Ipse magazine issue 60 by Modern Work

INSPIRATION FOR INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONALS AND THE SELF EMPLOYED ISSUE 60, APRIL 2017 – £4.95

POLITICS

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CONTENTS/APRIL 2017 06

FROM THE EDITOR JAMES GRIBBEN

FROM THE LOBBY

Simon Brooke looks at the Government’s relationship with the self-employed

INTERVIEW

Flick Drummond and Jess Phillips speak about their All Party Group for Women in Work

THE LIFETIME ISA Are they the best way for freelancers to save?

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Technology writer Gemma Church reviews some of the best

BUDGET

The Government made a stunning U-turn on NICs

THE LONG ROAD TO MODERN EMPLOYMENT

Tracking the way people work has changed

Intellectual property How to protect your work

WORKING FROM HOME

Jason Ward explores deciding how to dress when working from home

JOE GRISTON INTERVIEW

Self-employment has literally been front page news in the past month. From tax rises on the “white van man” to a stunning U-turn just a week later, how the Government views people who work for themselves has dominated news coverage. They’ve been referred to as everything from tax dodgers to the hardest working people in the county. In this issue you can read analysis of the Budget, and how many contractors have been impacted by poorly thought out changes to how the public sector engages them. Have you ever thought about freelancing in the great city of Cardiff ? We have you covered with a great feature on that, and where to go online for freelancing gigs. We Even have an interview with Joe Griston of Freelancer.com, who explains the reasons behind their phenomenal growth. If you’re really keen you can read my thoughts on how the internet has led to an irreversible paradigm shift in the labour market.

How Freelancer.com became the Ebay of jobs

Enjoy the read.

Editor @JamesIPSE

ONLINE FREELANCE PLATFORMS Where to find work online

PUBLIC SECTOR RULES

April 6 marks will bring big changes to public sector contractors

LATEST RESEARCH

There are now 2 million freelancers working in the UK

April 2017

The Freelancer’s Guide to CARDIFF

Cardiff is home to a growing number of independent professionals

National Freelancers day What to expect on 9 June

To blog or not to blog

What are the pros and cons of starting a blog for your business

CO-WORKING & COFFEE

EVENTS 3

INSPIRATION FOR INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONALS AND THE SELF EMPLOYED ISSUE 60, APRIL 2017 – £4.95

Supporting you at every step The main event will take place in London with smaller events in Bristol and Manchester Join us for our annual flagship event on Thursday 8 June from 13.00 where we will have a range of masterclasses, seminars, workshops, panel sessions and networking. The day has sessions running in parallel designed for 3 streams:

Students

New to freelancing

Experienced

London Members: Complimentary tickets Non-members: Early bird tickets £37.50 limited to 50 first places Full price: £75.00 Manchester and Bristol Complimentary tickets

For more information and to book tickets visit www.nationalfreelancersday.com 020 8897 9970

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A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

EDITOR

James Gribben james.gribben@ipse.co.uk @JamesIPSE

MEDIA CONSULTANT

The past few months have been a proverbial rollercoaster for IPSE and the 4.8 million-strong self-employed workforce. IPSE was delighted when, on March 15, the Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that the Government were scrapping their proposed 2p NIC’s increase as declared in the Spring Budget a week before. IPSE was at the forefront of calls to reconsider the original legislation and we welcome the news that our advice was heeded on this occasion. I have found both the Chancellor and the Prime Minister to be sensible people in all of my dealings with them and we look forward to further constructive talks with them in the coming months to develop fair, progressive legislation. The U-turn was clearly a fantastic win for the selfemployed population but we cannot and will not rest on our laurels. IPSE remains committed to promoting the vast contribution of the UK's selfemployed to UK plc and we'll remain at the forefront of representing this vital sector at every level, on every issue. Changes to the way IR35 determinations are made in the public sector have recently been implemented. The responsibility of determining whether someone falls inside or outside IR35 has now passed from the contractor to the employer. IPSE has warned for some time about the dangers these measures could have in the public sector – concern and uncertainty has been widespread. We have received reports from many people providing services to public sector organisations that the already unwelcome changes are being badly handled. Government needs to review the impact of these changes because it’s increasingly clear that the delivery of vital services and projects of strategic importance to the UK are being put at risk.

HMRC published the Employment Status Service (ESS) tool designed to provide a degree of clarity around IR35 status. I would urge any contractor affected to take the test and if you pass, show the results to your client or agency. IPSE will be watching closely to see how these changes play out over the coming weeks and months and will react accordingly. On March 23 Simon McVicker, IPSE Director of Policy, appeared in front of the Taylor Review into modern employment practices. We called for a statutory definition of self-employment to end confusion about who can and can’t be considered to be self-employed. We also called on the Theresa Maycommissioned review to consider how to encourage pension uptake and savings and developing fairer maternity, paternity and childcare support. We believe these are fundamental considerations for the Government and we look forward to hearing the review’s recommendations later this year. The immediate future holds a number of exciting events for ISPE. June marks the annual National Freelancers Day and 2017 promises to be bigger and better than ever. Applications have closed for the Freelancer of the year awards and we’ve been inundated with fascinating, brilliant, innovative and inspiring freelancers doing truly inspiring things. We are proud to stand alongside you and we are thrilled to be able to promote, champion and celebrate your achievements.

Jim Cassidy

DESIGN

Emanuel Zahariades

CONTRIBUTORS Gary Barker Simon Brooke Gemma Church Jason Ward Mark Williams

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IPSE does not necessarily agree with, nor guarantee the accuracy of, statements made by contributors or accept any responsibility for any statements which are expressed in the publication. All rights reserved. This publication (and any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic form, or in any other format, without the prior written permission of IPSE. IPSE, its directors and employees have no contractual liability to any reader in respect of goods or services provided by a third-party supplier.

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POLITICS

FROM THE LOBBY In a departure from our regular from the lobby feature, IPSE asked freelancer, and former Conservative Party Official, Simon Brooke to reflect on his Party’s relationship with the selfemployed following the Chancellor’s Budget on 8 March.

hen I left Conservative Central Office in 1995 I was asked by my erstwhile colleagues what I was going to do after I’d walked out of that famous office in Smith Square for the last time. I was joining a lobbying firm, it was assumed. No? Oh, OK, a job as a political producer at the BBC? No, in that case it must be industry or something. Really? What then? The answer was that I was going to do my own thing. Having spent six years in the press office, the last few as Head of

Broadcasting, promoting free enterprise and entrepreneurship I was going to have a go at it myself. Hadn’t John Major commended “the risk takers of Britain,” just a few years earlier? Now I was going to take a risk by becoming self-employed. My plan was to become a journalist and media consultant, helping organisations and individuals to get the best possible media coverage and to handle difficult issues. Most of all, I wanted to see if I could enable them to do media interviews during which they actually answered the questions rather than treating the audience as idiots. I wanted them to sound like human beings, not cliché spouting automatons. That’s right - I didn’t want my clients to sound like politicians.

So, when it came to self-employment I could spin it – but could I do it? Well, I’m still in business. My client base and my earnings have grown. As everyone who is self-employed knows the highs are higher and the lows lower. We don’t have bosses or office politics. On the other hand, neither do we have sick leave, maternity or paternity leave or paid holiday that’s why we’ve always assumed that the tax man would go a little bit easier on us. Hence the anger at the Chancellor’s decision to increase NIC contributions for the selfemployed. Personally I could have paid the extra few hundred pounds and, as was noted, the change would only have netted the government an additional £145m. But the important point here was the signal that this decision sent out.

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In politics as in communications generally symbolism is all – a company might have hundreds of thousands of happy customers, for instance, but it’s the one that has been badly treated that will make a media story. Similarly, a budget could have many sensible measures but it’s the one that raises a tax unexpectedly or leaves one particular group worse off that will attract attention. I often discuss with my clients why the media loves bad news and why the “What’s In It For Me?” factor is key to any communication. The NICs proposal had bags of both of these. The Conservative Party has always championed the self-employed and it has benefited from the transition over the last few decades of a workforce that was substantially employed by large, homogenous, unionised industries to one that is increasingly diverse and entrepreneurial. The term “white van man” has become a badge of honour for hundreds of thousands of us and many of my younger colleagues operate a “slash-slash,” working model. “I’m a bar owner, slash artist, slash online marketer” as someone told me recently. Insanely hip? Maybe, but he’s making a living – and paying taxes. They might pride themselves as being the party of enterprise but the Conservatives can’t take the self-employed for granted. My 20-something bar-owning, artistic marketer colleague, for instance, sees no automatic affiliation. The Tories need to communicate with him and with millions like him more effectively.

It seems likely that for the next few years at least, the Labour Party will be dominated by people who have little or no interest in practical policies on employment and taxation

practical policies on employment and taxation. Note that Matthew Taylor who headed the No 10 policy unit under Tony Blair is looking at this issue for Theresa May now, not Jeremy Corbyn. Many self-employed Tories will watch with some anxiety. Again, in communications terms there is a symbolic importance in this surprise appointment.

The challenge of devising and implementing a fair and effective way of taxing our evolving workforce will fall upon the Conservative Party Therefore, the challenge of devising and implementing a fair and effective way of taxing our evolving workforce will fall upon the Conservative Party. Tax take aside, changing the taxation regime for remuneration presents both a challenge and an opportunity to shape the world of work for the foreseeable future. As well as big picture thinking this change will require effective and open communication with all the relevant audiences – the kind that we didn’t see this time. As I know from my time in politics, governments and the civil service tend to be inward looking. They see a problem, devise a solution and then implement it. A press release and round of media interviews follows. Sometimes this approach works but with sensitive, bread-and-butter issues such as taxation it often doesn’t. Accepting challenges and opportunities are what becoming self-employed is all about, of course. So, as a self-employed Tory, I hope that this government will embrace the opportunities presented by these changes in the workforce, accept the challenges to taxation that they present – and make a success of them.

