Modern Work

modern work

Freelancers / Contractors / Independent Professionals / Self-Employed ISSUE 9 £3.95

BOOSTING BRAIN POWER

Performance consultant discusses how freelancers can be at their most productive

'I DO IT MY WAY'

Wheelchair userTom Fadden talks about why self-employment is the best way of working

IT'S A CELEBRATION Meet the finalists of this year's Freelancer of Year Awards

EDITOR

Jyoti Rambhai

jyoti.rambhai@ipse.co.uk MEDIA CONSULTANT Jim Cassidy

DESIGN

Martin Harling-Coward

REPORTERS

Tristan Grove Christina McLean Jessica Hayden James McLarin Inna Yordanova Chloé Jepps Claire Barrance Stuart Ulrich Zsofia Szendrei

CONTRIBUTORS

Anoosh Chakelian Gemma Church Benedict Smith Albert Azis-Clauson

PHOTOGRAPHY

Holly Cant Photography Nisha Haq Photography

Front cover

Abigail Ireland talks potions and productivity.

See page 5 for full story

More Modern Work PRINT Pick up your copy of Modern Work from coworking spaces including WeWork London and Ziferblat.

ONLINE Read a copy of this magazine online and see so much more at modernworkmag.co.uk.

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EVENTS Get insights from industry leaders and meet like-minded business individuals at networking events. See page 58 for more info.

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IPSE, Heron House, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0DX Modern work or 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, 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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Newsflash “Clarification that what you do is good, as freelancer you often don’t know. For IPSE to say that is a great honour.

Rachel Mason Freelancer of the Year Award finalist Full story p.29

modern work

Contents INTERVIEW Abigail Ireland on performance and productivity

05

NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY Freelancer of the Year Award finalists

30

RESEARCH The rise in disabled freelancers

08

NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY Programme highlights

41

NEWS Mortgages: Is the door lock for freelancers

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NEWS Your monthly briefing

43

INTERVIEW Catherine Jordan on client relationships

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FROM THE LOBBY Brexit is tearing the politcal family apart

44

RESEARCH The remote working phenomena

15

LIFESTYLE Tech review: Logitech BRIO webcam

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE Freelacing Singapore style

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LIFESTYLE Co-working: A space for the Wrexham community

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NEWS A quick guide to Making Tax Digital

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LIFESTYLE The new vegan-friendly co-working space

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EVENTS Five ways to maintain your wellbeing

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LIFESTYLE A new world: how immersive tech is changing the freelancing sector

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE Underpinned founder discusses freelancing in the creative sector

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE Should you grow your business?

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NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY Finalists take the stage in front of judges

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EVENTS The events that could benefit you

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How immersive tech is opening up a world of opportunities for freelancers, not just in the virtual realsm, but the real world of work too. (p.50)

From performance to parties, it's an all-round celebration A word from the editor

F

irstly, wherever you are, I hope you’re enjoying the first glimpses of bright summer weather. And now I hope to add another ray of sunshine: our special extended awards edition, in which we introduce the extraordinary people shortlisted for the IPSE Freelancer Awards. From astronomy journalists to sexperts, there are some truly remarkable stories to read.

Talking of remarkable stories, our front cover feature this issue is an interview with

June/July 2019

the amazing Abigail Ireland. A performance and productivity coach, she’s got an inspiring story to tell and plenty of great tips for all of us.

We’ve some more exciting news too: the launch of our new Modern Work website, which you can find at modernworkmag.co.uk. And to celebrate the launch, we’re running a competition where you can win a wireless keyboard and mouse worth £99. Just scan the code on the front of the magazine and sign up to our newsletter to take part.

Finally, as if all that wasn’t enough; the edito-

rial team here have some news of our own: I and our chief correspondent Tristan Grove have been shortlisted for the British Society of Magazine Editors awards. Wish us luck!

Jyoti Rambhai EDITOR

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© Holly Cant Photography

How are you fuelling your brain?

Lessons from performance coach Abigail Ireland

D

By Tristan Grove Chief correspondent

o what you love and love what you do.

That’s the saying, right? But what if what you love is just getting better at doing things? That’s the strange and fascinating position freelance performance consultant Abigail Ireland has found herself in. Abigail swapped a career in banking in Australia to launch her own business back in the UK as a performance coach, following the death of her father.

Since then she has built up a strong reputation not just in the UK but on a global scale. Her clientele come from a range of industries including banking, oil and gas, academia and legal.

She tells me: “The reason I love doing it so much as a business is that it interweaves so much into the way I live my life.” After all, if you’re telling people how to work and live well, surely you have to practise what you preach and live as well as you can.

June/July 2019

On her LinkedIn profile, she says: “Over the years, I’ve delved deep into the world of high performance and created an integrated system that addresses every factor that counts. The system is reinforced by professional credentials, science, studies and first-hand experience.”

It’s certainly true that her career has allowed her to delve into performance from a lot of different perspectives. As she tells me, she started out far from magic gardens and health foods: “Before I started this, I was working in banking in Australia. I was working in private equity, acquisition finance and then strategy – just lots of different roles in banking.”

So, what would turn a high-powered professional away from the world of banking?

“Well, it was when my dad died really suddenly in 2013 while I was still in Australia,” she says. “I’d always wanted to have my own business,

but that was the catalyst. It made me realise how short life is, so you’ve got to do what you want to do and make the most of life’s opportunities.”

Certainly, when we meet in a magical secret garden near London’s Southbank Centre (I would tell you where it is but then… hey, that would defeat the point, right?) she does indeed seem to be living the good life.

Abi arrives at this urban oasis with a brightgreen smoothie that looks for all the world like a glowing healing potion. Not to mention a ‘protein salad’ that looks so healthy I think my cough improves just by looking at it.

But then, if your stated aim is: “Transforming People. Transforming Performance,” magic potions might be a reasonable place to start. Abi, however, says it’s much more down to cold hard science.

When you consider the world of banking, in 5

which – in Europe at least – analysts can expect to work a minimum of 70 hours a week, you can see where the idea of performance and productivity consulting might have come from.

As Abi tells me, her career didn’t always give her time to think about wellbeing and performance: “While I was in banking, I didn’t always get an opportunity to do that, because I was working long hours a lot of the time or I was working weekends or late nights. I didn’t always have time to take care of myself.”

Now that she is a performance and productivity coach, of course, all that has changed: “Doing what I do now means that in order to do my job well, I have to be taking note of everything I learn in my personal life and applying it to my work.”

Then, of course, I can’t help but ask about

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the magic green potion – I mean smoothie: “Well, what you’ve got to remember is that our brains actually use about 25 per cent of our energy intake.

When you think about that, you’ve got to ask what kind of energy you’re feeding your brain. When you consider high-performance cars or other vehicles, a lot of effort goes into making sure they have top-quality fuel, otherwise they won’t run as well as they should.

“The trouble is that most people don’t realise it’s a problem. My challenge in workshops is often convincing people there is an even more amazing state they can get to – they just don’t know it because they haven’t experienced it before.”

The million-dollar question, though, and what you have almost certainly been waiting for: how exactly does Abi improve people’s perfor-

mance? (And, obviously, how might that help us?).

“A big thing is that a lot of people don’t like having routines because they think it will disrupt their creativity or be too boring and predictable.

But having a routine actually frees up more of your time to do what you want.

“Start every day with a good routine. It’s really about thinking what’s going to be the best way to set up your day in the first hour after you get up. It’s about getting into a mindset that will allow you to be most productive during the day.

“I start the day with a few minutes of quiet reflection, followed by a cup of warm water which I drink whilst writing in my journal. I jot down what’s clogging up my mind and what I want to achieve that day, how I feel and what I am excited about.

“Exercise is next, and then a healthy breakmodern work

fast. Working out first thing makes me 10x more productive during the day and helps to give me focus. When I sit down to work, I focus on the big thing I want to accomplish first or else the day can get hijacked by emails and general ’stuff'. By lunchtime, I feel like I’ve already achieved so much. My days don’t always work out like this but I know I’m at my most productive when I follow my routine.

“A solid morning routine definitely helps me to set the tone for the day. It is different for everybody though, so it’s important to experiment and see what works for you. The most significant outcome of my routine is that it reinforces a proactive and positive mindset.

“Regardless of your individual preferences, a healthy and happy mind is crucial if you want to be high performing and productive. Do whatever you like to do to get into that headspace. Focus on the specific actions you can take to move you one step closer to your goals and start doing.”

As every freelancer knows, your workload can fluctuate, which is why Abi stresses the importance of having such a routine.

“Scheduling your calendar is really important too because it allows you to check you’re managing your time well. I intentionally map out time blocks in my calendar for exercise, my morning

routine, breaks, and even winding down in the evening. These entries are scheduled every day as this helps me to be consistent.

“If I don’t intentionally factor in time for these activities, it’s easy to forget about or deprioritise them. It’s important to be flexible at times, so I can always move items if I need to (and again, I need to make time for these important activities elsewhere in my calendar).

“I also schedule my task list into my calendar, alongside meetings. You only have a certain number of hours in the day so it helps me to see how I am allocating my time to the things that matter.”

I worry I might be trying to squeeze a bit too much advice from Abi, but I ask just one more thing.

“I think if you’re thinking about setting up your own business, you’ve really got to have passion and drive for it. It won’t be a quick overnight success.

“I’ve been working in business and banking for years and when you come out of that, you think you know so much about having a business. But actually, working for yourself is completely different.

“Working for yourself can be quite challenging and there will always be those ups and downs.

Everyone who works for themselves knows that it will be a rollercoaster. It’s just about accepting that. It’s about emotional resilience.”

Boost your productivity with Abi Ireland:

1 Manage your to-do list Look at what you’ve got on your plate and be ruthless about what’s important and what’s going to get you the results you’re looking for. Think about why you’re doing each task. You can always challenge things if they don’t seem quite right or will take too long.

June/July 2019

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3

4

5

Get a good routine

Get a good night’s sleep

Eat well and exercise.

Learn to say no

Think about what you can do every day as a morning routine, but also your evening routine in terms of switching off electronics and making sure you get a good night’s sleep.

Some people can operate on four hours and some people can’t. Most people need seven to eight hours, so it’s about giving yourself time to have a good sleep so you can wake up more energised and productive.

It’s really important to think about what you’re eating and how it makes you feel. Just because something’s the latest diet trend, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be good for you.

Be present, sense your body and how food makes you feel. If you’re feeling tired or lethargic after something, eat less of it. Just be conscious that everyone’s different and you need to work out what food is good for you.

Saying no is one of the biggest challenges. It comes up time and again. Some people don’t even realise they aren’t good at saying no. Too often, they don’t say no to pieces of work, end up having too much on and feel overwhelmed. It’s really important to think about that: are you even aware that you’re not good at saying no?

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Disability: How freelancing is restoring freedom

By Inna Yordanova Research correspondent

New research shows the number of disabled people in self-employment has risen by 30 per cent in the last five years.

Wheelchair user, Tom Fadden, explains why this way of working for yourself is becoming so popular.

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W

hen I get into the office, I make myself a coffee, chat to my colleagues before sitting down and getting on with my work. And then throughout the day, I will talk to the people around me, as well as other departments, while doing my work.

That’s my daily routine. Many of us don’t think twice about it. But for others, a daily routine like that can be incredibly challenging.

Tom Fadden is a wheelchair user, who feels traditional methods of employment are not open to him. When looking for work, he said, that in interviews he could tell the employer was “thinking around the issues of making work accessible”.

After leaving his previous job due to a men-

tal illness, Tom decided the way forward was to become self-employed. He enrolled himself in the Princes Trust Enterprise programme, through which he was able to share his experience and get help putting together a business.

The programme also provides Tom with a mentor, who supports him and offers advice on issues such as late payment. He added: “The knowledge gained from the enterprise programme, along with the guidance from my mentor was invaluable in getting my business off the ground.”

The self-employment sector in the UK has grown rapidly in the last 20 years and now stands at almost five million. The freedom and flexibility of working for yourself is one of the biggest motimodern work

“Almost half (44%) of disabled selfemployed people spent 10 years or more working for themselves" vations behind this growth, particularly for those who have a disability.

Fourteen per cent of all solo self-employed people are classified as disabled under the Equality Act 2010: this accounts for 611,000 people. (Disability is defined, in law, as anyone with a physical or mental impairment which has a negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities).

