Are you considering freelancing? You're probably wondering what it's really like and what's involved. PolicyBee has done some useful research which should give you a bit more of an insight into freelance life.
The research was carried out at the end of last year amongst 2,000 freelancers.
Infographic by PolicyBee Insurance
Are you thinking of becoming a freelancer? What kind of things would you like to know more about?
By pressing different combinations of keys on your keyboard, you can quickly perform common tasks within QuickBooks.
Here are just a few of the things that you can do.
Open windows - E.g. To open the Write Cheques window, press Ctrl + W
Edit pre-filled data - E.g. To increase or decrease a date by one day, press -(minus key) or + (plus key)
Move around a window - E.g. To move to the next field in a window, press Tab.To move to the previous field, press Shift + Tab.
Here are more shortcuts to make QuickBooks even quicker.
|
General action |
Shortcut |
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Start QuickBooks without a company file |
Ctrl + double-click |
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Suppress the desktop windows (at Open Company window) |
Alt (while opening) |
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Display information about QuickBooks |
F2 |
|
Cancel |
Esc |
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Record (when black border is around OK, Next, or Previous button) |
Enter |
|
Record (always) |
Ctrl + Enter |
Continue reading "QuickBooks tips and tricks: Make QuickBooks even quicker with shortcuts" »
HMRC has agreed to effectively push the 31 January Self Assessment tax return deadline back to 2 February this year.
The reason is that HMRC strike action is planned for 31 January, meaning that there may not be enough staff on hand to deal with last-minute queries.
HMRC has confirmed: “To make sure our customers are not disadvantaged if they cannot get through to HMRC's call centres on 31 January, we will not impose any late filing penalties for people who file their Self Assessment returns on 1 and 2 February.”
HMRC says that the SA deadline remains midnight on 31 January but that it will treat all returns that come in by midnight on 2 February as though they were submitted by 31 January. No one will have to pay interest on payments due on 31 January that are paid on 1 or 2 February.
HMRC Acting Director of General Personal Tax, Stephen Banyard, said: "We've always been very clear that we want the returns - not the penalties. For that reason, we don't want anyone who can't get through for help and advice on 31 January to be disadvantaged in any way."
Will you have to prove it?
Some tax experts have questioned whether HMRC might make people prove that they could not file on time because they were awaiting a response to a legitimate last-minute query.
Continue reading "HMRC gives two-day leeway on Self Assessment tax deadline " »
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HMRC has agreed that customers who can’t get through to HMRC's call centres on 31 January because of strike action will have a couple more days to submit their returns. Late penalties will not be imposed for people who file their Self Assessment returns on 1 and 2 February, the HMRC has said.
The SA deadline remains midnight on 31 January. However, HMRC will treat all returns that come in by midnight on 2 February as though they were submitted by 31 January. No one will have to pay interest on payments due on 31 January that are paid on 1 or 2 February.
Entrepreneurs will be allowed to set up their companies in empty Government offices, David Cameron has said this week.
A few key members of the Intuit team had a great day yesterday, attending the StartUp Britain Enterprise Calendar launch.
The StartUp Britain Enterprise Calendar is a new, interactive calendar of enterprise events, showcasing Britain’s vibrant and dynamic enterprise community. The calendar should be a great tool for entrepreneurs, signposting them to key events and growth opportunities. You can also submit your own events to the enterprise calendar.
Following the launch of the new calendar, Mark Prisk, minister for business and enterprise, said: “We want 2012 to be the year of enterprise, where entrepreneurs can unlock their business potential. Enterprise events don’t just take place on one day, or during one week, but they appear throughout the year and across the country. We need to make sure people know that there is support and advice available, that it is easy to get, and it is often on their doorstep.”
He added: “The Enterprise Calendar is a great addition to our support for business in 2012 and beyond.”
(pssstt…don’t forget you can download our calendar too, which will also help you keep up to date with events as well as key financial dates.)
“I shifted to QuickBooks and I understood how the business ran. In some ways that was one of the most delightful periods of my life with King of Shaves because I understood everything financially.” Will King, founder of King of Shaves
There was also a panel discussion on the day, with some expert advice from Intuit UK's very own managing director, Pernille Bruun-Jensen, as well as Will King, founder of King of Shaves, Doug Richards, original Dragon, investor and serial entrepreneur and Bob Forsyth, head of UK SMEs at Ernst & Young.
Watch a snippet here:
You can see more short interviews with Pernille over at Business Zone.
Pernille discusses shows how the Enterprise Calendar can help kickstart your business
Is there a business in you? Intuit’s Pernille explains how everyone can be involved in startups
StartUp Britain, which Intuit is a sponsor of, has also launched a range of new resources for small businesses. These were highlighted at the event and include:
Continue reading " StartUp Britain Enterprise Calendar launch" »
