Author: Stephanie Whalley

Yes – in most cases you can freelance while on maternity leave, but there are some important rules to be aware of first. Legally, you cannot do any work at all during the first two weeks after giving birth, known as compulsory maternity leave. After that, freelancing alongside your maternity leave is generally permitted, as long as your employment contract doesn’t prohibit it and you understand how it may affect your Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance. This article explains what you need to know before getting started. How much is Statutory Maternity Pay? SMP is given at 90%…

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. Below…

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.

If you work for yourself, you’re self-employed – that’s the umbrella term. “Sole trader” describes the legal structure you register your business as, while “freelancer” describes the way you work (often for several clients, on a project basis). So you can be a self-employed freelancer who’s also registered as a sole trader – the terms aren’t competing categories, they just answer different questions. It’s a common source of confusion when you first go self-employed, so here’s how the three terms fit together, and what each one means for your tax and legal obligations. What does it mean to be self-employed?…

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…

No – freelancers and self-employed workers in the UK are not entitled to statutory paternity pay. Unlike employees, who can claim Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) from their employer, freelancers have no equivalent entitlement. That said, there are some financial options worth exploring, and plenty you can do to plan ahead and protect your income while you take time off. Here’s what you need to know. 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…

Yes – freelancers are still entitled to a pension, though it works differently to employment. You’ll qualify for the State Pension in the same way as anyone else, as long as you have at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions. What you won’t have is an employer automatically paying into a workplace pension on your behalf, which means private pension planning is something you’ll need to arrange yourself. This article covers your options and how to get started. The State Pension A private or workplace pension scheme is different to the State Pension provided by the government. As…

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 it…