[Tony Stewart]

First of all thanks to you all for helping me learn more about being a professional carpet cleaner. I took notes on the various courses but you all add the flesh to the bones!!!

Here was my cunning plan

My house has a large wall which is alongside a set of traffic lights. When we have put up a local Carnival banner we have had great feedback so hence my plan.

Have three banners made up with the usual messages on with phone number etc etc.
Three messages on the run up to Christmas.........
10% discount if the order is over £100
3 rooms for £99
Carpets and upholstery cleaned in time for Christmas.

That way the discounts and the messages change so that the nearer to Christmas you get. You don't want to be offering discounts so near to the festive season, and they would be up for a month and have different colours and be changed three times on the run up to Xmas.

My accountant was horrified saying that if you advertise on a wall at home even though you pay tax and are registered the council will hit you for business rates.

Looks like I will have to pay the local paper for a small ad!!

Hey Ho!!

[Helen]

if you advertise on a wall at home even though you pay tax and are registered the council will hit you for business rates.

Very true, although a way around this might be to get a large magnetic sign made up and when your van is parked on your drive stick it on there overnight.

[Colin Day]

You could always pop them up on someone else house....

[from edge2edge]

Tony if your van is parked so the public can get a good view of it when outside your house why not have a gert big sign to stick on top of it that will attract some attention(make sure it wont fly off though)Its all about getting work and people remember you for many reasons,some good some really odd(or is that just me)................|Best of luck...............Alan

[jasonl]

My accountant was horrified saying that if you advertise on a wall at home even though you pay tax and are registered the council will hit you for business rates. 


I would say this is unlikely unless you have a really  awkward or particular neighbour or local councillor.

Lidl near me recently had to remove a billboard from their carpark  advertising cheap fruit and veg , there was uproar because the nice fruit chop man in our town was going out of business. This was more a planning issue though .


From a tax point of view , it could be advantageous , as you could then claim house running costs against your tax liability , though if you ever sold up and made a profit on the property you could get hit for CGT .


I would just get one made and put it up on a trial until christmas . 

[Helen]

I would just get one made and put it up on a trial until christmas . 

So the choice here is take the advice of an accountant or take the advice of a carpet cleaner.
Bit of a no brainer really.

[John Kelly]

What makes acccountants so bloody clever. Most of the professionals I come into contact with know jack sh*t.

I would put it up. They'll only tell you to take it down some time in the future. In the mean time it may generate some work.

[jasonl]

Maybe the original poster should have asked advice on an accountancy forum then , as I guess there are not many accountants on here. 

An accountant has to give advice "by the book" when we all know in the real world things do not work that way .

Put the sign up , take it down if asked.

[Tony Stewart]

Thanks guys

My accountant lives in a posh house with FILTHY carpets.............no I wouldn't quote!!!

His opinion was that there is no problem in working from home and being registered for tax it's the Council who can say that there is a full time business going on at the house and thus instead of paying domestic rates then they would come at you for a higher rates.

Tempted to have a go only in the fact that a 12 foot banner would be seen by thousands of cars on the run up to Christmas as they stopped at the traffic lights.

Only fly in the ointment is that there is another carpet cleaner who lives down the road.........

Anyway can just plead stupidity to the council..if they look at me they will agree!

[jasonl]

I have a shop twice the size of my house and the business rates are half those of my house .

You are allowed to run a business from home , so long as it does not cause a nuisance .

If the sign is tasteful ,and not too big I am sure it will be fine .

[Mike Halliday]

old quote; its easier to ask forgiveness than permission

 just do it and if the council complains then apologies and take it down or  ignore them for 12months and when they get through all the paperwork and threaten legal action then take it down.

if I was on a main road and had a vacant wall i would do it in a shot

or get a gang of travellers to put it up and then say it will violate there human rights to touch it

[Neil Williams]

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1073791627&type=RESOURCES

[jasonl]

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1073791627&type=RESOURCES

In other words its fine , just dont take liberties

[Colin Day]

I should put a massive one at the back of my house, which is visible from a new large Tesco....Mmmm got me thinking now....

[garry22]

So how is this different from say a driveway company putting great big signs up when they are working at a house?

[Neil Williams]

Suggest you try this one then:
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1086492507&type=RESOURCES
Which contains this
Even if an advertisement doesn't need permission, local authorities must still consider its effect on the neighbourhood - or amenity - as well as public safety, eg the chance of distracting road users.

On your head be it, because if someone close to me slapped up a sign on their house advertising their business I'd be onto the local council before he had even got down off his ladder

[Tony Stewart]

I think that Neil has summed it up in the link.................

Estate Agents and driveway people have temporary signs etc and that is allowed under the planning rules.

Mine would be a big banner on the wall listing the phone numbers etc. If someone ran into the back of someone at the lights I can just see all hell let loose even from the no win no fee brigade!

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Talking yourself out of it before you try GIVE IT A GO nothing to loose they can only ask you to take it down As Del Boy Say's HE WHO DARES WINS!!!!!!

Cheers Tony

[Adam P]

what is the price difference? the house i moved into was classed as a commercial/domestic property and i initially paid a higher then normal council tax rate, but it wasn't that much

[clinton]

Give it a go mate and as tony said dont talk yourself out of it..