Things for flexible workers to look forward to in 2015

By Brookson

It looks like 2015 could be a great year for the flexible workforce, particularly after some of the successes that contractors and freelancers have seen so far this year.

With more people choosing to become self-employed, it shows that this is proving to be a preferable method of working for many. The benefits are increasing and some are finding that their businesses are becoming more profitable.

Therefore, there are certain things that self-employed workers may be able to look forward to in 2015. Here are just a few.

Growth?

There’s no guarantees that businesses will grow next year but a number of small firms are hopeful going into 2015. According to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) of its members, 62 per cent believe that they will see growth.

This isn’t just general optimism pushing this belief. It follows on from FSB figures on productivity, which show that this went up during the second half of 2014.

Wage rises?

The FSB noted that an increase in productivity can often be linked to wage growth. With this in mind, flexible workers may be able to command higher rates of pay.

Certain sectors are still in high demand, such as IT, so companies may be willing to pay more to hire flexible workers in these sectors. As long as contractors and freelancers have the correct skillset for the role in a sector where the right talent is tricky to come by, then they may be able to command higher rates of pay.

Business rates review

The issue of business rates has long been a troublesome subject for the self-employed and small businesses alike. However, the Conservative party has promised to investigate the current system for business rates, as was announced during the Autumn Statement on December 3rd.

While the government does say that the total amount collected from firms via business rates will not change, the system will have a full structural review.

What’s more, those using properties that have a rateable value of less than £50,000 will see the discount available to them rise by £500 to £1,500 next year. It is expected that this change will help around 500,000 companies.

A cap has been in place of how much business rates can rise by and this has been frozen at two per cent. Therefore, it will be easier for firms to plan in case their business rates rise.

The General Election

Underlining a number of promises from various political parties, including during the Autumn Statement and at the annual conferences for such parties as Labour and Conservative, is the fact that the general election is coming up next year.

Therefore, it may be wise to look over the manifestos of various political parties, see if the business-centric proposals they have put forward suit you and base your vote on that.