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of disabled people entering the self-employed workforce is increasing at a substantial rate. In fact, in the last five years there has been a 30 per cent rise.

But why are more and more people like Tom looking to self-employment as the way forward? A new report by IPSE and Community looked into who the disabled self-employed are, their motivations, the key challenges they face and what government and other organisations can do to support them.

The research was based on data analysis, interviews with experts from government, the charity sector and academia, as well as 15 interviews conducted with the disabled self-employed themselves.

WHAT DO DISABLED PEOPLE REALLY THINK ABOUT SELF-EMPLOYMENT? The majority of the respondents had a positive view of self-employment. While they acknowledged the challenges they faced in it, they were broadly happy and satisfied with their quality of

June/July 2019

life as a self-employed person.

Despite the interviewees having different initial reasons for becoming self-employed, many said that working for themselves definitely had a positive impact on their lifestyle.

Tom has been running his own disability consultancy firm since 2016. He helps businesses better understand disabilities by providing awareness training at universities.

With his disability, Tom said his energy levels can often fluctuate, and therefore values the flexibility that self-employment provides. He also enjoys the autonomy of working for himself and having control over the projects he takes on.

Tom is just one example of someone with a disability who, through self-employment, can be independent and work in a way that suits them. He is not sure he could ever go back into traditional employment, and he is not the only one. In fact, the study showed that almost half (44%) of disabled self-employed people have been working for themselves for 10 or more years.

KEY CHALLENGES IN SELFEMPLOYMENT Self-employment, however, doesn’t come without its challenges, and that’s no different for people with disabilities. And many of these challenges are largely similar and include: • Accessing start-up capital

• Setting up your business • Setting up your finances • Complying with legal and tax laws • Establishing a client base and finding work.

Tom, for instance, finds the seasonal aspect of the business challenging, as well as the constant work and communication with clients.

One thing that is a particular challenge for disabled self-employed people is accessing welfare support, through the Work Capability Assessment.

According to the report, there is a lack of understanding about mental health conditions, and the benefits received through Universal Credit don’t often meet people's financial needs.

Jonathan Lima-Matthews, public affairs manager at IPSE, said: “As the number of disabled people in self-employment continues to rise, it is increasingly important to make sure we better understand their diverse needs, experiences and the challenges they face.

“While the government can work to reform the welfare system in order to better support this group, there is also space for charities, trade associations and trade unions to provide expert advice and tailored support for them.

“In a report to be released in summer, we lay out a series of practical recommendations for government and industry on how can help ensure self-employment is sustainable and rewarding for disabled people.”

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modern work

Is the door locked for the self-employed when it comes to mortgages?

By Jessica Hayden

N

early three quarters (71%) of self-employed people who have a mortgage believed their application was more difficult due to their employment status, new research has revealed.

Online mortgage broker Trussle carried out their third Mortgage Save Review, using insight from lenders and 20,002 self-employed borrowers and homeowners.

The report found that a combination of complex documents, additional time and lack of understanding of the self-employed and their needs, has led to a significant number being underserved.

It also found that a third of borrowers had trouble compiling all the information required for the mortgage application, and a fifth (18 per cent) of self-employed borrowers aged 25-34 are delaying having children as a result.

Anthea Morris, self-employed director of Better2know, explained just how difficult she found getting a mortgage. She said: “I thought I would be able to apply for a mortgage as an employee just as I had twice previously.

“I researched all the available mortgages and chose one, saying I was an employee. My application in principle was approved. However, after I had made the offer the application was de-

June/July 2019

clined. I tried again with a second provider, and the same thing happened: approval in principle, but declined an offer.”

Being self-employed, Anthea found the process more complicated.

“Previously, as an employee buying my own home, I only had to provide my last three payslips and that was sufficient proof,” she said. “But now I had to provide three months of personal bank statements, payslips and the last two years financial statements of the company.

“Members of my team applied for mortgages at the same time, and their process was simpler.

Being a director of a business must change your risk in the eyes of the lender.”

Based on her experience, Anthea advises other self-employed people to go through a broker.

Nicholas Morrey, from John Charcol mortgage broker, said: “In a similar way to how a company needing a particular skillset for a one-off task will turn to a self-employed expert, the self-employed will often need a mortgage expert to understand their situation correctly before sourcing the most appropriate mortgage.

“An adviser in a lender’s branch is only permitted to discuss that lender’s approach to the self-employed. If the applicant does not fit their

criteria, they have to politely decline the whole application with no hints as to where might accept them”.

Jonathan Lima-Matthews, public affairs manager at IPSE said: “Mortgages are just one example of the self-employed being financially left behind. For the fast-growing number of people in the sector, who add £275bn to the UK economy each year, this can be very damaging”.

Anthea Morris

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Designing the perfect client

© Holly Cant Photography

Graphic Designer, Catherine Jordan, specialises in branding because she enjoys building client relationships and transforming values into visuals. Christina McLean speaks to her about the ups and downs of managing client relationships.

C

atherine Jordan is a graphic designer.

Just like many self-employed people, however, she’s also her own boss, HR department, project manager, sales team, strategist and countless other roles that make up a business. This means that in her 12 years of self-employment, she has needed skills 12

that go beyond the Adobe products and paper stock that she uses to create a suite of digital and print branding for her clients.

The skill of maintaining client relationships is crucial to the success of a small business. And in the multitude of roles Catherine must play within her business, she’s experienced many of the ups

and downs that come with this.

Catherine initially started her career in the world of publishing, before quickly deciding that the structure and routine of a nine-to-five job just wasn’t for her. Instead she retrained in a more creative field and, after studying at London College of Communications (LCC), she joined modern work

Design Laboratory, a multi-disciplinary design studio within Central Saint Martins. During her five years there she focused on branding and packaging for clients such as Bacardi, Dom Pérignon and Moët Hennessy.

Embracing the side-hustle, she began to freelance in her spare time and, after launching her own graphic design business, she landed clients such as the English National Ballet (she designed invitations for their Spring Gala, as well as the tickets, RSVP cards and other printed materials). Now she creates a multitude of products for clients, from small logos for independent businesses to full-scale visual identities.

Specialising in branding, Catherine says she “enjoys building client relationships and transforming their values into visuals”.

In fact, one of her first clients is still with her 12 years on: “Every year they come back to me with the same project. It’s always a bit different so there are new challenges - but I feel quite proud that they’ve stuck with me for so long and that there’s a good relationship between us,” she adds.

But, as many freelancers will agree, not every client relationship can be this successful. “In the early days, difficult clients would definitely upset me and I would go out of my way to try and please them,” explains Catherine.

“Now that I’m older and more experienced I’ve been able to stand up for myself a bit more and trust my gut a lot more about when the client is going to be difficult. If I sense that the relationship isn’t going to work out, I tend to turn the project down.”

The idea of turning down work can someJune/July 2019

times be a daunting one for freelancers, especially if you don’t know when your next project might come in.

“I felt it was difficult at the time to turn the project down, but I felt good about the decision,” says Catherine. By maintaining relationships with the clients you work well with, you can help ensure that repeat business and referrals come your way.

holding this back it makes it difficult to complete the job properly.”

To avoid this, Catherine says she prefers to do things face-to-face as it allows you to get to know the client better. You can also make notes along the way, she adds.

“I think you get more out of someone by talking to them as opposed to only speaking through emails or phone calls. Actually, building a relationship is the most important part – the more they can trust you, the more they’ll open up and the better job you can do.”

While this trust that has been established is important for the optimum final product, maintaining client relationships also means putting these face-to-face meetings on paper.

“Whenever I accept a job, I always draw up a contract so that the client knows exactly what they’re paying me and for what,” Catherine emphasises. This ensures that both parties are in agreement and helps avoid any issues further down the line.

Running your own business requires you to develop a variety of skills and play a host of different roles. Among the most important of those skills is maintaining good client relationships. Catherine’s experiences highlight the importance of building trust and transparency with your clients, and show that when it comes to client relationships, it is important to trust your gut.

"If I sense the relationship isn’t going to work out, I turn the project down."

Her advice when meeting a new client? Watch out for certain red flags. One that can become apparent early on in the process is when a client provides a brief that isn’t very clear and appears to be intentionally cagey or secretive about certain elements of their business.

“As a designer you want to know as much as possible about the client or the business you’re working for, otherwise you can’t do the job properly. You need to research things fully and get a proper picture of the project - so if a client is 13

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Remote work: The new way of working

By ChloĂŠ Jepps Research correspondent

June/July 2019

R

emote working seems to be the new way of working. And it is not only for the self-employed but also for employees who are seeking a more flexible way of working that can provide a better work-life balance. Remote or flexible working, in fact, has been found to be the third most important factor for millennials when looking for a job.

A new report by The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) and PeoplePerHour (PPH) Remote Working: Freedom and Flexibility for the Self-Employed revealed that almost 90 per cent of self-employed people had worked

remotely in the last year.

The aim of the research was to understand what remote working means to the self-employment sector: Who is working remotely? Why are people working in this way? What are some of the key benefits and challenges associated with this way of work?

The study, which asked almost 1,300 self-employed people about their views and experiences of remote working, found that this term itself meant different things to different people.

Ninety-seven per cent of respondents said they worked remotely from home at least occasionally, with few claiming they 15

Where do people prefer to work Home

97%

Public Place

Travelling

Workhub

32%

55%

Flexibility

Save time

43%

Work-life balance

41%

24% Money

27%

Time with loved ones

20%

Reduce stress

20%

13%

hardly worked from the same workhub. In fact, only a quarter of all self-employed people said that they always worked from the same location. For most, it was a mixture of home, while travelling, in a public space or at a workhub.

On average, people who worked remotely spent almost two thirds of their typical working week doing so, with the remaining time spent with clients or at client premises. Interestingly, almost half of respondents wanted to spend more time working remotely (45%) with only 16 per cent wanting to do less.

So why are more and more people enjoying this way of working?

As with self-employment in general, the key benefit of remote working was the increased flexibility it provides, with 55 per cent saying this was a key advantage; for example, parents being able to work around childcare and being able to spend more time with their families.

Other clear benefits of remote working were the time and money it saves, especially in relation to travelling to and from places of work. One fifth of respondents also said that it helped reduce their stress levels as they were able to choose when and where to do their work.

This in turn can lead many to feel more productive in their work, enabling a better work-life balance. The research found that overall, remote working is widely seen as a very positive way of work, with 93 per cent stating that it enhances their freelancing experience.

As with most things, however, remote working is not without its challenges. The main disadvantages reported were around difficulties in communication. This included difficulties with

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Why do people prefer remote working?

receiving clear communication from clients and receiving regular feedback.

Feelings of loneliness and disconnect from a lack of interaction with other people were reported by almost one fifth of the respondents as key disadvantages of working remotely. A further quarter also said that remote working made them feel like they weren’t part of a team.

Certain things can help support remote working and make it more effective. These include things like having access to office equipment, including mobile devices, computers and printers.

“It is really encouraging to see how remote working is being embraced by the self-employed and the businesses who hire them."

Communication with clients can also be made more effective by making sure self-employed people have access to the right tools and that clear deadlines and expectations are set.

By far the most important tool for remote working was access to a fast and reliable internet connection and this was cited by over three quarters of respondents.

For many, access to fast and reliable internet may seem like a given in the twenty-first century.

However, Ofcom research has found that 42 per

cent of UK microbusinesses do not have access to superfast broadband, rising to 85 per cent of businesses in rural areas.

The growing trend of remote working is showing no signs of slowing down – in fact, 35 per cent of self-employed people predict that in the future, all work will be done remotely.

Therefore, the report has outlined a number of recommendations to enable remote working to be an even more positive experience and tackle some of the challenges. These include asking the government to commit to 100 per cent access to broadband across the UK by 2020 and to support and enable the creation of workhubs; and ensuring that clients provide the self-employed people they take on with access to the right tools and networks they need to work effectively.

Founder and CEO of PeoplePerHour, Xenios Thrasyvoulou, said: “It is really encouraging to see how remote working is being embraced by the self-employed and the businesses who hire them.

Businesses who are open to working with remote workers give themselves access to a wider pool of the best talent.

