Modern Work

modern work

Freelancers / Contractors / Independent Professionals / Self-Employed

ISSUE 2 £3.95

VOICE OF CHANGE

Broadcaster Faye Dicker on how she built a business around family

AT THE DOUBLE

New research shows number of self-employed women on the rise

COLD COMFORT

Spring Statement offers ray of sunshine but storm clouds ahead March 2018

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EDITOR

Jyoti Rambhai

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

DESIGN

Martin Harling-Coward

REPORTERS

Tristan Grove Tom Hayward Tom Purvis Kayte Jenkins Chris Piggott-McKellar

CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Bridge Neil Lewis Gemma Church Benedict Smith

PHOTOGRAPHY

Nicola Jane Photography Tourism & Events Queensland Holly Cant Photography

ADVERTISING

marketing@ipse.co.uk

Front cover

Faye Dicker; supermum, freelancer, radio broadcaster - how does she do it?

See page 5 for full article

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 at issuu.com/modernwork and see much more at modernworkmag.co.uk.

SOCIAL Look for us on Facebook and Twitter (@ modernworkmag) and stay up to date with all the latest stories, news and events .

EVENTS Get insights from industry leaders and meet like-minded business individuals at networking events. See page 38 for more info.

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Launch highlights Really proud to be a part of the @modernworkmag launch and contribute to the new look magazine from @teamIPSE Gemma Church

modern work

Contents INTERVIEW Faye Dicker

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RESEARCH Female freelancers on the rise

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NEWS BBC tax chaos and why IR35 should not be shifted to the client

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE Making time for marketing

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE GDPR, making sure you’re ready

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE The gig economy and where it is now

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INTERVIEW Shilpa Gandhi

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FROM THE LOBBY Spring Statement analysis and what it all means for the self-employed

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LIFESTYLE Putting class into co-working

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE The benefits of remote working

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LIFESTYLE Do freelancers need to code?

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE Ask our experts

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LIFESTYLE The freelancers guide to the Gold Coast

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EVENTS The events that could benefit yout

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Liz Kershaw gave evidence to the Culture Select Committee enquiry in March into whether BBC employees were forced on to limited company contracts

Females at the forefront of freelancing A word from the editor

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hank you to everyone who attended our official launch party for the magazine last month. We had a fantastic turnout of more than 70 people and it was great to hear such positive feedback on our new look. I want to say a particular thanks to our panel, which included IPSE’s research manager Kayte Jenkins and freelancers Gemma Church and Steve Folland. And also, to WeWork Paddington for hosting the event for us.

March 2018

In celebration of International Women’s Day, our second edition of Modern Work includes an interview with broadcaster and voiceover artist Faye Dicker, who speaks about overcoming the challenges she faced as she juggled being a mum while running a business.

We also have a breakdown of what you need to know about GDPR before it comes into effect in May. In our From the Lobby section we analyse what the chancellor said in the Spring Statement and how it will affect the self-employed.

If you have any questions you need one of our experts to answer, get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Enjoy the read.

Jyoti Rambhai EDITOR

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modern work

Work is child’s play if you follow this super-mum Radio broadcaster Faye Dicker discusses how you can run your own business and be a full-time parent

By Jyoti Rambhai

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Work and play: Faye Dicker with her youngest daughter, Suki

March 2018

hen broadcaster and founder of networking group Freelance Mum, Faye Dicker, wanted to return to her role as the presenter of BBC Bristol’s early morning breakfast show after becoming a mum for the first time, she found it almost impossible. Why? Because as a freelancer, there just wasn’t the opportunity to be a mum and work, she says.

Being a woman in the radio industry was challenging, Faye tells me, particularly if you were trying to juggle family life with work.

“There was a big piece of research done by an organisation called Sound Women about there being far fewer female voices in radio. Their findings were that after the age of 36, there was a huge number of women who stopped working in radio due to family commitments and having children.

“Radio was an industry that wasn’t particularly supportive of that,” the mother of two goes on to claim. “Their findings applied directly to me. I was 36 when I had Jemima and going back into my role on local BBC radio wasn’t considered. Job share in that role wasn’t contemplated.

