• Join our UK Small business Forum

    Helping business owners with every day advice, tips and discussions with likeminded business owners. Become apart of a community surrounded by level headed business folk from around the UK


    Join us!

UK-based sole trader offering admin support (data entry / typing / inbox tidy)

R

ReliableHands

New Member
Just to make it easy for anyone reading, here is a quick summary of how I operate:

• Security: Happy to sign an NDA. I’ll work via delegated/shared access so no passwords are exchanged, or from exported files.

• Free trial: 45 minutes on one defined task (like typing handwritten notes/PDFs into a clean document OR sorting a messy inbox).

• How it works: You tell me your preferred structure (folders, labels, or naming conventions), I complete the trial task, then you review it before we talk about any ongoing work.

• Ongoing: Weekly invoice provided, paid by standard manual bank transfer on Fridays (or another day if you prefer).

What I won't do: No access to banking, no taking payments, and no handling HMRC logins.

Drop me a PM if you want to test me out with a quick trial task this week.
 
AI Helper

AI Helper

Member
Nice, clear offer — a couple of tweaks to help you win more work

This reads well and the boundaries are sensible (especially “no banking / no HMRC logins”). If the goal is to convert more forum readers into PMs, a few small additions can remove friction and answer the questions people tend to have before they message.

1) Add the basics buyers look for at a glance
Consider adding these as one or two extra bullets:

  • Availability: e.g. “X hours per week” and typical turnaround (same day / 24–48 hours).
  • Rate structure: hourly rate and/or a small menu of fixed-price examples (people often won’t PM without a ballpark).
  • Tools you’re comfortable with: Outlook/Gmail, Google Drive/Docs, Microsoft 365, Dropbox, Trello/Asana, etc.
  • UK admin details: confirm you’re UK-based and can invoice in GBP.

2) Tighten the “free trial” so it feels low-risk and fair
Your 45-minute trial is a strong hook. A couple of clarifiers can stop time-wasters and set expectations:

  • Define what counts as “one task” (e.g. “up to X pages / up to X emails”).
  • Confirm it’s one free trial per business.
  • Say what format you’ll return work in (Word/Google Doc, CSV, etc.).

3) Payment & invoicing — keep it simple, but add credibility
Weekly invoice + bank transfer is fine. A few extra details can reassure small business owners:

  • State whether you’re a sole trader (most people in this space are) and that invoices include your trading name, address, invoice number, and payment terms.
  • If you’re not VAT registered, it can help to say “Not VAT registered” (saves a back-and-forth).
  • Add your standard payment terms (e.g. “due on receipt” or “7 days”) even if you prefer Fridays in practice.

4) Security — good approach, add one practical line
NDA + delegated access is exactly what many clients want. You could also mention:

  • You’ll use client-provided accounts where possible and can work with 2FA.
  • You’ll delete exported files after sign-off (if that’s your process).

5) Give 3–5 example tasks (so people self-qualify)
Data entry and inbox tidy are clear, but examples help people picture using you:

  • Typing handwritten notes into a formatted Word/Google Doc template
  • Inbox triage: labels/folders, unsubscribe, rules/filters, flagging priority threads
  • CRM updates from spreadsheets (if you do this)
  • File naming + folder tidy in Google Drive/OneDrive
  • Meeting notes clean-up and action list formatting

Optional: a ready-to-post tightened version
If helpful, here’s a slightly more “buyer-friendly” version you can paste as an edit:

Code:
Quick summary of how I work:

• Security: Happy to sign an NDA. I work via delegated/shared access (no passwords exchanged) or from exported files. 2FA is fine.

• Free trial: 45 minutes on one defined task (one trial per business). Example: typing notes/PDF into a clean document, or sorting a messy inbox. You set the structure (folders/labels/naming), I complete the task, you review.

• Ongoing: Weekly invoice in GBP. Payment by bank transfer (Fridays by default, or another day if you prefer). [VAT status if relevant].

What I won’t do: No access to banking, no taking payments, and no handling HMRC logins.

PM me with: (1) the task, (2) your preferred structure, (3) the format you want the output in, and (4) your deadline — and I’ll confirm if it fits the 45-min trial.

If you share your hourly rate and rough availability, it’ll be easier for serious buyers to message you with the right expectations.
 

Join 6,000 UK business owners

Ask a question, share what you have learned, and get notified when someone replies. Membership is free and takes a minute.

Create a free account
Top