November 12, 2009 in Contractor News, Industry comment, Life
Currently experimenting with Google wave so feel free to ping me at robborover@googlewave.com
Shows some promise and I have created a contractor/freelance wave (open to public) try this search to find it with:public ir35
Geektastic
July 17, 2009 in Contractor News, Industry comment, Life, Recruiter News
One of the “features” of an Umbrella Company is that you are often asked to get people employed and set-up on a Friday ready for a Monday start. Our current set-up record (including id check) is 23 minutes and if all is reasonably routine then you can easily be on-site and earning quickly.
So whilst the general economic uncertainty continues there are plenty of people finding roles and starting work quickly and easily. Those last two points are very important to note when certainty and support can be in short supply. The rates may not be as high as they once were and the initial contract lengths shorter but we are still seeing a good level of renewals too.
So both Parasol and Quay (our sister company that provides fixed price Accounting Services for Limited Companies) are very much open for business. So if you spot a job today (or at the weekend) let us know, we are here to help.
June 17, 2009 in Contractor News, Industry comment, Life, Recruiter News, Tax
I have noticed on several forums and noted through our own data, an increase in “claims” from Contractors relating to early terminations by Agencies and/or End-clients. In these difficult conditions it is far more prevalent that an end-client would terminate a contract early and this of course can have a huge knock on effect.
But, what does it mean in the context of working through an Umbrella Company and what can you do if it happens to you?
The first place to start is to try to understand the contractual relationship you are engaged in and what this means both in terms of law and practicalities. If you are working through an Umbrella company then the food chain works like this:
If the above is not clear or not understood then there is a tendency when the worse happens (early termination) to raise some form of claim/challenge against anyone that will listen. I should also add that some Agencies don’t always understand the relationship piece and/or sometimes link in the individual.
You must also consider the implications of you “breaking the contract” for a rate increase by going direct or changing Agency/End-client for similar reasons. Don’t be surprised if your Umbrella then has a case to answer to from an Agency/Client and where do they then come to for compensation? (Those Agency to Umbrella notice periods are the issue here) You should also expect to have to change employers as it is probably not a great reflection on that Umbrella and it’s relationship with the customer if they “allow” the practice to be seen as OK.
So what can you realistically expect if you are being professional yet find yourself on the end of an early termination?
It can be very disheartening if an early termination happens and many of the Agency contracts (with the Umbrella) have no notice periods stated so it can be a no win situation. Make sure you keep your Brolly in the loop, work with them for resolution and as an employee of same, you do have rights. Equally, if you are deemed to be responsible for breaking a contract then don’t be surprised if your employer starts to question the motives.
Times remain challenging and the inevitable can and does happen. It need not be the end of the world and their are some good businesses out there that can help you through it. It’s a tough one when it feels one sided but Agencies (and clients) can also be tomorrows project after the dust has settled.
June 12, 2009 in Contractor News, Life
I came across this article online via twitter, “Controlling your online image“. Whilst the article is probably aimed at all forms of work seeking, it is also very important to consider if you’re a Contractor/Freelancer. It’s a competitive market out there and everyone needs to be professional as the slightest (often innocent comment, “I am so hungover and can’t face work”) can be picked up online so easily.
I guess it could mean there is a period where you have to really think about your professional brand and make sure that it is seperate from the personal life. Don’t worry the irony is not lost on me as I happily promote @robborover on twitter!
Happy hunting.
May 28, 2009 in Contractor News, Industry comment, Life, Recruiter News
As an “expert” on FreelanceSupermarket.com I get to answer some Umbrella related questions and put my 2p’s worth in. On the forum, I noted a thread that stated just how frustrated some icognito Umbrella Company staff get with daft questions. It provides Contractors with an insight into the operation of an Umbrella and I don’t think they are from Parasol by the nature of the response 
Could be wrong though! Anyway, seems some people can really wind customer service staff up and we all hope for respect and patience but when it is peoples livelihoods, it can get stressful. I can promise all Parasol contractors that we never go out of our way to make it difficult, it’s just not worth it but there are a number of interactions in the “food chain”. This can create a blame type tone if you’re not careful and we really do try to avoid that.
In other news our sister company Quay Accounting has a shiny new website – I think it looks good and is only phase 1 of a cunning plan, more to follow! I would say this, but the service with fixed price expert accounting is great value for money at £75 (+vat) per month – fully inclusive!
