Is Contracting worth it? - What do you thinK?

[voron]

Aaaarrggggggggggggghhhh Lazio fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Step outside!

Aha, thought it would have that effect So, where are you in Serie A right now?

[Francko]

Aha, thought it would have that effect So, where are you in Serie A right now?

Prefer to think about Chelsea at the moment.

[voron]

Prefer to think about Chelsea at the moment.

Good lad, you know it makes sense

Btw, I have to inform you as our resident Roman, that I am still disappointed with the the Roma fans. I temporarily forget her name, but when you won the title a few seasons back, a celebrity said she would run around the pitch naked. Fantastic, thought I. But she cheated and wore a skin coloured body suit

[Francko]

Good lad, you know it makes sense

Btw, I have to inform you as our resident Roman, that I am still disappointed with the the Roma fans. I temporarily forget her name, but when you won the title a few seasons back, a celebrity said she would run around the pitch naked. Fantastic, thought I. But she cheated and wore a skin coloured body suit

You can check her out somewhere else, it's Sabrina Ferrilli.

http://www.einemass.com/donne/ferilli.htm

Returning to a more serious subject, Becca, charging 65 an hour (= 520 a day) inside IR35 will give you 4.779 a month.

http://calculator.contractoruk.com/ir35-calc.php

241 days of work as an average is too much. You might have been lucky so far because you are young, not too expensive and flexible but later on you cannot expect it to be the same forever. And also that your skills will always be on demand and you don't need time out to crosstrain.

[Lucifer Box]

Franco, I think you need to start taking the happy pills again. You seem even more morose than usual this week.

[Francko]

Franco, I think you need to start taking the happy pills again. You seem even more morose than usual this week.

Morose. I like that word. I am generally not gloomy at all but I can't let the "Merry go round contractors, the future is bright" party without saying anything.

[Rebecca Loos]

Franco,

yes I know about IR35calc, but it doesn't take into account any expenses, does it?


http://calculator.contractoruk.com/ir35-calc.php

241 days a year is not bad (thank you) but is by no means extraordinary. You see, us contractors are willing to work hard (since usually money is a direct multiple of time spent working) and so don't mind doing 10 hours a day, or 6 days a week, etc and that's before you even start talking about weekend work or on-call time outside of normal business hours.

I don't think it is a skill or age thing, I have older contractors in my team (I am talking about people in their late 40s here), they're not even techies (they're BAs) doing exactly as I do - we have just done a full weekend of work - 10 hours Sat, 9 hours Sun, all at double rate.

As for the cross training, you don't always need time off to do it, you can either do it in your spare time while you're in a contract, or even better do it on client's time (like crosstraining in CUK postings now ), or sometimes even the client sends you on a training course if it's really necessary. In August, I went on a 2 days Sagent course at client's expense yessssssssssss

So basically what I am saying is yes there are obstacles but as a contractor it's your responsibility (to yourself) to find ways round these obstacles, to think ahead in terms of training, overtime, holidays, financial projections etc, and if you do, and have the energy and the drive to optimise your time, you'll find that you can make a killing without compromising too much.

[bren586]

Franco,

or sometimes even the client sends you on a training course if it's really necessary.

In the last 5 months I have had 2 weeks training paid for by the client and I get paid 40 hours plus travel. I am about to do a deal to get some more training by doing things that the permies don't like to do.

You don't ask - you don't get

And let us revisit expenses.

Pensions any one. This must be one of the biggest perks as a contractor. Not only do I get to stuff it away - Gordon helps me out as well, bless him.

Perm no - Contractor YES.

[Lucifer Box]

Morose. I like that word. I am generally not gloomy at all but I can't let the "Merry go round contractors, the future is bright" party without saying anything.

Franco, what's the nearest Italian word for 'morose'?

[Francko]

Franco, what's the nearest Italian word for 'morose'?

I don't know. Guess it's a very english thing.

I don't understand while people keep mentioning extraordinary events about their work, trying to justify one way is better than the other. That is not related to contract/perm situations, it's just about being in a lucky position in a lucky company.