Accordingly to the quarterly yardstick of freelancer, contractor and small business confidence, the Federation of Small Business’ ‘Voice of Small Business’ index, the mood of the UK’s small firms crashed in the latter part of 2011 due to a combination of high inflation, rising utilities bills and reduced consumer spending power.
We’ve been keeping abreast of the Agency Workers Regulations since they came into force on 1st October. Despite proclamations of the world ending, the legislation hasn’t had as drastic an impact on the UK’s freelancer and contractor community as was expected.
HMRC yesterday launched a pilot of an Alternative Dispute Resolution service for SMEs, which aims to reduce to need for tribunals during HMRC’s compliance checks. The scheme, which was trialled last year and saw 60% of disputes either fully or partially resolved, involves independent facilitators who work with both HMRC and business owners to ensure a quick and fair outcomes for both parties.
With the first twelve weeks of the AWR finishing on 23rd December 2011 – when in theory all agency workers will have ‘equal’ treatment rights to pay, holidays, hours of work etc. – we take a look at the impact of the Agency Workers Regulations so far – what’s good, bad and downright dodgy!
With the first twelve weeks of the AWR coming to an end on 23rd December 2011 – when in theory all agency workers will have ‘equal’ treatment rights to pay, holidays, hours of work etc. – we take a look at the impact of the Agency Workers Regulations so far – what’s good, bad and downright dodgy!
HMRC has been taken to task today by Conservative MPs and business leaders for their preferential treatment of large corporates, while attacking small and micro businesses through their Business Record Checks. The scheme will result in fines of up to £3,000 for freelancers, contractors and small businesses who cannot provide paperwork to back up the claims made in their tax returns.
The Government has confirmed this week their plans to ‘overhaul’ key areas of employment legislation following several months of consultation and the Red Tape project. Will any of these make life easier for Employers by reducing red tape, or be fair to Employees?
About nine-and-a-half weeks ago the Agency Workers Regulations came into effect in England, Wales and Scotland, and following lots of corporate hand-wringing beforehand, October 1st came and went without incident, and most of the contractors impacted carried on as normal – it seemed like the Y2K virus of the employment world.
Last week Chancellor and plasticine man-child George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement to Parliament, laying out how the Government would be tweaking their budget for the coming months in order to drag the UK out of the economic doldrums and back to healthy growth.
New research conducted by Simply Business has found that a surprising 27% of small businesses are planning to increase their staffing in the next twelve months.
As you have probably heard, mass public sector strikes are occurring today in protest of the Government’s pension reforms. Around three million public sector employees are walking out (many of them protesting in London) in an attempt to throw out reforms that would see their pension contributions rise dramatically, as well as push back their retirement age.
Hooray! As you have hopefully realised by now, today (November 23rd) is National Freelancers Day! The event, dreamt up and orchestrated by the Professional Contractors Group, is now in its third year. In 2009 the focus was “the future of work”, and in 2010 “freeing up potential” was the theme. This year the main event, The Freelance Lecture, being held at St. Lukes on Old Street in London on the topic “Flexibility, capability, agility, compatibility”.
Prime Minister David Cameron has once again praised the UK’s freelancers on the eve of National Freelancers Day 2011. In the latest issue of Freelance Matters, the industry magazine from the PCG, the Prime Minister reflected on the impact on the freelance sector.
We’ve covered coworking plenty on Freelance Advisor. Be it at dedicated coworking spaces or weekly Jelly meetings, we think coworking is a fantastic way for freelancers and contractors to get out there, enjoy the company of like-minded individuals, get some work done, and do some no-pressure networking. It would seem out enthusiasm is shared by many coworkers, as evidenced by the results of a survey by Deskmag.
Just six weeks after passing into law, the controversial Agency Workers Regulations are facing more and more vocal opposition. Despite audible industry protestations, the new legislation went ahead unchanged on October 1st, and now both the Association of Recruitment Consultancies (ARC) and The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have renewed calls for an early review.
There was bad news for the UK’s contractor workforce last week as a study carried out by Staffing Industry Analysts and Innovantage on behalf of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies revealed a dramatic 13% drop in the demand for contractor workers across the UK in the last year.
The Bank of England (BoE) governor Sir Mervyn King has stated that banks should be offered financial incentives to encourage more lending to struggling small businesses. Speaking at the Treasury Select Committee about the BoE’s decision to inject £75 billion back into the economy, Sir Mervyn King urged MPs to address the lack of lending to small businesses in the UK.
A little while ago we ran a reader survey to find out a little about how the UK’s freelancers run their businesses, how they regarded their accountants, and what they thought of industry worries such as HMRC fines and IR35. We’ve finally managed to dive into the results and pull out some interesting titbits.
As we reported a few months ago, payments to small businesses are taking longer than ever. Research by payment infrastructure behemoth BACS found that the average payment period was a rather lengthy 52 days.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has just launched a new service which allows small businesses to check their patent applications online for free. The Online Patent Information and Documentation Inspection Service (Ipsum) has been set up to allow users to keep track of the progress of their patent application and its status.
National Freelancers Day is drawing near. We’re preparing by baking cakes in the shapes of our favourite freelancers, recording mixtapes of the best songs to freelance to and ritualistically burning effigies of our least favourite clients.
As mumpreneurs get recognition in the latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary, it has also emerged that the number of mums starting their own business has doubled in the last year. According to a survey carried out by online freelance marketplace PeoplePerHour, there has been a 110% increase in the number of entrepreneurial mothers signing up to the website over the past 12 months.
With more than 21,000 regulations currently active in the UK, earlier this year the government made a welcome pledge to reduce this amount and so reducing the overall burden regulation places on businesses and employers. The Better Regulation Executive (BRE) has played a major part in helping the coalition government’s strategy to reduce regulations.
The Agency Workers Regulations came into force on October 1st (this past Saturday). All temps, agency workers, and some umbrella company contractors now have the same rights as full-time employees after twelve weeks of service.
In preparation for the Agency Workers Regulations passing into law (which happened this past weekend) ACAS last week advised Employers to ‘get to grips’ with the Regulations so they do not fall foul of its requirements, or they could be fined.
Freelancer.com, the largest online marketplace for freelance workers, yesterday added hourly billing to their repertoire of services for freelancers and employers. The site’s 2.8 million members can now specify an hourly rate (assuming they have no qualms about going public with pricing), and be hired on short- or long-term contracts by employers with commission starting at just 3%.
While there may be mixed messages surrounding the profitability of commercial activity on Facebook, the social network’s primary source of income – targeted advertising – is still a sound option for those looking to purchase banner ads to promote their business. Facebook is now planning to give away free adverts to small businesses in the US.
We’re in the midst of a fairly pronounced period of economic strife, in case you didn’t notice. Markets are collapsing, Greece is almost broke, and widespread redundancies are happening in the public and private sector alike.
It’s been a long time coming, but this Saturday – despite worries and protestations from many in the recruitment, contracting and HR sectors – the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations looks set to go ahead as planned with little change to the rules handed down from the EU.
A new report carried out by law firm Allen & Overy has revealed that 500,000 temporary employment contracts could be at risk due to the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) that are due to come into force on the 1st October, 2011.
Europe’s largest credit management organisation, the Institute of Credit Management (ICM), has launched a petition in conjunction with the commercial credit referencing agency Graydon UK, to prompt a Government rethink on plans to exempt micro-businesses from having to file accounts at Companies House.
It has been reported that David Cameron has sought last minute legal advice to find out what the possibilities are of making changes to the new Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) that are set to come into force on the 1st October.
If you are thinking about joining the world of freelancers or perhaps you have recently started your own freelance business – good for you!
It is less than 8 weeks to go until National Freelancers Day, which takes place for the third year running on the 23rd November 2011, and if the promoters of the event are to be believed it is set to be the best one yet!
