Starting Up As an IT Contractor

"Congratulations - you've done the hard part" (landing your first contract). Advice from a contracting resources site.

It's a great site but that piece of advice was waaaay misleading. The hard part is rushing around like a blue-arsed fly trying to get everything you need in place before you start the job. Limited company. Accountant. Contracts (is IR35 going to eat it?). Business bank account. Professional Indemnity insurance. This, that, the other insurance.

Arrgh. All when your current boss is doing a brain-drain on you before you leave. No, all of the above is the hard part!!

Before anyone says, "who cares about your old job", IMO its a good thing to keep 'em sweet - references, future work when you're in a dry patch, possible joint business ventures. Lots of reasons.

So here I am, at 11pm trying to figure out what the hell to ask a list of accountants over the phone in order to try and figure out if they're actually any good or not.

Please. no smug comments please along the lines of "why didn't you get all of that sorted out before getting the contract?" The answer is initial outlay and how to limit/avoid it.