Knowledge Measurement Assessments

When going for interviews, they'd usually use samples and templates from Knowledge Assessment providers such as:

• http://www.ikmnet.com/
• 
  

Company Contacts Directory!

http://www.jigsaw.com

You can find all software companies in London with their contact details easily!

or http://www.yell.com/

Writing a Good IT Contractor CV

What is a CV?

• Writing a good CV is a Science not a chance!
• CV is only a marketing document whose Purpose is only to get you an interview!
• Create and maintain a Core CV which contains list of all the skills, achievements, etc; it can be even 10 pages but you don't send it to anyone! it's for your own benefits and to create the specific CVs from it.
• Your Specific CV should not have more than 2-3 pages. If you have lots of experience, use 3 pages that'd be fine. Your CV should target one specific job advert; tell them what they want to hear not your life story! Show that you're precisely the perfect person they're looking for (Well, assuming you are).
• Best fonts: Tahoma for body and Arial for headers (if you want more readability) - Times New Roman (if you want to get the job!)

CV Structure:

• First page should contain; Profile, Expertise and Key achievements
• The Profile section should also be targeted for the specific job; only 3-4 lines.
• The Expertise section should be about 10 bulleted items. Don't write "years" beside your skills, it will work against you listen to me. Just list your skills without mentioning how many years!
• The Achievement section should be about 3 bulleted items. Saving time, money or made more money. business value? it's not about what you did, it's about what value/benefits what you did added to whom.
• You only have 20 seconds of the reader’s time to make an impact, otherwise it goes to bin!
• The second page should contain: Career History, Education, Training, Interests
• References should not be written on CV and should not be given to agencies until after the initial interview.
• Why a generalized CV is Bad!
• Target your CV
• Killer CV Template
• Writing a Killer CV

Examples:

http://www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/cv_writing_deconstructed_case_study_1.aspx

http://www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/cv_writing_deconstructed_case_study_2.aspx

http://www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/cv_writing_deconstructed_case_study_3.aspx

Agency Contractor Invoicing

X = contractor rate per day e.g. £300

V = VAT e.g. 0.2 currently

A = Agency commission rate e.g. 0.15

How much the contractor invoices the agency including VAT?

X (1 + V) = 1.2X = £360

How much the agency invoices the client including VAT?

X (1 + A) (1 + V) = X (1.15)(1.2) = 1.38X = £414

How much the agency earns excluding VAT?

AX = 0.15X = £45

How much the agency earns including VAT?

AX (1 + V) = £54

A simple calculator should be developed for this to calculate with different rates quickly.

Client / Colleagues Entertainment

Ideas:

Generally be generous to give, it will return to you multi-folded in mysterious ways.

• Buy cakes, biscuits for all your colleagues once a month
• Pay your colleague's bill at pub or at a lunch
• Buy a drink for 1 or more colleagues
• Offer filling in drinks
• Offer advise / help when they need
• Say Thank You more
• Even simply Smiling to Others is a type of giving

Why?

It's an investment to create a bonding rapport between you and your colleague/s.

What do you feel when someone buys you a drink? Often, you naturally feel appreciating and thinking I'll be doing something for him in return next time.

Based on the Karmic law, your giving will never be wasted so be proactive in giving, don't just sit and wait for others to initiate.

Finance Software

Free:

• Mint (is not available for UK) http://quicken.intuit.com/personal-finance-software/mint-online-money-management.jsp
• Microsoft Money Deluxe
• Microsoft Money Home & Business
• http://financialsoft.about.com/od/cheapandfreesoftware/tp/Free_Personal_Finance_Software.htm

Commercial:

• http://quickbooks.intuit.com/

HMRC Penalties for Errors in Documents

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/compliance/cc-fs7.pdf

What Is Money?

