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Freelance contracting may be encouraged following meeting between PM and business leaders
Umbrella company and Ltd Company contractors anticipating the loss of public sector placements may be intrigued by a recent meeting between Prime Minister David Cameron and some of the UK’s business leaders. The subject under discussion was the future of private sector growth, an issue which is becoming more pressing as the government’s spending cuts [...] -
A Wake-Up Call to Contractors: Get Expert Advice on Pensions
The market in contractor finances has become far more intricate than many in the UK’s contracting community appreciate, with the result that significant numbers may not be making adequate provision for pensions according to an expert. Phil Perry, who is co-director and co-founder of Ark Financial Planning, has warned that a majority of people simply do [...] -
When Prevention is Better than the Cure. Late Payment and Ltd Company Contractors
Freelance contractors who work through their own Ltd Companies are frequently faced with a major problem: late payments. A large proportion of small businesses in the UK fail in their first year not because of unprofitability but because of cash flow difficulties. And this is hugely exacerbated by clients who fail to settle their fees [...] -
BCC Forecasts Prolonged Gloom Before the Economic Weather Brightens
Those in the UK’s contracting community may be interested in a new claim about the prospects of economic recovery made by one of the UK’s foremost business organisations – the British Chambers Commerce (BCC). But those of a nervous disposition may want to look away now; if the BCC’s economic adviser, David Kern, is correct [...] -
Workforce tightening their belts again
A new report from the Labour Research Department (LRD) may have the country’s contractor workforce tightening their belts again, even though their clothes have already been feeling distinctly baggy since the recession struck. It won’t have escaped many that the cost of living has been steadily rising over the last few years, with big hikes [...] -
SJD Accountancy and Contractor Mortgages Made Easy Enter New Partnership
It’s always been a little more complicated for contractors to secure mortgages than it has been for salaried employees; and in today’s climate, with uncertainty rife about the future availability of contract jobs, things may become just a bit tougher. However, one of the UK’s largest contractor accountants, SJD Accountancy, has just announced a partnership [...] -
Pension Auto-Enrolment May Benefit Contractors
From 2012, under new government rules, employees will find themselves enrolled in workplace pension schemes automatically at the end of three months of employment. For “permies,” this may sound like good news, but could it have a less intentional consequence? Workers will be automatically enrolled into workplace pension schemes after three months but can choose to [...] -
Baubles, Bangles and Beads? Why a New IT Qualification Matters
Whatever the details of the government’s public spending cuts turn out to be, one thing already seems certain: the market in contract jobs is virtually certain to get a lot more competitive. And if you’re an IT contractor feeling the prospect of a chill wind drawing over a shrinking market, you might do well to [...]