Memberships and professional accreditations – a necessity for the self employed?

Access to professional affiliated bodies can be a useful benefit of joining an umbrella company or accounting service. However, it is often one of the perks most overlooked by self-employed professionals.

A lack of awareness and foresight is often behind this as is the case for other things like networking, training or even legal protection which can also be overlooked. Yet memberships and professional accreditations from affiliated bodies can be invaluable for the self-employed.

Having supplied accountancy services to contractors for almost 20 years, Brookson have worked closely with a number of professional bodies that promote, support and represent the needs of different groups of contractor freelancers and self-employed professionals. Many of these have been set up to support individuals operating in certain sectors or even specific trades whilst others such as the PCG (Professional Contractors group) represent freelancers in general.

Membership: Support on the way to success

Becoming self-employed is a career choice for many professionals, but it can be daunting once the realisation sets in that everything now rides on one single person – yourself.

Becoming a member of a professional affiliated body can ease this transition and offers the support individuals need to thrive on their own.

This includes networking and access to new opportunities, representation and protection from lobbying, training and advice.

Networking and opportunities – Creating a bank of contacts is important in the business world to have access to expertise and future job or training opportunities. However, as a contractor you may not have access to other professionals or businesses straight away.

By becoming a member of a professional body, this is taken care of. With plenty of meetings, conferences and events, the self-employed are able to connect with their contemporaries, potential clients and those that can offer support further down the road.

Representation and protection from lobbying - When self-employed it can feel as though there is no-one fighting your corner and representing your interest. However, being a member of a professional body offers representation and protection. Whether ensuring relationships are maintained with the relevant government departments and agencies, or ensuring there is someone sat on important industry panels, an affiliated body will ensure the interests of its members are properly represented.

Training - To ensure you’re in demand as a contractor, it’s important that your skills are up-to-date and relevant. Training is a crucial part of this but access to development opportunities can feel limited once out of the work place. However, a professional body will make training available to its members, in addition to other development resources. It has access to some of the best in the business and will draw on this expertise to further your career.

Advice - Being self-employed can be a complicated business, whether it’s ensuring you comply with tax rules, get the right amount of leave from clients, or are simply paid properly. A professional affiliated body will give you access to the advice you need to navigate your way through the freelancing environment, even if this is just pointing you in the direction of another service, such as an umbrella accountant.

Accreditation – a stamp of approval

When commissioning a project or agreeing a contract, any business will want assurance that they are getting the real thing. Without a long history, it can be hard to prove this or demonstrate quickly that you have the skills needed.

This is where accreditation can help. While some professional bodies require applicants to take an exam, others are fee-based, but once accredited self-employed professionals can instantly demonstrate that they must comply with a certain code of conduct and industry standard.

What’s out there?

Brookson works with several high profile professional affiliated bodies, including APSCo and REC who represent the needs of Recruiters and The PCG and Contractor Club who work with freelancers across a number of sectors. The Production Managers Association (PMA), BECTU and Creative England help individuals working in the media sector, whilst the IIM promotes, supports and represents professional interim managers & executives.

Other big-named affiliated bodies include the British Medical Association (BMA), who represent doctors across the UK, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing as well as the likes of IMECHE, ISTRUCTE and ENGC who all operate within the engineering sector.

The important thing is to find the body that best suits your profession and personal needs. It’s as much about the organisation been a fit for you, as you for it.

To see a full list of the trade associates and professional bodies that Brookson work closely, please click here.