• Money is a reward you receive for the service you render. The more valuable the service, the greater the reward.
• Thinking of ways we can be of greater service will not only help us earn more money, it will also enable us to grow intellectually and spiritually.
• It is the duty of every person to be rich

Corporation Tax

Corporation Tax Offices: http://search2.hmrc.gov.uk/kbroker/hmrc/locator/locator.jsp?type=0

Rate:

Email Marketing, Event Marketing, Online Surveys

http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp

ILR

Application Types: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/settlement/applicationtypes/

Application form: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/settlement/applicationtypes/applicationformset(o)/

Apply online:

http://apply.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/service/SETO

Settlement News:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/settlement/

New Possible Changes for 2011:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2011/hc863.pdf?view=Binary

Settlement - Tier 1 - Draft:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/draft-060411/t1-settlement.pdf?view=Binary

ILR Forum: http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewforum.php?f=44

When to apply:

?

Where to send the application form to:

?

Tax Credits

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/

Who can qualify? http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tools/taxcredits_qualify/question01.htm

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCreditsandChildBenefit/TaxCredits/Gettingstarted/whoqualifies/DG_181268

Employer Annual Return

Register for PAYE Online for Employers

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/file-or-pay/fileonline/register.htm

Deadline to File Employer's Annual Return:

19th May

Employer Annual Return Forms:

P35 and P14

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/payroll/year-end/annual-return.htm

Debt Recovery Agencies

If a client doesn't pay or delay paying an invoice, there are organisations to help:

http://www.creditsafe.co.uk/

Remember that often this applies if there is not a proper structure/process in place: 'He Who Shouts Loudest Gets Paid First.'

Expenses; Use of Home as Office

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim47820.htm

Director and Personal Tax Return

Purpose:

Tax returns are to determine how much tax you have already paid and how much tax you owe to pay.

Summary of Key points:

• You can either fill in your tax return online or on paper.
• Deadline for online tax return is 31st January after the tax year end.
• Deadline for paper tax return is 31st October after the tax year end.
• If you're on PAYE, you don't have to fill in a tax return whereas if you're a Company director you must.
• There are 2 types of tax returns; Short (4 pages) and Full (many pages!) - check whether you can just get over it by the Short Tax Return.

Links:

• Contact Self Assessment Helpline
• How to Complete the Tax Return
• The Short Tax Return
• Register for Self Assessment: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/forms/sa1.pdf

How to Run and Grow your Business?

There are plenty of good resources over the internet advertising how to run and grow your business. Best of which are:

• http://www.smarta.com

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/taxhelp

VAT

• How and When to Register for VAT, click here.
• Should I be Registered?
• Registration Threshold?
• Deadlines for VAT Returns and Payments, click here.
• Flat Rate Scheme Application Form, click here.
• Determine Your Flat Rate, click here.
• Changes to your Business Details and VAT Registration, click here.

Professional Contractor's Group

PCG (Professional Contractor's Group): http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php

Build Passive Income

When your passive income is greater than your total expenses, you're out of the rate race! E.g. if you have total monthly costs of £2000, when you build passive income of £2001 then you're out of the rat race.

• http://geniustypes.com/five_ways_to_create_passive_income_with_little_or_no_money/
• http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/gettingstarted/a/passiveincome.htm
• http://www.makemoneywithnowork.com/how-to-make-money-with-no-work/
• http://www.isitebuild.com/passive-income.htm
• http://frugaldad.com/2008/07/29/how-to-make-your-income-more-passive/
• http://thepassivedad.com/2009/02/how-to-build-passive-income-with-family-and-friends/
• http://www.netpassiveincome.com/

Capital Preservation Investment Strategy

Your capital looses its value over time because of inflation; e.g. 3.7% capital inflation rate in 2010: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=19

The primary aim of Capital Preservation Investment Strategy, which is a very conservative strategy, is to beat inflation. Therefore, every individual should have at least such a strategy:

• http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/preservationofcapital.asp
• http://personaldividends.com/money/miranda/investment-strategy-capital-preservation-safe-investments

Business Cards

www.vistarint.co.uk/lovefilm36

Learn about Money

http://www.learnmoney.co.uk

Buying & Selling Gold

In the long term and specifically because of uncertainty in other forms of investments currently, gold and silver prices always go up. e.g. since 2008, the price of gold has been more than doubled!

In the short term, e.g. 1-2 months, it might have some fluctuations but not in the long term, e.g. 1+ year.