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London is an amazing city from the cosmopolitan vibrancy of Soho and the magnificent views from the millennium eye to the historic gems of Big Ben and the Tower of London.

You encounter Irish people inhabiting one London area next to Jewish and Muslim people. In certain parts you will meet Greeks, Americans, New Zealanders, Australians, Germans, and Africans. It is definitely one of the most multi-ethnic cities in the world.

Considering beauty, fame and the size of London it is no wonder that so many people choose to stay, work and live there.

Live and Work in London

Many school leavers and university graduates leave South Africa to live and work in London once their studies are complete. Some come for a few months and other stay the full two years their working visas permit. The two year working visa is the most common amongst South Africans who wish to come and work in the UK. There is however the option of obtaining a Highly Skilled Migrant Visa which has no restrictions on employment or length of time allowed in the UK. This is an extremely attractive option for South Africans who are looking to live and work in the UK for an extended period of time. Most people don’t actually know about this visa and therefore don’t even consider working in the UK an option - because they think they are ineligible (when this is not necessarily the case at all).

During their time in London, South Africans are afforded with the opportunities of exploring a world foreign to their own, embracing new cultures and experiences that will stay with them long after they have returned to South Africa.

Many South Africans go to London to earn money while they travel in order to bring the money back home and begin their lives independently and on a good financial footing. The invaluable international experience they accumulate working in London makes them far more employable once they have returned home. As there are such unbelievable work opportunities in the UK for qualified and experienced candidates from South Africa it is actually easier to find jobs in the UK than many people think. Though this is a popular option being in a foreign country for long periods of time away from your friends and family is not easy. Many South Africans have only truly realised how blessed they are to live in such a warm and friendly country once they have left. They return to South Africa enriched and with a new passion for their own country.

South Africans in London

Making the transition to London from South Africa is not as difficult as it used to be. Any South African who has been to London will tell you that when you walk around the city South African accents fill your ears with the comfort of home. Afrikaans is also widely spread so don’t gossip about anyone on the tube in Afrikaans - they may just speak it too.

There are social clubs, braai clubs and even dating services for South Africans. A trip to the South African shop will delight and never disappoint those who are feeling a little home sick and in dire need of the culinary comforts of home. Biltong, Nik-Naks, Ms Balls and Marmite are but some of the treasures that adorn this trove in the middle of London 9027 kilometres from home. Any South African who has lived and worked in London will tell you that a trip to the Springbok Pub is an absolute essential when you are craving a night out SA style. South Africans congregate here to watch the Springboks take on opponents on the rugby fields of the world and when it comes to a match against the British Lions the supporters don their green and gold jerseys and come together to celebrate their home country and allegiance even though they are living in lion territory.

South Africans have access to newspapers, magazines, television programs and radio stations from all over South Africa which enable them to keep in touch with what’s going on at home.
Feeling a little homesick is only natural when you arrive in this fast paced city. The people you will meet whether they are Kiwis, British or other South Africans will enrich your life dramatically. Learning to live outside of your comfort zone in a different country, with different cultures and traditions is not always easy. It is however an extremely enriching and wonderful experience which is why so many South Africans leave home each year and travel to London.

Author Bio
Many South Africans make the decision to live and work in the UK, for some it’s just a dream as when the hassles of visas, travel arrangements and job hunting arise many abandon this dream. Whether you’re exploring the world, your career or your finances, 1st Contact offers a range of services to make getting to, living and working in London easier. www.1stcontact.co.uk/live/index.php?CountryIn=ZA 1st Contact’s services are open to candidates from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia who wish to live and work in the UK.

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Many contractors work through a Limited Company. Employers like the flexibility of contract work without the downsides of full employment and employee rights, and contractors are happy to offset this reduction in rights with the financial benefits. However, one needs to weigh that up with some potential pitfalls: personal tax, choice of service providers, tax evasion and residency status.

Personal Tax
Most contractors think that the tax paid by their Limited Company covers all of their taxes. Sadly, that’s not the case. If you earn more than £15 an hour, or invoice more than £30k a year, you may well end up with a Personal Tax liability at the end of the year. The new Personal Tax Self Assessment regime introduced in the late 90’s means that company directors and those taxpayers earning dividend income are obliged to lodge an SA100 Personal Tax Return. As a higher earner, they face the prospect of paying additional personal tax. The principle reason for this is that dividend income only carries with it an imputation credit that covers basic rate tax. However, once you’re in the top tax bracket, this credit doesn’t cover the full personal tax liability and there is further tax due. There’s nothing more infuriating than an unexpected tax liability!

