When you’re starting out as a freelancer, insurance is rarely at the top of your priority list. Finding clients, building your portfolio and getting paid usually take centre stage. But as your business grows, protecting yourself against unexpected risks becomes just as important.

Self-assessment made easy - has a nice ring to it! Like many freelancers, you most probably want to forget the whole ordeal, spend your hard-earned money on things that matter and pretend like tax ain’t no big thing…until next year. However, self-assessment doesn’t have to be stressful, especially if you start planning now. Here is some handy freelance advice to help. 

For anyone interested in pursuing alternatives to traditional employment, it can seem like there’s a lot of confusing business terminology to get your head around.  Is ‘freelance’ the same as ‘self employed’? What about contractors? What’s the difference between a sole trader and a limited company? Are sole traders self employed? Are freelancers employees..? What the hell is a solopreneur?!

From Monday July 13th, beauty salons, tattoo studios, nail bars, massage studios, spas and tanning salons can reopen for business. Appropriate PPE and other restrictions will be required to ensure safety, and the decision may be reversed if there are local spikes in coronavirus cases.  For many, this news comes as a huge relief. However, this announcement has also stirred confusion and disappointment for other beauty businesses, whose services remain banned. 

IR35. You might have heard it mentioned, you might have been warned about it; IR35 has become a four letter word lately. It sounds like a dry subject and a bit of a headache, but it’s really worth knowing your stuff around IR35 as it may impact your freelance business greatly. If you’re not sure what IR35 is, don’t worry – you’re not the only one. Let’s take a look at the IR35 essentials and what you need to be aware of.

So, you’ve been told you need a DBS check for a job, or you know your ability to get work in your field relies on getting one. There are some important things to note about how this works for freelancers. Let’s look at DBS checks and the options for when you’re self-employed.

The Article 13 (now also known as Article 17) directive, part of the European Union’s new copyright legislation, has proved controversial since it was announced, with big digital hitters like YouTube and Facebook coming out strongly against it.

It can be easy to kid yourself that providing you and your client had a quick chat to outline what was expected, everything’s fine.