“It is now important for government to help with the infrastructure needed to make this way of work sustainable; better and faster broadband access as well as better access to shared workspaces will be a good start.”

The full research can be found at ipse.co.uk.

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Self-employment Singapore style Why the UK should look to the east for inspiration in the world of freelancing

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By James McLarin

t the time of writing, the UK is wobbling unsteadily towards Brexit.

In the short period before publication anything could, and probably has, happened. Since the start of the EU referendum campaign, leading Brexiteers have suggested a variety of economic models for the UK beyond Europe.

Alongside the usual suspects of Canada, Norway and Switzerland, many, such as Tory MEP and arch free-marketeer Daniel Hannan, have suggested Britain should look east to the Asian tiger economies for inspiration. Chief among 18

these is Singapore, which was hailed as recently as December by the foreign secretary (the future Prime Minister?), Jeremy Hunt, for its economic model.

A city state of 5.6 million people, the whole population is only slightly bigger than the UK’s 4.8 million-strong self-employed workforce. As a place with no major natural resources, it has grown from an impoverished nation to having the eighth-highest GDP per capita in the world, 15 places above the UK. To get there, the Singapore government has built a reputation for being forward-looking and unashamedly pro-business in its approach. modern work

With its support for free markets and economic liberalism, it is easy to see why many, especially world-facing Brexiteers, look to Singapore. They hope to boost the UK’s flagging economy by replicating the low taxes, light but effective regulation and large amounts of trade.

The question is, would replicating Singapore’s approach work for the UK’s self-employed and freelancers?

There are striking similarities between self-employment in the UK and Singapore. For starters, around 14 per cent of people in both the UK and Singapore are self-employed. In both countries, there is also a large question mark over the impact of the platform economy and the growing number of freelancers on tax and employment status.

In the face of these challenges, the Singaporean government has been bullish in support of highly skilled self-employment.

Earlier this year, for example, Singapore’s manpower minister Josephine Teo said about freelance creatives: “If we look to the future of work, I think a number of features are prominent. For example, we know that

human creativity will become even more important. And I think we must also expect that creative professionals will have more important roles to play.”

This would be music to the ears of many freelancers in the UK, who are more used to the government talking about ‘disguised employment’ and tax avoidance.

An interesting example of the Singaporean approach is its Tripartite Standards. These are voluntary codes that have been jointly developed by the unions, employers and the government. The Singaporean government says the standards “…boost Singapore’s economic competitiveness, promote harmonious labour-management relations and contribute to Singapore’s overall progress.”

There are now standards for self-employed people, media freelancers and fixed-term contract employees. The standards were launched in March 2018, and by mid-February 2019 nearly 500 companies had signed up for them, covering around 30,000 workers.

Reflecting on the standards, Ms Teo said that they would improve con-

tract terms between freelancers and clients, which would help to avoid disputes that: “Can potentially take up all of the creative professional’s time, and divert their attention from what they really want to do, which is to create.”

Freelance graphic and fashion designer Joline Lim told Channel News Asia that the Tripartite Standard gives her and the hirer more confidence in their terms and conditions.

All this underlines the key difference between the UK and Singaporean approaches to freelancing and self-employment. As a country that is reliant on skills and knowledge to drive its economy, Singapore is making a clear push to make freelancing better.

Another key example of the Singaporean approach to freelancing is its governmental Infocomm Media Development Agency (IMDA). The IMDA is tasked with ensuring Singapore has a strong technology and media sector and makes sure the country recognises the value that freelancers add to the economy. It has a strong focus on training and encouraging creative talent.

The IDMA recently met with IPSE, in London, and Modern Work sat in on the meeting. Topics ranged from research to how to celebrate the contributions of the self-employed. The discussions were interesting for both sides and there is likely to be further knowledge-sharing in the future.

Of course, Singapore isn’t perfect for freelancing. The self-employed there face similar challenges to those in the UK – particularly in terms of tax and pensions. Some of the issues the Tripartite Standards were put in place to deal with are similar to those the small business commissioner is working to resolve here. But in Singapore, there does seem to be more willingness to recognise the importance of the self-employed. A bit more of that attitude would be welcome here – Brexit or no Brexit.

June/July 2019

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Three easy steps to MTD compliance

By James McLarin

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MRC’s flagship Making Tax Digital (MTD) project came into effect in April and for now, it only applies to VAT for businesses with a turnover more than the £85,000 threshold. MTD is what the tax watchdog is calling a “fundamental” change to the way tax is collected. However, many people are unaware of these new rules.

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Register for MTD

Register for MTD. If you are VAT registered and have a turnover of more than £85,000 you will need to register at least a week before your return is due. There are a few businesses which may be exempt for six months so check HMRC’s website beforehand.

June/July 2019

According to research by The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE), one in four did not know about MTD and some knew a ‘little’.

So what does this mean? For those who have an accountant, they do not need to worry as they should be on the case. If not, Modern Work has put together three easy steps to ensure you are MTD-compliant.

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Find the right MTD compatible software for you

This is possibly the trickiest step and the products on the market currently are likely to charge you for this. Many of the apps available don’t just offer a service for being MTD-compatible, so it is worth shopping around to find out what will suit your business.

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Authorise your chosen software

The software provider should be able to help with this. If you run into difficulties, don’t worry. As a last resort, you will still be able to declare your VAT via the old system. HMRC has said it will be lenient, but it is not an excuse not to pay.

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Small steps can mean giant strides in tackling loneliness Jessica Hayden speaks to Michelle Pratt about her five ways to maintaining your wellbeing as a freelancer

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tarting out as a freelancer can be particularly daunting, says Michelle Pratt; “there’s an awful lot of responsibility on your shoulders” and that is why your health and wellbeing are so important.

Michelle, founder of personal development and training business Dive Deeper Development, accepted voluntary redundancy in order to become self-employed and advise freelancers on why they need to focus on their wellbeing more than employees.

“When you are employed, a lot of things are given to you,” she explains. “Someone tells you how many hours to work, when to work, the environment you work in, how much you are actually worth in pounds and pence. When you become self-employed, all of that comes onto your shoulders.”

As challenging as starting out is, Michelle says that being self-employed allows you the freedom to start again and ask, “How do I like to work?” Many of us wouldn’t know how to answer that question – haven’t we just come to accept the nine-to-five workday?

In order to figure out the best way for you to work, Michelle suggests five ways to wellbeing as a freelancer.

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Understand yourself

MICHELLE encourages freelancers to discover the environment they work best in.

“I have an extroversion preference, so I need people to work with,” Michelle says. “If I don’t have that, I tend to become quite withdrawn and very isolated very quickly.” Human contact every day is important for everyone, even introverts, she explains.

This doesn’t just mean co-working, although this can be a fantastic way to meet fellow freelancers. “It could just be by working round a friend’s house or going to a coffee shop where people know your name,” Michelle explains.

“When you are employed, you don’t need to do that, but when you are self-employed you have to actively seek it.”

There are practical ways to tackle isolation too, Michelle says: “If you are feeling stuck in a rut, or feeling isolated, physically moving your body can really energise you and give you a different perspective on things.

“I go out for half an hour or so and just walk.

Whether that’s just lost in my own thoughts, or it’s just to get a bit of exercise, that is just something I do on a regular basis.”

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Choose the right people around you

FREELANCING presents unique challenges, and it can be helpful to meet with others who share similar experiences to you. Going to events aimed at freelancers is a great way to find a network.

“Not every event is going to suit every crowd,” Michelle explains, “but your crowd is out there – it might just take a little trial and error to find that crowd.”

There are some fantastic support networks for freelancers around. Every Friday, Michelle attends Katy Carlisle’s pop-up co-working group called Freelance Folk.

“We take our laptops and work from the same place. It’s a bit like having colleagues – we even go for Christmas dinner together.”

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Manage distractions

“MANAGING distractions is about the fact that we can’t really multitask,” Michelle tells me. According to her, when we think we are multitasking, what we are really doing is switching between tasks too quickly, which creates a real drain on our ability to focus.

Michelle suggests switching off notifications on your phone, turning off all sounds and alerts, and even taking the battery out of your doorbell to allow yourself to focus on one thing at a time.

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Play to your strengths

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Measure small successes

MICHELLE recommends The Power of When, a book by Michael Breus that helps determine when you have your best energy in the day. This can help you discover when to do your focused work, when you can be more creative, and even when to eat lunch.

A benefit of being self-employed is being able to decide when to work. This may mean that you work better later in the day, or that you do all your creative tasks first thing in the morning.

“IT TAKES a lot of work to develop your own business and you often don’t get the payoff for your efforts until far off into the future,” explains Michelle, so celebrating small victories can be very motivating.

It is important to work out what is best for you as an individual so it can allow you to get the best out of yourself and your business.

Summarising freelancing, Michelle says: “Everything is for you at the end of the day and that is very motivating.”

Michelle spoke at the Freelancing: The way to wellbeing event in Manchester on 15 May 2019, hosted by IPSE. 23

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‘The freelancer movement is here to stay… it’s time for government to show their support’

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By Albert Azis-Clauson CEO and Co-Founder of UnderPinned

he British economy is losing out because of the lack of support for freelancers. According to research by IPSE, more than two million people are now carving out careers as freelancers in the UK. They are pursuing their passions while deciding when and how they work.

Few sectors have benefitted from this trend as much as the creative industries, which has boomed in recent years, partly thanks to a huge influx of young and hungry freelance workers. However, while this way of life is enticing initially, it can be a minefield for those starting out. This is largely down to the lack of support and infrastructure that currently exists in the freelance world. If we want to continue reaping the rewards of this trend, this

June/July 2019

More than a third (35%) of people in the creative sector are self-employed

needs to change.

If government, policymakers and businesses needed any more reason to better support freelancers, they need only look at the financial contribution this group is making to the economy. In 2016, freelancers contributed £119 billion to GDP – a figure that rose by £10 billion from the previous year – while the flexibility offered by Britain’s freelancers was estimated to have created an additional £21 billion in economic growth.

In the creative industries, which were estimated to have generated £101 billion for the economy in 2017, freelancers are having an equally important impact. More than a third (35%) of workers in this sector are self-employed, compared with 15 per cent across the workforce as a whole. The

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continued growth of this sector is testament to the talented people coming through the ranks at the 284,000 creative businesses in the UK. However, this success story is not being reflected in the way that the UK treats its freelancers. Policy governing this area is still in its infancy and industry infrastructure can’t keep up with the needs of a more mobile and short-term worker.

One area where support is greatly lacking is in administration. This generally presents a major burden for freelancers, especially for those in creative industries whose skillset is often at odds with having to take on the role of accountant. Tasks which full-time workers know will be done for them by other departments can become time-consuming, labour-intensive headaches, which take the focus away from building a sustainable pipeline of fulfilling work.

Too often this includes having to chase payment from employers. Indeed, IPSE research shows that freelancers spend an average of 20 days a year chasing invoices for late payment, while over 40 per cent have done work they were never paid for. Among 18-34-year-olds, this rises to a staggering 58 per cent.

It can also be a major struggle to find relevant support and careers advice. With a lack of resources in schools and universities, they enter the workforce with a deficit of knowledge with few places to turn for advice. While there are some niche groups with the potential to make a difference in this area, they can be difficult to find or access.

Many of these issues don’t ever impact the wider workforce, but for freelancers they can be present from the very start of a young person’s career right through to a seasoned freelancer with decades of experience.

Both the lack of support, and the significant admin burden mean that freelancers, especially those in creative industries where pay is typically low, often struggle to build fulfilling careers and find themselves stuck in a rut. Instead, many will be servicing a disparate series of jobs, which bear no resemblance to their ambitions or dream career path.

Our workplace system has failed to keep up with the rapid changes in the way people actually earn a living, leaving it to feel outdated and often unfair. The two million freelancers in the UK are showing signs of increasing, rather than depleting, and so it is time to stop trying to only mitigate the problems, and instead find solutions that can change the system, making it fit for the future.

We’re calling for the government and businesses to make the workplace more suited to freelance workers by implementing changes to law and business practices. Progress has been made

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in this area in the past couple of years, with Matthew Taylor’s review of modern working practices highlighting many of the issues facing freelancers to the government and national media.

