Filling in gaps between contracts

[BlackCountryContractor]

Hi All

This is my first post and apologies if I’ve not followed due process.

I’m new to contracting. Whilst I should be good for 12 months hopefully, I just wonder what seasoned contractors do (for income) to fill in any gaps in contracts. Any ideas would be welcome. Thank you

As you are self-employed, there is a whole range of things you can do but I like ad-hoc work mostly picking up weekend contracts while looking for the long term contracts, don't be afraid to do some box shifting and things in I.T which some contractors turn their noses up at.

I knew one contractor who set up buying and selling computer parts and repairs (he made a killing selling small custom built crypto mining units while it was popular). You can do part-time coding for projects or designing and building websites or technical documentation writing which is a niche market if you have the ability to translate technical instructions into user friendly wording. There is also IT training if you got got strong educational qualifications or demonstrable skills which can also be done part time.

TLDR: I.T contracting is a game which you can either get benched or start hustling for the next paycheck (your first priority is to get a paycheck as a contractor first and foremost)

[OwlHoot]

I’m new to contracting. Whilst I should be good for 12 months hopefully, I just wonder what seasoned contractors do (for income) to fill in any gaps in contracts. Any ideas would be welcome. Thank you

You just tweak the start and end dates on your CV, and - voila - the gaps are all gone!

edit: Oh, you said "for income". Hmm, that one is trickier.

[Zigenare]

Hi All

This is my first post and apologies if I’ve not followed due process.

I’m new to contracting. Whilst I should be good for 12 months hopefully, I just wonder what seasoned contractors do (for income) to fill in any gaps in contracts. Any ideas would be welcome. Thank you

Truck driving or in sasguru's case turning tricks at the local seaman's mission.

[vwdan]

Live off your warchest and enjoy the time off.

Don't rest on laurels at this point though. You can bin binned off at a moments notice so you aren't good for 12 months. If you have no warchest you should be paying yourself the minimum to live until you've got at least three months worth in the account not including your liabilities.

Indeed, and remember it's not just ending contracts - I had 6 weeks off this year with my son's heart surgery. So not just time off, but also funding living in a hospital for that time and that was in contract!

[milanbenes]

I never had any gaps

nearly cost me my marriage that did

Milan.

[northernladuk]

Live off your warchest and enjoy the time off.

Don't rest on laurels at this point though. You can bin binned off at a moments notice so you aren't good for 12 months. If you have no warchest you should be paying yourself the minimum to live until you've got at least three months worth in the account not including your liabilities.

[cojak]

You earn enough in your contracts to see you through bench time. That’s the point of savings/warchests.

[Zk1]

Hi All

This is my first post and apologies if I’ve not followed due process.

I’m new to contracting. Whilst I should be good for 12 months hopefully, I just wonder what seasoned contractors do (for income) to fill in any gaps in contracts. Any ideas would be welcome. Thank you