It seems likely that for the next few years at least, the Labour Party will be dominated by people who have little or no interest in

April 2017

Dragon’s Den inspires entrepreneurs During December, the All-Party TV shows such as Dragons Den and their panel of business giants are inspiring a new generation of job seekers, according to new research. A survey of 2,012 British adults published in the Careers on the Box report by Fletchers Solicitors has revealed that more than 1 in 4 (27%) millennials have considered starting a business as a result of watching a TV show or film. Applications for university business degrees have increased more than 10% over the past five years according to the latest UCAS figures, in further proof that Britons’ bestloved TV series and characters are shaping their job choice. However, despite nearly two thirds (62%) of people saying they have researched a job or career path they have seen on the telly, for 38%, the reality of working life and setting up a business differed from the silver screen, as they felt the television made their job look better than it is.

How big is the gig economy? New research from the CIPD reports 4% of UK working adults aged between 18 and 70 are working in the ‘gig economy’. The research also found that, contrary to much of the rhetoric, just 14% of respondents said they did gig work because they could not find alternative employment. The most common reason for taking on gig work was to boost income (32%). Overall, gig economy workers are also about as likely to be satisfied with their work (46%) as other workers in more traditional employment are with their jobs (48%).

Ground-breaking research project l aunched

According to research published last month by the Daily Telegraph there are eleven marginal Tory seats with a particularly high proportion of self-employed voters. In Gower, for instance, where the Tories have a majority of just 0.1 per cent, one in five are self-employed. The growth of the ‘gig economy’ and the recent court cases which have considered what constitutes an employee, a worker or a contractor have focussed attention on how we work in Britain in the 21st century, how we get rewarded for that work as well as the rights that it confers on us.

IN THE NE WS

New research is to be conducted on what it means to be self-employed in a significant academic-led project undertaken by the Centre for Research on Self Employment (CRSE) in conjunction with the Institute for Employment Studies (IES).

Simon Brooke is a freelance journalist and editor and was also Head of Broadcasting at the Conservative Party (1989-1995).

The research will help distinguish between genuine self-employment and people who are miscategorised as self-employed. The project will also seek to distinguish between self-employed workers on the basis of their economic impact, skills, qualifications and earning power, and help to provide a distinction between those who are vulnerable and those who are successful in self-employment, from the perspective of individual welfare and wellbeing.

INTERVIEW

Bridging The Gap

L/r Flick Drummond MP and Jess Phillips MP

“I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they are so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t.”

hose are the words of Audre Lorde - a prominent writer, feminist and civil rights activist who wrote extensively about women’s rights in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. The questions she raised and the causes she championed then remain glaringly unanswered now.

effect UK women’s chances of co-existing and thriving on an equal footing with men.

intervention this is not going to change and the snail will be squashed mid-route.”

In 1992 just nine per cent of MP’s in Westminster were female. Fast forward 25 years and that figure has risen to 29 per cent. Progression? Certainly. Parity? Certainly not.

Phillips isn’t your archetypal politician. Unorthodox, outspoken, in-your-face, quotable and – unusually for a politician – genuinely funny.

That issues surrounding gender equality and women in the workplace remain so prominent lends particular salience to two question: Why? And, how do we alleviate them?

Unfortunately, the Westminster bubble isn’t an isolated misrepresentation of gender inequality in the workplace. Instead it’s indicative of a wider general epidemic of gender pay gaps and unequal opportunities and representation. Progress surrounding the social and economic status of women in the workplace is underway but bridging an archaic and deep-rooted view of gender is laborious and fraught with pitfalls.

“I was working at Women’s Aid and I got sick of banging my fists on the wrong side of the table about the poor decisions I saw happening. I thought ‘no one is going to do this for you’ so I got on with it myself.”

Introducing Jess Phillips and Flick Drummond. Two MP’s at the forefront of championing, promoting and facilitating the discussion surrounding gender equality and Co-Chairs of a ‘Women and Work’ All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). Its aims are predicated on exploring the barriers facing women in the workplace and trends that

“It’s at a snail’s pace. Worse than that, an injured snail,” Phillips told IPSE. “We have got to recognise that without action and

Phillips entered politics to prove that ordinary people could - and was duly elected Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley in 2015. There is something overwhelmingly relatable about the 35-year-old who has gained a reputation for speaking her mind on matters that others are scared to even acknowledge.

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She marked International Women’s Day (IWD) last year by reading the names of 120 women murdered by men in the UK in the previous year. It’s an outspokenness that has brought her a large share of the political spotlight. And with that come associated risks and rewards. “It is more tiring than it is terrifying, but I have learnt to ignore my fears and demons and just crack on. I keep the silent and polite majority in my head, not those who simply pedal hate,” she said. Drummond – the Conservative MP for Portsmouth South – meanwhile, is rather more orthodox. Less vocal, something she openly acknowledges herself, and, until recently, relatively unknown outside of her south-coast constituency. “I think we get used to (the difficulties of speaking out), it goes with the job. I know Jess is more outspoken than I am so probably gets more attention from the trolls in social media, but if you are passionate about something you have to speak out,” she told IPSE following the launch of the Women and Work APPG report on women returners. And it was a passion that stimulated her pursuit of a political career when she became disillusioned by the quality of local schools. She trained as school inspector when the youngest of her four children was one-yearold and then became a city councillor in Winchester. Her career, however, was stymied when she went to New York for five years with her husband’s job. “It was an interesting time to live in the USA but it meant that it has taken me longer than many to get to Westminster. It is why I am so passionate about getting older women back

into the workplace, we have experience which is invaluable to companies especially as we are living longer.” The Women and Work APPG was constituted in early 2016 in response to increasing public and political focus on women in the workforce and the Government’s acknowledgement that the UK economy doesn’t utilise women’s talents and hasn’t benefitted from the “huge economic prize”. “Flick and I both took part in the Women and Equalities select Committee enquiry in to the Gender pay gap,” Phillips said. “The inability for women to return easily to work was such a fundamental issue in the gender pay gap we both felt it needed exploring in its own right. The APPG committee agreed.

“For some women the cost of child care is the deal breaker for others the accessibility to get to work is their bug bear, and for others the culture of their industry” “A woman’s economic empowerment drives everything we do. We want to make sure that when the Government make economic and industrial decisions that they don’t forget half the population.” Despite sitting on opposite benches, it is issues such as these that have catalysed their collaboration. In many ways they are the antithesis of each other - both politically and socially - but are working together on a common cause to tackle an issue far greater than party politics. “It is our differences and our different experiences of being women who work that makes us such a good team,” Phillips continued. “We are from different generations, different backgrounds and have very different experiences of being working mothers. “We rarely disagree on the central problem we are trying to break but have a breadth of experience to pull all the woman in the right direction, not just one narrow gap. (Policy) Is all equally important. Women are not a homogenous group. They, like everyone, have different needs. For some women the cost of child care is the deal breaker for others the accessibility to get to work is their bug bear, and for others the culture of their industry.” The APPG consists of eight meetings and subsequent report with aims of evaluating

April 2017

and debating how policy makers can better deliver gender balance within the economy. Its findings and subsequent recommendations will be presented to Women and Equalities Minister, Justine Greening, later this year. “We set it up to look at the barriers to women in the workplace,” Drummond said. “We decided to start with an enquiry and report about women returning to work after a gap. The report came from a statistic that was in the gender pay gap inquiry that women who have been out of work for more than six months find it very difficult to find a job or get back into their old workplace. This is appalling as we are missing out on a massive amount of talent and experience.

The Women and Work APPG hopes to work alongside businesses to instil change in policy and attitudes regarding women in the workplace “The Government is very conscious about this, and the Prime Minister is personally committed to solving this issue, so I think we will see a cultural change as well as policies coming forward.” Phillips added: “They should look hard at the recommendations and I’m delighted that in the Budget they committed some financial assistance to the creation of Returnships. This is merely the first step and I want them to be as obsessed with women’s unemployment or underemployment as they are with unemployed young people or people living on benefits.”

Charters on purchasing and paying freelancers on time would be the first step.” Drummond, who worked as a contractor earlier in her career, added: “I would like to see more flexibility so that everyone can have the benefits of being self-employed. Being selfemployed means that you can work around your other commitments although I know it does mean that you have to work harder because you are always worried about the next contract or deal.

“Networks like IPSE are excellent to support each other. We all need to be able to talk things through with others in the same boat” Earlier this year Drummond was a heavily involved in an inquiry and petition to make it illegal for a company to require their female staff wear high heels. The petition was started in response to one person’s experience, but it became abundantly clear that it wasn’t an isolated incident. Subsequently 150,000 people signed the petition. The Women and Work APPG hopes to work alongside businesses of all sizes to instil change in policy and attitudes regarding women in the workplace. “There was a joint inquiry with the Petitions committee and that has now been completed,” Drummond said. “I think the publicity has raised awareness and I hope that companies have taken on board that making women wear high heels is a health and safety issue.” Phillips added: “We are definitely pro-business but aim to act as a critical friend as well as a mouthpiece for those who are doing well. We work with businesses who really want to do better as well as those who are doing it already. Every day new corporations, small business and self-employed people contact us to talk about what they can do. We will gladly name and shame bad practice but we counter it with promoting the good even when for me those companies might not be my natural allies. “The whole aim of the enquiry is to highlight and then damn some of the requirements women face just to have a job that are simply not faced by men.” The current APPG is particularly pertinent following the publication of recent IPSE research - ‘Exploring the UK Freelance Workforce in 2016’ - which illustrated that women are driving a significant surge in the number of freelancers in the UK.

The research showed that the number of female freelancers increased by 55 per cent since 2008, compared to a 36 per cent growth in males. More specifically the numbers of mothers working as freelancers increased by 79 per cent meaning one in seven of all freelancers are mothers. The flexibility provided by freelancing has an abundance of pros, especially mothers balancing the rigours of the work life/parenthood balance.

“You can set the culture of your work and use your skills to best effect rather than shoehorning them in to something else” “I think being your own boss is the greatest gift in the world, especially if you have a chaotic home life,” Phillips said. “You can set the culture of your work and use your skills to best effect rather than shoehorning them in to something else. As a working mum I would have loved to set my own agenda and been completely in charge of my path. The more people who do this the better all our working cultures will be. Work is changing and the system needs to catch up. “We must make sure that these freelancers are not living below the standards we would expect for employed women. We need to make sure that this new workforce has access to the networks for commissioning and contracting and that their rateable value is where it should be. “I am an interventionist so I think there should be an onus on public money to be spent fairly with good providers offering diverse services.

