5 Tax Planning Tips for Contractors and Freelancers
As a contractor or freelancer, just hearing the word tax can fill you with panic – but there’s really nothing…
Despite appearances (until recently, at least) spring really is here and that means one thing: spring cleaning.
You’ve probably already given a thought to spring cleaning your home, getting your garden into order and perhaps even giving your car a thorough scrub inside and out. But have you really given any thought to your home office?
Obviously, you’ve probably considered giving it a dust and a vacuum, but what about a proper, honest-to-goodness spring clean where you clean, tidy, organise, throw out stuff you don’t need and replace things that require replacing?
We’ve put together a list of reasons why you should bother.
You spend an awful lot of time there
If you’re a contractor, you are probably in your home office a couple of times every week sorting out administrative tasks and, sometimes, working from home.
If you’re a freelancer you probably spend even more time there, working from home the majority of your working week. For this reason alone, a good clear out can make the space much more pleasant to work in. After all?
Tidy office = tidy mind
It may be something of a cliché, but it’s certainly true. Working from a messy space is usually not very helpful. It can make it harder to relax and it can certainly make it difficult to be productive when it takes you the best part of 30 minutes to find a notepad every morning.
Giving your home office a spring clean will give you a beautifully organised space that allows you to maximise your productivity.
It’s easier to stay on top of
Once you’ve done the big spring clean, it’s no longer a daunting job. All your home office then requires is for you to keep it tidy and give it a quick clean once a week or so. If you stay good throughout the year, you might not need to do a big, time consuming clean again!
You’ll find things you didn’t know you had
As is always the way of things, your spring clean will probably turn up things you’d forgot you had that you were going to purchase. Such as a big box of printer ink, or a packet of business cards. Over time, things get buried in the bottom of drawers or at the back of shelves. A big clean out can be a good way to take stock of what you actually do have.
It will make other tasks easier
Part of your big home office spring clean is, of course, getting all your paperwork filed and organised. So, when it comes to your Self Assessment, seeking out a contact or returning to a prior project, you can get the job done without a lot of hassle.
At Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance, we can’t help you with your spring clean but, if it turns up your insurance paperwork and you realise you’re ready for renewal, give us a call on 01242 808740 or check out our site to get a quote.