Although some freelancers may find it more difficult to obtain a good credit card than a full-time employee, there’s a lot of disinformation flying around about freelancers and credit cards. Here we’ll bust three common myths.
Lesley Furber | Lifestyle & Time out
Anyone can volunteer, Freelancers and Contractors too. All types of organisations regularly need volunteers and Freelancers can often offer specialised skills that ‘traditional’ volunteers cannot.
Five plumbers have been arrested and around 600 are under civil investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for failing to pay the right amount of tax. The arrests and investigations have taken place during a campaign targeting plumbers which invited them to put their tax affairs in order.
There are potentially a couple of small but noteworthy changes heading the way of small businesses in the not-too-distant future, both announced last week. Firstly, HMRC is mulling over a proposal which would make online submission of VAT returns compulsory for firms with turnovers less than £100,000.
Many new freelancers and contractors may be vaguely aware of IR35, but not know when and where it applies. Before getting too intimate with the ins and outs of the IR35 legislation, the first step is to know if IR35 is even relevant to your situation.
We’ve been covering the upcoming Agency Workers Regulations with some interest. The legislation, due to come into force in October, has the potential to fundamentally alter the relationship some freelancers and contractors have with their Umbrella Companies.
A survey carried out by Sedo, a global domain marketplace, has revealed that small businesses are paying 5% more for their domain names than they were this time last year.
Back in February, as part of their penance for almost bankrupting us all, the UK’s five biggest banks entered into Project Merlin, a scheme by the Government to allow better access to credit and loan facilities to UK businesses.
HMRC staff are to begin calling new businesses to offer advice on how to correctly take care of their bookkeeping and tax obligations. HMRC is referring to this new practise as “telephone education”, and businesses will be contacted “at key stages in their lifecycles”.
Rachel Soothill | News,Technology
Research into online marketing has revealed that two thirds of marketing managers still rely on email to deliver their online campaigns. The survey, which was carried out by eCircle, is part of a larger study on European Social Media and Email Marketing.
This is a difficult and potentially time-consuming process. Long-term freelancers will certainly wish to ‘IR35-proof’ their contracts in order to avoid the reduction in earnings. Contracts will need to be checked for each job/project and they should highlight your status as a self-employed professional.
As outsourcing becomes an increasingly used solution by businesses that lack the workforce, abilities or budgets to carry out certain services themselves, more outsourcing options are becoming available. The most common of which has been offshoring, which involves using services that are based outside of the UK.
The self-employed are being urged to plan ahead in the event of being off work due to illness. The advice comes following a recent report that revealed that the self employed are among the worst effected when it comes to the financial impact of being in hospital.
The Agency Workers Regulations come into force on 1st October 2011 to bolster the rights of so-called “vulnerable” agency workers – and the Swedish Derogation is being mentioned a lot by Umbrella Companies. What does it mean?
HM Revenue and Customs have released a new action plan designed – not the same as committed – to significantly opening up the public sector marketplace to small businesses. The actions outlined in the document range from increasing the amount of information available and holding ‘product surgeries’, to piloting new procurement methods and increasing SME access to sub-contracting opportunities.
Jon Norris | Getting a Job,News
This week the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development released a report that found highly skilled workers such as engineers, consultants and developers are in woefully short supply in the UK. Around three quarters (73%) of employers said that the high levels of unemployment have resulted in many unqualified applicants for skilled positions.
There are 3 basic ways you can be employed in the UK – as an Employee, as a Worker or as Self-Employed/Freelance. However, Contractors can be either a Worker or Freelance, depending on how they are employed on each job. Read on for more information!
There was good news for micro-businesses last week as the EU decided it was time to unburden them from the heavy weight of small business accounting. Business Minister and aged Wayne Rooney lookalike Ed Davey announced that by reducing the accounting responsibilities of businesses with fewer than ten employees and turnover less than £434,000 the EU could save these small enterprises around £300 million per year.
Following the OTS report on small business tax simplification and the Chancellor’s subsequent lack of action, HMRC has formed the IR35 Forum – an expert group of employment and tax specialists – to look into potential reforms to the much-reviled legislation. Following the Forum’s first meeting in early May, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has now been invited to join.
Yesterday we ran a piece from our resident HR expert Lesley about the Agency Workers Regulations, or AWR for acronym fans. So now we know how it will affect Agency Workers from an employement point of view – but how will it effect the freelancing and contracting industry as a whole?
From 1st October 2011, Agency Workers in Great Britain (Northern Ireland will publish their own separate regulations) will have the right to ‘equal treatment’ in certain areas of their employment. We summarise what you need to know!
Jon Norris | Getting a Job,Guides
Thankfully they’re becoming more and more rare, but every so often a freelancer may be asked to deliver a pitch for a project. Aside from being a pain in the backside, pitches are usually used to determine whether or not you’ll cut the mustard. So how can you make sure you’ll impress your audience?
The hot topic recently has been about the recession and its continued impact on the freelance job market. Only last week we revealed the results from a survey carried out by CIPD and now more research from PeoplePerHour.com has confirmed the same.
Of course we’re not talking about you. We know the Freelance Advisor readership are bastions of honesty, purity and fiscal responsibility. We just thought we’d let you know anyway, so you can warn your less-scrupulous friends about HMRC’s latest clampdown.
Starting a business is a time-consuming and difficult task, which generally means getting down and dirty in all areas of the business. With so much to do every day, developing an optimised workflow becomes more than a just a ‘nice thing to have’ – it is essential to your business’s success.
Many freelancers and contractors have their own website which is either a fun hobby-horse or an online space for promoting their expertise and getting work. In such instances you probably don’t want to spend much time, let alone money, on attracting web traffic. The most effective way of achieving this is to promote it socially. This can be done online and in the physical world – social networking shouldn’t just happen in the online space.
What follows are a few simple tips on utilising key social tools to help increase web hits.
When you’re surfing the net and only want the bare bones of a new story or article, wouldn’t it be nice to press a button marked ‘summarise’ and have that content neatly displayed in a compact form. Well that’s effectively what tldr.it (an acronym for Too Long Didn’t Read) does.
How it operates is pretty simple.
The iPad has been a hugely popular way for people to get online, consume information and play Angry Birds. For freelancers and contractors, its strength has been in enabling the user to find out stuff, fire off quick emails and generally perform online tasks without having to boot up a computer or be restricted by a miniature screen. It has created a happy medium between mobility and functionality.
Mel Dixon | Getting a Job,Money
Despite a sense of restrained optimism from business leaders the year ahead is likely to be a testing one for the UK economy. For example, the impact of the VAT rise on SMEs is uncertain – the Shadow Chancellor believes that it will lead to 250,000 job losses. While this could work in favour of a freelance workforce called upon to fill the gaps, it may also have an adverse effect if whole businesses go bust – particularly if they happen to be your clients.
In his characteristically blunt manner, Lord Alan Sugar has been lending his opinions on a range of issues affecting the small business community. In a column written in The Daily Telegraph, Lord Sugar discusses how small businesses can plan for a tough 2011, why it’s foolish to rely on anyone to help your business – especially banks, and why networking events are a waste of time. As you would probably expect from Sugar, it’s a combination of shrewd business advice, personal anecdote (some might say self-glorification) and the occasional expletive. In all seriousness, his advice is genuinely insightful.
If you’re a UX freelancer (one of those front page web interface design types) you may be interested in a new survey which reveals how much you can expect to get paid in the industry. By detailing the pay of UX freelancers across varying experience levels, location and gender – this is probably the most exhaustive study of its kind.
The results offer a really useful guide for industry freelancers unsure of what rates to charge.
Freelance trade body, the Professional Contractors Group (PCG), has warned of a tough year ahead in the labour market. However, managing director John Brazier, believes that the UKs contracting workforce is well placed to weather the storm.
