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As a contractor, one of the most important factors to take into consideration is how you will go about finding work. Being self-employed means that you will gain so much in terms of skills and experience because of the fact that you will be working on new contracts on a regular basis and therefore working with lots of different people in various industries – freelance job websites are an excellent source for finding these contracts.

There are now more people than ever before choosing to work in the contracting sector. In previous years, the majority of people would be forced into freelancing due to being made redundant or simply not being able to find jobs, however, this has completely changed with the contracting lifestyle becoming more of a desirable option for those seeking a better work / life balance.

Other advantages of contracting include:

  • Having more freedom and flexibility compared to your permanent counterparts – this means working when you want, being able to choose where you work and taking holiday days as little or as often as you wish (although, just remember that you won’t get paid for this time off!)
  • The majority of contractors can charge a daily or hourly rate much higher than a permanent employee in the same role. Your individual skills and experience could mean your rates could be even higher.
  • You are able to claim back expenses that are made for the running of your business, which can then reduce your tax bill at the end of the tax year.
  • You will gain in terms of skills and experience by working with a number of clients in various environments.

Although the positives far outweigh the negatives, there are of course some downsides, such as having increased responsibility in terms of regular paperwork and ensuring important legal forms are filled out correctly and sent off on time – but a good contractor accountant will be able to help you with all of this.

Another factor to take into consideration is that you will have to find your own work. Being motivated enough is a key trait to have, but you also need to know where to look for those all-important contracts…

Finding work

Before you even start looking for work, it is a good idea to have a professional CV put together – you won’t always need a CV, as many clients may not require one, but it is useful to have one at hand should they ask.

A few tips on creating a good CV is to:

  • Avoid any silly mistakes – this means ensuring you have proofread your CV a few times to check for any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
  • Try to keep it to no more than two A4 pages – any more can be quite off putting to the reader, as they might lose interest or run out of time to look through a lengthy document.
  • Make sure you include a personal statement that will sell your skills and let the reader see who you are and what you have to offer to their company.
  • Keep it relevant to the position and company you are applying for and ensure your experience, skills and qualifications stand out.

Once you have a CV, you can then look for contracts.

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There are plenty of sources out there when it comes to finding work; specialist recruitment agencies can help to match your skill set with the requirements of a client, plus LinkedIn can be really useful for connecting with potential clients and by joining groups that are related to your sector, you may get wind of new opportunities.

Using freelance job websites is also a great way of finding new contracts.

Top five websites for finding freelance work:

Upwork

A great one for contractors in most sectors; Upwork connects freelancers to businesses in order to work on projects from web and mobile app development, to SEO, content writing, admin help and graphic design.

Millions of jobs are posted on the site annually with freelancers earning more than £1 billion between them through using the site each year.

Toptal

One for software engineers and digital designers; Toptal has a rigorous screening process to find the best of the best. According to the site, of the thousands of applications, typically fewer than 3% are accepted.

The screening process includes sections such as ‘Language and Personality’, ‘In-Depth Skill Review’, ‘Live Screening’ and ‘Test Projects’.

If you are accepted you will join an exclusive community of experts with access to verified clients who you will be personally matched with based on experience and skills.

PeoplePerHour

Used by over one million people on a daily basis, PeoplePerHour is a platform that focuses on freelancing for web projects.

This could include those specialising in SEO, digital designers, marketers and software engineers.

With this site you can browse through jobs, sending up to 15 work proposals for free before signing up.

99Designs

Ideal for freelance graphic designers, 99Designs connects more than one million talented designers with clients.

However, it does work slightly differently to other job sites.

A client will approach 99Designs with a project, such as having a new logo.

The community of more than 1,128,000 designers will come up with ideas and then after a week, the client will pick their favourite and the designer responsible for the winning piece will get a pre-determined amount of money.

Freelance Writing Gigs

As the name suggests, this job site is for writers and includes positions for blogging, copywriting, editing, journalism and web content writing.

It also includes resources for writers, which is a great section giving tips on job hunting, writing and creating the perfect online portfolio.

Why Thousands of Contractors Choose Dolan Accountancy

With over 25 years experience in contractor accountancy helping thousands of contractors, freelancers and the self employed, Dolan Accountancy has the specialist skills, reputation and credibility you can trust.

Working closely with our sister company, Contractor Umbrella, it means we can offer one low cost, fixed fee package at £105 + VAT. This gives you the flexibility of using both our Limited Company Accountancy Services and our award winning Umbrella Service, for one inclusive cost.

If you’d like to find out more about how Dolan Accountancy can help you and your business, please give us a call on 01442 795 100 or email sophie.lewis@dolanaccountancy.com or jaime.thorpe@dolanaccountancy.com.

We don’t believe in tiered packages or hidden extra fees, instead we aim to give you everything you need, including:

  • Free Company Formation – This is where it all begins. Once you have decided on an available name, we will form your company free of charge (if using our accountancy services) and it will be ready for you to use in as little as three hours
  • Free use of Contractor Umbrella – With IR35 Legislation changes we understand that sometimes you are required to contract via an umbrella company. We will keep your limited company ticking over, while you work margin free via our sister company, Contractor Umbrella
  • A Dedicated Accountant – Your accountant will be there for any company or personal tax advice that you require. We will never outsource work, even to internal teams
  • Free Access to FreeAgent – We offer all of our clients access to FreeAgent, free of charge
  • Free Business Banking – We have decided to waive our commission so our clients can use Tide free of charge for the first year
  • Unlimited IR35 Status Reviews – We will review all of your contracts for IR35 purposes and provide you with our professional opinion as to its status
  • Free Registered and Director’s Service Office Address – Sometimes you just don’t want your home address on display at Companies House. When you sign up to our accountancy services, we will offer the use of our address as an alternative
  • Your Business and Personal Taxation Needs – This includes Company Accounts, Director’s Personal Tax Return, VAT Returns, Payroll, Corporation Tax and Dividend advice, to name just a few
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