Umbrellas are very popular in Scotland. “It rains a lot.” Umbrella Companies are not so popular, but we do have a small but loyal following.
Why? Because we talk about the issues which affect self employed Scottish people. We strike a cord, so to speak, and keep it real with so much fake news and fakers out there.
One such issue is clients paying you late, or not at all. If you are a contractor, freelancer, gig worker, or business owner in Scotland, then you have no doubt had to chase up late paying clients more times than you would have liked.
The IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed) have recently commented about late payment in Scotland, calling it the “scourge of self employed people.”
They even did a bit of research about late payment, and showed that self employed people spend an average of 20 days a year chasing up clients and customers who pay late.
How much is your time worth? How much are you losing out on if you spend 20 days a year chasing late payment? No doubt it is a lot.
Fortunately, help could be just around the corner, as the Scottish government might soon introduce new laws that force late paying clients to pay.
And if they don’t pay? Then they can expect to be banned from doing business again. They won’t be able to hire a contractor or freelancer in Scotland for a long time.
Not only that, but they could be fined thousands of pounds. All because they didn’t pay their dues.
Here at Umbrella Companies we support the IPSE and the Scottish Government and would like to offer words of encouragement to all of your Scottish self employed people who are spending hours of your time chasing up late payments.
“When it rains, it pours,” and that is exactly what happens.
First you get one later payer, and then another, and then another…and before long nobody is paying.
You can’t just get a better umbrella though. There is no quick fix solution to this problem.
Change has to come at the top (the very top), which means the Scottish government will have to take action and then be prepared to back up their talk when it comes down to it.
Not just in Scotland, but all across the UK. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, late payment is a problem just like in Scotland.
Here at Umbrella Companies we call on all governments to do something, and do it now!
