If you’ve just made the move into contracting you may be experiencing some of the advantages of being self-employed already. But if you’re thinking of making the move into
being a self-employed IT contractor then you may not know of the benefits you could be already receiving.
Brookson‘s can bring you just a few of the many benefits available to self-employed IT contractors, and how they can improve your livelihood.
Flexibility
What might be part of the reason why you’re thinking of making the change to begin with is the flexibility of being your own boss. Being self-employed it allows you to choose when and where you want to work. Choosing the jobs you want to do, when it’s suitable for you to do commit to them.
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Since the company you work for isn’t your employer but your client, it opens up a different work ethic, freeing you from office politics. A huge advantage over being employed in that specific company and depending on your contract, not bound by usual office rules in regards to breaks.
Taking time off can often be a hassle when factoring in colleagues future plans. But being self-employed you’re free to work for several months, then be off work for several months at a time, all depending on your own financial situation.
Financial
One of, if not the most important part of becoming an IT contractor is the financial side of it all. The increase in income compared to employees working alongside you on a project, is often double the wage of a full-time employee. Without the need to pay for your sick pay, holidays, redundancy pay or national insurance then companies can usually afford to pay you more for your skills.
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The ability to take on more work as you please helps a great deal if you’re looking to save quickly. If you seek advice from professionals such as Brookson, you can also reduce the amount of tax you pay yearly. Tools such as Brookson’s financial calculator can show you how much you could be saving by making the switch to contracting.
Skills
Another great benefit to IT contracting is the development of your skills to become more specialised in your role. Choosing whether you’d like to specialise in your chosen field or
expand your IT skills to other industry sectors, freeing you up to take on more work.
Allowing you to vary the work that you’re doing month to month, developing a varied skill set and an excellent CV, establishing an impressive list of reference contacts. This in turn opens up more lines of work as your contacts grow and you’re recommended to more clients.
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Many IT contractors feel they gain more satisfaction in what they do without the retrains of an employer focusing their efforts into certain skills and sectors.
These are only a few benefits to the myriad that IT contracting allows you to take advantage of. Speak to a professional today, such as Brookson, to see how they can help you if you’re thinking of taking your first steps into IT contracting.
