iPerks - Top 4 Tech Training Courses | Icon Accounting

 As you now know, iPerks is an exclusive offering for all Icon Accounting contractors and clients through our Icon Accounting Portal.

The platform gives our clients access to over 4000 online courses, bespoke wellness programmes (both physical and mental) and lifestyle discounts and savings from hundreds of retailers.

This week, we look at the 4 most popular tech courses that our clients have accessed through iPerks to date. The beauty of iPerks is that over 92% of the courses are free until certification, the majority are available in a number of languages and based on flexible learning structure (which means that you decide when and how often you study.)

Before we start, just a reminder that up-skilling expenses in line with your contract role is an allowable business expense and therefore eligible for tax relief.

1. IBM Data Science

The demand for data scientists who can analyse data and communicate results to inform data driven decisions has never been greater.

Anyone with a passion for learning can take this Professional Certificate – no prior knowledge of computer science or programming languages required – and develop the skills, tools, and portfolio to have a competitive edge in the job market as an entry level data scientist.

In addition to earning a Professional Certificate, you will also receive a digital badge from IBM recognizing your proficiency in data science.

The approximate time to complete is 12 months based on a commitment of 4 hours per week.

2. AWS Fundamentals

This specialisation gives current or aspiring IT professionals an overview of the features, benefits, and capabilities of Amazon Web Services (AWS).

As you proceed through these four interconnected courses, you will gain a more vivid understanding of core AWS services, key AWS security concepts, strategies for migrating from on-premises to AWS, and basics of building serverless applications with AWS.
Additionally, you will have opportunities to apply your learnings by completing labs and exercises developed by AWS technical instructors.

The approximate time to complete is 5 months based on a commitment of 2 hours per week but as with the majority of iPerks courses available, the learning is flexible and available in a number of languages.

3. Blockchain & Fintech – Basics, Applications and Limitations

Blockchain is a core technology in FinTech. The original design of blockchain focused on the cryptocurrency “Bitcoin”.

Due to its specific characteristics, many companies and users now find blockchain very useful for applications in many areas not limited to cybercurrencies, including finance, logistics, insurance, medicine and even music.

By completing this course, you will understand the design rationale of blockchain technology, its emerging platforms, and applications. You will also uncover the limitations and the opportunities enabled by blockchain applications, particularly as it relates to finance.

The course is accredited and delivered by the University of Hong Kong; it takes approximately 6 weeks to complete with a flexible 4-hour commitment each week.

4. Foundations of Project Management

Explore the fundamental aspects of project management and develop your understanding of traditional project lifecycles.

In this course, you will learn the core concepts of project management, including the prerequisites for a project, project management and the role of the project manager. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with the typical project management process, its documentation and deliverables that are produced in each project phase and you will have the ability to evaluate the factors important to decision making.

This course is for anyone interested in project management at a beginner level and is accredited by the University of Coventry in the UK. It is a short course and can be completed in less than 8 hours but will give you a strong understanding of what Project Management is all about.

At Icon Accounting, our business model has always been centred around client experience and the contracting community.

We don’t just look after compliance and payroll - we invest in our clients and in our community. The addition of iPerks to our fully managed service offering will mean that you will benefit from the above learning opportunities, and much more, as an Icon contractor.

Icon Accounting, The leading provider of Accountancy services in Ireland with having experience accountants in Ireland.

If you would like to find more about Icon Accounting, please email info@iconaccounting.ie or if you have any queries on iPerks, you can email iperks@iconaccounting.ie and our team will be delighted to assist you.

A Checklist for 2021 | Contracting | Icon Accounting

 Whatever it is that you are trying to achieve this year, we want it to become a reality, but we also want 2021 the best year of Contracting that you have ever experienced so we have compiled a checklist for all of our clients to consider.

January is the beginning of the calendar year and often the month of trying to better yourself whether that be a new year’s resolution, a change to your diet or even becoming more active.
 

Whatever it is that you are trying to achieve this year, we want it to become a reality, but we also want 2021 the best year of Contracting that you have ever experienced so we have compiled a checklist for all of our clients to consider.

• Have a Financial Review

If you want to discuss your current financial position with an expert, as part of the Icon Accounting service, you gain access to a wealth management partner and they offer a financial review free of charge for all Icon Accounting clients. If you have not taken advantage of this yet, you really could be missing out on substantial tax savings.

• Set your goals for 2021.

Despite the fact that we are currently in a pandemic, we can still set goals that we are striving to achieve. Having a goal in sight is a big positive to your mental health and helps to keep you focussed, even during the worst of times.
It does not matter how big or small your goal is, we are here to help you to achieve it!
If your goal is related to your career or contract, you should share your plan with your dedicated account manager to make sure they are aware of what you are trying to achieve so they can assist and make suggestions for you to consider. We have helped thousands of contractors to achieve their goals, let us help you.
If your goal is to become healthier, check out your bespoke Wellness programme in iPerks, designed specifically for you.

• Prioritise your Wellness!

