2011 – a review

As we look back over 2011 it is clear to see that it has been both a tough, yet interesting year.  The economic climate made it difficult for many contractors, consultants and freelancers to get the level of work and pay that they needed.  However, all was not lost.

2011 was a year of many new start-ups with contractors and freelancers taking the leap of faith to leave their jobs or being pushed into freelance and contracting positions.  It was, overall a busy year for the contracting industry as a whole.

There was a considerable increase in digital contractors and those who have m-commerce expertise. This is set to continue to rise in 2012 as more and more companies realise the benefit and vitality of digital, m-commerce and smartphone technology.

The financial sector is investing heavily in digital contractors at present as it becomes the next sector to utilise e-commerce and m-commerce in its businesses.

The Agency Workers Regulations were also released last year which provided employment rights to those contractors who had been with a specific company for a minimum of 12 months.  This was released in October 1^st 2011 and has meant that many companies have engaged with the AWR.

Those in limited companies of their own were generally not affected by the AWR if they operated a true business, this allowed them to carry on as normal.

So, overall 2011 had some positive aspects.  Let’s hope that the economy picks up in 2012 and there are even more things to shout about this coming year.