However, tangible change is still not within reach for many of the people working in the sector day-in-day out, and collaboration between the likes of IPSE, policymakers and freelancer-focused plat-

forms like UnderPinned will be key in generating ideas and providing support to make sure the world of freelancing is fit for the future.

Albert is the co-founder and CEO of UnderPinned, the start-up that helps freelancers find work, manage work and get paid.”

modern work

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© Nisha Haq Photography

The 2019 Freelancer Awards: A sneak peak

“I

don’t need to explain myself ”, mused finalist and journalist Marina Gask, “they get it”.

The Freelancer of the Year Awards, hosted by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE), is an excellent opportunity for freelancers to meet and celebrate their careers.

Shortlisted freelancers from across the UK gathered in central London to be judged by an expert panel.

The candidates shortlisted for the four awards had 15 minutes to present their businesses to a panel of judges, who were impressed by the high standard of the shortlist.

Rachel Mason, songwriter and musical director from Somerset, said she particularly liked getting “clarification that what you do is good, as a freelancer you often don’t know. For IPSE to say that, it is a great honour”.

The entrants are from varied back-

grounds with an impressive calibre of work and professional portfolios, representing the flexibility and skill of the freelance world.

Nominees include an astronomer, a fashion designer, and a sex writer.

Fashion designer Bree Kotomah said: “This is one of the best experiences I’ve had, I have learned so much”. Bree also said how applying has taught her about presenting her business in a competitive industry.

Creative thinker and contemporary artist,Olivier Jamin, shared his concluding thoughts: “I really appreciate all the help and support IPSE has given me leading up to today as well as the recognition of being chosen.

"It is hard work, isn’t it? We’ve all got such different skills that we can share, so it’s so good to speak to everyone!”

The judging day was held at the co-working space Rise, which is run by Judopay.

“This is one of the best experiences I’ve had, I have learned so much”

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Freelancer of the Year Award The Finalists RACHEL MASON Songwriter/ Musical director

The Freelancer of the Year Award, now in its sixth year, is an annual celebration of the positive contribution freelancers make to the UK economy.

Applicants are judged on a range of criteria including the strength of their portfolio, their passion and commitment to freelancing, business acumen, creativity and the distinctiveness of their work.

The winners, for all categories, will be announced at the Freelancer of the Year Awards ceremony at in London on 13 June 2019.

The Freelancer of the Year category honours people who have built a successful career in freelancing.

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Rachel Mason, from Somerset, is a songwriter, musical director, arranger and vocal coach. She was an expert judge for Sing: Ultimate A Cappella, Sky One’s National Television Award-nominated show, during which she worked with musicians ranging from Midge Ure to The Vamps.

As a Musical Director, Rachel has worked with over 20 choirs in her lifetime. Rachel currently runs a community choir who recently performed at the Royal Albert Hall, a junior show choir and Amplify Choir, who performed in the 25th Anniversary celebrations in Disneyland Paris.

LOKSAN HARLEY Policy Analyst Loksan Harley is an independent policy analyst, project manager and researcher. He has been a freelancer for over five years, during which time he has been based in Burkina Faso, China, India and the UK. Loksan has extensive experience in research, programme management and technical assistance working with governments, international organisations and NGOs worldwide.

Loksan works most extensively with the United Nations (UN). On behalf of the UN, he has advised the European Commission on migration-related international development programmes, and advised African governments on human trafficking and migrant smuggling policies. He has also provided strategic advice to NGOs such as Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services.

modern work

COLIN STUART Astronomy author and speaker

ALEXANDRA HARDWICK Graphic designer

Colin Stuart is an astronomy author and speaker who has talked to half-a-million people about the universe, and even has an asteroid named after him.

His books have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. He has also written 150+ popular science articles for The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, New Scientist and the European Space Agency, amongst others. In 2014 he was runner-up in the European Astronomy Journalism Prize.

As a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, he's talked about the wonders of the universe on Sky News, BBC News and Radio 5Live.

Alexandra founded Line and Dot Creative Agency in 2014 specialising in web and print design projects for charities, social impact projects, SMEs and fashion brands.

She started her career as a designer for the British Heart Foundation. She then went onto a global fashion branding agency, working with brands such as Stella McCartney, Adidas, Hugo Boss and Disney. Alex’s extensive experience in fashion enables fast paced, innovation-led design and creativity. She applies this creativity and structure to develop charitable and community projects with the maximum social impact.

KATE TAYLOR Relationship writer

ELISE CIAMPAGLIA Wedding flourist

Kate Taylor has been a freelance writer, specialising in dating, relationships and sex, for 23 years. In that time she has written five books, two online courses, and thousands of articles for magazines and newspapers including The Sun, The Guardian, The Observer, Men’s Health, More!, and Glamour. She was also GQ’s Sex Columnist for five years.

She presented two series of Sex Tips for Girls on Channel Four, and worked with match. com as their Dating Expert for a decade. She has been voted Dating Writer of the Year in the 2017 UK Dating Awards. Kate now helps the over-50s in their search for love as the Dating Expert for OurTime.co.uk and Readers Digest.

Elise Ciampaglia is a freelance specialist wedding florist, based in Hampshire.

Having trained at Southwark College in 2004, Elise then gained experience in a small florist shop and, in 2009, started Florescence.

Running Florescence has given her an opportunity to use her skills in sales, design, marketing, admin, accounts and, of course, floristry.

Elise has won mltiple industry and businses awards, including winning Best Customer Service in the 2014 New Enterprise Allowance Awards, and being a Finalist in the 2016 British Small Business Awards for Sole Trader of the Year.

Elise plans to open a wedding venue with a florist workshop on site, so the two businesses can feed into one another.

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Young freelancer of the year finalists The Young Freelancer of the Year award is an opportunity to celebrate the youngest in the freelancing industry, and their contribution to society.

ELLIOT REEVES-GIBLIN Actor

BREE KOTOMAH Fashion designer

Born in Liverpool, Elliot began his career as a freelancer at the age of 17, working professionally as an actor at such theatres as the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse. In 2015, with other Liverpool creatives, Elliot set up Out On Its Own Theatre Company. The company is comprised of young working-class actors, designers and directors, who tell relevant, engaging stories.

Now in his final year at drama school, he hopes to grow and expand the company to tell even more stories to engage audiences and inspire the next generation of performers.

Boresa Kotomah, known as Bree, is a 23-yearold fashion designer and seamstress. Originally from Ghana, Bree uses her Ghanaian heritage and culture, infused with her western upbringing, as the main creative inspiration behind her brand.

After graduating from university, Bree decided to pursue her love for fashion. She worked in fashion public relations for nine months before deciding to set up her business. In April 2018, the brand Boresa Kotomah was born. Since then, Bree has worked full-time for the brand. Having no prior fashion design experience, Bree is completely self-taught.

LIAM CHARMER Web developer

SHAUNNAH CROSBIE Costume designer

Liam Charmer, 24, has been creating technical products for companies since the age of 11, and officially for the past year. Liam believes strongly in working with clients to make sure his service reaches its greatest potential. When Liam isn’t working, he enjoys playing golf and has a keen passion for landscape photography.

Shaunnah Crosbie, 22, from Caerphilly in South Wales, runs a small costume design business.

Whe she graduated from university, she worked in Theatre and TV as a costume assistant but then decided to start her own business. Having always worked on craft stalls selling cushions and bunting, she now makes 1950s-style circle skirts and sells them as a package with an adorned t-shirt, frilled socks, matching headband and petticoat.

To achieve her business goals, she has been assisted by Big Ideas Wales and The Princes Trust. She feels they have been phenomenal and a real asset to her. In return for all of their help she has now been named as a Big Ideas Wales Role Model, and has also become a Young Ambassador for The Princes Trust.

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New to freelancing From setting your own goals and negotiating your contracts to simply becoming your own boss, getting started in the world of freelancing can be a challenge. The New to Freelancing award celebrates people who have recently taken the leap from employment to freelancing.

SEAN MUNTANER Graphic designer

ADAM PEARSON Research and evaluation consultant

Sean is a freelance industrial and graphic designer based in London. Running under the name Palma Bay Creative, Sean helps businesses launch products and services to customers worldwide. After leaving his full-time job as a senior designer for Marks & Spencer, Sean has gone on to design products, packaging, graphics, marketing collateral and branding for a variety of large and small businesses. Alongside M&S, his products can also be seen in the Disney Store, John Lewis, Debenhams and Target.

Sean was featured in ToyNews’ 30 under 30 most talented people to look out for in 2016.

Now, with close to 10 years experience in design, Sean uses his multi-disciplinary skills and experience to give an all-round service to his clients.

Adam Pearson is a freelance research and evaluation consultant based in Lancashire. He worked in the public sector for the best part of a decade, heading up an in-house research agency. But Adam always had the ambition to be self-employed, and last year he went for it.

He set up Pearson Insight last May to help public and cultural organisations find new insights through market research, evaluation and analysis.

Adam has worked with a dozen clients over the last year on projects covering anything from customer insight and employee research to event evaluations and industry benchmarking.

SALMA HAIDRANI Journalist

TINA TOULI Graphic designer

Salma Haidrani is a four-time award-winning freelance writer and journalist. She has won awards such as Young Journalist of the Year in October 2017, and Best Feature in November 2016. Her work predominantly focuses on women’s rights, marginalised communities, contemporary faith, British identity and social issues for the likes of i-D, Vice, DAZED, Refinery29UK, Cosmopolitan, HUNGER, Time Out London and others. She is committed to shedding light on Britain’s invisible voices and providing a platform for the voices of invisible and under-represented communities.

Tina Touli is a creative director, graphic communication designer, maker, speaker and educator. She currently works as a freelance multidisciplinary designer and teaches at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She works in a great variety of design fields, including print and digital design, with different clients, such as Adobe, Dell, Tate, Converse, University of the Arts London, Kappa, Athens Digital Arts Festival and Movement Festival.

Her work has been featured in Adobe Create Magazine, Digital Arts Magazine and Creative Review blog among others and design publications such as “Design{h}ers” by Viction:ary.

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Freelance Project of the Year finalists The Freelance Project of the Year award celebrates the most successful, creative, or inspirational projects by freelancers across the UK. This year’s finalists are a diverse group of professionals who have gone above-and-beyond to deliver exciting projects.

MARINA GASK Journalist/ Blogger/ Copywriter Marina Gask has been self-employed for 12 years as a journalist, blogger and copywriter. A BSME award-winning editor of teen mag Sugar, she also edited More! and Top Sante and held senior positions at Glamour, SHE and Cosmopolitan.

Marina also helps businesses with web content, blogs, press strategy and business books. Last year Marina co-launched Audrey Online, a digital platform for Generation Restart: midlife women who want or need to self-reinvent and give their lives a reboot.

DUNCAN COWLES Filmmaker Duncan Cowles is a BAFTA Scotland award-winning documentary filmmaker whose short films, which include The Lady with the Lamp and, Radio Silence have been selected for various film festivals. He has won awards at the Glasgow Short Film Festival, Open City Documentary Festival, BFI Future Film Festival, Hamburg Short Film Festival, Kyiv Short Film Festival, Szczecin European Film Festival and more.

Using his failed attempts at creating profitable stock footage, Duncan channelled his feelings into a short film where he reflects on the mundane and funny side of being trapped inside your own head as an out of work, freelancer. The film, Taking Stock uses his voiceover and the failed stock footage he filmed. The four minute film was commissioned by Channel 4's Arts strand 'Random Acts and broadcast on TV. 34

INNA LAZAREVA Journalist Inna Lazareva is a British freelance journalist.

She began her career in 2013 covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times, TIME magazine and others. In 2016, she moved to Cameroon and has been reporting from around Africa for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, The Guardian, Washington Post, Newsweek, The Economist among others. Over the past year, she has reported from nine countries.

In her eight-month long investigation into the harmful practice of breast ironing published in January 2019, she exposed that the African ritualistic ‘tradition’ which harms girls under the guise of protecting them, also takes place in the UK. Her work led to questions tabled in parliament and more victims coming forward.

OLIVIER JAMIN Contemporary Artist Olivier is an award-winning artist who specialises in hand-drawn multi-coloured art and creates stencil graffiti art, mixed media arts, time-lapse videos and photography. Much of Olivier’s art reflects what it means to be a deaf artist, but he also produces non deaf-related art, patterns and colours.