“I worked as an Ofsted inspector which meant I could take which contracts I wanted and work around my children when they were small. It is a great way of keeping up skills and working and caring activities. It can be exhausting though, and networks like IPSE are excellent to support each other. We all need to be able to talk things through with others in the same boat.” Over the coming months the group will be exploring issues surrounding the gig economy, automation, Brexit, how the changing political and policy landscape will impact women in the workplace in the years to come and evaluating the potential opportunities such as growth in digital roles and the creative industries. Just as Drummond’s petition to ban legislation calling on women to wear high heels to work illustrated; a united voice has wider influence for change. Phillips and Drummond have stressed the importance of involvement and interaction to enhance their cause. All the APPG meetings are open to the public who are warmly encouraged to attend, listen and engage, ask questions and contribute opinions. Change, or indeed parity, won’t be easily forthcoming. But if anyone can highlight the challenges facing women in the workplace and stimulate discussion and awareness, Phillips and Drummond can. They act for those who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they are taught to respect established social norms rather than themselves. They know that silence won’t save them. For more information on the Women and Work APPG and how to get involved visit https://connectpa.co.uk/the-women-andwork-all-party-parliamentary-group/.

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11 POLITICS

No.

“READ MY LIPS. NO NEW TAXES.” A broken manifesto pledge, tax rises for the UK’s hardest working people and a staggering U-turn. The final spring budget was full of spectacle. Words by Adam Waters

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he Chancellor Philip Hammond echoed George Bush Sr.’s infamous broken promise on March 15th after mounting pressure forced him to commit to this Conservative Manifesto pledge. At lunchtime, on 8 March Mr Hammond opened his first Budget by delivering a potential body blow to the UK’s of 4.8m self-employed. Mr Hammond announced that Class 4 National Insurance contributions would go up to 11% by 2019. This, according to the Chancellor, was to create a more even fiscal playing field between the self-employed and the employed. Just seven days later, at lunchtime on March 15th, Chancellor Philip Hammond performed one of the most staggering U-turns in contemporary British political history.

"In light of what has emerged as a clear view among colleagues and a significant section of the public I have decided not to proceed with the Class 4 NIC measures set out in the budget." Despite support from a small number of economic think tanks, the Chancellor faced a barrage of criticism from his backbenchers unwilling to pull the wool over the eyes of their constituents, tabloid newspapers for bashing the “white van man”, and no doubt the Prime Minister concerned with the tarnishing of her “on the side of working people” brand. There was also a concerted public affairs effort from IPSE, with a litany of television appearances, print publications, and contact with key policymakers. There was also uproar from our members and the rest of the UK’s self-employed.

The Chancellor rightly celebrated the current levels of record low unemployment but seemed to ignore the increase in the number of self-employed But it is well worthwhile reflecting on what was said at the Budget because it shows a troubling mindset from some within the Treasury and their advisors. Addressing Parliament on 8 March, the Chancellor rightly celebrated the current levels of record low unemployment but seemed to ignore the increase in the number of selfemployed, which now represents 4.8 million people, nor acknowledge that this growing sector has been a key driver of our economy's relative success since the financial crisis. He also slashed the Dividend Allowance while only putting a delay on ‘Making Tax Digital.’ But some crumbs of comfort were offered,

April 2017

including a consultation into parental benefits for the self-employed. For those of you working through your limited liability company, the Dividend Allowance has been slashed from £5,000 to £2,000, as of April 2018. For IPSE members who pay themselves a salary somewhere around the personal allowance, and pay themselves £50,000 in dividends, this will result in an additional £225 of tax liability. The Dividend Allowance only came in last year, so this tinkering with the tax system from the Chancellor won't do any good for business confidence.

Along with a fairer, clearer tax system, IPSE is calling for clarification on employment status, so people are afforded the rights and benefits they deserve The fact that Class 2 NICS would be abolished, of really only to some lower earning selfemployed, had been flagged up back in 2016. However there was some good news on the tax side of things, as the Government confirmed they would increase the personal allowance by more than inflation for the seventh consecutive year, raising it by £500 to £11,500 in 2017/18. We expect this to rise by £500 every year up until 2019/2020, in line with the pledge to raise it to £12,500 by the end of the Parliament, but don't know this for sure. Corporation Tax on company profits will, as planned, fall from 20% to 19% from April and by 2020 the rate is planned to fall to 17%. The VAT registration threshold will increase from £83,000 to £85,000 this April 2017, with the deregistration threshold increasing from £81,000 to £83,000. Those using the VAT flat rate scheme should be aware it gets significantly less generous from April. Businesses with limited costs (we imagine many IPSE members will be limited cost traders for the scheme) can still use the Flat Rate Scheme, but their percentage will be 16.5%. So if they sell £120 of work, including £20 of VAT, the flat rate amount is £19.80 (£120 x 16.5%). In another glimmer of good news, the government also announced a consultation into bringing greater parity between parental benefits for the self-employed and employed, to take place this summer. Currently, if you are an employee, you are eligible for "Statutory Maternity Pay" (SMP). This is set at 90 per cent of average weekly earnings for six weeks and then drops to £138.18 for 33 weeks. In contrast, the self-employed may be eligible for "Maternity Allowance" and receive £138.18 for 39 weeks. This came as a recommendation as part of the Deane Review into self-employment in 2016, which IPSE

contributed to, so we're not sure another review is necessary, but it's welcome the Government is taking notice. A full breakdown of all tax changes highlighted here can be found in the Budget analyses on IPSE's website. It has been our strongly held belief that the current system is too complex. We have demanded a fairer, transparent and uncomplicated tax system be introduced for the UK’s self-employed. To put it quite simply we want our Nineteenthcentury tax system updated to accommodate our Twenty-first century workforce. Our worry about Mr Hammond’s Budget announcement of 8 March is that the Chancellor seemed to have made up his mind about the tax system for the self-employed before consulting with the people it would damage. It seemed the Chancellor had somewhat preempted Theresa May’s Taylor Review into how business employment practice needs to change in line with modern business models. We will, as the UK’s biggest membership organisation for the self-employed, work with the Treasury and Matthew Taylor and his review team. IPSE, recognise that the self-employed are a diverse group. From knowledgebased consultants working through limited companies, to “white van men” and the entrepreneurs behind our next big companies. The self-employed help foster innovation, generate wealth and endow our economy with unique flexibility. New forms of employment practices, driven by technological developments, have blurred the lines of existing employment statuses. Along with a fairer, clearer tax system, IPSE is calling for clarification on employment status, so people are afforded the rights and benefits they deserve, while the flexibility so valued by the self-employed and the market is protected. While disappointed with the Chancellor’s Budget, we applaud Philip Hammond and his party’s courage in listening, heeding and responding.

Adam Waters is Senior Policy Adviser at IPSE and an expert in the ‘gig economy’, pensions and banking policy for the self-employed. 13

INTERVIEW

Welcome to the EBay for jobs Freelancer.com has quickly become one of the biggest freelancing platforms in the world with over 23 million users. How did it become the go-to place for freelancers online? Words by Tom Hayward and Mark Williams

n an increasingly dynamic, flexible and ever-expanding labour market both the notion and appeal of traditional, structured employment is dwindling. The world is on the move, and the world of work is adapting to follow suit. In a freelance industry predicated on networking and contacts, traditional word of mouth has become too restrictive. Online digital platforms have taken centre stage to liberate a highly skilled, specialised and flexible workforce. Global reach has become imperative. And all that’s required to access a global marketplace? An internet connection. Where freelancers were once restricted by proximity to a client and a limited circle of contacts, the scope of potential work is now limitless. That’s where Freelancer.com comes in.

“Think of us as an EBay for jobs,” Joe Griston, Regional Director of Europe at Freelancer. com, told IPSE. “We connect businesses of any size with freelancers of any skill, anywhere on the planet.” Freelancer.com – founded in Sydney in 2009 – is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace with over 23 million users and 11 million jobs. The website has 950 categorised sub sections of work to represent the widespread expertise of the freelance

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Employers post jobs which freelancers bid for in an open auction, where they pitch their talents and suitability for the advertised work. The clients can evaluate the worth of each potential candidate by looking at their freelance profile which acts as an allencompassing CV. On top of the standard work portfolios, skills and qualifications the profiles have a host of different metrics to ensure the clients know exactly who they’re working with. There’s a 5-star rating system from previous employers, metrics on work that a freelancer has completed on time and completed on budget, the re-hire percentage and compulsory reviews from all previous engagement. Maximising efficiency and quality is essential. “It encourages everyone to give as best quality work that they can,” Griston added. “It allows the freelancer access to employment wherever they are around the globe. It’s never really happened on this scale before; there’s such a huge amount of employers that are potentially waiting for freelancers to work with. It allows freelancers to show their skills in the best way possible and get work that they just couldn’t have access to before.

m a s o f 2 7 Fe

Research carried out by ComRes showed only 25 per cent of UK hirers are aware of digital work platforms, of which 31 per cent have used digital platforms in the past year, and 25 per cent say they’re an important way for companies to source workers. Online platforms appear only beginning to flourish, and the expectation is increasing amounts of work will find its way there. “If you’re a small business and based in rural Scotland, for example, there’s a very small amount of people that might get a logo designed for you or do some accountancy work for you or whatever type of activity it might be. Now there’s so much choice it’s crazy. 70 per cent of projects get a bid within 60 seconds. It’s a very liquid marketplace, and the choice is phenomenal. You’re only limited by your imagination regarding how you can get work done through these platforms. “Freelancers have existed for hundreds of years. But these platforms are enabling people to work together in a very efficient and secure manner, and that’s key for what’s happening at the moment.” Research carried out by The McKinsey Global Institute calculated that, by 2025, digital work platforms could add $2.7 trillion, the equivalent of two per cent of global GDP, increasing employment by 72 million full-time equivalent positions. In the UK that equates to £45 billion, and work for 766,000 people. The study also estimated that up to 200 million people could benefit from using these platforms regarding allowing the unemployed

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co e r.

workforce, connecting people of all ages from a diverse demographic of backgrounds.

“You can get people on Freelancer.com to do a whole different number of jobs for you. We’ve got individuals who’ve got their entire business operation on Freelancer.com. They run a business, but they just hire freelancers to do various aspects of that business for them. The ways that you can now run a business are so much more flexible, so much easier, so much more efficient than it’s ever been before.”

