As we reach the passing of another year, another decade, no less, we reach that fiddly time of year, where we’re not quite ready to get back to work, all cylinders firing, full of gusto for the new year ahead, and, instead, spend the week in quiet reflection of things that went well (matching up great Umbrella companies with contractors), not so well (interns and damned purple umbrellas) and contemplate what’s to come.
And it’s an uncertain time. We have a new government, new plans to definitely leave the European Union this time (with no idea of what that may look like for any of us, let alone contractors and freelancers) and no clue on whether or not the Government may, in their plan to help encourage smaller businesses, give up all the hoo-hah that’s happened around IR35 rules and regulations and come up with something a little more positive for lone workers and the self-employed to encourage them to keep doing what they are doing, whatever that may be, to boost the gig economy.
Of course, it goes without saying that it’s only yours truly here in the editorial office today, with the youngsters and the intern somewhere in a daze of parties, hangovers and too much mulled wine or whatever it is they’ve had a near miss of blood poisoning from. The silence is quite literally golden, a perfect time for reflection and looking to the future and planning what we personally want to achieve this year ahead.
- Continue to be the number one place for the best contractors and lone workers to connect with the crème de la crème of umbrella company providers in the UK.
- Keep providing the very best of news and views to you, our dear readers, that may affect you and your working life (there may be quite a lot to report, these next few months).
- Resolve to never, ever think that hiring an intern is a good idea and make sure next time we only take on staff members with experience on actually being productive in an office environment.
- Find an effective auto-response to rebut all those enquiries for actual, physical umbrellas so they never even make it into our inbox.
- Smile more, frown less. And that, is perhaps one that we can all take into next year, whatever is ahead for all of us. Life is full of uncertainties, we never know what is coming next and now more than ever that seems to be the case. But, so long as we can make sure we keep smiling through it, we know we’re all made of strong stuff. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and we learn more through the challenges than we ever would through the easy stuff. We’ll all pull together and get through it and come out the other side of Brexit a little bit older, a lot wiser and so long as we make it through… how bad can it be?
Answers on a postcard….
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. See you in the next decade.
