistent. And you are going to keep pushing if you are consistent.”

“Life has its ups and downs. And they are called squats.”

“Your body is a reflection of your lifestyle; make it a masterpiece.”

“Whether you think you can crack that workout or you think you cannot, either “answer is right. It all depends on your mindset.”

“Exercise not only changes your body, it also changes your mind, your attitude, and your mood.”

“It’s not about having time; it’s about making time for what matters.”

“Remember that every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”

“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”

“Success is not just about what you achieve in the gym, but also how you apply those lessons to your everyday life.”

“Every day is another chance to transform your body and become a fitter version of yourself.”

“It’s not about how much time you spend in the gym, but the quality of your workouts and your dedication to change.”

“Fall in love with taking care of your body, and it will take care of you in return.”

“When you feel like giving up, remember why you started in the first place.”

“Pain is temporary, but quitting lasts forever.”

“Your mind is your strongest muscle; train it well.”

“Success in fitness is built on a foundation of consistency and discipline.”

“You can’t control everything, but you can control your effort and dedication.”

Get personal trainer insurance with Protectivity

As motivated and positive as you and your clients might feel thanks to these personal trainer quotes, there is still the risk of something going wrong during a session. If either you or a client gets injured, or some of your equipment gets lost, stolen or damaged, you could suffer serious financial loss – however inspired you might feel.

Comprehensive insurance cover is the only way to protect yourself and make sure you don’t end up out of pocket. Protectivity’s policies for personal trainer insurance give you a range of different cover types, including public liability, professional indemnity, and up to £250 of free equipment cover. So even if the unforeseen happens during your PT sessions, you’ll still be able to grow your business with confidence.

Our policies are available from just a few pounds a month, thanks to our flexible payment plans. Take a closer look at our personal trainer insurance and gym public liability insurance policies today.

Get Personal Trainer Insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

16:48:14 GMT • 13 November 2024

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

How much can I earn as a dog walker?

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

8 June 2023

•

6 mins read

Contributors

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creatin...

Get dog walking insurance from Protectivity

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

So many people around the UK own (and love!) their dogs, but struggle to find the time to give them exercise. This is especially the case in recent years, where many families bought dogs during lockdown, but now can’t give them the same time and attention as they’ve returned to regular work.

As a result, there’s never been a better time to start a dog walking business. It can be a lucrative endeavour if you get it right, and can help you pursue work that you really enjoy. However, there is much to consider in terms of the money you bring in, and the money that will have to go out before you can accurately assess your earnings.

In this guide, we’ll explore how much dog walkers charge, how much you can earn as a dog walker, and some of the expenses to watch out for.

How much do dog walkers charge?

Generally speaking, you should be able to charge between £10 and £15 per hour for walking a dog. But the amount a dog walker charges can vary, depending on where you are in the country. As is the case in many lines of work, operating in or near London generally means higher rates, in order to mitigate the higher cost of living in the south-east of England.

As the National Living Wage is £10.42 per hour for the 2023/24 financial year, this may not sound like a particularly attractive level of earnings. However, you can multiply these figures by walking several dogs at the same time. It’s important to assess how many dogs you can comfortably and safely walk in one go, as well as the size and temperament of the dogs involved.

Areas that may impact your earnings

As with any business, there are many different factors that mean that you won’t be able to keep hold of all the income you generate. When you’re considering how much to charge as a dog walker, you should also take into account costs in these areas:

Business expenses

You’ll incur many expenses in the course of your business activities, from dog treats and toys to food and drink for yourself, as well as the cost of transporting dogs to and from different places. These expenses are generally tax-deductible, helping you recover some of the cost, but you’ll still need to spend out on them first.

Tax

A certain proportion of your turnover will have to be paid to the government in the form of income tax and national insurance. How this will work depends on whether you’re operating as a sole trader (in which case you’ll need to submit a tax return) or as a limited company. In the case of the latter, this guide to limited company tax can help you understand all your tax implications.

Accounting

Connected to the previous point, you may want to consider hiring the services of an accountant to take care of all your tax and finance paperwork and obligations. Not only can this free up some of your time and make your job less stressful, but can actually end up saving you money if they can find ways to make your affairs more tax-efficient.

Qualifications

While you don’t need any formal qualifications to set up a dog walking business, they can be useful for improving your skills when out on a walk, and showing off some credentials to impress potential customers. But whatever qualifications you pursue, there will naturally be a cost for any courses you undertake – although these may well help you earn much more in the long run.