Olivier was involved in a collaborative, public arts live event with Victoria Leeds (retail) and Sunny Chana of Sunny Digital Prints. Victoria Leeds asked them to provide an activity that would be suitable for both young and old customers with Chinese New Year approaching. The design was focused around their take on the Chinese Dragon, which was then presented as a colouring activity. In partnership with Magic Textiles, the design was printed onto two rolls of fabric, both six metres in length. This was then laid out for visitors to come and colour in the dragon.

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University Partner of the Year

The University Partner of the Year Award recognises the importance of ensuring the next generation of self-employed professionals have the knowledge and skills to succeed. It is awarded to the university partner that has demonstrated the highest level of support for freelance and self-employed students, alumni and the wider community.

BIRKBECK UNIVERSITY

LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY

Birkbeck University runs the Enterprise Pathways Programme, which offers a range of support, events and activities to students starting a business. It also runs an extra-curricular course called ‘Pioneer’ which is a transformational practical skills building short course.

LSBU provide an extensive range of enterprise and entrepreneurship support for students and graduates, including one-to-one guidance, mentoring, legal advice and access to office space. They help develop practical skills and turn ideas into a business or career.

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX

LEEDS ARTS UNIVERSITY

The university delivers a range of modules related to business, entrepreneurship and innovation. The Sussex Innovation Centre is also a subsidiary of the university which offers support and seed funding to help build business confidence, skills and commercial success.

The careers and employability team supports those who are interested in setting up their own business or starting out as a freelancer. They run weekly workshops, as well as a freelance summer school. The university also offers speed mentoring with local experts.

NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER

NTU runs the Creative Industries Expo which supports students who are pursuing careers in the creative sector. They also have a purpose-built centre for entrepreneurship called ‘The Hive’ offering mentoring, support, training and networking opportunities.

The Creative Enterprise Centre is a hub that supports students and graduates to develop their enterprise competencies and kick-start their entrepreneurial experiences. It offers paid freelance and work experience opportunities, as well as workshops with industry experts.

GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY

Goldsmiths supports students and graduates considering self-employment through their dedicated enterprise support. The Goldsmiths Innovation Awards offers funding of up to £10,000 alongside mentoring and additional support through the Student Enterprise Programme.

The Innovation Hub is the university’s dedicated space providing practical advice to start businesses or become self-employed. The Hub has a number of initiatives including the venture competition, one-to-one consultations, training workshops and events.

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON

MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY

KCL has a dedicated Entrepreneurship Institute which exists to support entrepreneurial thinking, skills and experiences for students, staff and alumni. They run programmes for female entrepreneurs alongside their central offering of workshops, resources and funding.

Middlesex University runs the Enterprise Development Hub which supports those who want to become self-employed. It runs a series of workshops, seminars, mentoring and events that offer the tools and confidence in taking the next step to earn a living as a freelancer.

June/July 2019

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Ambassador of the Year finalists

Ambassadors are communities of freelancers or individuals making a difference. They are people who provide products and services that make freelancers' working lives easier. They are membership organisations, support groups, knowledge hubs and platforms.

VIP VA

MAC&MOORE

Charlotte Wibberley launched VIP VA to support, nurture and champion the VA & Freelance industry. She has created a safe space for high performing online businesses to collaborate, knowledge share and continue their professional development. She supports & trains aspiring and existing VAs and online business owners as their coach, mentor and chief cheerleader for their goals and ambitions.

In 2017, she led the #timetoeleVAte campaign in partnership with IPSE to redefine the VA profession and change perceptions.

Mac&Moore was founded by Jess MacIntyre and Natalie Moores in order to provide high-level marketing to service-based businesses. Jess and Nat have over 18 years’ experience and a track record of solving business challenges through creative and strategic marketing, alongside a flexible and collaborative approach. They are dedicated to supporting women in the freelance and self-employed community and are on a mission to create a more equal working landscape, that is both sustainable and beneficial to all, through their writing, community events, conversation, partnerships and mentoring.

THE HOXBY COLLECTIVE The Hoxby Collective is a social enterprise built on the belief that flexible working is the future of the workforce.

Founded in May 2015, Hoxby has grown from an idea between its two Founders, Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny, who had the vision to revolutionise work for the better, and create not just a profitable community but also a world of work without bias. Now Hoxby's virtual agency includes over 600 freelancers across 30 different countries, each adopting their own workstyle, The Hoxby Collective provides agency services across marketing, finance, admin, HR and operations.

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FREELANCE HEROES

MUSEUM FREELANCE

Freelance Heroes started as a Facebook group in May 2016 by social media / digital marketing trainer, Ed Goodman, and virtual assistant, Annie Browne.

The community currently has over 6,500 members across the UK, growing at c.300 per month. The premise of the group is for it to be a platform for freelancers to seek for experienced-based support from their peers.

What makes a freelancer a Freelance Hero? Ultimately, a Freelance Hero is someone who is not just out for themselves, who supports and lifts other freelancers up, who are proud to support themselves and their network!

Museum Freelance is a volunteer-run network set up to support and champion freelancers working with museums, galleries, archives, libraries and heritage sites.

They provide opportunities for collaboration, discussion and learning, offering advice to both the freelance community and organisations.

They run an online community, an annual conference, social events and bespoke training and give freelancers a collective voice, lobbying and advocating for the growing number of freelancers in the cultural sector. Museum Freelance is run by Christina Lister and Marge Ainsley – cultural consultants, facilitators and trainers.

modern work

Co-working space of the Year finalists

Co-working spaces are hubs that support ever-growing numbers of freelancers and small businesses. Great spaces bring people together by offering opportunities to network, collaborate, support and learn from each other. This award celebrates the best spaces across the UK.

UNCOMMON, London The ethos behind Uncommon is to promote a healthier way of working in an environment that encourages creativity as well as productivity.

Uncommon Fulham draws its inspiration from Scandinavian design with a combination of rich textures and tonal colours to stimulate focus and maintain levels of calmness. The large windows draw in natural lighting and together, with an abundance of indoor plants, help to generate positive energy and increase alertness.

Set over four floors totalling 26,000 sq.ft., the building is split into two, with a dedicated side hosting the cafĂŠ lounge and hot-desking space, which is set amongst a large three metre Ficus tree. The other side is dedicated to larger teams. Details: uncommon.co.uk

DUKE STUDIOS, Leeds Duke Studios is an open collaborative workspace in Leeds city centre set up exclusively for the creative industries. With a motto of 'people first, business second', it provides a range of workspaces, from co-working to studios to support creatives at any level in their career.

This environment is nurtured and supported with free meeting rooms, pool-sharing bikes, industry led monthly meet-ups and a colourful calendar of socials. The adjacent events space, bar and cafe in Sheaf St provide a very convenient temptation next door for inspiring talks, parties, drinks and gatherings.

Details: duke-studios.com CENTRAL WORKING VICTORIA London Central Working Victoria offers a home for new business in the heart of London's Belgravia. Alongside a variety of free-to-use meeting spaces, boardrooms, phone booths, and a members’ lounge, a state-of-theart auditorium is available for free community use. This is often used to accommodate visiting lecturers from the tech and creative industries.

Details: centralworking.com

June/July 2019

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NO8 THORPE ROAD, Norwich No8 Thorpe Road is situated opposite Norwich Railway Station, a five storey Victorian terrace with a quirky modern interior. It hosts a number of hotdesks with standing desks and also offers fast wi-fi and locally roasted coffee. It also has five well equipped meeting/ training rooms which can seat 1-50 people No8 also benefits from exceptional environmental credentials which include it being solar powered.

Details: no8thorperoad.co.uk

INCUBYTESPACE, Cambridgeshire Nestled in Silicon Fen, IncubyteSpace provides entrepreneurs and early stage companies with private office space within a dedicated co-working environment. You can work alongside, and network with like-minded businesses in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Office tenants and permanent hotdesk members receive complimentary membership to the onsite gym and spa facilities as well as a 10 per cent discount on food & drink from an onsite bistro. There is access to a meeting room kitted with a SitStand desk, the expected free parking, kitchenette facilities and access to electric vehicle charging pods. The space is also an incubator and accelerator giving technical startups the opportunity to succeed.

Details: incubyte.biz THE STABLES North Somerset The Stables, Somerset is home to digi, tech and creative entrepreneurs. It is a Community Interest Company that is on a mission to help ensure that every company, small or large, high-tech or not, can grasp the digital skills and opportunities available to them.

Details: thestableweston.com/en

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SCRATCH HUB, BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE London Battersea Arts Centre opened its new co-working space the Scratch Hub in November 2018, offering a beautiful, flexible and supportive space for freelancers and small businesses to grow ideas in its historic Victorian Town Hall building.

The Scratch Hub offers a range of affordable options, from flexible hotdesking to permanent stations. It is attracting a diverse community of entrepreneurs, with opportunities for sharing skills, exchanging feedback, sparking connections and collaborating. Other benefits include a programme of talks, workshops and a dedicated events space.

Details: bac.org.uk/scratchhub BRAND SOCIETY, Newcastle Upon Tyne Brand Society is a community for brand owners and marketers that launched in October 2018. It is one of only a handful of co-working spaces currently in Newcastle. In the six months since opening, it has hosted 46 workshops and 67 meetings for 53 businesses. It has also hosted five events, welcomed over 260 individuals and opened its doors for filming on four occasions. That’s a lot of coffee, biscuits, beer and cocktails too. Especially for a little boutique co-working space.

Brand Society members can use the space to share knowledge and insight within the community over great conversation, coffee and cocktails. As a knowledgeable and diverse group of brand owners and marketers - they inspire each other and help put ideas into action.

Details: brandsociety.co.uk

DEVON BUSINESS & EDUCATION CENTRE Devon Set in the rolling hills of the South West, Devon Business & Education Centre is an exquisite and inspiring space, a state-of-the art bolt hole for co-workers to escape from nearby Exeter and Taunton. Highly connected, it is a sanctuary for collaboration and an antidote to social isolation. Highly sustainable, it is a low carbon space, equipped with green roofs, outdoor meeting spaces, and vehicle charging points. Regardless of purpose, visitors, hotdeskers, co-workers, training delegates and networkers enjoy working in the space.

Details: dbec.co.uk

June/July 2019

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WIZU, Leeds Wizu create workspaces that result in exciting collaboration and help businesses to grow. Their goal is to put human factors at the heart of their thinking and create a community platform where members thrive. They look to remove the hassles and headaches of entrepreneurs by focusing on a simple, all-inclusive service.

Wizu provide unlimited speciality coffee, business grade connectivity, meeting space and creative rooms. There is also access to a curated event series along with a dedicated support team who know everyone’s name. It has a central hub, spaces to meet, socialise and create.

Details: wizuworkspace.com

CO.LAB , Luton Situated in a newly refurbished, double-fronted, Victorian building in the heart of Luton, Co.LAB affords easy access to its town centre and has strong transport links to major cities. Co.LAB is a collaborative business growth hub, which can help strengthen a company's professional profile. It is a place where self-employed professionals can work to make a life, not just a living.

Co.LAB was borne from the vision of three local business owners, who set out to create a quality co-working space designed with everything in mind for small business start-ups and for growth. It is equipped with all the amenities of a professional office; hotdesks, business addresses, networking expertise and office banter not to mention freshly brewed coffee and the odd sticky bun!

Details: colab-uk.co.uk Avenue HQ, Leeds Avenue HQ was founded in 2016 in Liverpool and recently opened a second space in Leeds. They are a company that is evolving every day in response to their members and their constantly changing needs.

Situated over five floors, the building has been designed with the whole business community in mind. There are over 200 workspaces and private offices of various sizes to suit business needs. The conference and meeting facilities provide the best place to host events, and on-site catering can meet all food and drink needs. There is also a spectacular roof terrace and an onsite bar and eatery, named East Parade Social.

Details: avenue-hq.com 40

modern work

NFD2019 Programme An insightful day of talks, seminars, workshops and interactivity

Connecting, collaborating and creating community: The day will included keynote speaker sessions, seminars, panel discussions and workshops all designed around four key streams:

Wellbeing

Digital

Focusing on the importance of taking care of your personal health and wellbeing and finding the right work-life balance

How to use digital tools to promote and grow your business and a look at the disrupters that are changing the way we work

Winning Work

Hints, tips and advice on successfully promoting yourself and your business, how to make connections, collaborate with others and win more work

Finance

How to crowd fund, manage, plan invest and boost your finances

Our dynamic speaker line-up includes business experts from a range of credible companies, successful self-employed people and industry leaders.

