Two Years Contracting

I’m coming up to two years of contracting and it’s been a voyage of discovery. After contracting for a short while now I do think that it is still the way forward for me, but it has always been plain sailing. Here’s what I’ve learnt over my first few years of being a contractor:

Get yourself a good accountant from the start. One that is available to answer your questions, ideally one that gives you a single point of contact.

If you aren’t 100% happy with your accountant, change them as soon as possible. This is your business so you must do what is best for your business and if your accountant doesn’t answer your questions then change them.


Keep track of all the invoices you send and the receipts that you get every time a invoice is paid by an agency. When agencies pay your invoice they usually send a receipt, keep it and keep a spreadsheet to track which invoices go with which receipts (not all agencies put the invoice ref on the receipt).


Have a good accounting system, spreadsheets are ok but a good accounting system like Freeagent are really helpful.


If possible get the agency to pay weekly, it keeps money coming into your business account and if you get bills coming like VAT bills or corporation tax you have the money there to pay and you aren’t waiting for invoices to be paid once a month.


Learn to be able to sell yourself to agencies, while they can be a pain they are also help get you work so a means to a end.


So far I have enjoyed being a contractor I’m not suck in a role that I’m not enjoying, I have more control over the work I do and what technologies I work with.


But you have to remember that you are running a business and it’s your business so you have to make decisions that help make your business grow. Something I’m still learning.