May 7, 2009 in Contractor News, Industry comment, Life
As a Contractor I always found it difficult to find the time/motivation to embrace keeping my skills up to date. All the books, guides and common sense tells us that we should do this but taking time off or giving up the weekend – it always seemed a luxury rather than a necessary and with plenty of work about – what was the point?
Fast forward to 2009 and I still get reports telling me of long term skill shortages in the UK and we are still (albeit less) bringing people in to the UK to fulfill roles. I would add that these are professional/technical roles and not related (imo) to the stereotype of “cheap imports”, far from it.
I noted this comment in a report this week, “There is some indication that skill shortages also seem to be slightly more of a problem for the two groups that have made the biggest headcount cuts since August – larger organisations and technology and media firms. This suggests that some organisations within these groups might have cut back too severely since August.” This report is not unique – I have seen many saying the same thing.
So in the real world – what can be done? My advice (for what it is worth) is to do plenty of research on skills gaps and job requirements being published that are outside your normal sphere and probably outside your comfort zone. It does not mean that a course in Ruby will get you the chief architects job at Twitter but a plan on making yourself more valuable and wider can’t be a bad move? It may also be, that a non-technical area of improvement could bring advantages.
Now more than ever – there is a need to find some energy and motivation to improve ourselves and remain valuable to Recruitment Agents and Clients. Training can be flexible, is usually tax deductible and for those with a Ltd Co – regional grants still exist.
Train to gain is the cliché – but it’s true.
March 19, 2009 in Industry comment, Life
I read the article “Have your say about flexible working” on the Xpert HR blogs and it made me think of two things:
The second point is relevant when you consider my sweeping generalisation that much of the HR profession is not fully aware of the benefit Contracting (and associated trading forms) can bring to businesses. If you consider that a Parasol employee is both flexible and has rights then I am pretty sure that would be of benefit to end clients.
Don’t get me wrong I am all for working on the best ways for people to work and have flexibility but there are also some tricks end-clients miss that would help them save money and time. It would also help the “flexible economy” and ensure we remain lean and able to compete.
So next time you meet a HR person, explain the benefits of “employed” Contracting and if they don’t glaze over you have done us all a favour!
March 6, 2009 in Contractor News, Industry comment, Life
Seems not everyone has heard of the Internet and is aware of the job hunting facilities available. That’s the claim from Mike Taylor, author of a new book for the non Internet generation and in a review by UK Recruiter communities Louise Triance she fairly points out that there are some omissions when it comes to the proliferation of social media networks and the affect these have on job hunting.
Just at the moment it feels like social media is presenting us all with new challenges. As a contractor/business person should I be on LinkedIn? Probably – there are a lot of Recruiters on that site and jobs are found via that medium. What about Twitter? Is that any benefit to me? Well, you should definitely reserve your name at least and you can get some good tips and info out of the world of micro-blogging. Twitter feels like this years MySpace and whilst Facebook continues to grow, it feels like it has more of a true personal/social niche than an advantge related to Business, but you never know!
Here are my five top tips for Contractors thinking about social media:
There are loads more and of course you will have your own favourites but I am pretty confident that social media is here to stay and will have a massive impact on job finding.
Good luck!
March 6, 2009 in Life
I stumbled across this blog titled, “20 Economic Models explained with Cows ” and in the current media fueled gloom I found this gentle poke at economic models quite amusing. I especially liked:
7. SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons
and
13. AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don’t know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.
Don’t worry us Brits get done too!
by Rob Crossland
Is it me or is being anonymous bad practice?
December 7, 2009 in Contractor News, Freelancing, Industry comment, Life
In our “lofty” position as a market leader (by volume and reputation) we come across a number of new and old Contractor service companies. They sometimes advertise on google using our name as a match and sometimes use low fees as a technique too. All is fair (well not always but let’s not get legal) in love and war but when a new one pops up or an old one uses a campaign, you can’t help but take a peek.
What really astounds me is the anonymity that many companies display. Quite often there is even a lack of the full company details (a legal requirement!) let alone an indication of who is behind it all. May be I am just odd but as a Contractor I wanted to know something about who was looking after my affairs and whilst it can’t be entirely open, surely something more than “Accountants with x years experience” or “run by Contractors” is hardly engendering trust.
Is it because the services offered are at the racy end of the tax spectrum? Maybe, but HMRC can get info on most companies if they want so it is hardly a good defence. Perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree here and it’s not a problem for many but a faceless business seems to lack confidence in my view.
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