Whether it be physical or mental or preferably both, it has never been as important to prioritise your wellness. Socially, there are many restrictions in place that have been challenging for many, but there are numerous other avenues to explore that can be hugely beneficial to your wellbeing.
Yoga, meditation, and general exercise classes can be found within iPerks, or even on YouTube!

On top of the physical aspect to wellbeing, it is equally as important to look after your mental health during these times – staying in touch with people, reflecting in a journal and setting goals are all significant mood improvers.

Despite the fact that we are currently going through some difficult times, they will not last, it is imperative that you do!

• Choose a new skill to master!

Up-skilling as an Independent Professional has always been recommended to those who wish to contract long-term.
iPerks now gives all of our clients access to over 4,000 courses – over 90% of these courses are completely free to attend until certification which can incur a once-off cost.
 

Whatever subject you decide to learn about, whether that is expanding your understanding of an area that is close to your contract role, or it could be learning how to cook, whatever it is, smash it out of the park, it will be nice to have a few positives to take from these difficult times.

• Stay in touch!

Not only with your friends and family but with your colleagues, your dedicated account manager, recruiters, and the market itself.
You do not have to spend hours on the phone every single day to stay in touch with people, utilize LinkedIn to stay connected with recruiters on upcoming opportunities and stay in touch with the market to analyse your opportunities.

Staying in touch can be the difference in finding a new opportunity before you need to and not finding an opportunity at all. The goal is to have your network contribute to your net worth.

If you would like us to organise your financial review, help in setting your goals or if you would like to hear more about iPerks, get in touch by emailing sean@iconaccounting.ie, we’ll be delighted to help in any way that we can.

If you are lacking somewhere to manage your firm or a business you can consult with Accounting services in Ireland i.e. Icon Accounting. We have the best accountants and it is the leading Accountancy services in Dublin.

How to Succeed as an Independent Professional – Tips and Hints directly from Contractors

With the market currently booming and many first-time contractors making the switch from ‘permanent employment’, we asked some of our most experienced contractors for some of their tips and tricks for success whilst working as a Contractor.

Working as an independent professional can often seem like it is more complicated than it actually transcends to be.

With the market currently booming and many first-time contractors making the switch from ‘permanent employment’, we asked some of our most experienced contractors for some of their tips and tricks for success whilst working as a Contractor. We have compiled their answers to give new independent professionals some tried and tested advice, directly from the experts themselves.

For context, we have provided a brief introduction to our experts, Tuhin, Dusan and Stephen.
With a combined 30 years of independent professional experience, we are extremely grateful that they took the time out to answer our questions.

Tuhin:

After stumbling into the market through a contract opportunity back home in Dublin whilst working abroad, Tuhin worked as an independent professional for over 7 years.

Despite not knowing much about contracting, Tuhin was eager to return to Dublin where his family were residing. Shortly afterwards, Tuhin became an Icon Accounting client and managed Programs and Portfolios of a cumulative value of over €350 million during his career.

Tuhin is widely recognized as a trusted adviser to multiple Bank’s senior management teams having a wealth of experience across the globe in the areas of both business process management and IT change.

Dusan:

The opportunity to work on exciting projects and multiple different opportunities is what attracted Dusan to contracting initially. 8 years’ later and Dusan has built a huge reputation in the sector and is still contracting successfully today. With experience in Linux, Open Source, Cloud (Amazon AWS, OpenStack), Agile Software Development, Devops and Automation (Puppet, Ansible, CFN, Heat), Dusan has seen it all.

Stephen:

Stephen started out working as a Programmer in the Software industry in Ireland in 2000, developing web applications across many different companies and industries.
With over 14 years of Contracting experience – primarily in Java development, Stephen used contract opportunities to stay doing what he loved, despite his client’s best efforts to get him into a management role.

What are the biggest benefits to working as independent professional in your opinion?

T: Flexible hours was a huge benefit; I did not have to worry about booking time off to attend family events and instead could work around a schedule that suited me. This helped to improve my work-life balance and I would say that was another benefit, an improved work life balance. Finally, the ability to remove yourself from the office politics. When working as an independent professional, you can go in, do your work, and really leave everything behind you at the end of the day, as long as you do a good job!

D: The opportunity to work on many exciting and different projects as well as constantly learning from the new people that you meet on different projects were two huge benefits. The other huge benefit of Contracting for me was the improved work-life balance that comes with the added flexibility, which allowed me to up-skill whilst contracting.

S: The biggest benefit for me initially was the higher rate of pay, I was working alongside some independent professionals whilst working in full-time employment and they were getting paid more than I was for doing the same work, so I quickly fixed that.
This accompanied with fulfilling a long-term desire to become self-employed and again, the improved work-life balance allowed me to complete projects whilst also spending as much time with my family as possible.
I can also work on another project that I own called the Mindful Living Guide which was not possible, when working as an employee as I was very restricted with my time.

What advice would you give to a first-time Contractor?

