On behalf of the Society of Will Writers and the College of Will Writing, the team here in Lincoln wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for 2019.
Some of you will have seen that I’ve written several articles on starting up in business in general, now as 2019 is beginning to dawn, I want to be more specific.
I read an article online recently by Susan Ward on her ‘Best Business Opportunities for 2019’, and she summed up exactly what being self-employed should be about, and she made one warning when considering your goals.
“If your goal in life is to become very wealthy, chances are you won’t get there as a small business owner. But you’ll have a chance to generate a healthy income, be your own boss and make all the decisions. You could potentially have a more flexible lifestyle. Building something from the ground up can make starting a business very rewarding in itself”
The idea that building something from the ground up and in a completely new profession for the first time available to non-solicitors, is what drove me to endure long hours and little financial reward whilst building that dream. It was through the support of my family and others close to me as well as the early members that the Society of Will Writers has become the organisation it is today.
If you are thinking of, or ready to start a business, then you would do far worse than consider Will Writing and Estate Planning as a career opportunity that is fully-self-employed, not a franchise but through membership of the Society you will receive all the training, support and assistance that is available to you to make your business successful.
When trying to choose from the vast range of business ideas and opportunities available to you, your business must:
- Have the potential to be profitable now and for many years to come, people will always need a Will and the more complex families get the more they will need sound advice on future planning;
- Be able to do well even in uncertain economic times, as 1 above, in difficult times so people need good advice regarding their money and their assets including taxation;
- You don’t need a law degree to become a trained professional Will Writer, but you need commitment and dedication and a passion for your work, the Society can provide you all the training and support you need, any previous experience of course would be an advantage;
- Not require large amounts of start-up capital, there is no stock to purchase, no special premises required – you can work from home, what you do need is as point 3 above plus hard work, perseverance and a strong desire to succeed.
- Will Writing can be run full time or part time, it fits around family and other commitments and can add an additional income to an existing business, such as financial services or accountancy.
As with any business, you will get out of it what you put in. If you think that being your own boss is easy, suddenly you are the receptionist, salesperson, accounts, cleaner, making your own tea and in the early days long hours will be required, if you are to be successful.
But it can also be a lot of fun, and rewarding at the same time, although I can’t quantify this but generally you get to meet a lot of nice people and families who not only need your services but are grateful for them.
If you are interested, visit our web site www.willwriters.com or email [email protected] or call 01522 687888 and have a chat. After nearly 25 years we think we know a thing or two about self-employment, after all every one of our 2000 members are self-employed, and many with over twenty years’ experience.
– Brian W McMillan
Director General, The Society of Will Writers and Estate Planning Practitioners
