Came across a pretty good scheme run by Department of Social Welfare in conjunction your Area Partnership Company which provides supports to people who've been in receipt of social welfare. The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance provides a cushion for those embarking on the road to self employment as it allows you to maintain 100% of your social welfare payments for year 1 and 75% for year 2. Of course there are strings attached and rules and regulations but it's certainly worth checking out.

Labels: contracting, Redundancy, self-employed

Came across an article on Business World via the Irish Business and Professional Network on LinkedIn. It talks about Confidence in Action a new initiative - a series of FREE seminars aiming to help companies and individuals navigate their way around this recession. So far events have been organised for Dublin, Cork and Limerick starting in September. They've assembled a very impressive line up of speakers ranging from economists,entrepreneurs and media hacks. It's a morning til night affair starting with breakfast at 9 and ending with networking from 6-7. All seminars are free but you have to register, you also have to register for each seminar individually. My registration submission returned an error but I think it's worth trying again. Maybe see you there.

Labels: Flexitimers, Recession, Redundancy, self-employed, small business

Heard about this conference via the Dublin City Enterprise Board Newsletter.
National College of Ireland will host and sponsor Think2Act, a free conference for people who have recently been made redundant or are considering taking new steps in their career. The conference which takes place on Tuesday 30 June will encompass the theme of 'change', seeks to change the recession mindset through expert advice and transformational coaching. It's FREE and has lots of advice and tips for people seeking change including experts in career coaching and psychology. Really worth a visit.


For further information, visit the conference page or contact:
Contact Details:
Dr. Celine Mullins
celine.mullins@a4b.ie
0863637019
Eibhlin Johnston
Eibhlin@thinkcoaching.ie
087 8583564

Labels: jobs, Recession, Redundancy, self-employed, small business

Came across a report titled 'Working 5 to 9' published by Enterprise Nation in the UK and it presents some very interesting findings for anyone feeling the pinch these days. Highlights include:
Over 5 million people are earning some form of income from home
Peak hours for accessing the web are from 5 to 11 pm
Over 1/3 of registrations a freelance sites are from 5-9ers
Home based businesses such as ebay sellers are on the serious up

The guide provides tips and anecdotes for anyone thinking of taking the leap and starting a home based business. And the really good news is that almost 3/4 of respondents are considering leaving their full-time/part-time jobs to focus on their business, that's a pretty good sign. So go on, take the leap and download the guide and see where it takes you.

Labels: flexible work, jobs, part-time work, self-employed, smart work

An article caught my eye in Friday's Irish Times about the CEO Forum that takes place this week in Dublin. CEOs from some of Ireland's largest companies are meeting to discuss how to operate in challenging times ahead.

A comment by Brian Long, chief executive of venture capital firm Atlantic Bridge struck me as relevant to Flexitimers "during periods of recession, opportunities tend to open up in the outsourcing space as large corporations pare back, reduce their workforce and then realise that they don't have the "bandwidth" to carry out certain activities such as the development of non-core products. This creates opportunities for smaller players to step in and offer their services". This is also the case for freelancers, contractors and anyone offering themselves 'flexibly' to companies. Food for thought indeed.

Labels: contracting, flexible work, jobs, Recession, self-employed, small business, smart work, work

I read with interest about a new website that will promote working from home in the Sunday Business Post the other day. eWorkingIreland.com is the site and when I went into it on Sunday I met a static holding page without an email capture box, instead visitors were asked to email them to be notified of a live date. Well I went along a moment ago to see it is live (a redirect from Centrecom who are maintaining the site) and it's worth a visit. There are some basics like the benefits to eworkers and companies which most of us already know - no commute, less stress, more productivity and higher staff retention and so on. However, I did have a brief look at section on Studies, Report and White Papers and I have to say there's a lot of good content and case studies there. Definitely worth a look.

Labels: contracting, flexible work, part-time work, self-employed, smart work, work life balance

Probably, most definitely Yes.
In fact every single professional today can/should/will use Flexitimers. If you're already a contractor/freelancer and are always on the look-out for new projects, you can upload your credentials and spend more time working and less time looking for work. Or you could be a working parent who simply can't do the 60 hour week, a retired professional looking to provide mentoring/consultancy services, a full time permanent employee looking for a few occasional projects to supplement the primary income. Or you could be at home full time but are looking for something home-based on times and terms that suit your schedule. Or you could simply want to work smarter and redesign your work timetable to have more time for your photography, surfing, travel - whatever your passion. And the lines are blurring, many of us are employees, employers, freelancers all at the same time - career hyphenation as it's called. So why not give it a try. It really could suit you.
All the best
Joy

Labels: flexible work, Flexitimers, self-employed

Taking the leap from permanent work to part time or contract work is not as hard as you might think. Put yourself in the shoes of any of your previous employers and assess the skills, strengths and experience you now have within your working life. Ask yourself what you brought to the companies you worked for? I bet you'll find you have a pretty long list of skills and experiences which are worth a lot. Once you see yourself as a "skill set" you will see how past employers have had the confidence in you.

Simply transfer that same confidence they have had in you and HAVE THAT SAME CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF. Prior to setting up Flexitimers, Dervla and I have both been employees and employers and at the end of the day it's really pretty much the same. There is a job to be done and you do it.

Once you have the confidence to stand up and pitch for business for somebody else, you can definitely pitch for yourself. Companies only hire people they think will add value and ultimately sales to their business. Assess yourself and realise your worth. Ask yourself how can my 'working life' work for me? If others have believed in you maybe it's time you believed in yourself.

So this sounds good but you have started thinking of some of the benefits you might lose? Think again.....

- I have a steady income coming in every month .....(You can have that too!)
- I have 6 weeks paid holidays every year..................(You can have that too!)
- I can take time off if something comes up...............(You can have that too!)
- I work in a team so share the responsibility ..........(You can have that too!)


How do I make the leap?

- Make a list of what you want i.e. the terms of your self employment e.g. salary, leave.
- Make a list of what you can offer (you've done this before for job interviews)
- Make a Plan of Action to include timelines, pipelines, contacts, budgeting with a definite start date.
- Use Flexitimers (and your other networks to access suitable work)


It is possible and it's easier than you think. Again, the point is to recognise and have the same confidence in yourself that employers have in you. One final point and I don't mean to sound flippant:
The money always comes in. I've been in full time, permanent, temporary, contract and freelance employment over the years and I've never missed a mortgage repayment; I've always been able to live (well) and take holidays. It's just a matter of confidence. YOU CAN HAVE THAT TOO!

Take the leap!
Lead the Life you want.
Best of luck!

Joy
Flexitimers

Labels: contracting, jobs, self-employed, work, work life balance