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to find work as freelancers and employed people to find additional supplementary income. “There’s no stopping the craze at the moment because it’s such a useful and valuable tool for any business out there. The only thing that was stopping freelance growing was the gap in the access to work. You’re going to have many people wanting to prove themselves in numbers that we’ve not really appreciated before. The days of being the average worker are over.”

Finding work online – where should you go? It has suddenly become much, much easier to go freelance. The creation, and subsequent rise, of online digital marketplace platforms, has helped facilitate a freelance boom. At face value, they’re a win-win for everybody. Flexibility, availability of work, worldwide networking and removing the potentially time-consuming rigours of finding work are all huge upsides to the contemporary way of working. With dozens of platforms to choose from, ranging from minimum-wage to high-spec, high-skill work, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. They work by taking a commission based on the value of the work undertaken. They vary from five per cent on some platforms to a fifth on others. Here IPSE outlines some of the major players in the world of the online freelance platform and how they’re helping to spearhead the dynamic Twenty-first-century labour market.

All kinds of freelancers, from accountants to app developers, use the platform. Digital, design and marketing professionals are particularly well represented, reflecting a wider trend towards remote working in these sectors. Average day rates vary by assignment, but the majority of freelancers using weliketowork.com charge in the region of £20-£50 per hour. Jonny is keen to stress the weliketowork.com platform supports freelancers by avoiding the auction scenario that creates a race to the bottom. "We don't have an auction bidding structure and use blind bids to avoid people undercutting each other for the sake of it and encourage our freelancers to put forward their best offer." He continues, "There's a high calibre of freelancers using our platform - that's the part of the market we're tapping into. We're concentrating on helping talented freelancers find higher value work by tackling more complex projects that clients need to outsource."

"We're trying to deliver quality over quantity and believe that good work deserves a fair price. It's why we're exclusive to the UK, to create a very transparent marketplace and a simple model our freelancers and our clients trust."

April 2017

YunoJuno Creative freelancers with strong existing experience should consider YunoJuno, a hand-picked community of London’s top independent talent. If you’re based elsewhere, fear not – there are plans for a big rollout to other locations too. There’s the potential to work with some big names; tech agencies like Ogilvy and Havas, top brands including Selfridges, Virgin and Ted Baker, and some of London’s fastest growing start-ups all use YunoJuno freelancers.

Freelancer.com Whatever your skillset, you’re bound to find somebody on Freelancer.com who needs it. It’s easy to sign up and, for peace of mind, both freelancers and clients are vetted with verification of identity, address, phone number and payment methods. There’s an abundance of work available, with new jobs posted every few minutes. “Businesses are able to get any work done that they can think of,” Joe Griston, Regional Director of Europe at Freelancer.com told IPSE. “They don’t have to go through the rigorous process of hiring permanent staff; they don’t have to take on the cost of hiring permanent staff. They can have freelancers with a multitude of skills. They can use many different freelancers on a regular ad hoc basis as and when the work comes up.”

Weliketowork.com Weliketowork's offering is uniquely geared toward providing clients with a quality service by ensuring freelancers are paid fairly for their skills and experience. To deliver a quality service, weliketowork.com is an exclusive UK only marketplace, which means clients can be confident of finding a freelancer with the additional benefits of local qualifications, market knowledge and cultural awareness. "The essential thing when hiring a freelancer is trust", says Jonny Dunning, CEO, weliketowork.com.

freelancers to clients posting a job, making the freelancers and client ideally tailored to work together. It allows clients to set questions for all potential applicants before getting in touch, so as to better ascertain their individual suitability for the required work.

Over 11 million jobs have been posted on its pages, and 23 million freelancers currently use the site, making it the biggest of its kind in the world. This means that there is both lots of work and plenty of competition.

“The work is extremely appealing,” says Steve Cater, YunoJuno Communications Partner. “As we’re a curated community – on both sides – freelancers get to work on exciting, awardwinning and innovative projects for the best businesses and brands in the world.” YunoJuno also removes some of the inconveniences that often come with freelancing. Payment, for example, is always made within 14 days and freelancers never have to chase an invoice. Timesheets are made simple and are linked directly to freelancers’ invoices. Independent professionals can make extremely good money on the platform if they have the right background. Day rates range from £300 to upwards of £1,500, while the average user falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. “One of the tenets that drive us at YunoJuno is the idea of adding value rather than extracting it,” Cater continues. “Everything we build, and the partnerships we secure, passes through this filter and is delivering a new way to be, and hire, a premium level freelancer. Most importantly, the freelancer can discuss their day rate directly with the employer about the work required. As a real marketplace, it’s those who need the resource and those who have the skills who are in control.”

Upwork Upwork hosts a wide variety of projects and assignments. The site uses sophisticated algorithms to recommend a select few

Tom Hayward is a staff writer at IPSE Magazine. Mark Williams is a member of IPSE’s media team. This is Mark’s final issue as a full time member of the team. He is going freelance!

FINANCE

Is the Lifetime ISA the answer to saving for the self-employed? This month the new Lifetime ISA rolls out and is designed specifically for “the next generation”. IPSE’s Adam Waters evaluates it’s pros and cons and analyses just how useful it will be for the UK’s booming selfemployed population.

veryone yearns for financial security in their old age – and the selfemployed are no different. They do, however, face unique obstacles in achieving it. Whether sole traders or working through their own limited liability companies, the self-employed, by nature, must endure fluctuating incomes and don’t benefit from an auto-enrolment pension like employees. Something needed to be addressed. Last March, then-Chancellor, George Osborne recognised this and introduced the Lifetime ISA (LISA) designed specifically for “the next generation” which the Government is rolling out this month. The memorably-titled LISA is just like any other ISA. In brief: It’s a tax-free wrapper around your savings (up to a maximum of

LIFETIME ISA FACTS They are available to everyone under the age of 40. You can save up to £4,000 each year and government will top it up by 25%. In order to access the bonus you must use your LISA funds for purchasing a house, or have reached the age of 60. You can receive a maximum additional government bonus of £32,000. There is a 25% penalty for early withdrawals if not used to purchase a house.

£15,240 in 2016/17) and will be available to everybody, not just the self-employed, between the ages of 18 and 40. The LISA is intended for one of two purposes for those looking to buy their first home or put away cash until after you’re 60. Now for the number crunching. If you open a LISA, there is a maximum deposit rate of £4,000-a-year until the age of 50. Then the state will add an additional 25% bonus once you withdraw, on or after your 60th birthday. If you were to open a LISA on your 18th birthday, for example, and deposit the maximum £4,000-a-year until the age of 50, the maximum bonus would equate to £32,000. Your LISA can be used to purchase a house up the value of £450,000. This is an improvement on the Help to ISA, which could only be used on houses costing up to £250,000 if purchasing outside London.

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You’re free to withdraw none, some or all of it, and anything you don’t withdraw still accrues interest. The LISA can be used in the same way as the Help to Buy ISA but allows additional savings of £1,600-a-year up to a much greater amount, deposit lump sums instead of regular payments and buy more valuable property. Many industry experts have labelled it “free money” but it has drawn criticism in that it hopes to tackle too many issues – home ownership and retirement. Judgements of “confusing” by TD Direct Investing and “incompatible” by Aegon may not be too wide of the mark. First, though, the positives. It’s welcome that Government is actively thinking of ways to encourage and support the self-employed, and the 25% bonus is certainly a very attractive incentive for them to begin saving. The fact that there is no minimum payment means the self-employed can pay into the LISA when it suits, rather than being tied in to structured payments. A flexible policy for a flexible workforce. The second fastest growing section of the self-employed workforce is the 18-25 age bracket and it’s a significant boost that they now have a vehicle for saving ahead of their retirement where, previously, there wasn’t one.

It sounds ideal for selfemployed savers, but is it too good to be true?

It certainly isn’t without its flaws and a staggering 25% penalty on withdrawals is evidence of that! The fact that the average freelancer is already in their 40’s, but isn’t eligible, is also worrying. The Government would be well advised to increase the age eligibility so that those over 40 can secure their futures too. The maximum threshold of 40 is too low and prices out a large pool of potential users. Unfortunately, the LISA isn’t available from any national high street banks at the time of writing. Among some of the only recognised providers offering the LISA are investment services Hargreaves Lansdown and Nutmeg.

It’s recommended that you save half of your age, as a percentage of your earnings. If you open a LISA at 40, for example, you are advised to commit 20 per cent of their earnings. Increasing the £4,000-a-year deposit would further support the self-employed and reduce their reliance on other provisions such as the State Pension. A maximum deposit feels too restrictive, but must be accompanied by a lower penalty for withdrawal – selfemployed income can be volatile, increasing the likelihood of needing to dip in.

Far from being perfect, the LISA is a step in the right direction for the self-employed in allowing them to secure their future For those who don’t qualify for the LISA, there are other options. From April 2016, the selfemployed will be entitled to the State Pension in the same way as employees. This is a welcome safety net, but by no means sufficient for a comfortable retirement. For this, the self-employed need additional and appropriate long term investments. IPSE members have access to our IPSE Futures pension deal, which offers group rates for a variety of flexible benefits at a fraction of the cost you would pay as an individual, including pensions. Far from being perfect, the LISA is a step in the right direction for the self-employed in allowing them to secure their future – in terms of both pension savings and home ownership. It is, without a doubt, a wellintentioned vehicle for saving but needs a gentle steer before it can be considered truly road-worthy. IPSE will be working to make sure Government does all it can to support this dynamic, booming group that is so vital to the UK economy.

IN THE NE WS New report advocates raising the State Pension age John Cridland, former Director General of the CBI published a report in March on the State Pension age. Mr Cridland makes a number of recommendations including: increasing the State Pension age to 68 between 2037 and 2039; not increasing the State Pension Age by more than 1 year in any 10 year period, assuming that there are no exceptional changes to the data used; that all employers should have elder care policies in place which set out a basic care offer and that people should be able to access a mid-life career MOT and review which should be facilitated by employers and by the government using online support and through the National Careers Service. The report noted that self-employed do not benefit from automatic enrolment, and a review on this area will be launched in 2017. Any new changes to State Pension age will come into effect before 2028 and the government has stated it is committed to maintaining a State Pension that is fair for all generations and helps to provide for the cost of living in retirement.

