Where to start If you don't want everybody to know about it, don't put it online. I know that sounds obvious, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people think they can detail their night-time athletics, narcissistic excesses and alcoholic binges on Facebook and...
Can customers find you on Google? Here's a test: type your name into Google and press search. Does it find you? Are you on the first page? If, like me, you have an unusual surname, you are at an advantage here, so let's make it fairer and try a slightly revised test....
Travel and personal accident You need to think about what could happen to you. Travel insurance is one of the messiest and worst sold types of insurance in the UK. Millions of travellers holiday without it and competition between providers is so fiercely price-based...
Are you liable? Could you be sued? It’s a scary prospect – and while we’re not as bad as in the US yet, the country is getting more litigious. People do look to see if they can sue and parasitic claims management companies are advertising and texting and calling up to...
Keeping your kit covered Many freelance creatives have a lot of expensive kit they need insured. This could be laptops, recording equipment and cameras; it could be artists’ materials, props and costumes; or it could be musical instruments or a DJ’s record collection....
Home and car Insurance is what accountants think is dull. But it is vital that freelance creatives get their insurance right. Even the basics of car and home insurance need to be considered. Iggy Pop famously caused a stink when he started advertising Swiftcover and...
Don’t be overtaxed If you work from home and you ask HMRC how much you can charge for using your home as an office, you’ll get one answer: £2 a week. That’s a little over £100 a year. Without the advice of an accountant that is all you’d be able to offset against tax....
Choosing your accounts software To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer - you’ll remember that adage if you are of a certain age. But the reality is that these days we all need to do our accounts on a computer. That means choosing what...
