Reply to: Are you optimistic for 2011?

[JimBeam]

better for everybody!!

[AtW]

Incredible what "printing" 100's of billions of pounds can do!

We should do it more often.

This is true, but what are the real downsides - some pissed off savers, not many of them since only suckers were saving money in the first place, lots of pensioners but they won't have much time left to complain anyway.

HTH

Gordon Brown

[MarillionFan]

2011 will be the same as 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006....

Easy contracting and a new plan B

[d000hg]

Hoping current work will continue and grow... I'm basically tech lead for a startup with one long-term project, if they can net one or two more of the ones being pitched then happy days.

[Pondlife]

Quiety optimistic for 2011.

As always, client is saying budgets are tight but they didn't push for a rate reduction at renewal.

This is my view on Supply chains rather than IT but probably works for both.

Some of the projects they've approved are IMO 'nice to have' although there are divestments on the cards for locations that are still not hitting the correct costs. There is definitely money in the pot for the right location.

Seems to me that businesses are ready to spend on areas that have proven growth or are strategic but will still be looking to cut the areas not delivering.

DE is getting good investment, France and UK also to a lesser degree. Russia is getting huge, no holds barred, spend right now. It's seen as a massive market that is now more accessible than ever. I reckon Austria (will now be covered by DE), Nordics (likewise) and Greece (fnucked) will be taking a hit and most likely now Ireland. For some reason (that I don't understand) Spain is still being spared the knife.

Still, supply chain spend or cut both work out ok for PL inc.

Indecision is the lifeblood of contractors.

[MayContainNuts]

Brilliant 2010. Looking like a fantastic 2011 as my contract looks to run and run.

Been so good, even gave £500 to the PDSA at their Xmas fundraiser!

(is it tax deductible?)

[norrahe]

The City (London) is booming, it's almost bursting at the seams when you see the pubs and restaurants packed out and the shops teeming with City workers spending like there's no tomorrow.

It's quite amazing to see how quickly the City recovered after a short lapse. It's become even more grotesque and gluttonous than before.

Some parts of the city have battened down the hatches and revised their business processes and investment attitudes, what happened in 2008 weeded out the wheat from the chaff and many companies saw it as an excuse to get rid of excess staff and trim things down.

Some may have been a tad excessive in their trimming which is why there's a demand for interim people.

[Jog On]

The City (London) is booming, it's almost bursting at the seams when you see the pubs and restaurants packed out and the shops teeming with City workers spending like there's no tomorrow.

It's quite amazing to see how quickly the City recovered after a short lapse. It's become even more grotesque and gluttonous than before.

They're all openly talking about their bonuses here and that's just the plebs in the open plan area - I can imagine the big boys and traders will be getting pretty healthy ones as well..

It's only a matter of time before the students and great unwashed turn their attentions to the financial sector. At least Canary Wharf has a moat around it pretty much and they can control who get's in and out, the city on the other hand might see a cross between May day riots and recent student uprisings before long

[DimPrawn]

The City (London) is booming, it's almost bursting at the seams when you see the pubs and restaurants packed out and the shops teeming with City workers spending like there's no tomorrow.

It's quite amazing to see how quickly the City recovered after a short lapse. It's become even more grotesque and gluttonous than before.

Incredible what "printing" 100's of billions of pounds can do!

We should do it more often.

[ChimpMaster]

The City (London) is booming, it's almost bursting at the seams when you see the pubs and restaurants packed out and the shops teeming with City workers spending like there's no tomorrow.

It's quite amazing to see how quickly the City recovered after a short lapse. It's become even more grotesque and gluttonous than before.

[Jog On]

I'm positive for both contracting and plan C. Unless something goes norks up I'm gigged up until August and will end with a healthy warchest and a nice chunk in the trading account.

If this project keeps on the way it has been there's no way it will be done by end of July, what happens then I don't know For my niche (App packaging and deployment) I can see more Windows 7 rollouts for the next few years and coming out of a 12 monther in a top tier IB I'm hopeful and confident that I'll be able to hop onto another one or at least last a month or 3 until a good one comes along.

My plan over the next couple of years is to build my trading account up so that 5%/month = a comfortable amount to live on + a decent chunk to reinvest and compound up. Going well so far and by end of 2011 I hope to be almost half way there

[Mich the Tester]

The gap is ridiculous.

When I was permie I would have jumped at the opportunity to earn 35k. Now I wouldn't be happy with 50k. It just completely prices me out of the market in the North West.

If you're doing well as a contractor in the North West I can't imagine you'll get a better lifestyle anywhere as a permie.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

One just said his client's prepared to pay 'enough to persuade a succesful contractor'.

Now to let them know how much 'enough' is.

The gap is ridiculous.

When I was permie I would have jumped at the opportunity to earn 35k. Now I wouldn't be happy with 50k. It just completely prices me out of the market in the North West.

[Mich the Tester]

I keep getting pestered for those too, seems that agents think that downturns are synonymous with easy to convert contractors

One just said his client's prepared to pay 'enough to persuade a succesful contractor'.

Now to let them know how much 'enough' is.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

So many permie jobs posted.

Sick of them. I can't see the point in going for a permie job paying anything less than 50k and in the North West those are difficult if not impossible to comeby.