As Billy Ocean once explained: “When the going gets tough…”
2010 has been a memorable year which has seen recognition of the freelance community rise to unprecented levels. A few things spring to mind. We’ve seen the forming of a coalition government which has seemingly set in motion a chain of events that will eventually see an overhaul of IR35. And the second ever National Freelancers Day was a huge success with freelancers across the UK going weak at the knees when Prime Minister David Cameron addressed them directly.
Mel Dixon | Lifestyle & Time out
Pen and paper is underrated. Sure you can have your user-friendly word programmes and ergonomic keyboards but can any combination beat the humble ink on felled tree? Nope. Personally, I’m always at my most creative with a pen in my hand and a blank sheet of paper in front of me. But, it has to be a special pen…
As you’re probably already aware, the VAT rate will rise from 17.5% to 20% on 4 January. Accounting for the rate change will be a fairly simple process for most freelancers and contractors, however, there are special rules which apply to certain grey areas spanning the rate change.
Are you raising an invoice after 4 January but performing a service before the deadline? Or vice-versa: are you providing goods before 4 January and raising the invoicing afterwards? Well, in such situations you get special dispensation and a choice.
New small businesses have been asked about their love of outsourcing in order to trace what the future holds for the phenomenon of hiring essential business services instead of performing the same functions in-house.
According to research by OutsourceMyProject.com, the global value of outsourcing stands at $60bn and is set to grow by 20% year-on-year for the next five years. If that’s to be believed, the 2010s are set to be the decade of the outsourcing revolution!
There have been some interesting developments of late which shed some light on what the future holds for IR35 – the legislation designed to close the loophole which enabled people to work as independent contractors when, actually, in spirit, being more akin to an employee.
Ever since Chancellor George Osbourne announced a review of IR35 in the Emergency Budget, many in the contracting community had their hopes raised for swift action.
With recent research detailing the colossal expense and burden of niggling administrative duties (apparently we spend 37 days each year on opening letters alone!), isn’t it about time we got hold of the red tape and tore it apart with Hulk-like strength?
Freelancers and contractors can help make their lives significantly easier by offloading many of the menial tasks that blight their day. First though, you need to know when’s the best time to outsource.
The reason I ask is due to a recent study carried out by Harvard which has apparently discovered that if you sit in a ‘power pose,’ not only will it have a positive effect on others, it will also benefit you directly. You will be rewarded physiologically, mentally and emotionally. Apparently.
I guess at this point you will be asking: what is this ‘power pose’? And how can I perform it?
Chancellor George Osbourne took the opportunity to do away with the Pre-Budget Report and replace it with an Autumn Statement when the Coalition Government was formed. I’m not sure which sounds the most interesting.
The idea behind the report is to give the British public the opportunity to find out the state of the economy and the pressing matters facing the treasury.
Mel Dixon | Lifestyle & Time out
If you’re a freelancer or contractor who gets on famously with your clients, you may well be invited to a Christmas party this year. I, for one, have a few parties to attend. In fact, I’ve already crashed and burned at one. And that got me thinking: How am I going to handle the rest of them? Can I get through these parties without being the office bore?
These are some of the techniques I’ll be using to get through the festive knees-up…
As we ease towards the end of 2010, now might be a good time for freelancers and contractors to start thinking about their business goals and objectives for next year. Setting goals is an effective way of ensuring that you are headed in the right direction, and places the work that you do within a wider context.
By using goals and objectives in the right way, you can establish a roadmap for freelance success!
As you’ve probably noticed, the weather has been a bit on the chilly side for the last few days. Down here on the south coast we had about a foot of snow, and the Freelance Advisor team worked from home for a few days – that’s the official Freelance Advisor Dog enjoying himself in the picture there.
Freelancing in the 21st century offers a limitless number of opportunities for helping you become more efficient and finding more work. Technology really is a freelancers best friend.
So, what are these opportunities and how does the 21st freelancer make the most of them. Read on…
According to new research, poor communication is costing small businesses a crazy amount of money. The survey was undertaken by T-Mobile and involved over 2,000 small businesses, 86% of whom felt they wasted time talking to suppliers, customers, partners and staff.
A phone company suggesting that people talk too much? What next? EMI discovering that we excessively listen to music?
A new all-party parliamentary group has been set up for the freelance sector in order to create closer ties between Westminster and the UK’s 1.4m freelancers. The group will seek to highlight the contribution that freelancers and contractors make to the UK economy and promote the flexi-working way of life.
PCG, the industry trade body, certainly seems happy about it; but what powers does an all-party group have?
I recently wrote a piece on showcasing your services online, the importance of brand identity and the minimum requirement for an online presence – and no, it really ought not be time-consuming or something you need to constantly update. Though it does have to be ‘up-to-date’.
Mel Dixon | Lifestyle & Time out
Gordon Ramsay does it in the kitchen and Christian Bale does it on the film set, so why can’t a freelancer or contractor let rip with a few profanities in the workplace?
Many experts argue that swearing is an effective method of venting your pent-up frustrations, so assuming no-one raises any objections, and you get the job done as per your clients requirements, there shouldn’t be any repercussions for owning a potty mouth.
If only it were that simple.
With VAT rising from 17.5% to 20% in the new year, it’s worth asking what effect this will have on freelancers and contractors. The impact it will have on retailers is fairly obvious, they have to change all the prices in their shops to account for this change. For freelancers, the impact is not so straightforward and will vary depending on how they do their accounting.
As a freelancer or contractor, you are the brand. It’s a horrible word and nobody wants to refer to themselves as a brand – it makes you sound like a brain dead idiot from The Apprentice – but unfortunately that is what you’ve become.
And, as with any brand you need to ensure that it’s alive, easy-to-find and well maintained in the online sphere. In other words, the two PR’s are essential – public relations and personal reputation.
Many people like the idea of running their own business, but when you’re safe in the security of full-time employment it can appear as a dangerously alluring dream. After all, it’s sink or swim, right? Not necessarily.
The truth is, going freelance needn’t be a blind leap into the unknown; a freelance career should be planned out in advance thereby minimising the potential risks.
As the Government talks of plans to create an ‘entrepreneurial decade’, a new employment forecast paints a gloomy picture that suggests the private sector will struggle to fill the void left by public sector cuts whilst feeling the impact of the VAT increase.
Does the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development offer an accurate forecast? Or are they ‘less reliable than a dead octopus’ as one Conservative MP sugge
You’ll have to be quick to get your voice heard in a major survey of freelancers and contractors in the UK. It’s a good opportunity to offer your views on the state of freelancing, your hopes and fears for the future, and much more besides.
The survey should only take ten minutes and closes this Friday (5th November).
A new report the how the internet is transforming the UK economy has been published by the Boston Consulting Group.
The research illustrates how small businesses actively using the internet are reporting sales growth more than four times bigger than that of companies less active online.
We’ve started, so we’ll finish. If your specialist subject is freelancing we have a chair just waiting for you.
The PCG special Mastermind sessions are to be held throughout the UK and while there might not be an imposing leather chair, you can make yourself comfortable in Manchester, Aberdeen, Brighton, Edinburgh, Bristol or Watford for stimulating sessions that will help us celebrate the PCG’s National Freelancers Day on November 23rd.
Brighton-based journalist and communications consultant Sally Shore has launched a new service to help the increasing numbers of entrepreneurs and freelancers generate media coverage on a budget.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out,Working From Home
If you’re interested in starting your own business, working from home or building a business empire from scratch then Enterprise Nation is a great source of information and inspiration.
I’ve recently stumbled across their TV channel on Vimeo and it’s fantastic. EN founder Emma Jones have been a Freelance Advisor contributor for a couple of years now and it’s great to see her ‘live’ in front of the camera talking about the stuff she loves.
One to watch!
National Freelancers Day is all set for 23rd November 2010.