Will a robot steal your job? Nearly a third of jobs in Britain could be lost within 15 years because of the continued emergence of robotics and artificial intelligence, research by the Institute of Labour Economics in Germany found. Middle-skilled, routine jobs such as accountancy and medical diagnostics are considered to be those most at risk while skilled jobs requiring creativity, social awareness and cognitive tasks would be harder to automate. “Technology makes many middle-skill jobs less intrinsically motivating, with fewer tasks and skills, and more centralisation and monitoring,” the report’s author Michael Gibbs, of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said.

Lend IPSE your voice Would you like to shape the direction IPSE takes as an organisation? Elections to stand for its Consultative Council (CC) take place in May. The CC is an advisory body elected annually from the IPSE membership. Members of the CC monitor, support and inform the board of issues raised by the membership and attend a number of IPSE meetings each year If you want to stand, nominations open on 28 April, and you must express your interest by 5 May. more details are available at www. ipse.co.uk/about-us/ipse-cc

April 2017

POLITICS

Public sector rules creating uncertainty New off payroll rules for public sector contracts have caused chaos in the small business community. Words by James Gribben and Andy Chamberlain

isguised employment is an issue that has long challenged government. 17 years ago, the solution adopted was the Intermediaries Legislation, commonly referred to as IR35. It has proven to be deeply flawed and it led to creation of IPSE, which formed in opposition. IR35 was designed to prevent people from saying they were operating as a business, while in reality behaving like employees, in order to pay less tax. However, the result has been large numbers of genuine business relationships being questioned, putting a great deal of stress and significant financial burden on people who would have to wrangle with the complex rules and would often find their IR35 status challenged by HMRC.

Plus ça change,plus c’est la même chose

On 6 April, things changed for significant numbers of people who work though their

own limited company. There are two major changes: 1. It used to be individual contractors would have to consider the IR35 status of their engagements – it still is that way in the private sector. But if you contract for a public sector organisation, you are no longer responsible for determining status. From 6 April, this determination will be made by the client or agency that pays for the service. 2.If the client or agency decides IR35 does apply, tax will automatically be deducted at source, as it for employees. The government has stated that this is the best way to stop what it believes is wide spread noncompliance with IR35. It’s important to note that the rules themselves are not changing. IR35 status still depends on factors like whether the right to send a substitute exists; whether there is a mutuality

of obligation with the client; and whether the worker has control over their work – among other indicators. The only thing that is changing, and only in the public sector, is the responsibility for considering such factors is shifting up the chain. But this change is having significant impact. So significant in fact it has prompted large numbers of genuine contractors to down tools and walk away from projects. Public sector bodies such as the NHS, the MOD, the police force and hundreds more have seen vital technicians leaving mid-project, leaving them struggling to deliver on schedule and on budget. The reason for the walk outs is the not unreasonable concern that public sector bodies won’t be able to make the right call, which could lead many genuine business relationships being mischaracterised as an employment relationship. IR35 is so complex, and public sector bodies and agencies are so

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An IPSE member who runs a specialist microbusiness that often bids for public sector work “The current rush to make changes to IR35 in public sector has created a great deal of confusion and misconception on both the procurement and delivery sides. It is unreasonable that neither organisations or suppliers have clarity about their cost base, terms and conditions, or the consequences of being later judged to have got it wrong.

IPSE’s Chris Bryce addresses the Prime Minister about IR35

inexperienced in dealing with it, it is more or less inevitable that wrong determinations will be made. Moreover, there is a clear incentive to declare engagements as ‘inside’ IR35 as it removes the risk of being lumped with a huge tax liability should it later be found engagements were wrongly assessed as being ‘outside’ IR35. The evidence coming in is painting a picture of chaos and uncertainty. A number of public sector bodies have informed contractors, sometimes via an agency that they have three options: 1. Move on to the payroll 2. Accept IR35 status, whereby they would be expected to cover an additional 12.5% in costs (more on this in a moment) 3 .Operate their business through an umbrella company. An option that wasn’t present was allowing contracts that would place work outside IR35. Imagine you have a contract that clearly places you outside the scope of these rules. Why would or should you accept being placed in a new situation, which not only clouds your employment status, significantly increases your tax liability and leaves you open to further investigation by HMRC? Many of those willing to reluctantly accept the new ‘inside’ IR35 terms are being asked by agencies to take a pay cut of around 12.5%. This is to cover the employers’ National Insurance Contribution which now exists because the engagement is being taxed as if it were employment. IPSE ‘s advice on this is that there is nothing in the legislation which means the contractor should have to shoulder this cost, so you would be well within your rights to resist it. However, it may in the end come down to a commercial decision that only individuals can make – do you want the work and are you prepared to accept the terms? If so, take the hit and move on, if not, refuse the contract.

April 2017

One final thing worth mentioning is the very recently published Finance Bill contains an additional obligation for the contractor that wasn’t in the draft Bill published at the end of last year. Contractors must now tell the entity that pays them, typically an agency or the client, whether they have ‘a material interest’ in their limited company. In other words, whether you have a significant shareholding (probably anything over 5% would be considered significant) in your company. For IPSE members the answer will almost always be ‘yes’. This is to enable the client / agency to know whether or not they need to consider the IR35 rules. If the information is not provided, then it will be assumed that a material interest exists and the client/agency will go on to consider whether IR35 should apply.

What can you do?

One thing you can do is make use of the recently published online assessment tool. It came very late to the party – appearing only on 2 March – giving those affected, agencies and clients very little time to get to grips with it before the implementation date came to pass. However, HMRC has stated that it will abide by the determinations made through the assessment. So, if you have a contract with the public sector, take the test. Show your results to your client and/or agency to make sure they agree with the outcome and agree a new contract which reflects the outcome of the determination.

There is a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is unreasonable that the IR35 legislation discriminates against businesses based on size of company. Neither side can sensibly enter into a contract without clarity for the duration of the project. The result is that many people become embroiled in debate about whether the revised IR35 rules apply, which is causing many projects to be badly affected. “My company specialises in the technical leadership of major IT projects and short pieces of high value consulting to solve specific problems. We work on a fixed price basis and bring in expert subcontractors to help lead the project if required. We will occasionally supply products as part of a project. The bulk of the work is undertaken by the client organisation’s staff who we involve and to whom we transfer knowledge and skills. Our primary area of interest is working on the design, implementation, migration and change of mission-critical 24x7 systems with minimal risk of disruption. It is necessary for us to operate as a limited company in this market. “The IR35 changes are causing a lot of questions to be asked and there aren’t yet good answers. The worst thing about it is the uncertainty it creates. I’d love to have clarity that working on a project basis with fixed prices, defined objectives, statements of work, stage payments, etc. as any bigger company does puts my business well outside of these changes. That way I can continue to run a proper business as has been the case for the past 20 years and compete on a more or less level playing field.”

A word of caution HMRC have said that the online tool remains a work in process and they will most likely update it over time, so the result you receive if you take the assessment now is not necessarily going to be replicated if you check again a year from now.

Andy Chamberlain is Deputy Director of Policy at IPSE. Andy is the organisation’s resident tax expert.

Location of freelancers Scotland

North East England Northern Ireland

North West England

East Midlands

Wales

South East England South West England

East of England

West Midlands

10% Percentages do not sum to 100 due to rounding

Yorkshire and the Humber

With very few signs of growth in freelancing slowing down anytime soon, IPSE’s new report ‘Exploring the freelance workforce in 2016’ provides insight into this increasing vital segment of the UK labour market. Here we take a look at some of characteristics and trends highlighted in the report to present a contemporary picture of the UK’s freelance workforce.

Freel ancers driving selfemployment growth

Greater London

21% 22%

Exploring the UK freelancer workforce in 2016 With freelancers making an economic contribution comparable to the entire motor sales industry in 2016, IPSE has released a new report exploring who makes up this vital segment of the workforce. Words by Kayte Jenkins

Between 2008 and 2016 the number of freelancers in the UK increased by 43%

Freelancers’ contribution to the UK economy soared to £119 billion in 2016, up from £109 billion in 2015. This economic contribution is driven by a highly skilled, flexible workforce of two million freelancers, which has increased by 43 per cent since 2008. These figures highlight the enormous contribution independent professionals make to businesses across the UK and the economy as a whole. Large firms and increasingly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are tapping into this growing pool of independent workers who are available on demand, with the specialist skills to hit the ground running – adding considerable value to the organisation and enabling them to respond to fluctuating economic conditions. At the same time, individuals are determinedly seeking to build a portfolio of skills and experience by working flexibly. Previous research from IPSE shows that the vast majority of freelancers love what they do and make an active choice to work independently, so it’s no surprise that increasing numbers of people are turning to this way of working.

2 million

freelancers in the UK 1.77 million work freelance in main jobs A further 234,000 work freelance in second jobs

£119 billion

Freelancers’ contribution to the UK economy

The continued expansion of the freelance workforce is evident across a range of industries, and growth has continued unabated during both the global financial crisis of 2008-9 as well as the subsequent economic upturn. Freelancers now represent 42 per cent of the wider 4.8 million self-employed populations and are the fastest-growing segment of self-employment.

A workforce distinguished by their skills

Freelancers are distinguished from other subsectors of the self emplyed workforce by their skill level. They are typically found working in occupations that fall within the highest standard occupational categories: managers, directors and senior officials; professional occupations; and associate professional and technical occupations. Making up 39 per cent of the UK freelance workforce are those working associate professional and technical occupations. Closely behind are freelance workers in professional occupations, followed by managerial occupations – representing 36 per cent and 24 per cent of the UK freelance workforce respectively.

Top roles for freelancers

When taking a look at the specific types of roles being performed by freelancers, the largest proportion is found working in artistic, literary and media occupations (311,000 freelancers), working as managers and proprietors in other services (211,000), and in teaching and education professions (153,000). These three

 Freelancers are a subsector of the wider self-employed workforce. They are defined as selfemployed worker without employees working in a range of managerial, professional and technical occupations.

