Some thoughts from employer's point of view

[Paddy]

Having started up several small businesses I can understand the dilemma. However if you employ a permie they will have the permie attitude and a small firm can’t afford that. They will want “sick” days, training, holidays, breaks time off for kids etc etc. If I was in AtW’s position I would consider employing someone and making he/she a director and shareholder for the duration of the employment. They will part of profit sharing scheme. You can pay them less on a salary, they feel part of the company and they will put in more effort.

[AtW]

If I was in AtW’s position I would consider employing someone and making he/she a director and shareholder for the duration of the employment.

That's how it is done (share options)

[DimPrawn]

Your lack of business acumen is really showing this time comrade.



Stick to coding.

[Sysman]

If you look at phone booked taxies then you will find they are more efficient because central dispatch can send them to where the clients are, this is why they are generally cheaper than black cabs. In our case this would represent model of an IT consultancy that can actually shift their resources to where the demand is.

Not quite. Black cabs, or to use the proper term Hackney Carriages, are licenced by the local authority, who also set their fares. Those licences swap hand for tens of thousands off pounds, if you can find anyone willing to sell.

In terms of your analogy they are more like the large consultancies who get government contracts for squillions.

Taxi analogy is very good because who would use taxies all the time? Not many people/companies, which is why if suddenly if all or many good drivers quit trains/buses and started driving taxies all the time then whole economy would suffer.

You can buy an awful lot of taxi rides for the price of a car, particularly if you organise a contract with a local taxi firm.

[Sysman]

I think the reason they do that in UK is because good permies realised they are good and can make more money by being contractors as it would allow to optimise tax affrairs better.

Essentially what should have happened is that employers should have realised your value and increased your permie salary considerably.

The case when I started contracting was that firms wouldn't pay permies enough if they wished to stay in technical rather than management roles. You would hit a very real pay ceiling.

[sasguru]

Your lack of business acumen is really showing this time comrade.



Stick to coding.

WHS. The quicker you get some mug to buy your "business" the better, AtW.
You have no clue about business whatsoever.

[DimPrawn]

Atw has a great "story" behind his business. Immigrant turned business man and inventor of new ideas, employer, wealth generator. Community business model.

The BBC and the media would go nuts for this story.

He should be hiring a media relations man, whip up a hype driven frenzy and wait for the big money offer for the business from Google or MS or similar.

Simples.

[d000hg]

Having started up several small businesses I can understand the dilemma. However if you employ a permie they will have the permie attitude and a small firm can’t afford that. They will want “sick” days, training, holidays, breaks time off for kids etc etc.

Not all permies are lazy; in fact I've been lucky enough that nearly everyone I've worked along-side has been committed and hard-working. In a techy, hard-core programming role, you can find people who actually enjoy programming and choose to work an extra hour for the satisfaction of getting things done.

Maybe a few battle-scarred contractors can distantly remember such behaviour in their distant past?

[scooterscot]

Get a apple fresh from the tree.

I approach the local universities 3-4th year graduates full of enthusiasm. Much of my excess work does not require a high degree of skill just ample doses of common sense - surprisingly lacking these days.