IPSE has invited an exceptional variety of speakers to share their insights into the current independent working environment.

This year award-winning comedian and TV writer, Adam Kay and founder of the ground breaking network The Dots, Pip Jamieson will open and close the day with their inspiring keynote talks..

June/July 2019

41

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when you purchase a PayPal Here card reader at paypal.com/uk with promo code IPSE20.

Promo code ends 1 October 2019. Subject to application approval

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Your monthly briefing CEST TOOL BIASED TOWARDS EMPLOYMENT STATUS, CRITICS SAY

LATE PAYMENT FORCES FREELANCERS TO TURN TO PAYDAY LENDERS

ALMOST all organisations in the public sector using HMRC’s Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool, have deemed their engagements as ‘inside IR35’, a Freedom of Information request

by Contractor Calculator has revealed.

Network Rail declared that 99 per cent of their contractors worked inside IR35 in 2018, having used CEST to determine employment status.

Similarly, High Speed 2 (HS2) found that 98 per cent of contractors were inside IR35.

David Chaplin, CEO of Contractor Calculator, said CEST “does not provide a self-employed outcome the majority of the time”.

FIFTEEN per cent of freelancers have turned to short-term finance solutions due to inconsistent and late payments, a report by ETZ payments has found.

This means that in order for freelancers to keep up with bills and rent they are turning to payday lenders to subsidise the gap left.

Nick Woodward, CEO of ETZ Payments, said: “Relying on debt is hugely risky for anyone, but especially to those who work on zero-hour contracts and in a freelance capacity.”

GENDER PAY GAP IN THE GIG ECONOMY THE growing gender pay gap between men and women is threatening democracy, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has warned.

The pay gap has had a major impact on the gig economy, in which the average woman earns approximately £80 less per week than the avarage man in an equivalent role.

The problem does not stop there. Research from YunoJono also found that in the creative industries, men’s day rates are an average of £15 higher than women's.

UBER UNDER INVESTIGATION FROM HMRC HMRC has opened an investigation into Uber, after allegations were made that the taxi-hailing app owes more than £1bn in unpaid UK tax.

Uber, which has over 60,000 drivers in the UK, does not pay VAT on fares, as it claims to be just a platform between its self-employed drivers and their passengers.

In November 2017, Uber failed to overturn an Employment Tribunal, which granted its drivers rights to holiday pay, sick pay and the national minimum wages and is currently appealing that decision.

New poll calls for fundamental shake-up of tax system TWO-THIRDS (62%) of small business owners do not think the government backs them to succeed, a YouGov poll for the Centre of Policy Studies has revealed.

The findings formed part of a report by Nick King, former specialist advisor to Sajid Javid when he was business secretary. King argued that there is too much legislation around small businesses – those with an annual turnover of less than £1million.

The report calls for a major reform of the tax

June/July 2019

system. It suggests for small businesses, corporation tax, business rates, VAT and Employer’s National Insurance should be replaced with a single levy; the Simple Consolidated Tax (SCT).

Sajid Javid told City A.M: “This report shows how bureaucracy and paperwork are stifling the growth of our small businesses and offers a series of compelling ideas for how Government can roll back the tide”.

Ryan Barnett, economic policy advisor at

IPSE said: “The UK’s tax system is a mess. Entrepreneurial, innovative and productive microbusinesses are being dragged down by a telegram tax code in the broadband age. Simplification will cut costs and boost the positive impact of self-employment for our economy.

“The current government has done very little to support the self-employed despite the £275bn they add each year; we urgently need a change in attitude and action.”

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Brexit is tearing the political family apart

F

By Annosh Chakelian Senior writer at the New Statesman

orget the cliché “a week is a long time in politics” – the best phrase for our current chaos is the old feminist slogan: “The personal is political”.

Decision-making (or lack thereof ) in the House of Commons since the EU referendum has been shaped as much by private angst as ideology or party discipline.

As members of parliament grapple with contradictory instructions from all corners – the whips, their party membership, constituents, local business owners and their own gut – paralysis is usually the result.

Every single MP faces this stultifying tangle, including the Prime Minister. When I was out reporting in Theresa May’s remain-backing constituency of Maidenhead recently, one resident said to me: “She should be working for me, not for Brexit.”

This is partly why there are so many small, 44

majority-lacking factions for different visions of Brexit in the commons – they can’t rally round one solution because everyone has different interests to balance.

Constituency concerns play a big role.

Whether it’s company headquarters, multinational outposts, factories, small business owners or freelancers, local business can have a huge impact on an MP’s Brexit stance.

This was clear to me in Crewe & Nantwich, a leave-voting area of Cheshire, where its Labour MP Laura Smith (hanging in there with a wafer-thin majority of 48) told me frankly: “From the conversations I’ve had with employers and businesses here, they do not want a no-deal Brexit. It’s a very different story if you go and knock on doors. There are an awful lot of people who do want that.”

She’s had to resign her shadow frontbench job and rebel to try and please her residents and those driving her local economy. It’s an agonising tightrope, which many of her colleagues across the house are also treading.

This aspect of Brexit affects business in ways often overshadowed by the usual headlines about the City of London, the pound, foreign

investment and car manufacturing.

For example, many places that voted leave did so because of decades of underinvestment.

As this situation continues and worsens, locals looking to start up an enterprise, or businesses seeking to expand, withhold investment or job creation from the places that need it most.

Shuttered shop fronts lead to more shuttered shop fronts. Back to Crewe, its town centre – lined with rows of closed units – is in desperate need of investment, but its voters are telling their MP they want the most economically risky version of Brexit. The tightrope wobbles.

This impossible balance infects party policy. Government ministers, civil servants and the shadow cabinet teams are absorbed by Brexit.

To use a word beloved of officials, there’s just no “bandwidth” for much else while the deadlock continues.

Policymakers on both sides privately admit other plans are falling by the wayside. There is also less media oxygen for new policy announcements, further demoralising those attempting them while Brexit chaos reigns.

The most extreme example of this is the government stalling on the biggest and most modern work

Chris Bryce

Chief executive at IPSE

In the eye of the storm, there are some glimpses of light

crippling funding crisis facing England today: adult social care. In the March 2017 Budget, a green paper was announced, looking into a new funding model. This was also a promise in the Conservatives’ 2017 election manifesto.

Scheduled to be published that summer, it has been delayed eight times by my count. The most recent government utterance is that it will be published “at the earliest opportunity” – watered down from its previous line earlier this year of “the first opportunity in 2019”. This is even vaguer than the health and social care secretary Matt Hancock saying in January that he intended it for April.

The human impact is clear, as is the effect on businesses. Local authorities, legally obliged to fund social care, have their resources sucked from everything else they do – making places with the most cuts less attractive to investors and people who would otherwise have stayed to start a business.

On the Labour side, there’s still no sign of their alternative to the governJune/July 2019

ment’s new welfare system, Universal Credit. During the most recent rumours of another general election, party staffers were concerned that their welfare offer is nowhere near being finalised in time for a campaign.

The government has failed to bring in big-ticket domestic legislation, on a level with, say, the coalition’s Academies Act that overhauled education, or the FixedTerm Parliaments Act, which drove a constitutional transformation.

Minority government and internal division are factors. Yet the endless latenight votes and media rounds demanded

by Brexit – plus the heightened security, death threats and toxic atmosphere it has unleashed – means politicians and their staff, plus civil servants, don’t have the time to dedicate to policy. How could they, when they don’t even have time to see their families?

It’s a personal problem as well as political, and it will affect all of us – including those who want to build and grow their own businesses – personally.

RIGHT now, the UK is in the eye of the political storm.

From stockpiling and the frantic countdown to nodeal Brexit catastrophe, we have now graduated to at least a semblance of calm.

Of course, the government gaining a bit of breathing space doesn’t mean it will turn things around or take the opportunity to adopt saner policies. In fact, it still seems determined to commit a gross act of economic self-harm with the changes to IR35.

If you’re self-employed, I probably don’t need to explain any more about these changes. Suffice it to say, it’s astonishing that a government that is already so over-stretched with Brexit would devote so much time to harming one of its most economically productive sectors: the self-employed.

There is some light in all this, however. Ged Killen, the Labour MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) against extending the changes to IR35 to the private sector.

If ‘Early Day Motion’ sounds like obscure Parliamentese, well, maybe it is. But it is extremely important: it’s basically an e-petition for MPs. If over half of MPs sign it, Parliament should debate the subject.

Self-employed people can’t sign it themselves, but what you can do is write to your MP and urge them to sign. It’s our chance to get MPs to realise just how dangerous these plans are – and even overturn them altogether. If you need a template or tips on what to say, visit the IR35 Hub on the IPSE website.

The need has never been greater. Recently, FOI requests found that Network Rail had blanket-judged 99 per cent of its contractors as IR35-caught, while HS2 did the same for 98 per cent of its contractors.

If this happens in the much bigger private sector, the government will have created its own economic storm alongside the Brexit hurricane.

With Ged Killen’s Early Day Motion, however, wheels are starting to turn, and light is coming through the clouds. Now we all need to work together to turn those wheels faster and avert this disaster.

45

CROSSWORD 3

4

5

6

ACROSS

7

8 9

1. Hazard (4) 3. Insesibility (8) 9. Not deep (7) 10. Debate (5) 11. Tender (5) 12. Missive (6) 14. Season of growth (6) 16. Wax light (6) 19. Husband or wife (6) 21. Worth (5) 24. Star sign, the Ram (5) 25. Lengthiest (7) 26. Break (8) 27. Outhouse (4)

10

11

12 13 15

16

17

18 20

21

22

23 24

25

27

1

4 3

3

2

6 1

6 6

5

8 ANSWERS

1

2

3 4 9 8 6 5

2

5

7 8 5 3 1 2

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5

9

2 6 1 7 9 4

4

2 1 7

7

2 3

1

9

8

9 6 4

9

5 3 8

3

7

6 8 4 7 5 3

1

1

5 9 7 4 2 1

7

9

9 2 1

6

8 3 6

2

1 2 3 6 8 9 4 7 5

SUDOKU

Across: 1. Risk 3. Numbness 9. Shallow 10. Argue 11. Offer 12.

Letter 14. Spring 16. Candle 19. Spouse 21. Value 24. Aries 25.

Longest 26. Fracture 27. Shed Down: 1. Response 2. Staff 4. Unwell 5. Blast 6. Egghead 7. Seen 8. Florin 13. Defeated 15. Replica 17. Advent 18. Cellar 20. Upset 22. Leech 23. Calf

26

1 7 8 5 3 2 4 9 6

19

1. Answer (8) 2. Personnel (5) 4. Ailing (6) 5. Explosion (5) 6. Intellectual (7) 7. Observed (4) 8. Old two-shilling coin (6) 13. Beaten (8) 15. Facsimile (7) 17. Period before Christmas (6) 18. Underground room (6) 20. Distressed (5) 22. Blood-sucking worm (5) 23. Young cow (4)

2 5 3 6 4 9 1 7 8

14

DOWN

9 4 6 8 1 7 3 5 2

2

1

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Review Logitech BRIO webcam

I can stream clearly now the grain has gone

By Stuart Ulrich

L

Tech correspondent

ogitech are the world’s first to introduce a 4K Pro webcam with high-dynamic range (HDR). It is said to be able to deliver the highest quality video experience yet that will revolutionise the lives of streamers, YouTubers or pretty much anyone who broadcasts themselves.

We tested this revolutionary webcam and its features. Can the Logitech BRIO live up to the hype?

Firstly, taking centre stage is the Ultra HD 4K image sensor, which supports multiple resolutions.

It starts off at 4K (ultra HD) at 30 frames per second (fps). It is 1080p (full HD) at 30 or 60 fps and finally, a not-so-shabby 720p (HD) at 30 or 60 fps.

Taking the BRIO out of the box, the first thing you notice is the beautiful yet bulky camera. Cased completely in plastic but with an aluminium finish, it comes in at 4” × 1” × 1” and a weight of 2.2oz.

