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Survey - Next Steps

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    Survey - Next Steps

    So that everyone knows exactly what I am doing with the survey here is my current plan for what I'm going to do.

    1) I'm setting up a simple website. Yes it may look like I'm trying to replace IPSE - I'm not.

    I need a website to host the work in progress documents and if I'm doing that I may as well have a page or 2 to ensure we get some general information out to as many contractors as possible. I would like to thank the agencies and accountants who have already agreed to promote the site and will happily accept any others.

    And hopefully come November I can kill it...

    2) I'm going to create 2 work in progress responses but don't expect them to be more than bullet points but I want them online so people can agree/ disagree and write parts of them.

    3) I'll do some detailed analysis on the survey results. Quick highlights at the moment (I'm not closing it until Friday)

    38% live in London or the South East (I'm surprised how low that is)..

    over 25% of contractors have weekly or longer commutes.

    While its an exception and definitely not the rule some people are spending 30%+ of their turnover on travel expenses..

    General consensus is that if independent contractors were not able to do the task consultancies will get the work instead resulting in end clients having to pay far more...
    Last edited by eek; 26 August 2015, 11:43.
    merely at clientco for the entertainment

    #2
    Oh and if anyone wants to help (please, please help) PM me...
    merely at clientco for the entertainment

    Comment


      #3
      I'm glad you posted this - reminded me to complete the survey, now done!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by eek View Post
        over 25% of contractors have weekly or longer commutes.
        That seems high - most of the contractors I know who 'stay away' are TWaTs - what's the definition of weekly?

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by mudskipper View Post
          That seems high - most of the contractors I know who 'stay away' are TWaTs - what's the definition of weekly?
          As with everything short and clear cut.

          Is you current commute daily or weekly? (yes I've just noticed a missing r in your)..

          Oh and that 25% is probably low, Czakky said that he thinks 60% of the people he's got working up North are re-locaters...
          Last edited by eek; 26 August 2015, 12:09.
          merely at clientco for the entertainment

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by eek View Post
            As with everything short and clear cut.

            Is you current commute daily or weekly? (yes I've just noticed a missing r in your)..
            Ah OK, so weekly is commuting once a week, as opposed to for a week. The 'or longer' might have caused my confusion. Probably needs to be clear in any response what you mean.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by mudskipper View Post
              Ah OK, so weekly is commuting once a week, as opposed to for a week. The 'or longer' might have caused my confusion. Probably needs to be clear in any response what you mean.
              Yep why do you think I'm doing everything in public. We will end up with a clear response which will be harder to misinterpret...
              merely at clientco for the entertainment

              Comment


                #8
                Not sure if this is the best place but;

                One thing that does need to be considered is the knock on effect from any reduction in contractors using overnight stays.

                The place that I regularly use is a small family B&B in a rural environment and caters for 8 people. At the moment 5 of them are regulars and contractors. Once the summer months are over the only people staying will mainly be the contractors.
                If those numbers reduce then the place will not be viable during the winter months (reduced income, higher heating costs etc) and will probably have to shut. That reduces the availability of overnight rooms and those who can continue will find it harder to get accommodation.
                There will be local economic effects from any reduction in contractor stays.

                Just another arrow for the quiver.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Can't find the thread where you were discussing average commute length? The point I wanted to raise was that if those figures are used, it needs to be clear that the figure is from respondents to the survey. I'm guessing that it will be slightly skewed by people with very short commutes not completing the survey because they either don't think it will be helpful to include those figures, or because they don't feel the changes will overly impact them. (I fell into the former category - will complete it now!)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by mudskipper View Post
                    Can't find the thread where you were discussing average commute length? The point I wanted to raise was that if those figures are used, it needs to be clear that the figure is from respondents to the survey. I'm guessing that it will be slightly skewed by people with very short commutes not completing the survey because they either don't think it will be helpful to include those figures, or because they don't feel the changes will overly impact them. (I fell into the former category - will complete it now!)
                    The survey is clearly self-selecting as all surveys are that ask for respondents to reply and yes that will be reflected in how the figures are described..

                    The important bit is to compare the figures with those from the last census http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census...d-to-work.html That has your typical IT worker having a commute of less than 10km (each way) with a national average of 15km each way..
                    merely at clientco for the entertainment

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