Contractors may be better acquainted with the to-do list than most, but sometimes they can be more detrimental to work ethic than anything else.

On contracting website Freelance Folder, designer Ali Rowan advocates the merits of the single day schedule over the arduous to-do list.

The biggest difference between a single day schedule and the to-do list is that it seems easier to tackle as it requires contractors to be realistic about what they can achieve in one day.

By assigning times to different tasks, contractors can move through the list quickly and easily safe in the knowledge they can complete the jobs on the list by the end of the working day.

Meanwhile, Sara Rizk, editor of Startups.co.uk has warned that contractors must keep accurate and up-to-date books.

If they do not have the skill level to achieve this themselves, she adds, they should look to someone who does.