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Common errors to avoid when contracting

It’s always good to gain insight on the doo’s and don’ts from contractors who have been working in the sector for a while. We recently had the opportunity to speak with a few, gaining some valuable insights which we’ve summarised for you below.

Naive negotiating

You’ve probably already honed in on what skills you have and what you bring to a company. Because of this, you shouldn’t undersell yourself. It’s always good to stop and have a good look around the market to see where you position yourself and think of the reasons why you are worth this money. This way you will not only be receiving too little for your work but also be able to justify the higher rates you are earning.

Not adapting enough

In contracting, change in always imminent, whether it be an uprising in artificial intelligence or even a simple legislation change that changes the way you’re required to work.

Making yourself adaptable to change means taking new opportunities as fresh starts and not over comparing different processes and criticising the ways separate business works. If you think you may be able to offer insight to a business from your breadth of experience that is a good thing but being able to adapt to different ways of working will help you perform in your role.

Not setting goals

Goals are what keep you moving forward in your career, especially as an umbrella employee. Setting higher goals can help you to avoid any stagnation that you may experience when working in the same industry for a while. Not only this, but setting short and long-term goals can be great for your mental health, self esteem and organisation.

If you’re looking for an umbrella company that you can rely on to get paid on time, here at Focused we guarantee prompt, accurate and reliable payment for contractors working inside IR35, it only takes a few short minutes to register your details with us. To get in touch, simply call 0161 923 0210 and we will take it from there. 

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