Neighbourhood home help service

Older neighbours, families arranging help for a relative, and people recovering from illness or surgery.

Hourly rate for your own time at first. Once you add helpers, you earn the margin between what clients pay and what helpers are paid.

• Reliable and trustworthy
• Kind, patient manner
• Practical household skills
• Simple record keeping

• Keep to non-personal-care tasks unless you have checked the registration rules with the relevant care regulator
• Public liability insurance, and employer's liability insurance if you take on employed helpers
• Be clear with any helpers whether they are employed or self-employed, and check the tax rules with HMRC
• Handling clients' money, keys and bank cards needs clear written rules and receipts
• Register as a sole trader with HMRC for Self Assessment

Startup costs are typically around £200 to £1,500, depending on insurance, transport and how much you spend promoting the service locally. It is a low-cost way in because you begin by doing the work yourself.

Monthly revenue is typically around £400 to £2,000, depending on how many regular clients you have and how many hours you work, starting from around 8 hours a week. These are estimates of revenue, not profit.

Stick to non-personal-care tasks unless you have checked registration rules with the relevant care regulator. Check public liability insurance, register as a sole trader with HMRC, and set clear written rules for handling clients' money, keys and bank cards.