New Book for Contractors
January 5, 2009 in Industry comment
Welcome to 2009 and let’s start by taking a peek at a new publication released in December. Aimed at both new and existing Contractors, the “Contractors Handbook” is described as “the expert guide for UK Contractors and Freelancers”.
Written by Dave Chaplin (himself an ex-contractor and owner of Contractor Calculator) it offers a pragmatic approach to both the basics and more advanced matters that Contractors face. This 463 page book is a lot more detailed than the typical “newbie” guides and covers many of the business development matters in equal detail as the more usual tax concerns. I liked the design of the chapters in that it is very easy to get instant advice on a topic that is top of mind and also Dave’s “Been there, done that” tips give the book a human touch away from some of the technicalities of contracting.
I think this is a long overdue publication for Contractors and Freelancers and Dave is to be complimented on the level of detail, style and great advice that it delivers. This book should be part of every Contractors tool kit and is excellent value for money.
by Rob Crossland
It’s not all gloom and doom
January 14, 2009 in Industry comment
Yes it is tough but it is not the end of the world!
It would be silly to suggest that things are not difficult for Contractors right now but at the same time it is not all doom and gloom. There are certainly mixed messages coming through but at the same time there are also new roles being advertised by Recruiters. Initial contracts are shorter but we are still seeing a good level of renewals. Projects that could save organisations money still need to be completed and those companies are turning to Contractors. At the same time, rates have dropped but not by the amounts many might imagine.
Bottom line… skillful Contractors across a number of industries and sectors are still busy and have stayed so by keeping those skill sets topped up and have no doubt taken the long term view.
As I stated before Christmas we have some great plans to help you and we are completely committed to Contractors and flexibility. You can count on Parasol being there.
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