Service Providers
Most contractors nowadays work through a Limited Company service provider. This carries with it some risks: First, your provider can go bust or be put into Administration (like the recent example of Safe Solutions Accounting). If you have money due from them (they essentially control your Limited Company bank account), you could lose your pay. Second, be careful of hidden fees. Providers that highlight low admin fees normally make their money from you elsewhere (a classic example is if they withhold Corporation Tax, and your Limited Company tax bill ends up lower than expected. Who keeps that money? Another example: They collect VAT and deduct PAYE & NI on your behalf - are you certain that they’re paying this on to the Revenue (HM Revenue & Customs)? You could be liable for these taxes if they’re not paying it over properly. The best way of ensuring that your provider is being straight with you is to a) examine your AFTER TAX earnings and b) make certain that the taxes that they’re deducting are in fact being paid over. The lesson here is: don’t be fooled by low admin fees.

Tax Evasion
First, let’s look at offshore structures. Offshore schemes sound attractive, but they should be a red flag. Not all such schemes flout the tax laws, but if you’re working in the UK, and your agency or end-user client is in the UK, then it is very likely that an offshore structure is set up only to evade (not just avoid) tax. Remember, tax avoidance is legal, tax evasion is not. For example, where you get paid a flat 95% from an offshore service provider, then that payment will incur personal tax, as you are obliged to register as Self Employed. Second, IR35 (tax legislation introduced to curb the abuse of personal service companies) compels a contractor to satisfy himself and Revenue that the nature of their work is that of a genuine self employed contractor, and not like that of an employee. And finally, teachers are subject to alternate PAYE and NI treatment even if they work through a Limited Company - so if you’re a teacher, make sure that the new rules are being applied to you.

Residency Status
Another critical implication of working through a Limited Company is on one’s residency status. It has already been established that a 2 year Working Holiday Visa holder can legitimately work through a Limited Company. Contractors who are wanting to apply for Ancestry, Work Permits or Highly Skilled Migrant Visas must show evidence of having paid tax (PAYE and National Insurance), or their applications will be denied. Examples abound of contractors being denied visas, despite having been legally resident in the UK for their full 4 or 5 years, simply because they have been operating through a Limited Company provider that has not properly administered their financial and tax affairs.

Author Bio
All 1st Contact Limited Company products and services www.1stcontact.co.uk/live/index.php?Category_ID=22 satisfy the strict requirements of the Revenue and Home Office, and our clients should get comfort from this fact. However, if you are interested in learning more about both the benefits and pitfalls of working through a Limited Company, or are concerned that any aspect of this article applies to you or people that you know, please contact one of our Limited Company consultants for a free consultation. This article was written by Reg Bamford, 1st Contact’s founder and CEO.

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In a bar, you will find an interesting and diverse community of people who will seek out fine bartending, not only for the relaxation and camaraderie, but also for a familiar and comfortable environment where they are recognized and accepted. For many people, in this competitive and aggressive world, a bar may be a sole source of sustenance for those basic things that are so essential to us all as humans. We are, after all, social beings.

Who doesn’t recall an episode of the television series “Cheers” when every time one of the leading characters would walk in, the entire bar would erupt in the chorus of “Hey Norm?”

Few of us are entitled to such a universal form of recognition and instant acceptance from bar patrons, but an excellent bartender can provide almost the same sort of experience for customers.

I bartended to work my way through both undergraduate and graduate school, and have gone back to it several times when I grew weary of corporate life. The money (if you do it right) is about the same anyway, and, admittedly, it is tiring and demanding, like any job, but it is a heck of a lot more fun!

Every bar is different in its nature and appeal (strip bar vs. a restaurant’s cocktail lounge), so this is not a “one size fits all” but, for the most part, if you follow these few words of advice, you can make it both enjoyable and very profitable!

1. Welcome all of your customers as though you know them and introduce yourself. Remember their names and welcome them, using their names, the next time they visit. (Keep a legal pad if you need too, “gray beard, thick glasses, name George, drinks Bud”… and any quirks you can note that will help you recall. Failing that just say “Hey good to see you again!” Just think of it like if you were having a party in your own home.. It’s easy!

2. Always keep in mind what their drink of choice is and be prepared to offer them their preference. You should already know the names and preferences of your regulars.

3. If a customer comes accompanied by a date or companion, treat them both as if they are royalty, address the customer as in “Wonderful to see you again, Mr. or Ms so and so (if they are a regular). And what can I do especially for your guest?” Be sure to use the finest glass for their friend. If you treat them with that sort of respect, you cannot only expect a nice tip, but you can bet that they will be back over and over, and looking for you.

4. Yes, do remember jokes. Remember them when you hear them and study them on the Internet. Internet jokes are so boring that most of us just delete them, but ahhh… the telling of a joke is just that, it is the delivery and the story telling that makes it both interesting and amusing. Be prepared to have at least two new ones on every shift.

5. Your smile and your obvious enjoyment of both your job and your customers are worth a lot more than tossing bottles about or doing circus tricks. If you can do it, well it doesn’t hurt, but most folks are there for a drink, company and the respect and recognition that they don’t receive in day-to-day life.

