As a member of the Crunch team, Shelley knows the support that self-employed workers need as she’s been running her own business for the last 5 years alongside her regular employment. This has given her more insight into what is helpful for the self-employed or those with side hustles.

We asked Shelley all about her side hustle and her experience using Crunch for all her accounting and finance needs for her business.

Why did you choose to go self-employed? Was there something that influenced this decision?

“I used to run a market stall selling vintage items that I sourced from vintage fairs and car boot sales”, Shelley told us.

“I love bargains! Most of my home is decorated with amazing vintage thrift finds and It honestly just started out as a hobby and then friends/family asked me to look out for items for them and then all of a sudden I have a little side hustle business!”.

What is your business and what do you do? Why did you choose this route?

“I didn’t want to rely on one income stream, so I decided to cross-sell the items on eBay and saw that my items sold quicker and to a wider client base. I then got asked by friends and family to source items, and now I provide an interior sourcing service for vintage furniture!”.

Running a business can be challenging but with the right help and support it can be learned quickly. An article by Moneytransfers.com tells us that a gov.uk’s study showed 753,168 new startups were founded in the UK between March 2021 and March 2022, and the rate is predicted to rise even further from 2022-2023.

For many people, taking the leap and becoming self-employed is difficult because there’s no guaranteed income. But, starting a side hustle alongside your normal employment can be a great alternative. It provides you with stability while your business grows but allows you to bring in extra income on the side.

“If you’re interested in reselling, then start with things you know about or have a personal interest in. A good way to start is by selling your own items,” she says. “There are lots of resellers who have Youtube videos and give useful tips and tricks.”

Shelley’s experience of being self-employed allows her to provide more insight into how to run a business, the importance of keeping accounts up-to-date, and understanding tax liabilities.

We then discovered how using Crunch has been beneficial to her business.

What have you liked about using Crunch? How has it helped/impacted your business?

“It's easy to use, it's very cost-effective, and gives me the ultimate piece of mind that I am in safe hands and that I'm paying the correct amount of tax by earning outside of my PAYE roll”.

What made you choose Crunch over any other option such as a traditional accountant or a competitor?

“I work for Crunch, but I actually started my business years before I worked for Crunch. What I love about Crunch is the combination of having really easy-to-use software and when I have questions I get those answers I need.  It’s hard to balance a full-time job, side hustle, and home life so being able to access information when I need it is really important”.

With Crunch, you get live visibility of your account. This can be useful for knowing what your expenses are and what your take-home might be. Whereas when your finances are in the hands of a traditional accountant, it’s harder to access these figures anytime, anywhere.

Crunch is the first and only online accounting software that provides seamless software with full support and service in one package. You receive the undivided attention of our experts and Chartered certified accountants who are on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have.

Shelley tells us more about how Crunch has helped her save time on her accounting to focus more on her business:

“I used to do my own tax filings prior to Crunch and found I spent a lot of time searching the web for answers which took up a lot of time, which is already limited when you work full time and run a side business! All my questions are answered and I always feel supported, not just as a colleague but as a client.”

“If you’re like me and thinking about starting a side hustle, do it and use Crunch as it is so easy to use, the client managers and accountants are amazing and friendly and offer the support you need and answer any questions you have!”

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If you’re setting up your own business as Shelley did, Crunch can help with the numbers. We remove all the jargon-filled accounting language so you can learn more about running your business and your finances. Focus on doing what you love and take the leap to be self-employed with the help of Crunch.

Try Crunch for free for 14 days