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RESEARCH Top roles occupied by freelancers in Greater London

Artistic, literary and media occupations

Business, research and administrative professions

IT and Sales, marketing and telecommunications related associate professions professions

Managers and proprietors in other services

Teaching and educational professions

equates to 15 per cent of all freelancers in the UK. This is an increase of 79 per cent since 2008, nearly double the rate of increase in the freelance workforce as a whole.

2008 may suggest a changing attitude towards post-graduate vocations and ways of working, with more young people choosing to start their freelance businesses.

These figures mark a trend towards increased self-employment among females which has been evident for the past two decades, and highlights that working independently may be a more attractive option for those seeking to strike a work-life balance.

The largest proportion of freelancers, however, fall within the 40-49 and 50-59 age brackets – combined representing nearly half (48%) of all freelancers. This might be owing to the level of specialism and expertise that professionals commonly reach at this stage in life, giving them the confidence to work independently.

Mothers working as freelancers

F reel a n c i n g so a rs popularity in London

The number of freelancers working in Greater London has increased by 59 per cent since 2008, making it the fastest growing region for freelancers in Great Britain. Of the two million freelancers in the UK, 21 per cent live in the Greater London area.

Media professions

The significant role that freelancers are playing in the capital is not surprising given that London’s economy is largely based on service industries, which includes many occupations that freelancers typically work in. There is also a large number of supportive communities and co-working spaces in London which are changing the freelance game and enabling the flexible economy.

occupational groups continue to be the most important numerically, making up more than a third of all freelance workers. Regarding growth, the number of freelancers working in artistic, literary and media occupations and in sports and fitness occupations has almost doubled since 2008. The fastest growing occupational group since 2008 is health associate professions (including for example paramedics, emergency care practitioners, pharmaceutical technicians and dental hygienists), which has almost tripled in size. The health care industry is widely known for its adoption of flexible work practices, which could be one reason behind the striking rate of growth among health associate professionals.

Fastest growing occupational groups since 2008

Health associate professions increased

191%

Artistic, literary and media occupations increased

1 in 7 of all freelancers are working mums (302,000)

If you come across a freelancer in London, almost one in five (18%) work in artistic, literary and media professions. This occupational group is the largest of all freelancers in the UK, with London accounting for a quarter of all those working in these occupations. The average age of freelancers in London is 45, which is slightly younger than the national average of 47.

Between 2008 and 2016 the number of mothers working as freelancers increased by 79%

Millennials outstrip growth among the generations

The most significant growth since 2008 has been among younger freelancers aged 16-29, rising 66 per cent since 2008. Though this age group account for the lowest proportion of all freelancers overall, the growth witnessed since

103%

Compared to the UK as a whole, there is a slightly higher proportion of females working as freelancers in London. Female freelancers in London are also trumping growth, increasing by 95 per cent since 2008. The growth of female freelancers in London has been at a faster rate than males in London (40%) and females freelancers across the UK as a whole (55%).

Age distribution of freelancers Average age: 47

Females leading the way in the decision to go solo

Within the UK’s freelance workforce 59 per cent are male, and 41 per cent are female. Even though men account for more freelancers numerically, there has been a larger increase in the number of female freelancers compared to males between 2008 and 2016 – 55 per cent and 36 per cent respectively. There are 302,000 mothers working as freelancers in their chosen professions, which

April 2017

16-29 years 30-39 years

66%

12%

increase

20%

40-49 years

24%

50-59 years

24%

60+ years

60%

increase

20%

2008

2016

Freelancers aged 16-29

2008

2016

Freelancers aged 60+

POLITICS

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Is your contract IR35 approved? IPSE Contract Review We are offering our members a special offer on our online Contract Review Service. Each thorough review is conducted by independent legal and tax experts ensuring you are IR35 compliant. You will receive: A definitive IR35 pass or fail Recommendations Public Sector assurance for government departments

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POLITICS

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what are you doing reading this? You should be off building a website for the next idea that pops into your head.

The long journey to modern employment The way people work has undergone a number of radical shifts in the past millennium. James Gribben explores what the past can teach us, and how we made it to the 'gig economy.'

he American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn coined the term paradigm shift in 1962. It described a fundamental change in the basic concepts of how things previously operated, much as astronomy changed when Copernicus placed the sun at the centre of our solar system. The way people work has undergone paradigm shifts, with the introduction of industrialisation in the 19th century and then again now, with the subsequent, widespread, adoption of the internet Imagine trying to start a business in 1200, a couple of centuries before the invention of the Gutenberg press. It probably wouldn’t be easy. All industry was that of the cottage. People would make things and sell them from their home. How could you find your customers beyond word of mouth? For the most part, business needed to operate locally because transportation of goods was practically impossible for most. Professional advancement came though guilds. These associations of artisans or merchants controlled trades and crafts in their locality. They were the closest approximation you could find to a professional association like IPSE, defending the rights of its members, providing access to the best quality customers and enabling skilled professionals to develop their skills. But industry remained small in scale and there was a closed shop mentality. A bit like the mafia, you were either in, or in the most ominous terms (for your business) you were out. The industrial revolution changed everything. Factories were built and people worked in them. Houses were built beside the factory

April 2017

and staff lived in them. Ancillary services developed to support these communities. If you travel through large parts of the midlands and northern England you’ll find countless examples, from Crew to Glossup, Ashton Under Lyne to Accrington. The way people worked in this period became viewed as the ideal, from Government’s perspective, because it was easy to understand. Businesses employed large numbers of people who, for the most part, worked on a full-time basis, making it relatively straightforward to determine what rights staff should have and how much tax they should pay. Having small numbers of major employers also made tax collection a doddle as there were only small numbers of people to chase for payment. The rise of the internet changed everything. What does it mean to work in 2017? Have a phone? That’s enough these days to run your business from. Got a desk and a laptop? If so,

The barriers to starting a business are lower than they’ve ever been. At the time of writing 4.8 million people in the UK are self-employed. 1.5 million of this group do it in their own home and rising. If you follow employment figures released monthly by the Office of National Statistics you will see that growth is being driven by people who work for themselves. This presents some significant challenges both in terms of working out what rights this ever expanding group should have access to, and crucially, for the Government to ascertain how to easily collect tax from this group and determine whether they are paying the right amount. Government is clearly worried. In the Autumn, Chancellor Philip Hammond declared that the rise of one-person businesses was having a detrimental effect on tax receipts. And, if you’ve opened a newspaper in the past month you’ve probably seen countless articles about the ‘gig economy’. There is a prevailing narrative that people working in the gig economy are being exploited by the new platforms they find work through. Theresa May’s response has been the appointment of Matthew Taylor, Tony Blair’s former chief advisor, to investigate ‘modern employment practices and suggest ways to support new methods of working. Following Philip Hammond’s U-turn on tax rises for the self-employed, Mr Taylor’s review has taken on even more significance. His recommendations are expected to be implemented by Government and may have a substantial impact on what rights the selfemployed should be provided. His challenge will be to bring legislation in line with this new reality of how people work, without penalising people who strike out on their own. It is an unenviable task but one that could have lasting effects – until the next paradigm shift at least.

Who is Matthew Taylor? Matthew Taylor has been Chief Executive of the RSA since 2006. During Tony Blair’s Labour Government, he was Chief Adviser on Political Strategy to the Prime Minister. He was also the Director of centre left think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research between 1999 and 2003. You may have heard him as a regular panellist on Radio 4’s Moral Maze.

James Gribben is Editor of IPSE Magazine and serves as head of press and PR for the organisation.

POLITICS

Intellectual property and the independent professional Protecting your work is a key consideration for many freelancers. The Intellectual Property Office explains some of the considerations you may have to make when it comes to copyright.

s an independent professional you will be working with many different clients, creating and innovating to provide the best solutions for their needs. This could be writing software, designing logos, drafting training packages or taking photos. Why have they chosen you? Because you have the skills, expertise and creativity to deliver what they are looking for.

transfer the copyright? Yes, copyright can be transferred, sold or licensed at any time. If you decide to sell or transfer your copyright, there would need to be a written, signed contract stating a transfer has taken place. This is known as an assignment.

So where does Intellectual Property (IP) fit in? As an independent creator, it is important to know who will own the IP in the finished product that you create. Copyright protects most artistic and creative works, and the good news is, copyright is free. There are no forms to complete and no fees to pay. Copyright subsists in work as soon as it is made.

You should note that with certain copyright material even if you sell the copyright in work you may still have certain moral rights. For instance, you may have the right to be identified as the author (provided you have asserted that right previously) and the right to object to any derogatory treatment of your work. Moral rights in work cannot be transferred or ‘assigned’, but you are entitled to waive those rights.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that if you pay for the work you will own the copyright in it. But, this is not the case. The first owner of copyright will be the creator, or their employer if the work is created as part of their ordinary course of employment. No matter how much money changes hands, the copyright will not transfer unless there is a written agreement. So that puts you in a strong position. As the creator of the work, you will be the first owner of the copyright, although there will be an implied licence for your client to use it for the purpose for which it was created. Can you

If you are an IPSE member, your first port of call should be the IPSE legal helpline for authoritative advice on any aspect of intellectual property With no official registration system, how do you prove ownership of work? One method is to send yourself a copy of the work by registered post (don’t open the envelope when it arrives) and some owners register their copyright through commercial online services or log their work with a banks or Solicitors. It is recommended that creators mark their work with the copyright symbol © followed by their name (or names) and the year in which the work was created: © Owners name 2017. This is not essential but it shows the work is

protected by copyright, when the copyright began and who I should contact if I want to use it. How can copyright benefit you? The copyright owner has the exclusive right to copy the work, issue copies of the work to the public, rent or lend the work to the public, perform, show or play the work in public, communicate the work to the public, edit or adapt the work, sell or license the copyright for use by others.

It is important to remember that copyright protects only the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. This means for example that if you take a picture of a popular landmark, it does not prevent someone taking a picture from the same location. It also means that even if you are writing a thriller novel about a character being murdered and a detective solving the case (usually it’s the butler that did it), as long as you make sure that your work is substantially different to all the others it will be an original work.

As an independent professional it is crucial that you understand copyright, keep precise records and make sure you have IP strategy. Yes, it’s a lot to take in, but if you need help, you don’t need to look far. If you are an IPSE member, your first port of call should be the IPSE legal helpline for authoritative advice on any aspect of intellectual property.

