Happy tale for self-employed
It was a perfect light bulb moment. Mark Dowsett (above) was at a cafe, patting a dog when the pooch’s owner mentioned they were on their way to dog daycare.
IT WAS a perfect light bulb moment.
Mark Dowsett was at a cafe, patting a dog from a neighbouring table when the pooch’s owner mentioned they were on their way to dog daycare.
“You pay someone to hang out with your dog?” Mr Dowsett asked. “That’s what I’m doing for the rest of my life.”
He had been at a professional crossroads, but his epiphany allowed him to turn a passion into a full-time business, Dawgy Walks & Daycare.
“My girlfriend and I genuinely love dogs, it just made sense,” he said.
“I had a sales background but had to market myself. I realised the key point of difference was me. I genuinely love animals. I set up social media, started doorknocking, calling people and doing work experience. I have now bought a dog grooming salon, am looking to open a dog hotel and still have the dog walking where it all stemmed from.”
But he was unsure about the administrative side of the business.
“I didn’t even know what GST was,” he said. He found the Solo & Smart app, which takes care of the admin side.
“Now everything is calculated (by the app),” he said. “I take photos of receipts and the app uploads them. At the end of the financial year, everything is itemised.”
Solo & Smart director Patrick Harrison said technology had made it easier for people to make money from a passion, without a big initial outlay or taking as many risks as in the past.
“More people are choosing to become self-employed, starting with a side hustle and going from there,” he said. The biggest challenges of becoming self-employed were tax compliance, insurance and superannuation, which prompted the app’s creation.
“We provide a platform to automate those systems. We target the self-employed because they have the biggest issues with cashflow,” Mr Harrison said.
Solo & Smart also offered a pay as you go insurance system where business owners only paid insurance for the portions of the year they worked.
But the greater ease for running a business did not mean basic diligence was no longer required, according to Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) chief executive Peter Strong.
“It is easier which is a good thing but also a danger,” he said. “The compliance issues are what you’ve really got to be on top of.”
He said budding small business owners should seek advice from people in similar industries and a trusted accountant.