The build quality is surprising: it feels robust, like it could take a few drops, which it inevitably will.

This leads me on to the first downside of the BRIO; the stand. The camera shows off the technological expertise that went into the BRIO’s design and is function, yet the stand feels like cheap plastic and slightly flimsy. And on a few occasions, the BRIO did fall off my screen after a slight nudge of the table.

June/July 2019

However, included with the BRIO is a small privacy flap that attaches to the top of the camera and can be flipped down to cover the lens, which is a nice plus.

Using the BRIO was a breeze: simply plug the USB C cable into the back of the camera and then into any USB port on your device and you are away.

The BRIO uses Logitech’s camera setting application to make adjustments to aspects such as brightness, contrast, zoom and panning. As standard, the BRIO has a 90-degree field of view, which can be reduced in the settings app.

The BRIO features RightLight 3 with HDR, which claims to deliver great image quality in all lighting conditions. The picture and sound quality are amazing too. The colours are incredibly accurate and detailed, even picking up wrinkles I wasn’t aware of. The RealLight 3 with HDR held out well when moving between the varying levels of natural light in the office and was able to quickly adjust when lights were turned on in a darkened room. It was a bit of let-down when in almost complete darkness. I found it nearly impossible to make myself out.

The BRIO’s sound quality is on a par with its picture quality. The sound recorded by the dual omnidirectional microphones was clear, echo-free and during a recording, was able to clearly pick up my voice over the general noise of the office background.

One thing to note is how limited 4K generally is. Although streaming at 4K to platforms such as YouTube is possible, a substantial bandwidth is needed, which unfortunately is not always readily available. Of course, there is always the ability to record in 4K locally, to be uploaded at a later date.

A 4K-ready screen would also be required to fully appreciate the stunning picture quality the

BRIO has to offer. Unfortunately, I feel that currently, the BRIO cannot be used to its full potential.

Here’s the important question: how much does it cost? It’s £199. To most people, that is a steep price to pay for a webcam. The concept of remote working is rapidly growing so more and more meetings are taking place over conferencing software such as Skype and Zoom. Nearly every laptop on the market today comes with a built-in webcam, but the inevitable drawback in the race to build a smaller, lighter, more aesthetic laptop is the webcam and its sound quality. The need for an externally connected webcam is a necessity in some cases, as nothing screams amateurishness more than a jumpy, pixelated picture and an inaudible voice.

So, should you buy the Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam? Yes – not only will you get a top-end we, but you will also get a camera that is future-proofed for when 4K becomes more mainstream.

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Wrexham Enterprise Hub: A co-working space for the community

By Tristan Grove Chief correspondent

T

here probably aren’t many people who jump excitedly out of their beds in the morning and say, “I know – let’s go to Wrexham!” And, I have to say, there wasn’t much spring in this correspondent’s step as he made the long train journey from London, via Cheshire, to North Wales. You often find, however, that beauty is not in the most obvious places. And in this case, it’s found in Wrexham.

At first glance, Wrexham Enterprise Hub isn’t exactly beautiful in itself. In fact, you could say it looks like a former Iceland supermarket (which it is: the old frozen food storage room still feels like the Arctic). What is beautiful, however, is what it does.

Wrexham Enterprise Hub is a fully funded Business Wales centre (with a healthy dose of European Regional Development Fund money… but the less said about that right now, the better…). One of five Business Wales enterprise centres, its aim is to give a shot in the arm to new local freelancers and entrepreneurs – and to support community-building work in the area.

Unlike perhaps glitzier, expensive co-working spaces, the Wrexham Enterprise Hub offers its support completely free of charge. All members have to do is pass an initial vetting process.

Having rolled off the train and staggered down Wrexham High Street, I head into the Hub

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to find out more from its Community Manager, Carl Turner. As I enter the Hub, nestled just behind the town’s high street, a busy digital literacy class is under way in the airy front room. Carl explains that the group in the front room is one of many social enterprise programmes that Business Wales allows to use the space.

It’s a digital literacy class for people from the local area. “I believe there are criteria: I think maybe you need to be on Jobseeker’s Allowance

"Human interaction is one of the main things we offer members, because working on your own can be isolating." or Universal Credit. It’s a really nice thing to support, and we just wouldn’t be able to do anything like that without the Hub here.”

It’s not the only community-building project the Hub supports. As Carl explains, “They have other projects downstairs. For example, someone is doing something on mental health and wellbeing at the moment. It’s basically walking with people who need to talk. It could be for anything, whether it’s social isolation or just

wanting to have someone to talk to.”

It’s not just the front-room projects, though: the whole Hub is really for helping and supporting local freelancers. “What we are all about is accessibility. If we started putting charges on things straight away, we might not be accessible to everyone. It would be pretty sad if people were put off a great idea because they couldn’t afford to pay.”

There certainly have been some great ideas coming through the Wrexham Enterprise Hub – many of them through its specialist Accelerator Programme. As Carl explains, “The Accelerator is for businesses looking to turn over a lot of money.

We have some really good stories and interesting businesses from that.”

One particularly interesting business is developing compostable plastics for ready meals. These interesting ideas are generating a lot of money too.

“Between all the businesses which are running from the Hub, we’ve had over £500,000 of investment over a short period of time.”

It’s not, of course, mainly about the money, however. As Carl, says, there are other success stories too: “We have one guy who quit his day job with Iceland and has gone full time with photography.”

(Clearly there’s just something about that building…) “Or there’s the guy who’s worked 24 years in the same job, but he can do whatever he modern work

UK's first vegan co-working space opens in London

likes now. […] A lot of people say the Hub has just given them the confidence they need – and I think that’s just as valuable as someone raising thousands of pounds.”

Carl’s view reflects a sense you get throughout the Wrexham Enterprise Hub: that although it may not have craft coffees and expensive faux-industrial décor, this is a co-working space that really cares about its members and its community. In fact, for Carl, providing a community for freelancers is one of the space’s most important functions.

“Human interaction is one of the main things we offer members, because working on your own can be isolating. It gives people the chance to grow their businesses alongside other people working on similar projects. Collaboration is so important.”

Wrexham as you may or may not have guessed, is not exactly famous for its co-working and freelancing scene. Indeed, the Enterprise Hub is the only operation of its kind for miles around.

The former Iceland supermarket is not a particularly beautiful or glamorous site itself, although it is certainly spacious.

But what it does is beautiful, offering vital support not only to freelancers from around North Wales, but also to its immediate community. The enterprising space is all about its community, and in that sense, it really puts the ‘co’ in co-working.

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THE latest co-working space in East London is The BRIGHT Club - where membership is only available to vegans or businesses which support veganism.

The first of its kind in the UK, the co-working space will focus on giving young vegan start-ups the tools they need to progress, including access to potential investors.

A unique opportunity for the young vegan entrepreneur, BRIGHT will be hosting regular events including talks, panels, networking events and yoga clubs. The space will be open seven days a week from 8am – 6pm, and will serve coffee, snacks and cakes sourced from local vegan businesses.

The Bright Club hopes to be a hub for London’s growing vegan community, welcoming both members and non-members to the wide range of events on offer.

Laura Callan, founder of BRIGHT told Vegconomist: “I created BRIGHT Zine after a decade of veganism, to shine a light on the amazing things people are doing. As the vegan community has grown over recent years we thought it would be incredible to have a space to nurture the community and support vegan businesses. So the idea of The BRIGHT Club was born!”

BRIGHT has plans to roll out more spaces in 2019 and beyond.

Price Location Facilities Wi-Fi Coffee 49

Entering Another World Gemma Church examines how immersive tech could change the freelance sector forever

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mmersive technologies are opening up a world of opportunities for freelancers, not just in the virtual realms they occupy, but in the real world of work too.

Immersive tech comes in two complementary flavours. There’s Virtual Reality (VR), where you’re taken to a simulated space and can interact with your imaginary surroundings. There’s also Augmented Reality (AR), where your real-world view is enhanced with digital images and other information. When you mix different aspects of VR and AR together, you get a format that’s (cleverly) called mixed reality.

We’ve seen a range of use cases in the world of work for these technologies, such as helping cardiologists as they plan and perform complex procedures or bringing a new dimension to workplace training schemes.

Immersive technologies could also give freelancers another means to stand out from the crowd and hone their craft.

How? First, there are opportunities for UX developers and designers. As we move away from the world of real 2D screens to virtual 3D landscapes, this opens up a can of worms when it comes to creating a compelling user experience.

In fact, the immersive tech digital skills gap is significant, and freelancers are perfectly placed to address this deficit as companies test the waters with such technologies.

Then, we have the world of design, where immersive tech could help create products with the swipe of a hand. Such scenes are reminiscent of films like Minority Report but we’re still waiting for a virtual world where we can seamlessly create new products without any physical prototypes.

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The media industry is ahead of the curve, where immersive tech is already helping journalists and other industry professionals tell stories in a much more compelling way. We spoke with Shehani Fernando, an award-winning freelance VR director and filmmaker, who has been working with immersive tech for the last few years.

How did you develop your VR skills and what initially interested you about immersive tech as a creative freelancer?

I started freelancing in 2012 when I left The Guardian, having worked for a number of years as a video producer. A few years later, I saw they were moving into VR and contacted them at a time when they were crewing up for some new productions.

I hadn’t worked in VR before but as a filmmaker, the leap wasn’t so hard. I ended up freelancing as a director in their VR studio for 18 months making four films for them, which were all very different. Some were 360-degree films, others were interactive experiences – all grounded in journalism. We experimented with things like motion capture, scanned environments and placing the viewer in the shoes of a character.

The joy of VR is the variety of creative options you have to tell a story and the collaborative nature of working with sound designers, creative technologists, scriptwriters, etc. We are only just scratching the surface of what might be possible using AR, VR and mixed reality. Right now, large institutions from the Natural History Museum and Science Museum to the RSC [Royal Shakespeare Company] and Royal Opera House are all developing ways of using immersive tools to create new ground-breaking work. modern work

as huge as the tech companies predicted, I do feel there is still a lot of potential in the immersive space. At the moment, I’m interested in location-based VR where audiences book in to see something genuinely interactive or involving actors and a more theatrical setting.

Augmented reality definitely has huge potential since many phones and tablets are now equipped with the ability to use AR apps and there is less of a barrier to entry – we’re starting to see some amazing apps, from functional brilliance like Google Translate using your camera to Wonderscope for kids and the BBC’s Civilisations AR. Increasingly, there are more and more immersive and VR courses for people who are interested in finding out more about the tech and what’s required to develop these experiences. Lots of traditional skills like good editorial judgement and storytelling are still vital, so I think it’s about finding your niche in the industry.

How do you use immersive tech in your work and what have you been working on recently?

Immersive tech can be many different things, from using binaural audio to give the audience a greater sense of being in a particular place, to creating experiences that might monitor the user’s breath or heartbeat. Each project demands different tools depending on what the vision for the final piece might be.

At the moment, I’m producing a VR experi-

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ence with filmmaker Victoria Mapplebeck about breast cancer, based on hours of vérité audio [realistic and natural] that she recorded during her diagnosis and treatment. I’ve also been developing an AR experience around birdsong and extinction, which is quite prescient at the moment.

Is VR/AR an upcoming medium in the creative industry in your opinion? And do you think your skills in this area make you stand out from others working in a similar sphere?

While the take-up of headsets hasn’t been

To see more of Shehani’s work for The Guardian, download The Guardian VR app for iOS or Android.

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r e e r a c r a i u d o e y m p s , o e l i e r r e t u v s t l e u u D d c n i e h e t v

i t in a re c d n a

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ant to have an impact and advance your professional freelance career? Take a look at what you can study at the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries, King’s College London.

Through our exciting range of postgraduate courses, you will be able to explore how creative and cultural industries, like the performing arts, media, publishing and film, influence our society today. These courses will allow you to gain skills and experience in cultural and creative processes, management, policy and more.

As well as giving you vibrant, culturally informed opportunities for professional development, we encourage thought leadership that will help you make a real difference to the vision, organisation and development of the cultural, media and creative industries.

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Choose from three different master’s degrees CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Tackle the issues facing cultural entrepreneurs, professionals and policymakers through our master’s in Cultural and Creative Industries.

Examine the structure and history of the cultural and creative industries, exploring both practical and theoretical issues.