On this day, and during the week, the PCG and Freelance Advisor will be trumpeting (and rejoicing in) the vital contribution that freelancers and contractors make to the UKs economic well-being.
After the success of last year’s event many freelancers were asking what they could do to get involved with National Freelancers Day 2010.
Here are 6 ways to get connected…
Michael Rose | Working From Home
Virgin Media recently announced that it would start publishing its average broadband speeds for all of its internet packages. This is great news for home-workers and hopefully the beginning of a trend towards greater honesty among Internet Service Providers.
What is your IPS ‘up to?’ – follow our quick guide to checking your connection and comparing what you pay vs what you currently get.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
After last week’s illuminating How to Start a Design Business videos we got sent this brilliant tongue-in-cheek take on the life of a freelancer. Completely hilarious it’s full of some nice tips for convincing clients you’ve got a secretary while answering calls from bed, how to claim almost anything on expenses and how to fool clients you work for a big agency while working in your pants.
A must see for a miserable Monday morning…
Michael Rose | Getting a Job,Resources
The Design Council has uploaded a couple of very interesting expert advice videos.
Part of their excellent resources section the videos feature interviews with top UK design talent and their advice on starting up a design business and how to deal with client relationships. Mostly relevant to newbie designers but a lot of the advice is relevant to anyone creative thinking of starting up in business.
Michael Rose | Getting a Job,Resources
From organising and getting prepared to polishing your product and your pitch, here is a list of tools that will help you make your move to freelancing as as efficient and seamless as possible.
Freelancers in the North West might be interested to hear about the Wirral and Liverpool Enterprise Freelance Fair. This unique event aims to help agencies, small businesses and freelancers looking for new contracts and solid advice and even promises to get you useful business leads!
In the run up to National Freelancers Day the PCG are asking freelancers to share their top tips with their fellow freelancers.
What do you do to make your work more profitable, productive, worthwhile and enjoyable?
If you’ve got freelance pizzazz, why don’t you shout about it?
This talk by web-hero and Basecamp creator Jason Fried underlines almost everything that Freelance Advisor is about.
Advertising your skills can be expensive and inefficient but writing a short blog post that catches the imagination of thousands of people in your field is much easier. In this talk Fried talks about the huge difference between blogging about your product and blogging about your techniques, how being open with your clients AND competitors works to generate new business for those willing to share their secret sauce.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
We hear a lot about “Inbox Zero”, whether you’ve practiced Getting Things Done, got yourself a set of 43 Folders or just have good Zen Habits, you are probably aware that it’s a good idea to have an Inbox that you treat as sacred and some rules and patterns to govern it; Rule one being get ‘In to Empty’ regularly.
While this all makes a whole lot of sense and has done for years, important bills to pay tucked behind the clock on the mantlepiece was my late Uncle’s preferred ‘productivity tool’, I’ve always thought there should be some discussion of Outbox behaviours.
PCG, the voice of freelancing, is pleased to announce that booking has officially opened for PCG’s inaugural Freelance Lecture taking place at the magnificent Stationer’s Hall to mark National Freelancers Day 2010 — an event supported by Telegraph Media Group.
‘Freeing up Potential’ will provide a theme for the lecture, which will be delivered by Dr James Bellini, leading futurologist, broadcaster and, of course, freelancer.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out,Working From Home
The Skiff 2.0 has recently moved to a new space for creative co-working.
In partnership with Wired Sussex the new co-working and events space is a bigger, better, brighter place at 6 Gloucester Street, right in the heart of Brighton’s North Laine .
Freelancing has many advantages including the flexibility to decide when and where you work.
You will also have a wider variation of work with a number of contracts and clients as well as usually being paid higher rates of pay.
However, there can also be disadvantages, especially as you are responsible for all aspects of your business including finances, sourcing work and compliance with relevant regulations such as IR35.
Blogging offers freelancers and contractors the opportunity to market themselves for free whilst providing valued content to a targeted audience.
Perhaps you want to positition yourself as an industry expert, or simply provide some enlightening prose because you truly love what you do.
The following is a list of useful tips to get you started.
Clare Evans | Working From Home
You’ve decided to go down the freelance route and now you’re working from home. Balancing work within the home environment can often be difficult. You may be working around children and family while focusing on your business. There are all the distractions of being at home but needing to be in work mode.
Freelance productivity expert Clare Evans explains how to create a balance between ensuring work gets done and enjoying the flexibility of working from home.
It is essential to ensure your workplace is deemed temporary when determining whether you have the right to claim travel and subsistence expenses. If you are a contractor, assessing your workplace status is extremely important. There are a number of rules set by HMRC which will determine whether you have the right to claim travel and subsistence expenses whilst you work. The rules heavily focus on whether your place of work can be classified as temporary or permanent.
Michael Rose | Resources,Technology
I can’t count the number of times I’ve needed to know the exact dimensions of a piece of A4 paper. It’s not something I need all the time, so it’s not in long-term memory, and it’s certainly not worth printing out and keeping by my monitor.
If I’m at my laptop I usually Google for the answer it but its always frustrated me that I can’t just have everything I need in one place.
International Paper Sizes is an ideal resource for looking up a variety of paper standards. It’s ideal for anyone working in graphic design, illustration, printing, export and packaging. And me.
Michael Rose | Events,Technology
If you like geeky events, conferences and meetups (for work or play) then the brilliant new social conference directory Lanyrd.com is doing absolutely everything it can to connect you, and your friends, to the events that really matter.
Working job-to-job and contract-to-contract is all well and good. But if you want to build a business you’ll need to find some cash.
Christian Nellemann, founder of XLN Telecom, shares some of his experience on how you could get your business off the ground financially.
You probably dread coming back from holiday to hundreds or thousands of emails.
The thought of spending the first week dealing with them all and feeling that you’re having to catch up all the time. Here are a few quick steps to help you deal with the backlog.
Many entrepreneurs & freelancers will be looking at their business now and thinking, I just need to get my name out there and let people know what I’m doing… and then the enquiries will start flooding in. This may lead them to start looking at options like PR and you may well be met with promises of instant results, tons of press coverage and lots more business.
Jenna Gould, Director of Media Jems asks is it too good to be true?
Michael Rose | Money,Technology
Are slow payers crippling your cash flow? Are you spending too much time chasing overdue accounts and stifling your productivity? Spending more of your valuable time chasing payments than new customers?
There’s an app for that.
“A sale is not a sale until the money is in the bank”. It’s a great rule of thumb but it’s surprising how many businesses forget this golden rule and over-extend themselves. For many freelancers the long awaited big contract is one of the main reasons to be in business. However, whether your customer is a small business or a very large one, it is critically important to ensure they can and will pay you.
Creditsafe’s 16-page guide is crammed full of top tips for making sure you will get paid.
Poor customer service can kill a business and it is absolutely vital to get client and customer service right, particularly when handling complaints. If you don't handle complaints well then not only are you likely to lose the customer who is dissatisfied, but they are more likely to tell others about bad service than they are good service, so you stand to lose many more customers by getting it wrong.
Business Mentor Toby Buckle shares his top ten tips for crushing your customer’s quibbles.
We all need good time management skills but if you are feeling that there is too much to do and not enough time then it is especially important to take a good look at your time-management and productivity habits.
Most freelancers could do with a little more time in their day, so we’ve asked Clare Evans author of Time Management for Dummies for her top ten tips to help you get back on track and stay in control.
Andy continues his talk with credit control experts Rob Warlow and Adam Home and Darren Fell of Crunch about credit control and debt collection. In today’s show we ask: What should we do if it all starts to go wrong?
Podcast 26: Credit Control and Debt Collection (part 2) [ 26:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
74 unread emails! Since last night? Are you kidding! We all know what email overload feels like, especially if we’ve been away on holiday or if our American cousins don’t realise that Bank Holidays are sacred. It’s hard enough working out what work has priority but even worse when client email are hidden within an inbox cluttered with newsletters, calendar reminders and “special offers”.