T: Build relationships with recruiters and your managers, you never know when you will be looking for your next opportunity and keeping in touch with hiring managers and contract recruiters gives you a better chance than not keeping in touch. Even if you are not interested in your next contract just yet, keep in touch with the market, the rates and know what is happening out there.
Another tip I would give is to make the most of the increased income, you do not have to pay it all to yourself, save for a rainy-day or month where you do not have a contract.
Paying yourself less can often result in paying yourself more.

D: Prioritise relationships and liaise with colleagues as much as you can. Your network is everything as an independent professional and there is always something to learn from colleagues and managers that you are working with. It is very easy to go in, do your work and leave but establishing connections will be the difference in more contracts coming your way.
Up-skilling and cross-skilling are also very important to anyone who wants to work as an independent professional.

S: Be as adaptable as you can be, you may be starting a new contract role and come across some new technology that you have not encountered before, it is all about having a willingness to learn and to be adaptable to change. It is also paramount to build a relationship with the hiring client, I have had a six-month contract extended to a period of over 3 years, solely because the management liked working with me. If longevity is the goal, make the effort. I have worked with some contractors who were not always good to work with and you simply will not get extensions if people don’t enjoy working with you.
 

If you were starting again now, would you do anything differently and if so, why?

T: Put your hand up early if you do not understand how something works, the team at Icon Accounting and even Rockwell Financial are there to help you and support you. If I were starting out again, I would be wiser with my increased rate of pay.
Put a plan in place with your account manager or financial advisor and make the most of it from the outset.

D: Spend more time prioritising relationships. Upskilling is important but your network is as important.

S: I would have more confidence with recruiters, I have come across some great recruiters but also some not so great. You can be knocked back at times, but you have to trust them to sell you to their end term client.

Know the market and ask for your worth, hold all of the cards when you enter negotiations.
Never discount relationships with fellow contractors and colleagues, they can often introduce you to new projects and recommend you to the employer directly which is priceless.

If you are an independent professional and you have any other tips and hints that you feel would be beneficial for first-time contractors, please get in touch.

Likewise, if you are new to Contracting and would like any questions answered by experienced independent professionals, we would love to hear from you, please get in touch by emailing info@iconaccounting.ie 

Limited Company vs Umbrella Company explained…Simply!

Here are some of the most popular topics we receive queries on to get you started on deciding which company set up is right for you!

At Icon we understand that starting out as a contractor can come with lots of questions.

If you are coming from a world of full-time employment it can be daunting, confusing and intimidating without the right help & advice.  Our experienced and friendly team are here to guide you every step of the way in plain English…letting you get on with your job without any of the headaches of paperwork or difficult decisions!

Here are some of the most popular topics we receive queries on to get you started on deciding which company set up is right for you!

Do I Need to Choose a Company Name?

There is no requirement to select a Company name under the Umbrella Company, however you must do so for a Personal Limited Company. We can help you to decide if you aren’t sure too so don’t worry if the creative naming juices aren’t flowing just yet!

What kind of Bank Account do I Need?

Payment can be made to a personal account when contracting via an Umbrella Company. If contracting via a Personal Limited Company, a business bank account is mandatory.

DO I need to be VAT Registered? 

All Icon Accounting Umbrella Companies are VAT registered. A Personal Limited Company may require VAT registration depending on the company turnover. Our team will advise if so and do all of the set up on your behalf.

How does my PRSI Work & What will I be Entitled to?

As a Director of an Umbrella Company and Personal Limited Company payment of Class S PRSI applies. Under a PAYE Umbrella Company payment of Class A PRSI applies. If you have any specific questions on how this will effect entitlements – maternity benefit etc. our team will be happy to help!

Do I need Insurance?

Public and Employers liability, alongside Professional Indemnity are covered under the Umbrella Company. Insurance must be obtained for a Personal Limited Company. We will advise you on the steps required to attain this.

Can I Employ a Family Member?

A Personal Limited Company provides the opportunity to employ a spouse or otherwise. This is not possible under an Umbrella Company. If this is something you are hoping to do in your new business, we will be happy to explain the requirements & how this works.

Will I need to Complete an Income Tax Return?

An Income Tax Return must be filed under the Director Umbrella Company and Personal Limited Company. It is not required under the PAYE Umbrella Company. Again this is part of our service and we will advise you what is needed to supply for this process and along each step of the way to ensure you are compliant and submit all on time.

How do my Business Expenses Work?

Tax relief on may be claimed on business expenses under the Umbrella Company, however large capital items / company car(s) are only permitted under a Personal Limited Company.

Conclusion

Don’t worry if you are still unsure of which set up is best for you, often both set ups are suitable but one may have a benefit that is important to you or your future plans that sways your decision. At Icon Accounting we assess each new contractor individually so simply get in touch with our team and we will advise you based on your specific needs!

To run a business you need data, records, reports, analysis, accurate and exact information about liabilities, assets, debts, and profits and to control all these you need Accountants. The icon is the best accountancy firm in Ireland to choose among others as they provide expert Accountants In Irelandthat can help you in managing all the accounts operation seamlessly. To know more visit: https://www.iconaccounting.ie/e of the most popular topics we receive queries on to get you started on deciding which company set up is right for you!