Marketing

Every dog walking business needs to get their name out there, and this requires investment into marketing over an ongoing period of time. This includes minor spending like website hosting, and major commitments like leafleting or advertising. As with the business expenses mentioned above, any spending here is also considered tax-deductible.

Employing staff

Your business may grow to the point where you can employ other dog walkers to work for you. That’s great news as it means you’ve made your business a real success, but it also comes with several extra costs to take into account: employee wages, Employers’ National Insurance contributions, employers’ liability insurance and more.

Insurance

There are specialist dog walking insurance policies that can protect you and your business in the event of a claim being made against you. These policies can often be taken out on monthly payment plans but can give you peace of mind, as well as financial back-up if something untoward happens.

Obtain dog walking insurance with Protectivity

Dog walking insurance isn’t a legal requirement, and because of that, it can be tempting to leave it out in order to cut costs, especially if finances are tight. However, this can end up doing much more harm if unforeseen circumstances arise. These could include dogs jumping out in front of pedestrians, cars or cyclists; a dog attacking another animal; or someone tripping on a lead and hurting themselves.

These are just three of the possible mishaps that can easily happen – and all of them could lead to a substantial claim for compensation. Without insurance, you can find yourself with a sizable bill to pay if the claim is successful, and in the worst-case scenario, your home could be at risk if you’re struggling to cover the cost.

That’s why dog walker insurance is vitally important, and why Protectivity offers insurance for pet businesses like yours with comprehensive policies. For as little as a few pounds a month, we can make sure you don’t end up out of pocket if you face a claim, vet bills, or if you’re unable to work yourself due to injury. Our policies also include public liability insurance, and ‘Care, Custody and Control’ cover, so that both you and your business can grow with confidence and reassurance.

Take a closer look at our dog walking insurance today and find a wide-ranging policy at a price that suits you.

Get Dog Walking Insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

12:20:00 GMT • 14 November 2024

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Businesses you can start for under £1000

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

6 June 2023

•

8 mins read

Contributors

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creatin...

Get small business insurance from Protectivity

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Millions of people all over the UK dream of being their own boss and starting their own business. And while it’s unlikely that an entrepreneur will become the next Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, it’s still immensely rewarding to start a business from scratch and develop it into a viable, profitable success.

The only problem that stands in many people’s way is the need to ‘speculate to accumulate’: that is to say that it can take a lot of initial investment to get a business idea off the ground. This can be off-putting if it involves getting into large amounts of debt in the early stages, or simply impractical for those who don’t have access to that kind of startup capital.

However, that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible! There are countless small business ideas out there that require minimal initial outlay – and in some cases, nothing at all – making them viable for anyone who wants to strike out on their own. In this guide, we’ve picked out 14 of our favourite small business ideas that can be set up for less than £1000.

Online retail

The ability to buy and sell goods from anywhere in the world has fundamentally changed the retail world forever, and opened up new opportunities for small business operators to grab their own slice of the action. You don’t need a huge amount of capital to get things up and running: just the right platform for selling your goods, and an initial amount of stock to get you started. By taking small steps, you can gradually grow your business without taking on too much debt.

Reselling and upcycling

These are two trends which have gained real popularity as hobbies in recent years, but have now grown to the extent that many people are now pursuing them as full-time jobs. Whether you find bargains in charity shops, in auctions, at car boot sales or from other sources online, selling on goods for profit can help generate a good income if you know what you’re looking for. It’s a relatively simple business to set up and manage, too.

Creative services

If you have a creative mind, then there are many different options that you can explore on a freelance basis. If you’re a good wordsmith, for example, then you can work as a copywriter, while those of a more artistic bent may want to consider becoming graphic designers and web designers. These are jobs that are perfectly practical to do from home – all you’ll need is a good computer, internet connection and any relevant software.

Pet grooming

When it comes to hiring, there are two ways in which people make mistakes when starting a business. The first is taking on too many full-time staff members too soon. The second is not bringing in any help at all.

When your business is still finding its legs it’s important to strike a balance between areas where it’s more important to save time, and where it’s more important to save money. Bringing in staff, be they full-time or part-time, can help to spread the workload, saving you time and energy, but it runs the risk of being a drain on your funds – at least at first.

