At ICS, we’re always very keen to broadcast the benefits of a contracting lifestyle, and we believe there are plenty of reasons for us to do such a thing. However, for a person in full-time employment, questions about going self-employed often spring to mind; after all, how can you be sure that such a step is the right one for your career? To help out, we’ve compiled a handy list of ‘character traits’ and the like that’ll help you to identify if contracting or freelancing is the way forward for you…
You Like Freedom and Flexibility
Contractors enjoy the freedom of being able to set their own hours and decide when and how they want to take holidays. They can often decide upon their place of work too, and numerous individuals take the decision to work from home. If such freedom appeals to you, then contracting will too.
You Like Being Your Own Boss
Following on from the idea of freedom, we have the idea of being your own boss. Want to be able to go your own route? Tired of waiting upon an employer to give you a raise? Wish business matters were done differently? Then being a contractor (and thus your own boss) could be the move for you.
You Like Working With People
Some professionals like working with people; it’s what makes their working life that little bit more enjoyable, and what ensures that things stay fresh. If that sounds familiar to you, then contracting could be ideal. Changing contracts means working with many different people, so life is never static.
You Like Experiencing Change
We’ve just mentioned it, but changing contracts on a regular basis means, well, change. You’ll be working with different people, in different locations, with a different brief, and perhaps even in an entirely different sector. Inversely, if frequent changes don’t excite you, contracting may not either.
You’re Up For a Challenge
As a contractor, your income won’t necessarily be consistent, and regular job positions may not be instantly apparent. To some, that’s a major downside. To others, playing the risks and finding opportunities is what keeps life interesting, and so they embrace the practice of negotiating these (very manageable) obstacles. And trust us: plenty of opportunities are out there to be found!
For some people, a contracting career can seem like an instant no-go. After all, being self employed means that you have to look after your own administration and accounts work, and who wants to do that? Well, we tend to find that plenty of contractors definitely don’t want to do that, and we totally understand, which is why our team of contractor accountants takes the stress out of the process.
As a contractor, accounting won’t necessarily be part of your skill-set, and whilst you must ensure it gets done, you’ve also got to consider the fact that in-house attempts may take longer than they should do, and also detract from the amount of time you can actually spend doing work that relates to your contracts. When you depend upon a professional to look after this side of your business, you won’t have these issues. Handling such work in an efficient and compliant fashion, we allow the contractor – namely, you – to get on with their real job. If accounts are stifling your contracting ambitions, they shouldn’t be, so be sure to contact us by calling 0800 195 3750 or using our online enquiry form to speak to one of our team. We’ve helped with such concerns since 2002, so can certainly assist you.
