Tag: Freelance

The new era of high flying self employed workers?

We want you

New research by the resolution foundation and reported by Start Up Donut states

The analysis shows that 60% of the growth in self-employment since 2009 has been in “privileged” sectors, despite them making up just 40% of the self-employed. The fastest growing sectors have been advertising (100% growth), public administration (90%) and banking (60%).

What we do know is that Self Employment has been growing in popularity as demonstrated by ONS statistics.

The level of self-employment in the UK increased from 3.8 million in 2008 to 4.6 million in 2015. While this strong performance is among the defining characteristics of the UK’s economic recovery, the recent rise in self-employment is the extension of a trend started in the early 2000s.

So why would you want to be a Freelancer.

      1. Pay rates – generally contractors are paid considerably more than employees
      2. Flexibility – you are your won boss but the downside is that you have to find work
      3. Tax – the following is from Contractor Weekly and is a quote from Seb Maley (QDOS)

“Operating through a limited company as opposed to an employee brings significant financial benefits. By taking a small salary and high dividends you pay far less National Insurance, saving around 26%. There are obviously associated costs involved in running your own company, such as accountancy fees and insurance, but the overall ‘take home’ pay will still almost certainly exceed that of an employee.”

https://stevejbicknell.com/tax-calculators/

We also have a growing ‘Gig’ economy

The ‘Gig’ economy describes the growing popularity of using workers on short term contracts on an on demand basis.

This type of work seems more popular with female workers

 

self-employed-chart

If you do become Self Employed ….

You’re responsible for:

What is a Limited Company?

A limited company is an organisation that you can set up to run your business – it’s responsible in its own right for everything it does and its finances are separate to your personal finances.

Any profit it makes is owned by the company, after it pays Corporation Tax. The company can then share its profits.

steve@bicknells.net

Top 3 reasons to be a Freelance Contractor

Young woman with checklist over shoulder shot

PCG published this story on 3rd July 2013:

Demand from UK businesses for contract workers is continuing to rise in 2013, which could be good news for freelancers looking to get their foot in the door on a lucrative new project.

According to the latest Report on Jobs from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the appointment of temporary workers increased significantly during May and could be set for further increases in the future, while the overall jobs market continued to improve.

Despite the economic downturn, companies are still on the lookout for talented new employees, with demand surging after a slowdown in April. The findings pointed to more vacancies in the private sector than public sector roles.

So why would you want to be a Freelancer.

      1. Pay rates – generally contractors are paid considerably more than employees
      2. Flexibility – you are your won boss but the downside is that you have to find work
      3. Tax – the following is from Contractor Weekly and is a quote from Seb Maley (QDOS)

“Operating through a limited company as opposed to an employee brings significant financial benefits. By taking a small salary and high dividends you pay far less National Insurance, saving around 26%. There are obviously associated costs involved in running your own company, such as accountancy fees and insurance, but the overall ‘take home’ pay will still almost certainly exceed that of an employee.

But with the benefits there also comes risks. The IR35 legislation could affect any contractors working through limited companies and it’s vital that you take steps to ensure you are compliant. Contracting is also far less stable than permanent employment; you have been engaged as a temporary resource and your client can terminate the agreement at any stage. There is also the issue of illness; as a contractor you won’t receive any sick pay from your client, so any days not worked will hit your finances.”

But on a final note makesure you have the right equipment as explained in this sketch

steve@bicknells.net