Our Blog
Tips on how to use LinkedIn for your contracting services
Love or loathe social media, it’s hard to ignore it. Since its launch in 2003 LinkedIn has grown to be one of the top ten biggest social media platforms – it has over 500 million global registered users with 25 [...]
IR35 in the private sector: draft legislation announced
Contractors’ questions on the new ‘off payroll’ working reforms are beginning to be answered, as the government announces draft legislation for the Finance Bill 2019-2020. IR35 in the private sector, as it is commonly referred to, is due to take [...]
Should IT contractors have their own website?
Research by APSCo (Association of Professional Staffing Companies) shows that the demand for IT professionals has increased by 28% year-on-year. And our own research into contractor salaries (available in our article ‘Top paying contractor roles’) shows that IT contractors are [...]
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 [...]
5 ways to increase your take-home pay
One reason why people choose to become contractors is that they can have the ability to earn more than they did as an employee. This is because they can charge higher rates and if they think about how they structure [...]
Upskilling and CPD for contractors
As an independent contractor the majority of your time is spent on client work (as this is what pays the bills!) but as more people choose to become contractors (figures for 2018 show that there around 1.77 million people are [...]
Top-paying sectors and roles for contractors in 2019
Contracting may not be for everyone but for those who are willing to fully embrace it, they can find themselves having greater control over the type of projects they work on, being able to choose which companies they work with [...]
CV advice you really need as a contractor
According to Forbes, the average number of people who apply for a job is 118! Incredible isn’t it? While this figure may not be a true representation of every sector or specialism, it does show that competition for roles can [...]
What are dividends and when can they be paid?
If you’re an independent contractor who is working through your own limited company, as well as being a director, you will also likely be a shareholder. This means you are entitled to receive dividend payments on any retained profits that [...]
Things to consider when making children shareholders
If you run a limited company and have children, you can give them a stake in the business and provide them with the opportunity to benefit from any profit the business makes by making them shareholders. If your children [...]
Research and Development tax credits explained
The government wants UK companies to succeed. It’s great for employment and training and overall successful companies boost the economy. To help companies be successful the government provides an incentive in the form of tax credits, to companies who are [...]
The £85,000 FSCS protection and how it applies to your ltd company bank account
With the collapse of Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley, Icelandic banks and others now over 10 years ago, savers should still be thinking “Is my money safe?” As your business grows, it is likely the cash you hold in the [...]
What taxes do I need to pay as a contractor?
Leaving the world of employment and stepping out on your own as an independent contractor is both exhilarating and terrifying. One of the biggest challenges you’ll face initially is getting your head around what taxes you need to pay. We [...]
Company bank accounts: do I need one for a private limited company?
One of the fundamental things to understand when contracting through a private limited company is that the business is a separate legal entity to you. This means that any money which is held within the company belongs to the business [...]
Restoring a dormant limited company
There are those who will only ever work as a contractor, and there are those who dip in and out of it. This could be because they are tempted back into a permanent role by great benefits or their [...]
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