Catalina Herrera Acuña, cultural attaché at the Embassy of Chile in the UK, describes her own experience of her master’s as representing “a wonderful, pivotal decision in my life”.

She said: “Not only because of the brilliant lecturers and the diverse and international body of students; but because it allowed me to understand a multitude of different viewpoints through which to understand the

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brand director for Apples and Snakes, said that for her it was so “important to choose a university that had a strong international reputation and hosts international students.”

Suzanne added: “As a student, having lecturers who are passionate and experienced both in academia and the business world gave me access to expertise that both teach and challenge.”

GLOBAL MEDIA INDUSTRIES Our latest course has been specially designed for those aspiring to work within the media industries. It offers practical experience, digital and other transferable skills you need for your career. Our Global Media Industries master’s course works in partnership with a range of media organisations from across London to offer you unparalleled exposure to the media sector.

second master’s programme was launched- the MA in Arts & Cultural Management. In September 2019 we are launching our new Global Media Industries master’s course.

With over 24 academic staff, our teaching and research covers the full breadth of the cultural and creative industries in local, national, regional or global contexts. We offer the opportunity to study across disciplines incorporating studies of art(s), creativity, cultural production, consumption, gender, history, heritage, labour, management, media industries, memory, museums, policy, politics, and technologies.

WHY STUDY WITH US

concept of creativity, culture and how they are intertwined.”

ARTS AND CULTURAL MANAGEMENT Learn how to apply creative leadership in managing artistic excellence, cultural heritage, audience diversity and financial sustainability with our master’s in Arts and Cultural Management. The degree has been specially designed to meet the complex needs of today’s arts and cultural manager.

Suzanne Alleyne, an Arts Council England change maker and currently the commercial and

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There are many reasons to study a master’s degree at King’s College London. It gives you the opportunity to be part of a fantastic international group of talented, creative, and culturally knowledgeable and aware students. You can benefit from the teaching and professional insights of qualified and experienced staff who really care about the culture, media and creative industries.

ABOUT CULTURE, MEDIA AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AT KING’S The department of Culture ,Media and Creative Industries first opened its doors to master’s students in 2002 with its innovative programme.

A PhD programme followed in 2006, and in September 2014, responding to the needs and interests of the creative and cultural sector, a

Discover more at kcl.ac.uk/cmci 53

Going for growth Taking freelancing to the next level

Š Illustration by Madeleine Stuart

By Benedict Smith

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t’s hard to get a handle on the number of freelancers who go on to grow their business. I’ve often thought it would be a significant amount, but the research isn’t there to confirm or rule out my theory.

But last time I checked, there were nearly five million people working for themselves in the UK. Considering this figure was 3.3 million in 2001, it’s safe to say the rise of business ownership overall isn’t a trend. There’s been a structural shift in the way people approach work. There are more small business owners in this country than ever before, from one-person companies to thriving little enterprises that employ people.

I’ve always thought that out of the hundreds of thousands of new companies started every year, freelancers are maybe best qualified to grow one. Not least because we get to learn a lot about what works and doesn’t. We get to try before we buy.

For some of us, self-employment evolves.

You start out as a freelancer – a little unsure about how things will go. You develop into an out-and-out independent professional – someone who sees this way of working as a career, not a stopgap. Then, and not for everyone, a further evolutionary stage happens.

You start thinking about building a small business. One that could grow, could be successful beyond just you and your skills. If this realisation hits, you might want to know how to do it. To go for growth. It was certainly something I wondered about – and still do.

The experts come at this from different angles. But if you do enough reading, a common set of ideas emerges about how to make this transition. So from here, I’m going to paraphrase to make their advice digestible and a lot less complicated – offering the following to help any freelancer who might harbour the vision of their future empire.

LOOK AT YOUR MARKET. Is there room in your market for you? Is what you have in mind going to be valuable to your target audience? How sustainable is demand?

Who are you up against? Figure out if you’re going to be different or the same, but better. Know the price charged by your competitors. Know their profit margins and work out yours.

NAIL YOUR OFFER. Get really clear on what you do and what value it brings to the people who buy it. Work through every aspect of it and decide if you can deliver what you want to promise. Know the benefits of buying from your business. Refine this until you

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love to talk to people about it. Imagine and articulate the customer experience.

THINK STRATEGICALLY (TO A DEGREE).

This is a tricky one. Just about every management guru tells you to see the bigger picture. The word ‘strategic’ is used – or overused, if you ask me.

You’re supposed to know how everything will unfold before it does. Here’s my take on this: do your best to see what’s around the corner, but get too far ahead of yourself and you might miss the thing in front of you that creates your future.

SET REALISTIC GOALS. Don’t underestimate the time it takes to get things done – to win clients, to find the right people and collaborations. Progress is usually slower than you imagine and the best growth is sustainable.

MARKETING AND SALES. This is a deal-breaker. You need to work out what good marketing looks like. If you don’t possess these skills then you’ll need to find someone who does, either as part of your team or bought in as a service.

When you get in front of a lead, are you persuasive enough to convert it? This isn’t about smooth talking. It has far more to do with preparation, relevance to the target client, clarity on what benefits you bring, commitment to delivery and your ability to build trust.

ORGANISING A TEAM. If you’re a proven contractor, you probably know what good and bad delivery looks like in the real world and understand how teams should be led. You also have the big advantage of knowing how skills can be brought in from other contractors. You have the benefit of understanding the beauty of flexibility when building a team. Bear this in mind as you focus on growth.

Of course, there are other things – steps and processes – to consider. Finance and accounting should be on the list and the big questions of investment and your exit plan further down the line.

But I’ve focused on what I think of as the qualities you’ll need when you look in the mirror and ask the question, ‘Can I do this?’.

It should be said that I’m not proposing that all self-employed people want to be – or should be – business builders. Millions, I would guess, want to remain independent, earn good money and enjoy the freedom to live life in a way that suits them. Hats off to them. But I also expect a lot of freelancers entertain the idea that they could grow a successful company. The very fact that they have had the courage to sell their skills and knowledge independently makes this a fair assumption, in my opinion.

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Eight productivity hacks for independent professionals You can’t magically add hours to your day even when it’s 10pm, you have a project to deliver, and a tax return to finish. But you can make better use of the hours you have. Try these simple tips to help you zip through your to-do list:

TACKLE THE EASY THINGS FIRST

DO ONE THING AT A TIME. Multi-tasking is a myth. Focus your brainpower on one thing, do it well and then move on. You will find you are much more efficient.

Give yourself a boost by completing some low-level but necessary tasks first. Then you will be in the best frame of mind for the big things.

TURN OFF YOUR PHONE Even an hour away from digital distractions can give you precious minutes of productivity. Why not schedule a regular daily disconnect?

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SET YOUR OWN DEADLINES Avoid the sickening sensation of missing a due date by building deadlines into your calendar. Selfimposed deadlines motivate you to get things done.

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ASK FOR HELP Freelancers can have an unpredictable work pattern.

Sometimes, you just have too much to do. What can you offload? Call in some favours or timeswap with a fellow freelancer.

GET ORGANISED FOR TOMORROW At the end of each day, spend a few minutes planning tomorrow.

What is top of the to-do list?

What do you need to gather so you are not overwhelmed in the morning?

STAY HEALTHY Independent professionals always burn the candle at both ends. But working all-hours-ofthe-clock isn’t healthy. If you’re tired, your productivity will suffer. Redefine “effective” by balancing desk-time with exercise and good sleep.

CHANGE WHERE YOU WORK It is easy to procrastinate, especially if you work from home.

Liven up your routine by taking your laptop to a library, coffee shop or co-working space. A change of environment can boost your energy.

PayPal for freelancers A PayPal business accounts makes it easier for independent professionals, freelancers and the self-employed to get paid fast and securely. Use email invoices, your shareable PayPal. me link, or a portable card reader to receive payments in seconds.

Search “PayPal for freelancers” to learn more.

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Networking, seminars & events Moderator Liza Horan (MindstreamConnect) leads a panel discussion with storyworld creator Claire Colston (Fairy Worldwide), artist Rose Strang (Rose Strang Artworks) and spiritual coach David Thomas Wright.

Details: Thursday 20 June, 18.30 – 21.00, Black Ivy, 4 Alvanley Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 1DU

NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY FRINGE EVENT WITH FREELANCE MUM FREELANCE Mum will be hosting a National Freelancers Day fringe event in Bristol.

CBeebies presenter & Freelance Mum ambassador, Katy Ashworth, will be guest speaking in the morning and will be celebrating connecting, collaborating and creating a community!

There will be entertainment and an icebreaker from Business Choir – as they attempt to jam a 'freelancers’ song'. Plus, there will be a festival vibe with Jo Jo's face painting.

The afternoon will round off with a networking picnic after, so bring some lunch and a blanket.

Details: Thursday 20 June, 10am – 12pm, Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY FRINGE EVENT: ARE YOU CHARGING ENOUGH? SELF-EMPLOYED creatives lose out on more than £5,000 of income for giving away work for free. Lots of emotions surround money decisions, and this event will bring together self-employed people whose creative work relies on intuitive and natural gifts. You’ll hear from panellists on their journeys from uncertainty to confidence and how they navigated setting boundaries, building trust and making a living as your own boss.

Attendees will gain insights they can apply to properly value their professional work, plus enjoy refreshments, networking and discussion on these topics.

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NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY FRINGE EVENT: CREATIVE FREELANCING, NO FUNNY BUSINESS CREATIVE freelancers are invited to come together at The Glee Club to celebrate freelance working. Hosted by Creative Cardiff and Cardiff Business School's Executive Education Team, the event will connect creatives and be a platform to discuss practices in the creative economy.

Cardiff Business School’s Dr Dimitrinka Stoyanova Russell will share findings from her report with Dr Nick Butler, No Funny Business: precarious work and emotional labour in stand-up comedy. There is also a set from Cardiff stand-up Lorna Prichard, who runs Howl Comedy at The Tramshed, on what it is like to be a freelance comedian in the city.

Creative Cardiff Director Sara Pepper will then facilitate a panel with local freelancers on topics including wellbeing, digital and finance.

Details: Thursday 20 June, 16.00 – 18.00, The Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Unit 7a, Cardiff, CF10 5BZ

WEBINAR: SOCIAL MEDIA DOS AND DON’TS THERE’S no rule book when it comes to social media – but there are some best practices that are proven to get results. There’s also a lot of mistakes!

Chartered marketer and independent consultant Luan Wise will talk us through some examples, so we can learn what works, what not to do, and how to be one step ahead of a potential crisis.

Details: Monday 8 July, 12.30 – 13.30

WORKSHOP: HOW CAN I PROTECT A BUSINESS IDEA? LEARN how intellectual property can protect your business idea. An understanding of intellectual property and its protection is vital for anyone with an idea, whether it’s a business, an invention, a brand name or a song.

This session will introduce the four areas of intellectual property and help you understand, which ones may apply to you and your business.

It will provide a basic introduction to patents, trademarks, registered designs, copyright and a foundation to the ‘Mini-Masterclass’ series.

This complementary workshop is two hours long, during which you will have the opportunity to ask your questions. It will be followed by networking and refreshments.

Details: Monday 17 June, 14.00 – 17.00, The British Library Business & IP Centre, London For more information or to book your spot at an event, visit modernworkmag.co.uk/events

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Building strength in numbers with IPSE 50/50 Refer a friend and they'll get £50 off IPSE Plus membership.

And you'll receive a £50 Amazon voucher.

Don't know an IPSE member?

Use this code to get £25 off all memberships MODERNWORK25 www.ipse.co.uk June/July 2019

0208 897 9970 59

Thursday 20 June, 10.00 – 17.30 Kings Place, London, N1 9AG Keynote speaker – Adam Kay, award winning comedian and Sunday Times best-selling author of ‘This is going to hurt ’

Join IPSE at National Freelancers Day, an event full of inspirational speakers, informative workshops and meaningful conversations, to grow your business and your network.

Early bird tickets £30 (available until 31 March) Premium tickets £50 (limited availability) • Entrance to NFD • Entrance to the IPSE Freelancer Awards ceremony 2019 (Thurs 13 June) • Free copy of T‘ his is Going to Hurt ’ • Book signing with Adam Kay

www.nationalfreelancersday.com