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If all a contractor focuses on is her day job how is that different from traditional employment? Being able to focus on your day job while leaving everything el

If all a contractor focuses on is her day job how is that different from traditional employment? Being able to focus on your day job while leaving everything else to another party is what employment is for. I'm all in favour of outsourcing the work that you're not good at or that's not part of your core business. However, in my opinion as a software development freelancer marketing and sales is a key part of your business. Nobody understands better what your services are or how exactly you can help your clients. It's ok to outsource some of that work like cold-calling (if that works for your business), newsletter management etc. but defining and communicating the core value you bring to the table should never be outsourced. You specifically mentioned legal work and tax accounting. Those roles traditionally aren't marketed through middlemen simply because lawyers and tax accountants generally are considered to be independent professionals.

jimnotgym 9y ago
There are two things confused here. Lots of people go contracting in the UK because 1) You can earn more. A company will pay more as it can ditch the person at the end of the contract, when it is not a core competency of the firm. 2) There are tax benefits 3) When you contract is over you get a change of scenery Many of those always contract through an agency What you are describing is more like someone trying to start their own agency/practice. That is quite different and sales would be a big part of that. > Those roles traditionally aren't marketed through middlemen simply because lawyers and tax accountants generally are considered to be independent professionals. Your point that I was answering was that the contractor is outsourcing some services to the 'middlemen', not using a middleman to find those services You are also not exactly right about accountants and lawyers. They join partnerships and associations exactly so they can get work from the practice and use their shared admin facilities. A barrister in the UK is a tenant of his chambers and the clerks get the work and the barrister has fees deducted for this service. This is exactly so they can concentrate on their day job.
- blfr 9y ago
  'BjoernKW is describing freelancing. You're describing using it largely as a way to avoid employment laws.
  - jimnotgym 9y ago
    This is exactly the set of issues around the gig economy. Corporations want to treat people as self-employed to save National Insurance, holiday pay, redundancy etc. Some people kind of enjoy moving around jobs a lot. The UK government has had a number of crack-downs on this resulting in a) a reduction in ability to avoid employment laws and exploit workers or b) a restriction on a contractors ability to work flexibly. depending on your point of view. Probably some of each for different people. It is too big an issue for this comments thread.
bkanber 9y ago
> However, in my opinion as a software development freelancer marketing and sales is a key part of your business. That is 100% your opinion. It is far from a rule that you should expect others to adhere to, especially given that there are tons of services out there that promise to remove that need. It's almost as if different people design, build and execute their lives differently, using different values. You're getting downvoted because you're asserting your opinion as a global truth. There is no universal law dictating how software freelancers should work. In this one instance, your opinions are absolutely vindicated -- but what about the literal millions of successful freelancers where your opinions and advice mean bunk?
- BjoernKW 9y ago
  > You're getting downvoted because you're asserting your opinion as a global truth. There is no universal law dictating how software freelancers should work. No, there isn't but my point is that in case - you're not responsible for your own marketing and sales - you don't differentiate yourself from other service providers - you're marketed by a third party as an anonymous set of technical acronyms how does that justify becoming a freelancer in the first place? Simply for the higher rate and so your employer can save social security costs? That's not how self-employment is intended by the law. In that case, you're more likely to be an employee. Some countries even try to recoup social security payments on that basis.
- gexla 9y ago
  In what universe is marketing and sales not a key element of a business? That's like saying Samsung doesn't have to put effort into marketing and sales just because it's important for Apple. Sales and marketing IS a universal truth in business. Try telling shareholders/stakeholders that it's not. That a business sells software is irrelevant. That a business is run by one person is irrelevant. Outsourcing your marketing changes nothing. That should be one channel of many. There are no services which remove that need (though they may make that claim). As others have mentioned, people seem to be getting freelancing and employment mixed up. The wording "freelancer" seems to be putting this through some sort of warp which changes the laws of physics. Perhaps the issue is that this person is really an employee getting painted as a business as a target for getting screwed over. Perhaps this person wants to be an employee, but the harsh world is pushing this person to be a business. But if you are a business, you need to model your work as a business if you are going to survive.

jimnotgym 9y ago

There are two things confused here. Lots of people go contracting in the UK because 1) You can earn more. A company will pay more as it can ditch the person at the end of the contract, when it is not a core competency of the firm. 2) There are tax benefits 3) When you contract is over you get a change of scenery Many of those always contract through an agency What you are describing is more like someone trying to start their own agency/practice. That is quite different and sales would be a big part of that. > Those roles traditionally aren't marketed through middlemen simply because lawyers and tax accountants generally are considered to be independent professionals. Your point that I was answering was that the contractor is outsourcing some services to the 'middlemen', not using a middleman to find those services You are also not exactly right about accountants and lawyers. They join partnerships and associations exactly so they can get work from the practice and use their shared admin facilities. A barrister in the UK is a tenant of his chambers and the clerks get the work and the barrister has fees deducted for this service. This is exactly so they can concentrate on their day job.

blfr 9y ago
'BjoernKW is describing freelancing. You're describing using it largely as a way to avoid employment laws.
- jimnotgym 9y ago
  This is exactly the set of issues around the gig economy. Corporations want to treat people as self-employed to save National Insurance, holiday pay, redundancy etc. Some people kind of enjoy moving around jobs a lot. The UK government has had a number of crack-downs on this resulting in a) a reduction in ability to avoid employment laws and exploit workers or b) a restriction on a contractors ability to work flexibly. depending on your point of view. Probably some of each for different people. It is too big an issue for this comments thread.

bkanber 9y ago

> However, in my opinion as a software development freelancer marketing and sales is a key part of your business. That is 100% your opinion. It is far from a rule that you should expect others to adhere to, especially given that there are tons of services out there that promise to remove that need. It's almost as if different people design, build and execute their lives differently, using different values. You're getting downvoted because you're asserting your opinion as a global truth. There is no universal law dictating how software freelancers should work. In this one instance, your opinions are absolutely vindicated -- but what about the literal millions of successful freelancers where your opinions and advice mean bunk?

BjoernKW 9y ago
> You're getting downvoted because you're asserting your opinion as a global truth. There is no universal law dictating how software freelancers should work. No, there isn't but my point is that in case - you're not responsible for your own marketing and sales - you don't differentiate yourself from other service providers - you're marketed by a third party as an anonymous set of technical acronyms how does that justify becoming a freelancer in the first place? Simply for the higher rate and so your employer can save social security costs? That's not how self-employment is intended by the law. In that case, you're more likely to be an employee. Some countries even try to recoup social security payments on that basis.
gexla 9y ago
In what universe is marketing and sales not a key element of a business? That's like saying Samsung doesn't have to put effort into marketing and sales just because it's important for Apple. Sales and marketing IS a universal truth in business. Try telling shareholders/stakeholders that it's not. That a business sells software is irrelevant. That a business is run by one person is irrelevant. Outsourcing your marketing changes nothing. That should be one channel of many. There are no services which remove that need (though they may make that claim). As others have mentioned, people seem to be getting freelancing and employment mixed up. The wording "freelancer" seems to be putting this through some sort of warp which changes the laws of physics. Perhaps the issue is that this person is really an employee getting painted as a business as a target for getting screwed over. Perhaps this person wants to be an employee, but the harsh world is pushing this person to be a business. But if you are a business, you need to model your work as a business if you are going to survive.