Pet-sitting

When pet owners go away on holiday or for work reasons, they want to make sure that their dogs, cats and other animals will be cared for. Putting them in kennels and catteries can be expensive, so hiring a home-based pet-sitter is often a cheaper and more personalised alternative for them. You can provide a dedicated service that caters for an animal’s specifics, and you have full choice of which pets you’re willing to accommodate and which ones you aren’t.

Tutoring

There are always people who want to expand their education and knowledge, whether training for a particular qualification, studying for an exam or even just learning to play a musical instrument. In any of these cases – and a whole lot more – you can offer one-to-one tuition from the comfort of your own home. Along with your expertise, you’ll need some relevant qualifications, plus a DBS check if you’re planning to tutor children.

Cooking and baking

If food is your passion, then why not take that passion to a wider audience? All over the country are bakers, caterers and street food vendors that started their business on the strength of their own recipes and ingenuity. If you’re able to travel to events to sell your creations, then your expenses are pretty much limited to your transportation costs – as just about all the other equipment you’ll need is already in your kitchen!

Hairdressing

You have two equally exciting options to pursue if you have talent and experience in cutting and styling hair. The first is to provide hairdressing services from a designated space in your own home; alternatively, you could set yourself up as a mobile hairdresser and provide sessions in customers’ homes instead. Either way, you’ll enjoy full flexibility in when you work, and can enjoy all the rewards of your efforts.

Beauty treatments

Similar to the hairdressing services mentioned above, the same principle applies to all sorts of beauty treatments, as long as they don’t require lots of space or specialist equipment. For example, there’s nothing to stop you offering manicures and nail-painting services from your own home, or the homes of customers, rather than having to invest in expensive high-street retail space.

Laundry and ironing

If you’re going to do housework, then you might as well get paid for it! There is a substantial marketplace for laundry and ironing services, from people who need a freshly ironed shirt for work to those who need their clothes washed, but don’t have the time or the appliances in their own home. If you already have a washing machine, iron and ironing board, then you’re good to go – although you may want to consider transport costs so you can offer collection and delivery, too.

Dog walking

Britain is a nation of dog-lovers, and there are lots of dog owners out there that don’t have the time to give their pet the exercise it needs… which is where you can come in as a professional dog walker! While dog walking fees are relatively small – between £10 and £15 per hour is commonplace, depending on the area – you can multiply this by walking several dogs at the same time. This makes it a lucrative job you can do in your local area.

Life coaching and therapy

Any services that involve simply talking to someone, or conducting a physical treatment, can be done from home (as long as you have the suitable qualifications and experience). Putting in place all the equipment to offer massages and physiotherapy may require more of a substantial investment. But areas such as mental wellbeing help and life coaching can be more viable – and can help you make a genuine positive difference to people’s lives.

Handyman/handywoman

Some people are much better than others at DIY and other repairs, and those who don’t are often willing to pay to get somebody in to do a job properly on their behalf. If you have a bit of common sense, you’re good with your hands and you’ve got a basic set of tools, then you can start a business doing odd jobs and other minor bits of work. You’ll need to be able to travel, but it will be mostly light labour – and you’ll probably get offered plenty of tea!

Event organiser

While there are countless jobs that can be done from home with a computer, one that you may not have considered is organising events professionally. From weddings and funerals to village fetes and sports competitions, many large-scale events need a coordinator who can pull everything together and make sure that everything runs smoothly on the day. As a freelancer, you have total freedom to pursue the types of events that interest you the most.

Get small business insurance with Protectivity

Even if your small business idea needs very little startup capital – or none at all – you’ll still need to take action to protect your revenue and assets as you grow. That’s because you never know what might happen, and even a minor issue that is beyond your control can easily escalate into a substantial claim for compensation.

At Protectivity, we’re dedicated to making sure that aspiring entrepreneurs like you don’t end up out of pocket when unfortunate or unforeseen circumstances arise. That’s why we provide a wide range of affordable small business insurance policies for a variety of different specialisms, such as hairdressing and pet businesses insurance, with additional policies such as event insurance and counsellors insurance.

To find out more on our policies and how we can protect your business, get in touch with our team today.

Get Small Business Insurance from Protectivity

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16:50:14 GMT • 13 November 2024

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

How much tax would I pay as a limited company?

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

2 June 2023

•

11 mins read

Contributors

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creatin...

