[embee]

I've been a self employed sole trader for almost 25yrs, mainly doing my own thing but occasionally doing short term contracts (not so much now).


Contracting really puts you largely at the mercy of the company, fortunately I've been working for very decent companies, T&C's very clearly set out and stuck to.


Being a straightforward sole trader doing your own stuff has pros and cons, nice to be fully in control of what you do or don't take on, but nowhere near as secure as being an employee with all the employee rights and regular income.


Really depends how secure you need to be, how much cushion you have financially etc. Cash flow is everything, you can't afford someone to default on paying a bill. Check carefully what costs you've got to cover, liability insurance etc.