How to expand (on a smaller scale)

[r896neo]

After reading Local Patio and driveway's thread about expanding i didn't want to hijack it so thought i'd start another.

I am also looking to expand but from a one man band to my first employee. I turned down a little work last year but since setting up a website over the winter that ranks well etc i have been getting a lot of new enquiries. Quite a few have turned into jobs but I have already lost 2 others as the "I'm sorry it'll be 8-10 weeks" is greeted with a stoney silence.

So i'm looking provisionally for a part-timer for 3 days a week, but am a little confused as to employment law/regs. Ideally i would want to take someone on the basis of contracting them for say 21 hours a week with the option of more but not sure if this is legit? Do you have to stipulate set hours?

After reading DN Groundworks replies about everyone being self-employed that would be ideal but is that legit tax-wise when its mainly a labourer?

Frankly any advise is welcome and just to give you an idea I do about 60% hard landscaping 40% garden maintanence but the last 2 months and next 2 its looking more like 90 10. I am relatively risk averse due to family situation hence my not plunging into it before but that has settled down a little and i think its probably time to test the waters

I really appreciate the comments of people in this industry and how employing works for you etc as its a little different to a lot of the general business link and hmrc advice etc

[London Stone Paving]

Nice clean website btw. As long as you advertise the job as part time and specify the hours then you can employ somebody part time.

I think the dificulty you will find is finding an employee with the right skills who wants to work part time.

If you've got 8-10 weeks lead sounds like you can afford to take somebody on full time.

[lutonlagerlout]

it all depends on the kind of work you do
realistically if you are doing patios and drives its foolish to work alone
3 of us doing a patio tomorrow
1 mixing and bringing
1 sorting flags and bringing
and yours truly setting levels and laying
I have done it on my own but it takes more than 3 times longer
on small building works it works best with 2 fellas
larger stuff maybe 5
but whoever is with me i like to maintain minimum 5 days a week and normally 6 to add a bit of bunce to the wage packet
I know lads that do 4 days 1 week 3 the next then 2 fullys
no good to anyone really
the most important thing is the calibre of who you get
paul the brickie that has worked with me for 2 years is a pure house basher=> a site brickie
so at 42 he is learning the dark arts of paving ,with a dicky back
but he is keen to learn and doesnt need to be told twice
and is very conscientious
cant have prima donnas on small jobs
cheers LLL

[DNgroundworks]

All i know is that if i employ a labourer and he is self employed i have to deduct 20% CIS. And if i subcontract to my man Bill then he will deduct me 20% off the labour element of the invoice.

[GB_Groundworks]

you only deduct if you are signed up on teh cis scheme as an employer then montly you have to pay that 20% to the tax man, you can rely on the guy to self deduct as long as they ign a receipt that youve paid them x on x date and have their address etc. its beter to be signed up but hten you act as a tax collector for hmrc,

[dig dug dan]

giles is right dan. I use self employed contractors. they invoice me, and i pay them.
sometimes we labour swap. i help them on one job, they help me on another. never been a problem yet

[DNgroundworks]

Well im signed up as a - as they put it "cis contractor" If you are a construction, development firm whatever and you employ self employed lads you have to deduct, so im told?

[lutonlagerlout]

everyone that does labour only work for us gets stopped 20%
some whine, but its tough, thats the rules
if we have specialist firms in for say altro flooring, or stair lifts they invoice us for a job and we pay that invoice on 30 days.
LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

Do you pay those cis contributions monthly to hmrc? Then it's the same but I always thought it was cis contractor I.e me and you with a unique tax reference and then cis employer who deducts the tax and contributes. I generally invoice as job lot to builders as we roll everything into 1 invoice. I work for my dad Labour only I get stopped 20/22 % and he pays in monthly to hmrc with all the other subies

[msh paving]

Do you pay those cis contributions monthly to hmrc? Then it's the same but I always thought it was cis contractor I.e me and you with a unique tax reference and then cis employer who deducts the tax and contributes. I generally invoice as job lot to builders as we roll everything into 1 invoice. I work for my dad Labour only I get stopped 20/22 % and he pays in monthly to hmrc with all the other subies

You are correct there Giles, you must pay the tax deducted to HMRC at the end off month and submit a return, when i was in the system it was a pain, i had £800 in fines for late submissions which i had quashed.. ,if you deduct tax you have to pay it over,it is very difficult to pay regular contractors without doing it correctly, the odd company you can pay on invoice MSH