Get small business insurance from Protectivity

Bee Ingram

With a focus on producing high-quality, consistent content across multiple platforms, Bee is committed to creating engaging and effective messaging that aligns with the brand’s voice and strategy.

Starting a small business can be extremely exciting and rewarding. If there’s something you’re passionate about, you’ve spotted a gap in a market, or you just want to be your own boss, then there are plenty of opportunities out there for you to become an entrepreneur. And perhaps the best part about it is that there’s no limit to how successful your business can be and how much money you can make… except one.

Tax isn’t exactly the most fun part of doing business but it is an unavoidable fact of life. As a small business owner, you’ll be required to pay tax not only personally, but also for the limited company you operate. Unfortunately, this can be a fiendishly complicated subject to deal with, as there are many different taxes, thresholds, rates and deadlines to comply with.

This guide makes all the basic ins and outs of limited company tax digestible and easy to understand. If you’re starting a small business, or thinking about doing so, then it’s essential that you understand the key facts around tax – even if you intend to recruit a qualified professional to take care of your tax affairs on your behalf. We’ll cover all the main kinds of tax both you and your company will have to pay, how to (legally) reduce your tax bills, how to get help with tax, and the other key considerations to make as you begin your business adventure.

What types of tax does a limited company pay?

There are five main kinds of tax to watch out for if you’re running a limited company. Some of them may not apply to your business, and you may be able to apply for reliefs and exemptions for others. However, you should keep abreast of all of them, as the thresholds and requirements are liable to change on a regular basis (especially in the Government’s annual Budget, usually announced in March).

Corporation tax

So, how much is corporation tax for a limited company? Well, there’s no fixed answer to that question, as it depends on a number of things.

As and when your company makes a profit, you will be required to pay a certain proportion of it as corporation tax. Your profit is defined as your takings for the year, minus any wages and dividends you pay out, any pension contributions, any expenses (more on that below) and any allowances or reliefs that you may be entitled to.

The rates that apply depends on how much profit you make within your accounting year. Your first £50,000 of profit for the year is taxed at 19%. After this, a tax rate of 26.5% is applied to all profits up to the £250,000 mark, then 25% after that. This is so that larger companies pay tax at a higher rate overall, because it means that all companies that make more than £250,000 profit in a year pay a total rate of 25%.

Employer’s National Insurance contributions

If you employ any staff within your limited company (even just one) then you will be required to make National Insurance contributions, on top of those that employees make themselves out of their wages. These contributions also have to be paid on any employee benefits and expenses that employees claim. The rate is generally 15.05%, although people including the low-waged may be exempt.

Business rates and small-business rates relief

The simplest way to describe business rates is that it is the business version of council tax. It applies to any properties within your company that are primarily used for business purposes; if you are a one-person business working from a computer at home, then business rates generally don’t apply.

While the costs of business rates to your local council can be substantial, there are several reliefs available to small businesses that can lower the size of bills, or sometimes wipe them out altogether. These include (and are not necessarily limited to): farm buildings, religious buildings, properties used for the disabled, and businesses with a low rateable value. Retail properties can also apply for 100% business rate relief for three months.

VAT

If your business turns over more than £85,000 in any 12-month period, you are legally obliged to register for Value Added Tax (VAT). If your turnover is below the threshold, you can also voluntarily register for VAT as it can sometimes be advantageous to do so. The current VAT rate is 20%, and you’ll be required to charge it on top of your normal fees for any goods or services you sell, and pay it for any that you buy.

The amount of VAT that you have to remit to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is whatever you’ve taken in VAT from other businesses from your sales, minus any VAT you’ve paid out in goods and services you’ve bought. So, for example, if you’ve collected £10,000 in VAT within a three-month period, and you’ve paid out £3,000, then you owe £7,000 to HMRC.

The good news is that the system works both ways: if you have paid out more in VAT than you’ve taken in, then you can apply to reclaim VAT from HMRC and they will refund you the difference. As the example here, if you’ve paid out £5,000 in VAT, but only taken £1,500 in, then HMRC should pay you £3,500.

Capital gains tax

If you are a limited company, then capital gains tax (paid on any profits you make by selling assets) doesn’t apply in the same way it would to a sole trader or a partnership. However, you are required to pay corporation tax on the profit instead: the money you make will count as part of your overall CT profit and therefore taxed at the applicable rate (see above).