If you use Gmail you might be interested to know that Google are working on the problem.
Gmail is great at filtering out spam but today the Google gmail team announced that they will use similar technology to automatically sort your emails by importance.
Ian Ozsvald | Guides,Resources
Monetising your knowledge is a core skill for freelancers – making money whilst you sleep is a necessary step forwards as you build your freelancing career.
Professional Screencaster Ian Ozsvald shows us ways of making money by screencasting. This post follows the earlier tutorials on Communicating more effectively and raising your profile through screencasts.
Ian Ozsvald | Resources,Training
Building a visible profile is essential if you want to receive a steady stream of readers and referred clients. Demonstrating your knowledge with screencasts is easy and is a very effective way of showing visitors that you’re on top of your game.
Professional Screencaster Ian Ozsvald shows us how short online tutorial and demonstration videos are a powerful way to raise your profile. This post follows the earlier tutorial on (Communicating more effectively with screencasts)
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
At Freelance Advisor we’ve spent a lot of time sharing advice on how you can effectively use Twitter and social. As a tool for finding more friends, colleagues clients and work. We’ve discussed how to use it for Marketing your personal brand and for PR for your own company.
This cheeky little site has a different view…
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
Freelancers need focus; without a boss to keep you in line and being outside a traditional workflow it can be hard to know where to focus your efforts. Combine this with the pace of modern life and it’s easy to get swamped and to feel that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Not only is there a lot of work there are constant distractions, tweets, bleeps and pings pulling us away from our true goals and aspirations.
Focus: The Power of Targeted Thinking attempts to give the solution to all these feelings of confusion and distraction.
Michael Rose | Getting a Job,Money
Continuing our Freelance Stories series we talk to artworker and print production pro Bill Greenwood.
After 20-years working for top design studios Bill has decided to go it alone and tells us what it is like to start your own Limited Company.
The Longtail rule, the Zipf law, the Power law or (easily the most dramatic) ‘The law of the vital few’. It might have many names, but ultimately all forms of the 80/20 rule amount to the same thing – that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.
The same applies to freelancers: you can gain new business simply by offering great service to your clients.
Ian Ozsvald | Resources,Training
Getting your message across to customers and clients is vital and, as a freelancer, communicating clearly and effectively with can make a big difference to the success or failure of a project or product.
Professional Screencaster Ian Ozsvald shows us how short online videos are a powerful way to get communicate clearly.
Michael Rose | Working From Home
Great to see the Guardian covering the Rise of Homeworking:
The rise of home working | Money | The Guardian
Of course, we’ve know about the steady rise of home-working and the joys of working from home for some time now. For more on home-working don’t forget our Working-From-Home section is where to find all the latest posts.
Portfolio To Go is a fantastic iPad app for artists and photographers who use Flickr.com to showcase their photographs online.
Lovingly created by Brighton-based freelance developer Nick Kuh, easily allows freelance photographers, graphic designers and artists to present their portfolio offline to clients — perfect for use with a wifi iPad.
Just sync and go.
For some people forming a business plan may seem a rather intimidating prospect because ultimately it will reveal whether your business idea is a realistic proposition. And if it turns out it’s not? Well, you’ve just wasted your time haven’t you? Err… not really.
Based on what you’ve discovered you can then either alter your plan or come away from the experience wiser for it. It’s a ‘win-win thing!’
If you’re like me – a freelancer who occasionally works from home and who happens to live in an old, listed or converted flat – you’re no stranger to fluctuating wireless signals, and the headache they can cause when you’re trying to work.
Thick concrete walls, organic (horsehair) insulation and poor telephone infrastructure make working from home in these types of flats something of a struggle. It makes matters worse when the one room in your flat where you get the most work done just happens to be out of range from your wireless router. So, when you run a business that relies heavily on a stable internet connection, what’s a freelancer to do?
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
We’re big fans of Jason Fried, creator of Basecamp and co-author of Rework. His Get Real column for Inc.com is a must-read for freelancers interested in freelancing, small business advice, for stories of struggle and success.
His first column for Inc.com, Driven to Distraction, is Fried’s fascinating tale of how he built 37Signals from his solo freelancing business.
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.
When you start and grow a business, you’re involved each day in the detail of running the business; perfecting customer service, ensuring positive cashflow, making new products, and so on.
This is all good and right but to plan for business growth, it’s important to step away from day-to-day affairs and take a good look at the business from a distance.
If you use Skype and have an iPhone then this week’s announcement via the Skype blog will come as very welcome news.
Thanks to the new update, available on iTunes, calls now go over 3G so you no longer need to be at home on a wireless network to make and receive calls.
Sandy Dempsey | Getting a Job,Training
If you’ve not yet joined the 75 million strong Twitterati, Sandy Dempsey founder of The Dreaming Cafe gives us five great tips on how to get started, why you should use Twitter and other social networking tools, and how to make it work for you and your business.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out,Technology
Teux Deux is a super-simple, sleek and stylish to-do list manager. If you like great design with a tiny pinch of minimalism then this might be for you.
Built entirely for the web you just sign up for a free account and start typing in your to-dos. To add a task you just type and hit return. That’s it.
I have always been interested in running a project/small business outside of my 9 to 5 full-time job. Something that I can grow in my spare time and that has the potential to grow and then become my main source of income! Talking with friends, I was given a copy of Emma Jone‘s Working 5 to 9 – How to start a successful business in your spare time — Great timing!
Earlier this week we featured online presentation tool Spiceynodes as a great way to present information to clients or customers, in person, on a screen or directly embedded on your website. Today we look at a few tools for making quick website wireframes, prototypes and mockups.
From simple, free rapid drafting and prototyping tools to more complex and outright technical offerings we give you a quick overview of the options for freelancers needing to quickly create a mockup for a website or landing page.
Emma Jones | Getting a Job,Working From Home
A recent feature in The Guardian ran with the headline: ‘Graduates warned of record 70 applicants for every job’ The next line went: ‘Class of 2010 told to consider flipping burgers or shelf stacking to build skills’.
Was I the only one thinking flipping burgers and shelf stacking is a flippin’ great way to earn part-time income whilst building a business? For all graduates considering self-employment, here are five tips along with stories of those who’ve been there and done it.
Michael Rose | Getting a Job,News
Despite cuts across the board, overall, UK business is seeing a positive change thanks to the new Government. Tax breaks, including extended relief on the increase in Capital Gains Tax and National Insurance have been introduced and support for SMEs has been very positive.
To mark the importance of SMEs, The Startups Awards 2010 have added a Home Business of the Year category to their annual awards.
An inspiring case study in the Guardian this week telling how Chris Clarke, a former financial controller, used Freelance jobs site PeoplePerHour.com to get back into business as a book-keeper.
Chris, a victim of the recession, was made redundant when his employer had to cut-costs so he went it alone and setup his own business. To find more clients, he has been attending events at his local chamber of commerce and using websites like PeoplePerHour.com where he can advertise his services.
Joycellyn Akuffo | Working From Home
Do you like bashing the snooze button as many times as you like? Do you hate those gossipy water cooler conversations? While there are lots of side-benefits from working from home there are some real benefits too. Joycellyn Akuffo editor of MothersWhoWork.co.uk lists her Top Ten reasons why working from home is so appealing to so many.
Michael Rose | Technology,Working From Home
If you occasionally work from home then getting a decent broadband connection can really help you get your work done effectively.
Thanks to modern-day technology, working from home is no longer a second-rate way of staying in touch with clients and colleagues and broadband has become a vital lifeline for many home workers, allowing them to email or browse the web in comfort while also being able to send and receive large files with ease.
