Setting up as locum advice please

Re: Setting up as locum advice please

mariette asselbergs — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:43:03 GMT

I have worked as a self employed locum for 5 years now. I registered with HRMC with my own name as my trading name. The most helpful was taking a few courses with them, on setting up your own company (decided not to), working as self employed, doing your self assessment, etc. They were very helpful and friendly and encouraged you to call in for more help when felt necessary. The courses were free. It was also very useful to meet others in the same position (different trades) in these courses and exchange experiences. The time even counts as CPD!

I have a line on the bottom of my invoices where I specifically declare to take responsibility for all obligations of calculating, declaring and paying my income tax and National Insurance. That usually reassures the clients but it's true some big corporates don't accept self employed locums.

Mariette

Re: Setting up as locum advice please

tess — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:21:25 GMT

[quote user="james herriot lied"]You MUST, MUST, MUST have your own VDS cover:[/quote]

I agree- When I first started I was booked to do a holiday cover, and arrived to find there was some overlap of days and the vet I was covering for was still there. You must have your own cover.

Re: Setting up as locum advice please

Robin Grimmer — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:56:15 GMT

I've also been locuming a few years. I was self-employed but am now Ltd company as I was finding more and more practices would only accept Ltd company or umbrella company, particularly the corporates. I use one very good agency, Vet Connect, but most of my work is with a few regular practices now. Plan in advance, don't overbook yourself and be wary of agreeing to a long term locum if you don't know the practice. it's good if you can test the water with a few days first.

Re: Setting up as locum advice please

james herriot lied — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:13:58 GMT

I've been locuming for a few years now.

Yep, largely as Michael says. If you're setting out, just set yourself up with a trading name with HMRC - really very simple, you just tell them what you're calling yourself and they give yout your tax reference numbers etc. If you're suddenly in the money, you can change over later; ditto with VAT.

You MUST, MUST, MUST have your own VDS cover: there's a technicality in using the practice cover in that it only covers you for that period of time, and doesn't give you protection afterwards in the event of subsequent complaints. I only work at first opinion practices, so have a fairly basic level of cover. If you're going to be doing anything high-falluting, or if you work in the south-east, it might be worth getting higher cover.

If you're going to do it without agencies - as I have - the stick to your guns: there's plenty of work, and you can build relationships quickly. The problems with agencies (and there are many) include the fact that if an agency even sends you details for a particular practice, they consider that any work you do there, at any time, should generate a fee for them. Not bad work if you can get it.

One tip: when you mail-shot, try to miss out the practice manager. They seem to think it's their job to junk all such adverts for work. Send your stuff to the senior partners, if possible. My current, long term position came about after I switched to contacting the practice owner rather than admin: he swore blind that he's never come across my details before, despite half a dozen or more mailshots that I'd sent.

Locuming is not such a bad life: I found it reinvigorated my approach to practice, and you don't get bogged down in practice politics. CPD is a potential issue, as you have to pay for it yourself - and lose income to boot. Fortunately, there's so much free, certifiable, CPD around it hasn't been a problem.

Re: Setting up as locum advice please

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:33:53 GMT

I would speak to John Sowyer at Bertram Kidston who will give you advice on what format to set yourself up as. He knows the vet world inside out.

There are advantages to both, it depends on how much money you think you will be making. If only part time you may be better self employed but working full time the benefits of trading as ltd (extra accounting expenses etc) will save you money overall.

Just a note - VDS membership. You are covered working as a substitute in practice if notified to the VDS in advance, and that covers you for negligence. If you were called to RCVS then without your own, private, VDS cover you would not get representation. Worth bearing in mind.