This advice was provided by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The IPO have a range of online tools and a dedicated help line for IP enquiries. 0300 300 2000 www.gov. uk/ipo

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April 2017 Abbey Protection Group Limited is the corporate member of LHS Solicitors LLP. Markel Corporation is the ultimate holding company for Abbey Protection Group Limited.

POLITICS

Casual Fridays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays Jason Ward addresses a question many freelancers face when they work from home – how should you dress? It’s a more complicated than it sounds.

Robert E. Kelly didn't wake up on 10th March expecting that the top half of his body was about to become famous. In a clip soon shared by every aunt across the world, the associate professor of international relations at Pusan National University was upstaged by his swaggering daughter and freewheeling baby as they barged in on his Skyped-from-home interview about South Korea's ousted president, to mortifying comic effect. Common amidst the subsequent churn of memes and think pieces was the question of why the academic pushed his eldest child away instead of getting up to help. At a press conference to discuss the event – as apparently holding a global press conference to talk about a viral video is now absolutely normal – he disclosed the answer: he remained seated because he didn't want to reveal that he was wearing jeans. The combination of denim with a jacket and tie is certainly abhorrent, but it would be stranger if Professor Kelly had been wearing a complete suit. While it makes sense to dress appropriately for a public workplace, if it's just you and your adorable jaunty offspring then you're surely free to wear whatever you find most agreeable. Unless you happen to be an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter from the 1940s, that probably doesn't mean a business suit. For those who experience working from home as a regular part of their profession, as opposed to a rare and glorious treat when snow brings the country to a halt, the issue of clothing can take on greater meaning. If you don't have to leave the house and aren't required to chat to any BBC presenters about South Korean geopolitics, what should you wear? Is it helpful to get fully dressed to work, or is there something to be gained from the tactile

pleasure of staying in your pyjamas for as long as possible? If no-one is going to see you, do you still need to look your best? Who are you dressing up for anyway: them, or you? It is tempting to look towards the behaviour of historical home-workers for guidance, but this only demonstrates that there is no definitive way to conduct yourself sartorially: Kingsley Amis and George Gershwin both started working each day in their dressing gowns before shifting to other attire after a shower, John Cheever usually wrote in just his underwear, Georges Simenon wouldn't change his clothes for the entire time it took to write a novel, early in his career Thomas Wolfe would work naked while standing up and fondling himself, and a wide range of writers from Marcel Proust to Edith Sitwell refused to leave their beds at all. From my experience, I've found that working in cosy, oversized; absolutely-not-for-publicconsumption clothing is a mildly transgressive thrill – a bit like I've made a career out of staying home from school – but this works

best when it's a refreshing change rather than the norm. Unsurprisingly, striking a balance between feeling comfortable and orderly is beneficial: I respond better when my working hours are a discrete, productive stretch of time, commencing with the routine of dressing in a vaguely presentable manner before that approach is steadily abandoned as the day wears on – pyjama bottoms may or may not make an appearance for the final hour. One of the cardinal attractions of becoming a freelancer is the opportunity to structure your working life in the form that is best for you, rather than what's best for an employer. This doesn't always compensate for the uncertainty, fluctuating income, lack of basic financial provisions or the perpetual need to hustle, but appreciating the freedom of selfemployment means identifying the most effective and satisfying way to work. It's all worth thinking about, from the type of jobs you take to whether you wear a baggy cardigan or not. What works is different for everyone, but that's the joy of it: you have to figure out what it is you want, and go from there.

Freelancing from home sometimes feels like you can't stop working, so keeping a routine is useful: remember that you just happen to live in your workplace. Find clothing that's right for you: loose-fitting and comfortable, but not so relaxing that you're tempted to nap. Allow the flexibility to dress up or down, and don't chastise yourself if some days you can't bear to face your wardrobe.

Jason Ward is a London-based freelance journalist and the Associate Editor of Oh Comely magazine.

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April 2017

REVIEW

the freelancer’s guide to cardiff Words by Mark Williams

ew cities in the UK have undergone such a dramatic transformation as the Welsh capital in recent years. Its historical mediaeval keep overlooks the thriving city centre providing an arresting collision of old and new. The jewel in the city’s crown is the stunning Cardiff Bay. Trendy bars and restaurants line the waterfront, where visitors flock in great numbers to soak in the vibrant, fast-paced, exuberant atmosphere. The city is the eighth highest qualified in the UK according to data published by the ‘centreforcities’ which contribute to making it one of the UK’s fastest growing economies. With three Universities’, Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales, in the city, there is a wealth of young, creative talent.

What to do

Rugby fans will find themselves among friends here. The gentle hum of ‘Bread of Heaven’ sung by a 75,000-strong army of daffodil wielding, Welsh Dragon-clad rugby fans make matchday at the iconic Principality Stadium (formerly Millennium Stadium), undoubtedly one of the biggest attractions on the world’s sporting calendar. Cardiff comes to a standstill when

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Where to stay

Accommodation in Cardiff comes at a much more reasonable price than in other Capitals like London or Edinburgh. Sleeperz, a stylish, business-friendly hotel located just a minute’s walk from Cardiff Central railway station, offers a double room with breakfast from a very agreeable £49 per night.

Creative freelancers will find over 2,700 Cardiff companies working in their space rugby comes to town creating a carnival style atmosphere that’s not to be missed – particularly if they beat the English! If crowds aren’t your thing, the city is surrounded by stunning countryside to escape into. The Brecon Beacons national park with its rolling mountains and deep valleys - is a sight to behold and welcome respite for anyone who prefers peace and the rugged outdoors to Cardiff’s busy shopping streets. Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ leading heritage attractions, and a site of international significance with its imposing walls and fairytale towers housing 2,000 years of history. Set within beautiful parklands in the centre of the city it is perfect for days out, events and a spot of cultural indulgence. It hosts gigs cinema screenings and provides a home for artists in residence. A short train ride from Cardiff Central station is Penarth Pier – a fully restored Art Deco Pavilion housing a gallery, cinema, restaurant and café. A self-stated ‘perfect community meeting place for all’ offering an exciting, broad range of events including live music and locally sourced food and drink. All that against the backdrop of the River Severn Estuary.

April 2017

If you’re looking for luxury, then the waterside five-star St David’s Hotel & Spa won’t disappoint. Guests can enjoy views right across Cardiff Bay from the award-winning Tempus at Tides Bar and Restaurant. Those looking to set up shop more permanently should be pleased to find that average property prices are fairly affordable. According to property site Right move, semidetached property in the country of Cardiff comes in at around £233,000 while a flat will set you back £146,000 on average. Research has shown that freelancers in creative industries are flocking to the wards of Cathays and Butetown, which include the city centre and the waterfront.

Getting around

There are strong rail links to Bristol, London, Birmingham, Manchester and elsewhere in Wales from Cardiff Central station, while a regular service also connects Cardiff with Fishguard Harbour and ferries to Ireland. Budget regional airline Flybe operates domestic routes throughout the UK from Cardiff Airport, while a range of other low-cost carriers serves destinations across Europe. Bristol Airport, with connections to the US and Canada, is 47 miles away from Cardiff.

Finding work

Lisa Matthews, acting Director of Creative Economy at Cardiff University, says Cardiff is a relatively small capital but has all assets of a much larger city: “From national theatre and opera companies, museums to large corporate headquarters – all of whom want to work with freelancers. It’s easy to network and get noticed. We’re the youngest capital in Europe and with three large universities based here, we have a wealth of emerging talent. A number of big players in the worlds of finance, media and communications have a base in Cardiff, many of which enlist the services of the city’s contracting community. They include British Gas, BT, HBOS, Admiral Insurance and the BBC. Creative freelancers will find over 2,700 Cardiff companies working in their space, ranging from major employers such as the BBC to tiny digital start-ups just breaking into the industry. Creative Cardiff is a new network which connects people in any creative organisation, business or job in the Cardiff region. They aim to encourage collaboration to make Cardiff the most creative place it can be and is supported by Cardiff University’s Creative Economy team. Its network aims to bring together people from across the entire breadth of the city’s creative economy – from dancers to marketing professionals, architects to app developers – to maximise innovation and creativity. “Cardiff has the cultural assets of a capital city, a growing population and a growing reputation. Working together we can raise the city’s ambition and profile to make it a capital of creativity,” reads its website.

EVENT

Let’s celebrate freelancing!

hursday 8 June marks IPSE’s ninth annual National Freelancer’s Day (NFD) where a plethora of inspiring, innovative, outstanding freelancers congregate in Central London to celebrate the great and the good of the UK’s two-million strong freelance population. This year’s event at the award-winning, state-of-the-art Kings Place overlooking the beautiful Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross is set to be the grandest yet. The event includes headline guest speakers such as HSBC, LinkedIn and Intuit, masterclasses, seminars and workshops providing expert analysis and guidance on a range of pertinent subjects such as how to win work, setting and maximising your rates, and working globally in a post-Brexit world. These sessions will all follow one of three tailor made audience streams: students, new to freelancing and experienced freelancers.

The curtain will be brought down on the event by the annual IPSE Freelancer of the Year Awards championing those at the pinnacle of our freelance workforce. Our expert panel of judges will whittle down the entrants and hand-select 15 outstanding finalists who will have the chance to win one of two individual awards. The winner of the Inspire Award, for the best freelancer aged 24 and over, is awarded a prize of £5,000 and the Aspire Award winner, for the best young freelancer under the age of 23, receives a £2,500 prize. Illustrator Emmeline Pidgen, 2016’s Inspire Award winner, said: “Taking part in the awards was an incredible experience – the effect it had on my confidence, as well as the sense of acceptance from the freelance community, has been so meaningful to me. “One of my favourite things was the hugely diverse and friendly bunch of finalists; it was so brilliant to get out there and make those connections with fellow freelancers “The past year has been full of so much more creativity without any worry of seeking out commissions to pay the bills. I’ve delved straight into working on some projects I feel excited about. “I’ve also had the chance to nurture some of the friendships and connections I made at the awards, with collaborations and commission referrals with a lot of the other finalists from this year and last year.”