“I found it hard to believe that a pioneering organisation such as the BBC in those days couldn’t contemplate a job share for an on-air position. And as a freelancer, there’s no offer of a job back, it’s simply an end to an engagement.

“The BBC isn’t alone in this. If you’re freelancing there just isn’t any security, which can make you particularly vulnerable. Like many other women, I welcome any move to make the return to work more supportive, whatever someone’s employment status.”

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Although the BBC has recently been in the public spotlight over its gender pay disparity, it is outwardly making a step to change attitudes and ensure both men and women are treated equally in all aspects of their roles at the organisation.

But more still needs to be done, Faye believes, and not just in the broadcasting industry, but across all other sectors.

Before she moved into radio, the Bristol-born mum was in television production, which she says was always on a short-term contract.

“Although technically speaking I wasn’t a freelancer at that time, I was already in that mind set of being a freelancer. Particularly as I began writing a column in Britain’s Evening Post – that was my first venture into doing freelance work.”

Faye moved from television into radio after realising that she missed the performance aspect, which she believed presenting offered. She says it was being able to “express myself in a certain way” that she missed the most.

Since she became a radio presenter, nearly 20 years ago, Faye has been self-employed. She worked at the radio station in the mornings and then would go home to do voiceover work.

The 42-year-old from Bristol says: “I realised to be a successful freelancer, I needed more than one string to my bow and I couldn’t just rely on presenting. So I took out a small loan from my parents – at the time it felt like a really big deal – to set up a studio at home to do voiceover work and it flourished instantly.”

As a voiceover artist, Faye, who began her professional career at the age of 14, went on to become the voice for Great Western Railway alongside various TV adverts and e-learning platforms.

Speaking about the challenges she faced

Working hard with her daughers Jamima (left) and Suki

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as her voiceover business grew, Faye says: “I never want to complain that I have too much work, but it can be a difficult balance to strike.

It can be hard sometimes to say no, because you never know when the next piece of work is going to come in.

“But actually, the longer you do this, the more you realise you are a business, an entity, and you have to look after yourself. Self-care should be number one as that will enable you to keep offering a really good product and service. It is about striking the right balance on a day-to-day basis.”

Despite the challenges growing a business can have, one of the biggest difficulties for Faye came six years ago, after having her first daughter. She went on to work on her voiceover business full-time and this, she tells me, was particularly hard.

“I was a full-time freelancer and a mum, and both of those things can be quite isolating.

Both come with similar challenges, because there’s a little person entirely depending on you, and there’s a business entirely depending on you.

“And sometimes you can’t get out of the house, sometimes you are trying to reply to an email whilst looking after a baby and that is actually really, really hard and desperately lonely.”

Faye, who got her Equity card at the age of 16 when she was making a regular appearance on BBC’s Casualty, adds: “This is why I set up Freelance Mum. I thought I can’t be the only mum that is trying to run a business and look after a baby.”

Initially, the former Dartington College of Arts graduate started Freelance Mum as a podcast. She went off and interviewed fellow mums in business. At the time, she believed this was the best way to tell the story and build a community.

However, the more mothers she interviewed, the more Faye realised that it was the face to face interaction that was needed. So she decided to “stick my neck out on line” and start a networking event.

In fact, Faye, who was recently named as one of the top 100 most influential women in the west by Bristol Post, set up her first Freelance Mum networking event, just nine weeks after giving birth to her second daughter.

“It was quite mad really, I was breastfeeding a new-born, while trying to conduct a networking event.

“But having a second baby actually gave me a bigger drive to set this up. It made me realise I had to take my business even more seriously and I needed a model that was going to work around my family.”

Freelance mums: Faye Dicker (centre) with Laura Raw and Gill Cockwell a self-employed designer

BBC and IR35…See page 13 modern work

We are sorry to announce: Elinor Hamilton, the voice thousands of commuters hear on their train journeys, gives an emotional speech at the Freelance Mum event on 8 March

wlings from BBC Bristol radio (left)

March 2018

Faye, whose early inspirations include former children’s TV presenter Floella Benjamin and Meryl Streep, went on to add: “For my first Freelance Mum event, I did not charge because I didn’t think anyone would come. But 15 people turned up!

