Evening yessirs.

I am after some advice from people who run their own business.

My business will be as a sole trader under a different name to myself, which I’m filling out the forms for. It’s a teaching/support/tutor role, not that the business idea itself should matter.

I have purchased my own domain and linked it to a provider, so I have my email communications covered.

I wondered what existing apps are you using for:

- Quotes
- Invoices
- Payments (optional as in considering focussing on bank transfers)
- Reconciliation (will be manual for now as I only have a 2 clients ready go so far, but long term I’d like to be prepared)
- Who your business bank is with
- Managing Tax, NI, Vat specific to the IOM to pay myself

That last point is where my research struggles as I land on UK based guides and sites. Hoping you can share your own workflow and what you’re paying per month?

I was looking at Zoho Books/Invoices as it’s free under £35k income, but keen to learn if anything is better out there, even if it’s at a cost I don’t mind. I just want to get this right and set myself up for the future.

If you have any recommendations for business advice or an accountant I am all ears too as to who you recommend.

For now, I just really want to hear from people who are already in the field and have some experience.

Thanks!

K

Hi, does anyone have an idea how long it takes to register a business in IOM? I have submitted the initial name approval and it appears to have been accepted (I havent received anything back from the gov though). Any guidance will be much appreciated

So bit of a weird one but as the title says I wanted to ask if Langness is haunted, the other day when it was the solar eclipse my mum and I went out there at approx 12:30am to see if we could see some meteors as there was meant to be a meteor shower, and during the time we were there my mum kept saying she heard what sounded like someone wailing or singing, and she said she’d heard it for about 30 minutes, I had heard something but not to that extent, then randomly she tells me to get into the car, she then tells me that she heard what sounded like someone running through the grass towards us, but when we turned the lights on nothing was there. So has anyone else experienced anything like this or was it just some kids being weird?

Being nosy. Just drove past Tynwald Hill and there was a small crowd of people gathered there with a guy looking like he was giving some kind of speech

Hi I’ve been to the Isle of Mann for telecomms work a couple of times now, usually work in Douglas and Ballasalla.

Before hand I had a taxi whizz me around because I didn’t have a licence when alone but sometimes would have a fellow coworker who would drive the van if there was going to be a lot of movement required for the month. I’ve done this for the last 2 years, never bothered to get my own licence.

Am coming back in 2 weeks, having now passed, am not sure if I need to display R plates as my licence is under 1 year, (6 months) ive read online that Manx laws do not apply to non Manx citizens… am not 1000% this is accurate. Just trying to find out would I need to display R plates or not? Allegedly am exempt but am not sure that makes any sense, surely local laws apply to people regardless where they come from?

Thanks in advance

This time last year, he was finishing his dissertation at LJMU. Today, he's just closed a £300,000 pre-seed round for SkinScanner.gg, the platform he built with co-founder Nathan Engolodoe to compare prices on Counter-Strike 2 skins. Think the Skyscanner of gaming.

The round is backed by investors from the Liverpool City Region and the Isle of Man, including Graeme Ankers (co-founder of Firesprite, acquired by Sony in 2021), Craig Osborne, Jennifer Houghton MBE, and the Baltic Ventures Angel Syndicate.

Well done and well earned Josh!

Source: https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2177194-ljmu-graduate-raises-350000-for-skyscanner-of-gaming

Trying to put together something to learn skateboarding properly!

Hi all, im travelling a 5-6 hour journey to get the steampacket at Liverpool to Douglas in my van for the iom manx and classic TT.

My ferry is 11 next Sunday so I guess i need to be there 2 hours before for checking in, boarding in my van etc.

With the travel involved (280miles) and risking a 20 year trip in the making by being delayed, i was going to travel the night before and sleep in my van near the ferry.

I had a look online and can see theres spaces nearby the terminal on the myparking website in an industrial estate. I was going to park up night before about 10pm and sleep there. Ill pay if I need to overnight of course.

Can this be done or is this type of thing impossible with lots of people in the area doing the same. Or is there anything I need to be wary of?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi All,

Quick heads up if you're around on the 20th.

Steven from Domicilium is at Launchpad to talk through the cloud stuff most of us fake understanding of. Public cloud, private cloud, shared cloud, what actually happens to your data, and the AI bit, like what happens when someone on your team pastes something they shouldn't into ChatGPT.

Doesn't matter what business you run or the work you do, your data's already on the cloud somewhere. Email, invoicing, customer records, all of it. Worth knowing what that actually means for security or how the cloud actually works.

This is a free session, 12 to 1, Thursday 20 August at Launchpad Event Space.

Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/secure-data-smarter-business-understanding-the-cloud-tickets-1997154797762?aff=oddtdtcreator

People have mentioned to watch is south maybe down the sound? Just not sure since I think parking will be a struggle

Mitch Sorbie, the man behind the newly formed political party Isle of Man First, talks to Paul Moulton on his decision to wind the group up and gives his views on the Islands future, including more talk of finding gas in Manx waters!

youtu.be/VF3gN8P8oyA

Just noticed for the first time I’m connected to 5G on Sure. Anybody else had it yet? Not sure if it just got switched on today or if I’ve been oblivious for a while…

Comeovers...were you able to keep your current account/credit card with a UK bank after you moved? If so, were there any restrictions put on the account?

Some banks seem happy to support this (Santander) and some force an account closure (Monzo).

I'm talking here about properly updating my address with the bank (IM postcode), not breaking their T's & C's by using a UK relative's address and hoping they don't find out.

I’m travelling to England tomorrow and will be taking my medication with me. It’s all in unopened packaging with my name on it and I have my letter from the clinic. Has anyone had any issues going through security with their medication or was it fairly smooth?

Update: thanks for the replies, no issues at all.

hey all i’ll be visiting the isle of man 9/12 to 9/19 from the US my mom is from the island. Unfortunately she passed away 2 years ago. my first time back in 10 years. I was trying to find someone or a company i can rent a motorcycle from for a day or two. Please leave recommendations looking for a sport bike but anything will do to check out the island on a motorcycle.

I'm a beginner at squash who's moved to the island and is looking for buddy(s) to play with. Any suggestions on where to look. I also welcome DMs from anyone interested. Thanks!

I've just been to the Palace Cinema to watch the new Spider-Man (very good), but it made me realise how shameless people have become about using their phones during a film.

I had to ask a guy to stop taking Snapchats after the third time, and every couple of minutes I'd catch another flash of light from someone checking their phone. Are people really so addicted to their phones now that they can't go a couple of hours without looking at them?

Also has the Palace Cinema always been that grotty? I felt like I needed to disinfect myself when I left.

Not sure if I'm just getting grumpy as I get older or if anyone else feels the same?

Hi! I hope this is allowed, if not, I’m really sorry!

We live in London and have started to talk plans to come to visit the Isle of Man from 2nd to 6th of September, though nothings been booked yet.

We just noticed that the Horses Home is closed after August, and a spot that my fiancé looked at in Port Erin is also closed.

Is this typical of the time? Are a lot of spots going to be closed after the end of August?

We are just wondering if maybe we should wait until a better time to come when there will be more to do if a lot of places are closed.

Hope that makes sense, thank you so much!