6. Depending on the policy of your employer, when customers come in for the first time, and have just one beer while reading the newspaper or looking around, and then start to leave, slide them a free beer/drink and say “I am glad that you came in and I have enjoyed your company,” (calling them by name, of course). “My name is so and so, and please do come back.” Pay for that beer/drink out of your tips if you must; you will get it back, ten-fold.

7. Remember that these are customers. They are not really your buddies, so stay professional.

8. Though you will have many opportunities for intimate encounters, stay focused on your career and that you are there to make a living. Don’t ever forget that “one night stands” are never just that in the bartending world; the customer you became close with will likely be sitting on the other side of the bar, within a few days, regardless of how much you regret that moment.

Tips 9-13 are not listed due to article length constraints. Please visit our website listed in the resource/bio box for part two of these bartending income generating tips or look for Part 2 of this series on this website titled: Bartending Pro Tips Part 2: How to Make Money and Have Fun With a Career In Bartending!

Author Bio
Steve Landen has over 5 years of bartending experience under his belt. He is a contributing writer for Bartending-World.com, a bartending school resource site for current and aspiring bartenders.

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This article is a continuation of Bartending Pro Tips Part 1: How to Make Money and Have Fun With a Career In Bartending

8. If there is trouble or violence try, at all costs, to avoid coming out from behind the bar. Raise your voice and attempt to take control verbally, while you are dialing 911. Many bars do not provide security. A personal friend of mine came out from behind the bar and hit an assailant with a full bar bottle since the assault was against a woman. That bartender (who owned the bar) is still in prison not because the bad guy died days later, but because the bartender “came out from behind the bar.”

9. Tip jars are sort of an optional thing, depending on the type of bar. If you follow the sort of relationship-building techniques I have suggested, then when your customer is cashing out it should be a face-to-face, handshake-to-handshake experience They are a lot more likely to deal with you fairly (maybe show off a little bit too) than if they can sneak a few quarters and a dime into a tip jar when you are busy. If you have waiter and waitress staff, one surly server can easily cost you a considerable amount, and that is only if you ever even see their tips. Tip and bar/service accounts should, in my opinion, be kept separate and are in many establishments.

10. That naturally brings me to keeping the other staff happy! Their ability to make money has to do with how well the drinks are made and how quickly they can deliver them, so there is a delicate balance between your bar customers and the table customers. Keep an eye on your own customers, and try to anticipate when they might need another drink. Take care of it, in advance, and if you you are filling table orders (very important) always acknowledge your bar customers and let them know that you noticed. Assure them that their drink is coming right up!

11. Even if it is not within your job description, help the table staff clean up and flip the chairs. Support them any way you can. The only time I would ever advise coming out from behind the bar would be in defense of the staff, and, even then, yell loudly, several times (to staff mostly), for someone to call 911. They will need to know that they have your support (even in if your place of employment has bouncers), so just always do what you can to protect their sense of having a good place to work because, in spite of all your efforts to provide a fun atmosphere for your customers, unhappy staff can detract from that.

12. When you have time, spend time talking with your customers. Don’t sit on a stool sipping a coke and obviously trying to find some time alone, even if you are “on break.” You can be on break at home. Talk news, talk about local folks and interesting places, but more importantly try and get them talking about what is important to them. They aren’t in a library, they are in a bar, and maybe they want to talk, a lot more than be talked to. It’s easy to walk away when you get busy; they can wait and, if they can’t, start gauging their intoxication level.

13. Thank every customer for having spent their time there with you and, if possible, shake their hand. That sort of thing means a lot to people and will keep them coming back. Look them in the eye, particularly when they are cashing out. (Tip Time)

14. If that moment isn’t available, because you are otherwise involved, when you see them rise to leave (and you are sure the bill is cleared), just yell over your shoulder “Hey (name) thanks! Be careful and come back, OK?”

15. Study any bartender’s book on mixed libations carefully, but it’s just as important to watch your co-workers mix drinks. It is a craft that can be learned from experience. If anyone requests a drink that might be from their local area, or by a name you are not familiar with, don’t be ashamed to say “Hey, I don’t know it but I’ll make it right now. Teach me!” They will usually be proud to.

Some bars are just crazy some nights, or are just always that way, and you might be one of four or five bartenders with very little time to employ some of these techniques, especially with loud music or live bands. I know, I have worked in them as well but, even so, you will have brief moments when you can utilize these suggestions and, believe me, they will pay off. Even with multiple and busy bartending situations, customers will seek you out, try to sit near where you are working and, when you aren’t working, they will ask when you are going to be working next.

By the way, once you have a “following,” changing jobs is easy!

Bartending is a fun, interesting and lively job! I have made up to $50,000 a year bartending as a second job!

Find a place you enjoy living, a bar you like and ENJOY work for a change!

Author Bio
Steve Landen has over 5 years of bartending experience under his belt. He is a contributing writer for Bartending-World.com, a bartending school resource site for current and aspiring bartenders.

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