If you’re not up to speed with Broadband at home Chris Marling of Broadband Genie gives you a a few things to consider.
Emma Jones believes in starting a business and then finding and focusing on your niche.
But what happens when you feel the niche audience you’ve chosen could be restricting in view of its size? Then it’s time to expand your product range, as opposed to extending your niche.
Emma explains how…
Prioritising and planning how you use your time is a key skill for every great freelancer. Freelancing gives you the freedom to choose what you do and when you do it.
This freedom can have shortcomings however as it’s very easy to be distracted by emails, twitter and other interruptions — and it’s tempting to focus on doing those tasks you like instead of those which may be most useful.
Leif Kendall | Getting a Job,Training
John Williams believes that work doesn’t have be a chore. After itching for something more than the corporate 9 to 5, John went independent and discovered the joys of being paid for things he would happily do for free. John’s interests and work eventually led him to coach other aspiring players.
Freelance copywriter Leif Kendall takes a look at the advice on offer.
PROBLEM: You have limited, often fragmented time to meet clients and contacts. You might have a free spot for two hours this afternoon, time between finishing one project and starting the next, and it’d be great to generate some new business in that slot — if only people knew you were free to talk.
Setster solves this problem beautifully — perfect for consultants or small businesses.
Mark Kirby | Lifestyle & Time out
Information overload is not a problem — we’ve been surrounded by too much information for centuries.
The real problem is ‘filter failure’.
Here Wordpress & Mobile Developer Mark Kirby outlines a very simple method for filtering website feeds and making the most of your time online.
Depressing news from the BBC today shows that graduate unemployment is up 2% on last year with the worst news for Computer Science graduates — with unemployment rates at 17%.
While we’d hope that Computer Science students are going for Freelance or Contracting jobs the data shows a worrying trend in ex-students signing on and remaining unemployed for six months or more.
A genuinely enlightening tax planning seminar for freelancers and contractors will be taking place on July 20 at the Cumberland Hotel in London.
An impressive roster of guest speakers will break down the recent Budget and offer expert insight into how it affects you, as well as looking in detail at the day-to-day financial trials and tribulations of being a flexi-worker.
I’ve long advocated Dropbox as the absolute best file-sharing tool for Freelancers, Contractors and just about anyone who needs to backup their important work files and share content across multiple machines or locations.
But the best of the best has just added a killer new feature.
Freelancers and Contractors unhappy with the Labour government’s IR35 leglislation may now be able to see light at the end of the taxation tunnel.
Before the election the Tory team were hinting that they’d “review” IR35 if they got into power, but yesterday saw the first strong commitment from small business minister Mark Prisk.
“We want to make sure that we could undertake a comprehensive review of small business taxation in a way that makes the need for the current IR35 legislation redundant” said Prisk in an interview with The Telegraph.
A few years ago getting heard on Twitter was easy. When I first joined there were less than a million users and it was easy to find friends with common interests and it was even possible for a couple of friend to create a trending topic.
Now with 70m+ users (sending 50m tweets a day) the story is a little different…
Judy Heminsley | Lifestyle & Time out
Co-working offers freelancers both flexibility of where to work and also the chance to meet with like-minded co-workers and collaborators. Working from home expert Judy Heminsley recommends the Jelly approach.
July 20, 2010
A free event is being held at the Cumberland Hotel in London to help freelancers and contractors get informed about the financial issues that affect them. This will include a discussion of pensions, tax-planning, mortgages and investment among other things
Emma Jones | Working From Home
Working from Home. If you need to work from home unexpectedly then these online tools and services will help you get the job done. Freelance Advisor Emma Jones shares her tips for staying connected with co-workers and clients.
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.
The PCG’s continued lobbying of Tory top-brass has finally paid off in a firm commitment to a review of IR35 legislation by a future Conservative government.
The Conservative Party made the landmark announcement today that IR35 will be reviewed as part of an overall review of small business taxation should they win the General Election in May.
In a letter today to Chris Bryce, PCG Chairman, the Shadow Business Minister, Mark Prisk MP said that due to PCG’s strong representations to him and to Shadow Treasury Ministers “a Conservative Government would undertake a fundamental review of small business taxation matters, including IR35.”
The PCG’s John Brazier and Brookson’s Martin Hesketh respond to Alistair Darling’s budget.
How will the changes affect you and your business?
HMRC Start Up Diaries
The latest installment of HMRC’s [Start Up Diaries][] is now available to view online, offering freelancers, contractors and small business owners a unique insider’s view into setting up and running a new business.
Do you have content you would like to share with an interested audience of existing and potential customers? It’s never been so easy to package your content in a stylish way, and distribute it in a cost-effective way.
Enter the age of home publishing with Emma Jones.
A national advertising campaign highlighting Britain’s Brain Gain has been launched, spotlighting the rich talent pool amongst the UK’s 1.4 million freelance workers and highlighting their £82 billion contribution to our economic output.
The newspaper campaign and the Britain’s Brain Gain website reflects on the ability, imagination and effectiveness of freelance workers throughout the UK.
As electioneering and policy pledges seem to have started in earnest the PCG, the representative body for freelancers, contractors and consultants in the UK, is marking the New Year by calling on Government and policy framers to take a fresh approach to freelancing at the start of a new decade.
Download the Freelancers Manifesto
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.
Linda Jones | Lifestyle & Time out
Agency director and mum of twins Linda Jones shares some expert tips on how to successfully balance the demands of a freelance career with those of a growing family.
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.
Leif Kendall | Lifestyle & Time out
In the first of Freelance Advisor’s freelancer interviews we speak to web designer Rowan Richardson, and discover how she succeeds as a freelancer.
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.
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.
November 23rd, a date for your diary. Why? Because it is a day of recognition for the contribution that freelancers and contractors make to UK economy, a day to be proud of who you are and what you do. To help mark the day the PCG have launched a dedicated National Freelancers Day website.
Leo Babauta | Lifestyle & Time out
Single-tasking: getting more done by doing less.
Developing good, simple habits and maintaining a focused mind can not only help you stay sane but is way more efficient than multitasking.
Guest blogger and productivity-pro Leo Babauta tells why multitasking is bad and how we can avoid doing it.
Darren Fell | Guides,Resources
A must read for Freelancers and Contractors. Rarely do you pick up a book that answers all the questions. Not only does the new Contractors’ Handbook answer them in detail, it goes into areas I hadn’t even thought about – despite creating and running several successful businesses.
Andy White talks to Drew Griffiths of Mosaic about why companies hire freelancers and what they look for.
Podcast #14: Why we get Employed - the Company Perspective [ 12:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Andy White talks to Emma Brierley, Director of Xchange Team, about her book, Talent on Tap: Getting the best from Freelancers, Interims and Consultants, and gain some interesting insights into why freelancers get employed from the agency perspective.
Podcast #13: Why we get Employed - the Recruitment Consultancy Perspective [ 28:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Getting the job done in a timely and professional manner is a combination of both knowing how to do the job, and having the right tools with which to get the job done. If you are carrying around a battered old consumer notebook and struggling with a shortage of processing power or connectivity, then it [...]
In this economic climate there are few letters which are worse to receive than a letter saying that your client has gone into administration or bankruptcy owing you money. But the number of these letters being sent out is on the increase. As a freelancer or contractor you will rank behind the banks, the Revenue and employees for payment and the prospect of getting money out of a company at this stage is remote at best. How then to stop your debts going bad?
Leif Kendall | Lifestyle & Time out
Have you ever sat in a meeting about meetings, or a meeting to discuss an agenda, or a meeting to discuss the formation of a committee, or a meeting to discuss how the sales department should complete the new business acquisition form before giving it to the marketing department, and asked your aching brain: is [...]
