Quote:
Originally Posted by hugo@gabem
I wouldn't use the term raw deal, we do have a lot of people to answer to, but what business doesn't.
In terms of yesterday's outburst, customer services departments (and I take it that the gentleman in question was in customer services) do suffer in all this as money is a very emotive topic, people can get excited quickly if they feel they might not get paid.
There is a lot more give in the business relationships we have than you might expect. The HMRC inspectors and auditors are just doing their jobs, and if you show that you're making an effort and stay on their good side, you can get a small amount of grudging respect.
In the end we are businesses and we are out to make money just like everyone else, as long as that is happening we're happy with the situation.
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Good answer. I personally think that umbrellas are there to fill a gap in the market and the vast majority do just that. I would agree with SMG that your pecking order the 'freelance food chain' may be lower than most (agencies, contractors et al) but this shouldn't deter you from growing and maintaining a solid business. As you say, umbrellas do have a lot of people to answer to, but unlike agencies, you don't have to worry about debtors, chasing payments or cash flow which in today's turbulent times is not necessarily a bad thing.