Top 3 Tips for Contractors

Ever wondered how you can make the most out of your life as a Contractor or establish yourself as a thought leader and industry expert in the world of contracting? Follow these three tips to get closer to that goal.

1. Turn your competition into allies.

Contracting can be a competitive market but it helps to view other contractors as your allies, not your enemies.

It’s worth taking the time to get to know fellow contractors in your area of expertise.

As you become more established as a contractor, you will have to turn away work and your clients will appreciate you recommending someone you can trust to get the job done. You can also use these opportunities to subcontract work to a fellow contractor.

2. Build your own team.

When you first make the leap from company employee to independent contractor, you’ll probably relish the prospect of not having any official workmates for a while. But once you’ve basked in the welcome break from internal office politics, you may start to miss the camaraderie of being part of a team. To solve this problem, make contact with other contractors in your local area. There’s no need to stick to your own industry contractors face many of the same challenges across all workplaces.

Many contractors organise fortnightly or monthly meet-ups where they share stories, contacts, challenges and tips.

3. Seek out a mentor (and eventually become one yourself)

If you are an independent contractor, you may not have a manager who will nurture and guide you through rough patches. In this case you’ll need to go out and find such a mentor yourself. Approach successful contractors in your area of expertise and politely ask them if you can take them for coffee to ask them questions about the pitfalls and challenges they faced when first starting out. And when you are an established contractor, make sure to pay it forward by taking on a protege of your own.

Doing the above will grow your network and increase your opportunities and once you have a project in the pipeline the best advice I can give you is to turn to a company like Contracting PLUS to take care of your invoicing, taxation and company admin, so that you can focus on what you do best and we can make sure that your financial affairs are taken care of.

Contracting PLUS | 00353 1 611 0707 | www.ContractingPLUS.com |info@contractingplus.com

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