The number of freelancers is steadily increasing across the UK and I have no doubt that freelancing is going to continue growing at a strong rate. If you work as a freelancer or are considering going freelance then you need to know where freelancing is heading. Unless you live on another planet it is impossible [...]
Small businesses in the UK are unhappy with the support they are receiving from the government, a poll has revealed.
The poll of 4,000 small traders and freelancers by the Federation of Small Businesses revealed the traders believe the Government’s efforts to stimulate the economy had so far made no impact.
Whatever you decide to call them, having someone to act as a commercial reality check in your business is invaluable. Finding someone with business experience who is prepared to meet and make you accountable could make the difference between meeting or missing your targets. Benefits So how can a commercial coach/Non-Exec type person help your [...]
If you wanna get ahead, get a headset Bluetooth headsets get a lot of stick from a lot of people, largely because the general public seems to have taken issue with the idea of somebody going about their business with a hi-tech gadget so visibly attached to the side of their head. I wonder if [...]
If you want to find out more about Freelance and Contracting then the Freelance Advisor team will be at the Digital Media Job’s Fair in Brighton today. We’ll be there From 12am – 8pm if you want to pop in for a chat and from 2-4pm we’ll be hosting a session especially dedicated to current [...]
Regulations and legislation are part and parcel of any business and trading online is no exception. Healys solicitors have extensive experience in IT, e-commerce law and software development agreement. Here they sketch out some of the key factors you need to consider when trading online. Legal considerations when setting up an online business The remote [...]
I talk to Steve Crouch about the latest IR35 case, Dragonfly Consultancy. This case highlights some very interesting points that contractors and freelancers need to consider when embarking on client projects. If you want to remain IR35 compliant, this is a must listen.
Small businesses go green Small businesses are ‘going green’ in a bid to save costs, an expert says. Erica Russell, a sustainable business advisor from Business Link, said many small companies were adopting recycling methods and using low-energy applications in an effort to cut down on costs. “When switching off your lights could save you [...]
Whether it is networking, meetings, clients or conferences, marketing yourself is an essential skill for any freelancer or contractor. Freelance Advisor and author Emma Jones offers seven quick tips to help you shine Starting on the right foot: 7 steps to creating the right impression You only get one chance to create a first impression. [...]
Jo Blood | Lifestyle & Time out,Working From Home
It’s no fun being average… but at least your desk and workstation have been designed with you in mind. If you’re above-average height you will know that it’s not quite so easy. Posture professional Jo Blood gives tall guys and gals a few hints on how to make their working environment work for them. Tall [...]
Government unveils plan to help small business’ cash flow problems THE British Government will guarantee up to £20bn in loans to UK small businesses to help them manage cash flow problems in the current economic downturn. Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson unveiled his “real help for small to medium businesses” plan this week, saying its [...]
Dianne Bown-Wilson | Getting a Job
Choosing to switch from full-time to freelancing can be a tough decision and the change will go a lot smoother if you have the help and support of those closest to you. Freelance Advisor, Coach and Consultant Dianne Bown-Wilson continues her series of articles on freelance career development issues for freelancers and contractors. Nearest and [...]
Freelancer News: by freelance news journalist Kasey Brunt Help needed for small software contractors, says report A GOVERNMENT system should be simplified to help out smaller businesses, a report has found. The joint Intellect and the British Computer Society report has recommended the government procurement system allowing software firms to apply for public-sector contracts be [...]
Off on his travels again… tech-loving freelancer and electronic evangelist Jim Hatley grabs some essential items for work on the move (and gives us some novel uses for a digital camera). Essential items for your briefcase Continuing on from my briefcase fillers piece of last month, Id like to run through a few of the [...]
Leif Kendall | Getting a Job,Guides
Updated for 2010 our free ebook guide to getting started in freelance is essential reading for newbies and experts alike.
‘Go Freelance’ is a complete 32 page guide, covering everything from starting out to running your business and staying motivated.
Download your copy today.
Freelance Advisor founder Darren Fell is a successful entrepreneur and all over the first page of results when you Google his name. We asked him to share the secrets of his success and he responded with this guide to marketing yourself. Marketing yourself for free, a guide. The big question running through everybody’s mind when [...]
Whether it is business cards, promotional posters or flyers for a club night there are many printing options and quality and colours will vary greatly. Print adviser and consultant Andrew Walker guides can help you decide where to get your printing done. Choosing the right printing method for your client Digital vs Litho Printing The [...]
Dianne Bown-Wilson | Lifestyle & Time out
In part one of this series consultant, coach and trainer Dianne Bown-Wilson explored the advantages of portfolio working. Today she helps us identify the tools we’ll need to put it into practice. Portfolio career: How to Designing a Portfolio Career comes down to achieving an appropriate and desirable balance in your life between need and [...]
Dianne Bown-Wilson | Getting a Job
If you’ve recently retired or are thinking ahead to your remaining working years now could be a good time to consider developing a portfolio career. In this two part series consultant, coach, trainer and writer Dianne Bown-Wilson tells us why it is a good idea and how to go about it… Portfolio careers: the perfect [...]
Jo Blood | Lifestyle & Time out
When working in a client’s office why is it the freelancers and contractors who always get the bum deal? Are you fed up with always being allocated the worst chair in the office? Our ergonomic expert Jo Blood gives us a practical guide to promoting good posture and making the most of your office chair. [...]
Off on his travels again… our tech-loving freelancer and electronic evangelist Jim Hatley grabs some essential items for work on the move. Essential items for your mobile office Today I am going to look at a few more items that are essential for life on the road. Working from home is fantastic, and is certainly [...]
Leif Kendall | Lifestyle & Time out
Ah… the life of a freelancer… feet up, TV on, sitting around in your dressing gown and your clients are none the wiser. But is this really the best way to approach your freelance and contracting work? Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendall asked the freelancers on the Brighton New Media list what [...]
Resident gadget guru and reviewer for The Times Jim Hatley shares some invaluable advice on disaster recovery for freelancers. If you have a home office and don’t have an IT helpdesk… Who you gonna call? If your entire operating system went belly-up on the first day of an important contract, how would you deal with [...]
Free-roaming freelancer and technology evangelist Jim Hatley has been out and about putting a few mobiles phones through their paces finding out which work best for freelancers and contractors who need to stay connected on the road. Time to upgrade? Two great mobile phones for freelancers Mobile phones are big business, both for those who [...]
Congratualtions to the Farm Freelancer Award nominess Shortlisting has now been completed and Freelance Advisor, proud sponsors of this year’s Farm Freelance Award, would like to applaud these three fine freelancing nominees. This year’s shortlist is: Jonathan Aizlewood of Carbon Graffiti for his email design, marketing and web design services Sarah Bird of AnimNation for [...]
In the wake of the results of the Kingston University survey on freelancers, we get reactions and opinions from John Kell of the Professional Contractors Group and Nathan Pope of Latitude Hosting and the Brighton Farm. Topics Covered: Growth in the freelance market Freelancer figures, statistics and research Male and Female freelancing split in IT [...]
#11: The growth in the Freelancer Marketplace - Fact or Fiction (Part 2) [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Look who’s talking: Monitoring buzz on the web As a freelance community builder and co-director of TheWerks web-socialite Rosie Sherry offers advice on monitoring your brand and filtering out the noise. Five sites for monitoring your brand online There’s no denying that the web holds huge amount of information. Most of it irrelevant to you [...]
Freelancing: The Choice of Champions If you’re thinking of starting contracting or going freelance then you need to take a serious look at the opportunites and options available to you. Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendall tells us that freelancing is not the easy option… but it is the most rewarding option. Want [...]
Freelance Advisor and Gadget Guru Jim Hatley loves his home hi-fi, but when freelancing work takes him out on the road he needs a powerful portable musical system to keep his music playing at the quality and volumes to which he’s become accustomed. Today Jim looks at how the Bose SoundDock provides a good-looking, great [...]
