How to generate leads as a contractor

The vast majority of contractor’s secure work through a recruitment agency as it takes the hassle out of job searching and recruiters have access to more job opportunities. Yet, by marketing your contracting business it’s possible for clients to approach you directly.

The client benefits as they don’t have to pay the agency commission and you benefit as you have more power when it comes to negotiating contract terms including day rate.

So, if you’re struggling to get leads as a contractor here are a few things you can do:

Create your own website

While most contractors rely on CV’s, why not do something different to make yourself stand out? Creating a website is a fantastic way to showcase your skills, experience and projects you’ve worked on.

It’s relatively inexpensive to create a simple website and if you know what you’re doing you could have it up and running in a day or so.

Get active on social media

LinkedIn is the biggest B2B social media platform and it’s a great place to find a contract role as most businesses advertise details of open roles on the site. Over 25 million UK people have a LinkedIn profile so to help yours stand out, make sure you:

· Include a profile picture

· Have a headline which clearly explains what you do

· Fully complete your profile, listing all the projects you’ve worked on

· Sell yourself in the summary section outlining why a company should hire you over other contractors

Create a profile on jobsites

Create a profile on contractor jobsites, taking the time to detail your skills, experience and qualifications as well as explaining the type of roles you’re interested in. It’s not just recruiters who use them, hiring managers can also pay to access their CV databases. Some of the best jobsites for contractors include; Indeed, CW Jobs, Monster, OnlyContractJobs, Reed, itjobswatch – for IT contracting roles and Jobserve – for IT and engineering roles.

Networking

Networking does take up time and it can be trial and error to find a group that works for you, but networking both online and in-person is a fantastic way:

· To raise your profile

· Meet peers

· Broaden your circle of professional connections.

Don’t expect to get enquiries straight away from networking as it takes time to build relationships and trust, but in the long run, it can be worth it. Look out for details of in-person meetups on sites like Eventbrite and on business forums relating to your industry. Or, if you prefer online networking, search for Facebook groups to join or Twitter chats to get involved with.

Ask for referrals

If you have successfully worked on a few projects and by doing so have built up a network of other contractor friends, you could refer roles onto each other if you don’t the capacity to take it on yourself.

And, if you got on well with the client, there’s no harm in asking them to refer you on to their friends and colleagues. If you don’t ask, you don’t get, right?

If you’re new to contracting and are looking to engage with an experienced contractor accountant or if you’ve been doing it for a while and are looking to switch accountants, click here to find out about all-inclusive monthly accounting packages.

Alternatively, if you need help in a specific area such as IR35, VAT or payroll get in touch with our Directors on 01962 867550 or send us a message via our website and we’ll call you back.