What kind of personal tax would I have to pay as a limited company owner?

As the owner and director of a company, you will naturally want to take some (or all!) of the fruits of your labours as your earnings. There are a number of different ways to do this that are open to you, and which will be better will depend on the state of your business and your own personal circumstances. But in general, there are two main taxes that will apply to you personally:

Income tax for employees

Much as you would if you worked for another business, any wages you take are taxed according to normal income tax rates.

As of the 2023/24 tax year, the first £12,570 you earn each year are exempt from any income tax, but all your earnings beyond this up to £50,270 will be taxed at 20%. Earnings beyond this are taxed at 40%, and if you’re doing well enough to be earning more than £125,140 a year, then the highest rate of 45% applies. Please note that slightly different thresholds apply in Scotland.

You’ll also have to make National Insurance contributions in the same way as a ‘normal’ employee. This is in addition to the Employer’s National Insurance contributions mentioned above.

Dividend tax

You can pay dividends out of your company to yourself whenever you want, but this will be subject to dividend tax. As of the 2023/24 tax year, the tax-free dividend allowance is £1000, and this is expected to be cut again to £500 in 2024/25. Beyond this, dividends are taxed at 8.75%, which still represents a tax-efficient way to pay yourself compared to regular income tax.

However, if your normal pay plus your dividends totals more than £50,270 a year (which would normally move you into the higher rate of income tax), then you’ll have to pay 33.75% dividend tax on all your dividends above this threshold.

When should limited company taxes be paid?

These requirements vary from one tax to another, depending on the time of year you started your business, how much you pay yourself and other employees, and whether certain taxes are applicable to you. As a general guide, the following timescales normally apply:

Corporation tax: nine months after the end of your business year (i.e. if your business year runs from 1 January to 31 December 2023), then your Corporation Tax bill will be due around the end of September 2024

VAT: this should be remitted to HMRC quarterly, no more than 37 days after the end of each designated three-month period. You are still expected to submit a VAT return every three months if registered, even if you don’t have any VAT to pay for that period

Business rates: you will normally receive a business rates bill around February or March, detailing the monthly instalments you’ll be required to pay for the following financial year

Employers’ NI: should be paid at the same time as you make each payment of wages to your employees (i.e. weekly or monthly)

Income tax and dividend tax: this could be through Pay-As-You-Earn, an annual Self-Assessment with associated payments every six months, or a combination of the two

What should I do about tax when starting a limited company?

If you’re worried that the above is overly complicated and too much to keep track of, then don’t panic: you’re certainly not alone in that. Even the most experienced entrepreneurs and small business owners can find limited company tax requirements perplexing.

That’s why it’s always a good idea to hire the services of a good accountant when starting a limited company. They will be fully up to speed with everything mentioned in this guide, and any upcoming changes that may affect you. They will be able to organise your payslips and tax returns, and give you all the information you need about what you need to pay and when.

How can I legally reduce my limited company tax bill?

Tax evasion is illegal and never a good idea, even if your business is struggling. However, the complexity of tax regulations means that there are a number of legal ways that you can reduce the amount of tax your or your business has to pay. Using dividends instead of PAYE to pay some of your wages, as mentioned earlier in this guide, is an excellent example of this and common practice among small business owners around the country.

This is another area where having an accountant really comes into its own. They’ll have the expertise and experience to advise on areas where you can bring your tax bill down, such as business expenses you can claim that you may not have been previously aware of. While you’ll need to commit a certain amount of money to hire an accountant’s services, they can often save you many times you outlay in tax each year, making it a very worthwhile endeavour.

Get small business insurance with Protectivity

If you’re just starting out with a small business, there’s a lot to get your head around – and tax is just one of the complex challenges to navigate. Given the risks of starting a business, anything you can do to protect yourself and your enterprise from financial harm is worth doing, which is why good insurance cover is essential right from the start.

At Protectivity, we specialise in comprehensive insurance cover for countless small businesses just like yours. We offer hairdressers insurance and insurance for pet businesses and dog groomers. We can give you peace of mind that if the unforeseen happens, such as an injury or damage to property, you won’t be out of pocket. Our flexible, affordable policies start from just a few pounds a month, meaning you can safeguard your future without breaking the bank.

To find out more on our policies and how we can protect your business, get in touch with our team today.

Get Small Business Insurance from Protectivity

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