The unscrupulous behaviour of some umbrella companies has tarnished the reputation of the industry as a whole but you only have to listen to some of our umbrella employees talk about our service to realise not all umbrellas are the same.
So if you are looking for an umbrella service what should you look for to ensure you use a reputable, compliant organisation?
As a contractor of freelancer you probably don’t have a lot of spare time on your hands to research and compare so here are some quick and easy tips that should help.
Look for:
- membership/ associate membership of independent organisations such as the FCSA
- a professional looking website
- an address for a physical office in the UK (not just a PO Box)
- positive reviews
Ask questions about:
- how long they have been in business
- their financial stability
- the service you will receive
- their staff and their experience/ qualifications, do they have staff with accountancy qualifications and experience of the working with contractors and the recruitment sector
If you consider all of the above you’ll form a pretty good picture of the organisation before committing to using their services.
It is also worth thinking about practical things like how you will communicate with the umbrella company. Can you submit your expenses online and manage your account this way if it suits you? If you prefer to speak to a person will you have a named account manager? For example at Exchequer Solutions we try and make sure we offer different ways of communicating with us as we understand not everyone works office hours sat at a desk. With our online portal you can do things like submit your expenses when it suits you.
If you are looking for an umbrella service and have any questions just give us a call on 01244 500195.
