When you’re working from home, you need strong self-discipline and an ability to manage time effectively. One of the best time management devices comes courtesy of an old-fashioned clock. Sure, we all have the time on our computers, but it’s…

The job of a freelance writer or copywriter is to write stuff for people and businesses. This isn’t creative writing in the purest sense, it is about writing what needs to be written for a client. There is no room…

With a sharp rise in the number of people going part time self-employed, now’s a good time to ponder why this might be the case and whether or not it is a good thing. Is it a case of people…

At this time of year, fans become an essential item in any home office. No-one works well when they’re overheating on the job, so ensuring you keep cool in the summer months is crucial. So, which fans are the best?…

Television shows like The Apprentice, Dragon’s Den and The Secret Millionaire are persuading more people to consider starting up their own business, according to government research. The ‘Impact of Media on Entrepreneurial Intentions and Actions’ report found that media portrayals…

And it looks very scary indeed. It’s yet another one of those online portals where small businesses and freelancers provide the Government with ideas. This time it’s about finding business solutions which will help the Government provide services more efficiently.…

Last week, the coalition Government launched a number of enterprising initiatives as part of ‘Start Up Britain.’ The main thrust of it all was to inspire the younger generation to think entrepreneurially. There are a number of ways in which…

National Insurance is great. It builds up your state pension entitlement and helps pay for the NHS and other welfare services. Us freelancers pay National Insurance on a quarterly basis with the amount we pay dependent on how much we…

Many of us have read theories about what constitutes best practice when it comes to social media, but what is the reality for UK freelancers? From my own experience I’ve identified five main ways that freelancers use social media.…

During these austere times, it should come as no surprise that HMRC is increasing the penalties for late tax returns and payments. The new rules apply to the tax year 2010-11 so for UK freelancers it’s even more crucial that…

During last week’s Budget, the chancellor announced that a total of 21 new enterprise zones will be created across the UK in areas in need of economic revitalisation. The idea behind an enterprise zone is to encourage investment and economic…

Freelancers are increasingly being called upon to fill the void left by the huge reduction in permanent workers in the public sector. That’s the observation of a major online business marketplace anyway. And when you consider that 490,000 public sector…

Yesterday we saw an action-packed Budget where Chancellor George Osbourne sought to strike a positive pro-business agenda and disperse with the dark clouds of recent growth figures and forecasts.

From moves to merge National Insurance and income tax, to a…

The degree of activity in social media depends on an individual freelancers personal requirements. Freelancers who have a steady stream of work, for the present and forseeable future, may not see social media as a priority. However, those freelancers who…

A new report by SEO specialists Clickscene, has revealed that 40 per cent of commercial businesses in the UK are ignored by search engines. Further to this, 91 per cent are not using pay per click services and a third…

Virtual businesses are brilliant because they employ freelancers and stuff. A virtual business can be defined as any business that is online and doesn’t have a permanent physical base – and they can be maintained from any location with an…

Corporation Tax is the tax on the profits made by your business and will apply to freelancers running their own limited company. From April 1, there will be changes to some of the rates you will need to pay.

There…

The office is one of the safest places you could possibly work. You come in, you sit down, and you run your fingers over a keyboard for a few hours. What’s the worst that can happen? Electrocution by the office…

For the freelancer who works at a client’s office, it can sometimes be difficult to find a spare coffee mug. Perhaps the boss is so stingy that they only have enough for one per employee. That’s why it’s advisable to…