Compelling Content – Part 2 Brainstorming: Your ideal reader or customer A two-part series from freelance copywriter Kath Burke. In part one, Kath explained how you can understand why people buy you. Part two explores how to use brainstorming as an exercise in focusing on the content that really matters before you put pen to [...]
Create compelling content your clients will crave In this 2-part series freelance copywriter and content consultant Kath Burke says the secret of writing great web marketing copy is in the preparation. Before you put pen to paper, you need to explore your clients’ deeper concerns and needs. Ah. If only you could magic up the [...]
Gorgeous gadget: the Sony VAIO AW11XU/Q Life on the road can be tough. The contents of a suitcase are certainly no match for the comforts of home, but if you pick and choose your gear with a little care it doesn’t have to be all bad. We all need cutting-edge technology for the work that [...]
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
Mark Kirby’s piece on Time-Boxing for Freelancers this week got me thinking about all the time I could waste trying to find the perfect tools for the job. The irony of this is not lost on anyone I’m sure so, rather than waste unnecessary time on “productivity p0rn”, I thought I’d take Mark’s advice to [...]
With gloomy forecasts and images of screens full of flashing red numbers dominating the newspages we’ve been keeping a eye on what the state of the economy means to freelancers and contractors. And it’s not all bad news! Today Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendal gives us three reasons why freelancing might actually be a very good option during a recession.
Mark Kirby | Lifestyle & Time out
Getting things done throughout the day is what keeps the contracts and cash coming in. But how do we know which tasks we should be working on? And for how long? Freelance Advisor’s life-hacks guru Mark Kirby offers a smart solution to planning freelance work. In this post I’m going to focus on a simple [...]
Find freelancing advice and support by joining our community of freelancers and contractors on Facebook. By becoming a fan of Freelance Advisor you’ll get all the latest articles and advice, alerts when new content is added to the site, and you can help build the community by connecting with other freelancers and contractors in your [...]
Andy talks to John Brazier of the Professional Contractors Group, Nathan Pope of the Brighton Farm and Darren Fell of Freelance Advisor, about their views of how the freelancing and contracting market is evolving over the next few years. Whether you are a consultant or contractor, contracting or freelancing, the future could look bright for [...]
#10: The growth in the Freelancer Marketplace - Fact or Fiction [ 26:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
The Professional Contractors Group (PCG), which represents UK freelancers and contractors, has warned the Government against “heavy-handed action” which would remove tax relief on expenses. The warning particularly concerns freelancers who work through ‘umbrella companies’ which oversee the offering of a number of freelancers’ services on large or long-term contracts. “PCG supports the presence of [...]
If you are a freelancer or contractor living and working in the South then you could get your work in front of a top panel of judges from the BBC, Channel 4, Endemol and New Media Age. The Awards are also an excellent place to publicise you and your work – especially if it is [...]
“I’m busy earning as a freelancer, but what about all those Pension plans?” It’s a common freelance problem. You’re hard at work earning money from contracts, but you also know you need to keep an eye out for when you’ll be less busy earning. In this new Financial Management series, Senior Pensions & Retirement Consultant [...]
Freelance Advisor is on Twitter And you can follow us here. If you’ve not yet joined the twittering classes then you’re missing out on the latest social networking phenomenon – according to TwitDir, the unofficial Twitter Directory, there are now over 3,000,000 users and the Twitterverse is still growing. If you’ve used Facebook and their Status [...]
The importance of a strong legal framework can never be under estimated when establishing a relationship with a customer. What are we talking about? The key fundamental within business, a contract of course! If you’re mad enough to be working for any customers under a loose agreement or worse still a verbal agreement, stop and [...]
If you’re a freelance designer or programmer then attending the i-design 08 Portfolio Clinic Wednesday 17 September in London is a no brainer. First it’s FREE and secondly if you’re currently looking for work or to expand your future client base then you’ll be able to meet 15 of the capital’s most respected and successful [...]
Talking Shop – overcoming the fear of public speaking A new event aims to give confidence, talking techniques and a chance to practise communication skills for freelancers who need to get up and talk in front of an audience. Freelancers and contractors can live rather solitary lives, working from home or, head-down, coding away until [...]
Accounts and Audit Manager Michael Riazi helps freelancers and contractors find the advice they need. Last month Michael gave some great advice on how to find an accountant that is right for our freelance business – this month he gives us ten things we should ask on our first meeting. Before you choose an accountant… [...]
Helen Wilkinson | Lifestyle & Time out
Professional Personal Trainer and Massage Therapist Helen Wilkinson is on a mission to get us work-from-home types up off our butts and out there exercising. If the thought of getting out of your comfy swivel chair fills you with dread then read on… she’s got a few ides that might inspire you. Kick start your [...]
Are the streets of San Francisco paved with exciting projects, paying excellent rates? Is it full of perfect customers with realistic expectations? Freelance Advisor founder and serial entrepreneur Darren Fell took a trip to the epicentre of Internet start-ups in the hope of finding out what we can learn from our colleagues on the west [...]
Andy talks to Darren Fell of Freelance Advisor, about some techniques for working out what you should be charging. Topics Covered: The role of networking; Online resources; Finding the perfect price point according to your skill; Selecting the rate you can afford; Strategies for getting started in pricing; Pricing for big clients; Price negotiating tips.
Freelance Adviser, Paul Silver, on casual networking events for freelancers and contractors. Making contacts, finding work, pitching, passing business cards, sharing skills and advice… and having a drink, or four.
In part one and part two we looked at the marketing process and what you are actually employed for, e.g. the way you think respectively. Today we look at how to identify the unique features of product, you. Understanding the product – You, Your Abilities, Competencies & Transferable Assets Many of us realise that every [...]
In Part One of this series, Bill Faust talks about how important it is to understand basic marketing principles in learning how to Pitch Yourself. The question he asks now is do we know why we are employed? Deciphering the needs of the buyer Most of us think it is because of our experience, this [...]
In the last post we looked at the disadvantages of going solo. Now we turns to the ADVANTAGES of being freelance or self-employed… which is MUCH more fun! You are the boss You say what goes. If you want a lie-in or a day off, it’s up to you (but make sure you make the [...]
In the spirit of getting stuck into the difficult jobs that you hate, but which still need doing, Ground Zero‘s Jack Forester talks about some of the disadvantages of being self employed. First, it can be very lonely starting out in business, especially if you are doing it alone. You tend to spend the majority [...]
today’s current climate it is essential to choose every aspect of your freelance business dealings carefully. This applies not just to your clients and suppliers but also to your professional advisors – especially a good accountant.
The right accountant will meet all your business accountancy needs, from the preparation of accounts and dealing with tax matters, but also helping your company or business grow in the future.
In this series, Bill Faust, author of Pitch Yourself, shares insights gained from over 30-years of industry experience. He discusses key factors for effective self-marketing, understanding what self-marketing means, reading your future employers’ desires and defining clearly what you, the product, have to offer.
One of the joys of freelancing is that you get to do everything. But this omnipotence means you can’t hate the sales team for not bringing in new clients, because you are the sales team. Become CEO of YouCorp You can’t have a spat with Maureen in accounts because she hasn’t sorted your expenses, because [...]
What motivates someone to choose freelancing? I think the potential reasons are many and varied, but I’d like to discuss my reasons for choosing this way of working. You may find they resonate with your own motivations, or they may remind you of a benefit you had forgotten – they may even convince you that freelancing is right for you.
Helen Wilkinson | Lifestyle & Time out
Freelance Health: Using exercise to unwind. Taking time out from a busy work schedule to relax and unwind.
What’s personal branding all about? Is it important? What does it mean? Where do I start? Do I really need a strong identity or even a logo for my freelancing business? Is it really necessary to make ME stand out from the competition? Expert, Al Welsh, has had years of experience within some of London’s [...]
