What business advice do we need when setting up as a freelance writer/author

I was paying for my car tax online through the government portal Direct Gov. If you have not used it, it seems to have many links to cover most things that we the average Joe seem to want answers to.
The website is huge, no wonder they call it a portal. I am also due to send in my tax return for the last financial year and since deciding to step up my writing to a professional level from just a hobby.

I have been careful to document my expenditure and no the income is not yet flooding in but as any business, you would not really expect it to.

So with all this in mind, I find myself today in my local council offices, waiting to see a business advisor from businesslinksw.
I have questions to which I hope he will have the answers. When to inform the tax man, what about national insurance when currently I have no income. More questions on my website, best way to set it up, promoting myself as a freelance writer. Am I doing enough?? As writers we need to promote ourselves, even successful authors that have huge publishing companies behind them, still promote themselves through thier websites etc.

I have looked at many blogs and websites and the advice out there for new writers is vast and  at times confusing. I am trying to keep things simple and not fall into the confusion trap. I have this blog, my facebook fan page which is growing and soon my website. So we all need self promotion.

One form of self promotion many traditional business use is to have thier name, business name and phone number on thier vehicule. How much business this creates I have no idea, nor do I think I could do this to our family Passat.

However a word of caution, if you do participate in this kind of self promotion,  I would advise you do not cut up another vehicule when driving.

An example of this was, my husband, he was following me last week  on route to North Devon, (I was towing our caravan), when a traditional white van man abrubtly cut inbetween us, causing my husband to violently brake. Did he consume with road rage; no! He had a legal handsfree set and dialled the number clearly displayed infront of him, carefully witholding his number first.
The call was diverted to a mobile. It was answered by no less than the driver of the white van, answering in his business name. " Can I help you?" "yes " replied my husband, " if you are going to cut in front of other drivers abruptly; it might pay not to have your number displayed on your vehicule".
The offending driver was mortified and apoligised profusely!

So maybe next time when using self promotion we should all be careful how we portray ourselves.

Well my business advisor has arrived, so tomorrow, will let you know the answers I am seeking.