There are also awards for University Partner of the Year, the Co-Working Space of the Year and the Ambassador of the Year. For the first time this year, two fringe events will be held in Bristol (Desklodge, Temple Way) and Manchester (Ziferblat Northern Quarter, Tomorrow Building) to reflect the nationwide spread of freelance talent. These events will include live-streamed highlights of the main event in London and attendees will be able to participate, ask questions and join in the celebrations. A networking reception with drinks and canapés will precede a live streaming of the awards ceremony. IPSE members attend free while members can take advantage of an bird ticket costing £37.50. For information, including ticketing and programme of the event, please visit nationalfreelancersday.com.

nonearly more a full www.

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Students

New to freelancing

Experienced

London Members: Complimentary tickets Non-members: Early bird tickets ÂŁ37.50 limited to 50 first places Full price: ÂŁ75.00 Manchester and Bristol Complimentary tickets

For more information and to book tickets visit www.nationalfreelancersday.com 020 8897 9970

April 2017

events@ipse.co.uk

XXXXXXX POLITICS

To blog or not to blog? Words by Gemma Church

s a freelance writer, I’m a natural advocate of blogging. It builds your brand, demonstrates your industrial expertise and is an SEOsavvy marketing tool. But (and it’s killing me to write this) there are times when a blog may not be the best move for your business. Writing a blog is a huge responsibility, and you may struggle to stand out from this saturated marketplace. There are also plenty of other ways to “be heard” in the online world without writing a blog - we’ll look at that in more detail later. The truth is, there are many pros and cons of blogging as a freelancer. It depends on your business, commitment to blogging and skills as a writer. Let’s look at the highs and lows of blogging as a freelancer now:

The Good Bits

Blogs are often heralded as a cost effective and fun tool to promote your work. There are plenty of other advantages too, as a wellwritten blog will:

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FEATURE

can give your audience in-depth explanations about your work and demonstrate your industry-specific knowledge through a blog. Build your brand A blog not only demonstrates your expertise to your audience, but it also gives your customers a clear idea of who you are and what you stand for. Personal branding is now a staple of any marketing campaign - and a blog will help you find your voice. Give you another information source The comments left on your posts are a great insight into your customers - and you can also conduct polls as part of a blog to get further feedback.

You will need to keep on top of the comments and interest it generates in the wider online world. And this will take a lot of your time up as well The Bad Bits

On the other hand, writing and maintaining a blog as a freelancer can be difficult because:

Provide a dynamic website A lot of freelancer sites are presented as blogs. It’s a good idea to build an audience and get more visitors to your site. One of my favourite blogs is the Freelance to Freedom Project, which was started by web designer Leah Kalamakis and quickly grew a great community of freelancers thanks to its helpful advice to the community. Improve your SEO A blog can improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) if you produce quality content and carefully pepper your posts with keywords and phrases to boost your rankings in the likes of Google or Bing. Maximise your media reach It’s not just about SEO. Media outlets often scour company blogs to look for news and article ideas. An up-to-date and newsworthy blog is a powerful marketing tool. Give your customers a go-to information source Is your sector, product or service fast moving or a little complicated to understand? You

April 2017

It takes a lot of time If you want to boost your brand and business using a blog, then you must write well. If you’re a solo freelancer, then this will take you away from your day-to-day work as you spend a surprising amount of time crafting a good blog post. You need to choose a topic, create an outline, conduct research and check facts – all before you’ve written a single line. Then you need to write, source images and edit your post. Because, if you don’t take the time to write well, you could end up damaging your reputation instead of improving it. You must blog regularly It is vital to post on a regular basis to keep your audience engaged. This can be quite a commitment and, all too often, business blogs fail to post for months after an initial flurry of posts. This sends out the wrong message to potential clients – they could even assume that you are no longer in business if your blog hasn’t been touched for years. You need to drive engagement Your blog will not automatically be seen by thousands of potential clients. You need to work hard to promote your blog and monetize it. This will require more of your time to research the best approach and keep you blog on-point with your marketing plan.

You need to maintain your blog If your blog does reach the heady heights of tens of thousands of readers, you will need to keep on top of the comments and interest it generates in the wider online world. And, guess what, this will take a lot of your time up as well.

The Alternatives

Good blogging takes time to master and maintain – this will, most likely, be one of your biggest blogging bugbears. But, don’t give up on the written word. There are plenty of alternative ways to spread the word as a freelancer. You could: Be a guest blogger Scour the internet for blogs and publications that your target audience read and then pitch an article idea as a guest blogger. You’ll get your name out there without any of the marketing and blog maintenance legwork. Hire a ghost blogger No, this isn’t cheating! You could hire someone else to run and write your blog on your behalf. I work with a lot of companies where I turn a business owner’s ideas into a killer blog post. You could even find someone to manage the marketing side of your blog too. Replace words with images Instead of running a text-based blog, you could use images. Visuals are fantastic tools, and images are 40 times more likely to be shared around on social media. Good examples are image quote cards that you can share on various social media platforms, infographics, or you could use Instagram or Pinterest to push your products and services. Use user-generated content Ask your customers to share their experiences about your brand or product. Stain removal company Vanish is a great examplehere – their “tip exchange” is purely user-generated content. Put yourself forward You could even run an online Q&A session where you respond to queries from your customers and competitors. It’s a sure-fire way to demonstrate your expertise, without writing a single word. So, just because you’re a freelancer that doesn’t mean you must blog to tell the world what you do. There are plenty of alternatives out there – and it’s OK to focus on growing your brand organically. Plus, you can always try blogging at a later date. Gemma Church is the freelance writer who gets tech. @geditorial_uk

REVIEW

co-working & coffee

Words by Tom Hayward

The Trampery, Old Street The Trampery, Old Street is a melting pot of co-working creativity. It has been described as ‘English country house meets gallery meets laboratory meets members club’ - and it’s hard to disagree. One of the Trampery’s key philosophies is creating a home away from home where individuals can flourish in an inspiring environment. A fusion of creativity, collaboration and comfort. Set in the midst of the creative hub that is East London, the Trampery Old Street, established in 2009, is the flagship venue in a portfolio of eight co-working and events spaces – four of which are in London. Other sites in London include East India Dock, Hackney Wick and the Traveltech Lab – a dedicated workspace for start-ups operating in the travel and technology sector. Each location is entirely unique in terms of focus, facilities and aesthetic – all of which are fine-tuned to reflect and compliment the creative communities and sectors that each venue caters for. The Trampery, Old Street, has a series of meeting rooms, desk spaces and an impressive large ‘ballroom’ to cater for the part and fulltime members and giving them the creative freedom and environment in which to thrive. “Since launching Shoreditch’s first co-working space in 2009 we have opened eight buildings and, while no two have been the same, each has been designed primarily to stimulate creativity,” Trampery founder, Charles Armstrong, told IPSE. “We put great thought into the floor plans and into the interiors, which feature antique and mid-century furniture, contemporary art and plenty of greenery. The atmosphere this cultivates in each space is warm, inviting and inclusive.

“The Trampery is more than a desk in a shared office. Through human-centered design, creative workspaces and meaningful partnerships we foster a culture where innovators and entrepreneurs are fully supported in their efforts to create change. “What is equally important is the quality of experience. The fact we are a social enterprise means we can focus on providing quality environments and positive impacts on our members’ businesses rather than prioritising profit.” Andy Thorburn, Marketing Executive at Hallway and Trampery member, told IPSE, in the laid-back, sun-drenched communal Drawing Room overlooking thriving Old Street: “It’s a managed office, and there’s a lot of perks that come with that. Regarding the spaces, the meeting rooms; they’re really good. We looked at numerous other co-working spaces, but this one stuck out. The staff are incredible. “I think the key benefits of being in this coworking space has been access to freelancers. Being surrounded by that gives a good environment – we help each other out loads which is beneficial. Whenever we’re stuck with a problem or whenever someone else is stuck with a problem we can just ask each other and nine times out of ten we solve it without having to spend hours searching online. Somebody always knows the answer here which is great.” For more information on membership, which starts from £120, and events visit www. thetrampery.com

Tom Hayward is a staff writer at IPSE Magazine. He is senior press and PR officer in IPSE’s media team.

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Guide to IR35 in the Public Sector

Confused about what the change means and what you can expect when working in the public sector? Visit www.ipse.co.uk/guide-to-IR35 and download it today. April 2017

EVENTS IPSE Awards Judging Day Thursday 13 April

Our 15 finalists for IPSE’s freelancer of the year awards will be grilled by judges in the fantastic Trampery coworking space in central London. Keep an eye on social media for all the latest from the day.

How to IR35 proof your contracts webinar

Webinar: How to grow your Twitter followers and get results

NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY

Thursday 8 June

Thursday 27 April from 12:30pm Wednesday 19 April from 12:30pm

Paul Mason from Abbey Tax joins IPSE's Deputy Director of Policy and External Affairs, Andy Chamberlin to give an overview of the rules of IR35 and how they affect the self-employed. They will offer advice on what clauses should your contract contain to ensure that you are outside of IR35 as well as taking your questions.

In this session, chartered marketer and independent consultant Luan Wise will provide some tips for increasing your Twitter followers. Luan will also walk through how to use Twitter Analytics to measure success and refine your activity to achieve even greater results.

Come out and celebrate everything about the freelance way of life. We have live events taking place in Bristol Manchester and London. Check out nationalfreelancersday. com for all the details.

Webinar – How to structure your CV for private sector jobs Forward Ladies Regional Breakfast Club events 9:30–11:00am 6 Aprill-Newcastle, 11 April-London

Come and meet likeminded business women at Forward Ladies Power Business Breakfast Club. Mix and mingle, discuss ideas and create those all important new connections in an informal setting, whilst enjoying a light breakfast details at forwardladies.com

Thursday 27 April from 19:15pm

Join IPSE and The CV & Interview Advisors, thought-leaders on all things related to Personal Branding, for a live session on how to create a high impact CV.

ipsemagazine.co.uk

Guide to Freelancing

POLITICS

Students

New to freelancing

Experienced

London Members: Complimentary tickets Non-members: Early bird tickets ÂŁ37.50 limited to 50 first places Full price: ÂŁ75.00 Manchester and Bristol Complimentary tickets

For more information and to book tickets visit www.nationalfreelancersday.com 020 8897 9970

events@ipse.co.uk

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