Author: Stephanie Whalley

Collaborate with the competition? Fraternise with the enemy more like. That’s what you might be thinking about the suggestion of working with other freelancers, so we’re here to open your mind to the potential pros of doing so. Being your own boss as a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to go it alone all the time. Joining forces with other like-minded professionals has the potential to boost your income, expand your connections and open new doors for your business. Reasons to collaborate with other freelancers Although being a freelancer is innately solitary, sometimes strength really does come in numbers.…

As a freelancer there might be times when you need to travel for work. If you use your own vehicle to make the journey, you can claim the cost of your trip against your tax bill as an allowable business expense. In this article we’ll go over what you can claim for, and how to work out your mileage expenses. How much is the mileage allowance for freelancers? Freelance sole traders can claim a mileage allowance based on what type of vehicle they use for the journey. Travel in your own car or van, for example, and you can…

Bookkeeping isn’t just a necessity reserved only for owners of big businesses, and it’s equally as essential for small businesses, sole traders and freelancers too. This process deals with how you record and manage what money is coming into the business (income) and what is going out of it (expenditure). Keeping an eye on this flow of cash (literally known as your cash flow!) is what will help you stay financially healthy, and hopefully improve your chances of making a profit. With so many different types of bookkeeping software available for freelancers to choose from, we thought we’d take a…

There are a whole host of different jobs freelancers can do, from things like accounting or digital marketing to the more unusual roles of expert bed-tester or a professional bridesmaid.

A common problem for those who take the leap from employment into being their own boss is wondering how to describe themselves. Am I suddenly a CEO of something? The MD? A freelancer? Something else? They all exist in the same professional realm, so the terms do overlap but there are nuances between them which are important to note for legal and financial reasons. Some of the terms we use to describe self-employment actually describe the legal structure of your business, and these have an impact on how you register your business as well as for tax compliance. It can…

Working from home is great. Coffee just the way you like it and without the queue. Whatever playlist you want on Spotify. Staying in your slippers all day. Nobody steals your breakfast from the fridge. Saving money and hassle on the daily work commute. Working from home and avoiding the commute gives you some precious time back too. This can be used to spend time with your loved ones, do some exercise, indulge in a hobby, or simply get some more sleep. Government data found that 78% of those who work from home in some capacity agreed that being able…

Freelancing is exciting and liberating for so many different reasons, but being self-employed does mean you miss out on some of the statutory benefits of working for an employer – such as maternity or paternity pay. Unfortunately, there isn’t much support available for freelancers in the UK taking paternity leave so there’s extra pressure to think about what your options are. How do I plan paternity leave as a freelancer? Preparing for parental leave as a freelancer is no mean feat, and sadly can be tougher than it is for employees who have statutory rules in place to protect them.…

Whether you freelance full-time or do it as a side hustle, the money you earn from self-employment won’t be included in contributions to a workplace pension scheme like it would be if you were an employee. So where does that leave freelancers when it comes to pension planning? In this article we’ll go over what your options are, and how to prepare for retirement.

In the context of the Digital Platform Reporting Rules, a digital platform includes any website, software, app, or online marketplace that connects businesses (vendors) to users (customers) in order to sell goods or services. Etsy, Uber, and Airbnb are popular examples you will almost certainly have heard of. These digital platforms are now responsible for providing information to HMRC about what their sellers are earning annually – a measure taken to clamp down on tax avoidance amongst freelancers, digital sellers, and gig economy workers. HMRC having access to this information isn’t a new thing – it has always been able…

Understanding what works and what doesn’t will help you grow your freelance career more efficiently. That way you can invest more in what supports this growth and less in what doesn’t. Keeping a close eye on what’s happening in your business will help you identify areas to focus on, and adapt your freelancing accordingly. What is more profitable for you? Analyse your offering and dig into the details of what clients are buying and what they aren’t. If a particular service simply isn’t in demand or costs too much to provide, then maybe it’s time to move on from…