The Reality of being a Sole Trader

There seems to be a common belief that running your own business means freedom.

"You can work whenever you want."

"You can just take a day off if the sun is shining."

"You own a business, so you must be making lots of money."

"You only work from ten until four."

I hear these comments often, and they always make me smile because the reality of being a sole trader is usually very different.

The truth is that when you run your own business, especially a creative one, the lines between work and life become wonderfully blurred.

If I don't work, I don't get paid. There is no holiday pay, no sick pay and no clocking off on a Friday afternoon and forgetting about work until Monday morning. If I take a day off, it has usually been planned months in advance.

Most weeks involve far more than the hours people see.

Yes, the studio may be open from ten until four, but the day often starts around six in the morning and doesn't finish until ten at night. There are orders to pack, stock to organise, social media to create, workshops to prepare, accounts to do, emails to answer, events to plan and fabrics to order.

And then there is the making.

As a textile artist, I know exactly how many hours go into creating a handmade piece. If I charged for every single hour at even minimum wage, many of my items would become unaffordable. Most makers absorb some of those hours because we genuinely care about what we create and want our work to remain accessible.

The idea that every business owner is wealthy is another myth. Many sole traders work incredibly hard for an income that would surprise people. We reinvest back into our businesses, buy materials, pay bills, maintain equipment and keep everything ticking over.

There is another side to being a sole trader that people don't often see.

We get tired. Really tired.

We get exhausted from wearing every hat in the business – maker, teacher, photographer, bookkeeper, cleaner, marketer and customer service department all rolled into one. We get ill too, just like everyone else.

The difference is that many of us quietly carry on.

The general public rarely sees the early mornings when we're not feeling our best, the late nights spent finishing an order, or the days when we're running on sheer determination because a workshop is booked, a fair has been organised or customers are expecting us to be there.

We don't hide it because we want sympathy; we hide it because we care deeply about what we do and about the people who support our businesses.

Of course, there are times when we have to slow down and look after ourselves, and that's important too. But most sole traders become incredibly resilient because our businesses are such a huge part of who we are.

Yet despite all of that, I wouldn't change it.

Why?

Because I love it.

I love the making. I love the challenge of turning an idea into something tangible. I love teaching and seeing someone discover a new skill or achieve something they didn't think they could do.

I love the conversations in the studio, the laughter during workshops and the friendships that are formed through creativity.

I love packing up the van and heading off to fairs and exhibitions. Those long days can be exhausting, but they also mean meeting wonderful people, catching up with familiar faces and introducing others to the world of textiles and stitch.

Being a sole trader isn't the easy option. It's hard work, long hours and a fair amount of juggling.

But it's also freedom in a different sense.

The freedom to create.

The freedom to teach.

The freedom to follow an idea simply because it excites you.

The freedom to build a community around something you truly love.

So, the next time someone says, "It must be lovely working for yourself," my answer is simple.

Yes, it really is.

Just perhaps not in the way people imagine.