What does a ZP'er invoice?

Being an Independent Professional is not just about doing assignments. You also have to deal with things like administration, networking and personal development. But how do you tackle this? How many hours do fellow ZP'ers bill? Research by ZP Facts provides the answers to these questions.

Billable hours

The hours you may bill as a self-employed person are the hours in which you work on an assignment. Due to leave, illness and other unforeseen circumstances, the billable hours of a ZP'er with a full-time contract are often only 80 percent utilized, according to research by ZP Facts. For ZP'ers with a part-time contract, this percentage is significantly higher, at 97 percent. The explanation is that ZP'ers with a part-time contract use their remaining hours for things like administration, attending networking events and simple things like a visit to the dentist. When a ZP'er has a full-time contract, those things quickly come at the expense of their billable hours.

Seasonality

The survey shows that between 14 and 17 percent less is billed in the months of July and August than average. In addition, April, May and December are also billed below average. This is probably due to school vacations and public holidays. Interestingly, the amount billed by women is on average 1 to 3 percent lower than that of men.