Mel Dixon | Financial & Insurance
There are many different types of insurance available for freelancers and contractors, many of which are advisable only for specific fields of work. One form of insurance which is almost universally recommended is Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance.
After all, if you make a costly mistake at work – who ya gonna call?
Michael Rose | Financial & Insurance
Getting sign-off, in writing, is a vital part of best practice when sending designs, copy or code to clients. If changes need to be made later then, with sign-off completed, it is the client’s responsibility — not yours. If, for example, there is a typo in a design for a flyer (perhaps the date is wrong!) and the client spots the mistake after printing 1000s of copies the responsibility for the cost of re-printing is the clients… not yours.
Find out how Professional Indemnity Insurance will defend you in cases where clients refuse to pay, or make a claim against you.
Mel Dixon | Financial & Insurance
So, the job’s been a nightmare and the client has been excruciatingly awkward – and then when you reach the end of the project, they refuse to pay up. What do you do?
Insurance specialists Blyth Valley offer the following advice on how a Professional Indemnity policy can help…
Mel Dixon | Financial & Insurance,Guides
Debt collection. It’s a term which often invokes the notion of a murky underworld where burly henchman terrorise blameless innocent types, usually of a slender frame; they are often grabbed by the collar and thrown against the nearest wall.
However, if you’re a contractor or freelancer who’s owed money which is not forthcoming, how do you go about collecting it in the most civil manner possible?
Mel Dixon | Financial & Insurance
For freelancers and contractors, being able to supply a client with a simple T’s and C’s document is a sure-fire way of maintaining an aura of professionalism. It’s also pretty handy in the event of a dispute.
So, what else are they good for? And how should you go about drawing them up? Insurance specialists Blyth Valley have the answers…
Mel Dixon | Financial & Insurance
If you’re a designer or freelancer who is in the business of recommending materials or services to others, are you aware of the dangers you may face in doing so?
Insurance specialists Blyth Valley reveal how you can reduce the likelihood of a disgruntled customer heading straight for you with an inclination to sue…
Michael Rose | Financial & Insurance
Once again the Bank of England has held the base rate at 0.5% Looking back at last months budget there was some very good news for first time buyers as a stamp duty holiday was put in place for purchases below £250,000. The government also declared a five per cent Stamp Duty levy targeting those [...]
Paul Cleworth | Financial & Insurance
As a contractor you may review your finances fairly often and look at your current and projected earnings to enable you to set effective budgets, for you personally and for your business moving forwards. This allows you to set future personal and financial goals, which could centre on retiring early to planning that big holiday away with your family.
These plans and your current lifestyle are supported by you continuing to work and generating a regular income. But what happens if you are unable to work due to illness? Your level of income may well fall and your financial plans for the future may be compromised.
Michael Rose | Financial & Insurance
When you’re running your own business you are the business manager, financial director, credit controller and bookkeeper. Hopefully you’ve managed to outsource your accounting needs but you still need to look at your accounts to make informed business decisions.
This week’s podcast with Sarah Thelwall from MyCake took a look at Turning Business Data into Brilliant Business Plans this post takes us a bit deeper and looks at a few types of costs that freelancers and SME’s incur so that you can gain a better idea of what ‘normal’ is.
Taj Kang | Financial & Insurance
Freelance Advisor and Associate Director of Contractor Mortgages Made Easy, Taj Kang, surveys how the mortgage market is looking for contractors and freelancers.
Paul Cleworth | Financial & Insurance
Freelance Advisor and financial planning expert Paul Cleworth has been analyzing this month’s Pre-Budget report to see if there are any gems for us freelancers and contractors.
We focus on how it affects contractors, the good and bad news as well as what opportunities there are for freelancers and contractors.
Paul Cleworth | Financial & Insurance
Successful long term investment is not just about buying low and selling high. Stock markets rise and fall, and share prices are vulnerable to everything from political news to the weather. Trying to find your way around – particularly during times of high volatility and uncertainty – can feel like negotiating a minefield.
So how can we make sense of such a confusing world? It is probably time to go back to basics – stock markets may rise and fall, but the rules of sensible investment remain constant. Wealth Matters’ Paul Cleworth gives us the low down.
Paul Cleworth | Financial & Insurance
Permanent employees often have death-in-service cover as part of their contract of employment with typically ‘3-4 times your salary’ as the benefit, but for contractors who are often the only person who works in their company, there has been little scope to provide similar benefits, until now.
Paul Cleworth | Financial & Insurance
In conjunction with PCG, Wealth Matters have been running a number of Contractor Seminars this year. When it comes to investing they’ve found quite a few questions keep repeating themselves among the 250-strong contractors in the audience. Today Wealth Matters’ Director Paul Cleworth answers these questions for a wider contractor audience.
Michael Rose | Financial & Insurance,News
This week the FSA chief executive Hector Sants outlined a radical shake-up in the mortgage market. The new proposals by The Financial Services Authority (FSA) include a ban on all Self-Certification Mortgages.
This is potentially worrying news for Freelancers and Contractors as Self Certification Mortgages were designed for workers who have trouble proving their income in a conventional manner such as freelancers, contractors, self employed, and company directors but Ian Burrows at Freelancer Mortgages Made easy actually welcomes the news…
Paul Cleworth | Financial & Insurance
You may not be thinking of retirement just yet, but it’s always worth being aware of rule changes that could impact on your pension. Paul Cleworth, Financial Planner and Director of Wealth Matters shows us freelancers and contractors how we can tee up our options…
Are you ready for retirement?
Charlie Bradburn | Financial & Insurance
The PCG is a non-profit organisation that fights the freelance corner by lobbying government for better tax and regulation and promoting fair and ethical behaviour among recruiters. It also provides a host of tools and knowledge to its members to help them handle tax and regulatory matters properly.
PCG insider Charlie Bradburn tells us why they could be your greatest ally if you were ever to suffer a tax investigation and how their help-line can help you feel more at ease when confronted by a letter from the HMRC.
James Leckie | Financial & Insurance
Here are some ideas from James Leckie from Contract Eye. Although aimed primarily at IT contractors, many of the tips can be applied to freelancers in other industries. 1. Keep an eye on your cashflow The advice is the same for all small businesses in the current economic climate – make sure you preserve cash. IT contractors [...]