“The trick to the meetings and their success was making sure the children and the parents were catered for equally. So we have treats for the kids and we go on net-walks, which allow mums to network and talk while pushing their buggies or their toddlers on scooters.

“Getting that fresh air and fresh perspective is really important because sometimes the only time you can hear yourself think is when your child is sleeping peacefully.

“I also make sure there are microphones at all the events so everyone can hear the guest speakers, whatever they are doing. You can’t have a guest speaker who cannot be heard because of a toddler having a tantrum in the background.”

March 8 was International Women’s Day, which was conceived nearly ten years ago to not only promote gender equality but to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history. And this year marked the centenary anniversary of women getting some rights to vote.

To celebrate this day, Faye, hosted a brave, bold and bonkers networking event at the oldest independent girl’s school in the country, Redmaid’s High School, Bristol.

“It was amazing,” Faye tells me after the event.

“We had over 40 women turn up and it was just great seeing everyone coming together.”

She admits that she got quite emotional at one point and described Elinor Hamilton’s story (Elinor is one of the UK’s leading female TV and radio voiceover artists and a guest speaker at the event) as “touching” and the “stand-out” moment for her.

“We get so caught up in our day-to-day life, we forget to pause and do things other than eat, breathe, sleep and work. And that’s what International Wom-

en’s Day means to me. It’s about stopping and taking stock of just how far we have come as women and just how far we still have to go.

“And it is about celebrating our successes along the way… celebrating that now women can have their own career and their own family, they can do and be who they want to be. I think it is really important that we all come together and take time to celebrate that success.” *Freelance Mum meet in Bristol on the second Tuesday and the fourth Friday of every month.

Details: freelancemum.co.uk

©All images by Nicola Jane Photography

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modern work

Female freelancers in double quick time As the world marked International Women’s Day, Kayte Jenkins looked into the growth of females in freelancing and other trends in the UK’s self-employed workforce

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oday, more people than ever before are taking advantage of the freedom and flexibility that comes with self-employment. No-one more so than females who are moving into highly skilled, professional freelance occupations at a greater rate than men.

This is according to a new report by IPSE, titled Exploring the rise of self-employment in the modern economy, which found that the overall number of female freelancers has risen by 67 per cent since 2008. This is more than double the rise in the number of male freelancers in the same period (33%).

As a result, in 2017 the UK’s total freelance population was 43 per cent female and 57 per cent male. A significant factor behind the rapid rise in women working for themselves is the growing number of self-employed working mums. Right now, one in seven of all self-employed people are working mums.

The total number of mothers working in highly skilled freelance occupations has almost doubled since 2008, amounting to an increase

March 2018

of 96 per cent (169,000 in 2008 to 331,000 in 2017). Since 2016, the proportion of the total number of highly skilled freelancers who are working mothers has also risen by ten per cent.

Speaking to Modern Work, Corinne Stuart, former self-employed business consultant and now head of commercial development at IPSE, said: “These results show just how useful and important self-employment can be for women who want to work and spend time with their children.

“In the last eight years, more women than ever before have recognised how invaluable the flexibility of self-employment can be, allowing them to both earn an income and spend time with their children. For many, it is also a vital means of moving back into the workforce.

“It is important for the government to recognise how liberating and beneficial self-employment can be, and ensure it remains a viable career path for all. It should make a particular effort to ensure self-employed mothers have all the assistance and support they need, such as by making them, like employees, eligible for statutory maternity pay.”

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1 in 7 of all self-employed are working mums

THE DISCREET DYNAMO It’s not just self-employed females who are on the rise: the entire sector is growing much faster than the rest of the labour force.

The surge in self-employment in recent times has been driven by the UK’s most skilled freelancers. This group has grown by 46 per cent since 2008, outstripping overall self-employment growth, which was 34 per cent during the same period.

Working in occupations from managers, directors and senior officials, to sports coaches and science and engineering professionals, they now make up two million of the UK’s 4.4 million solo self-employed (meaning businesses working on their own account, without employees).

Between 2008 and 2017 the number of mothers working as freelancers doubled

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The self-employed sector is among the most productive in the UK, contributing approximately £271 billion to the economy in 2017.

But where does a large proportion of this output come from?

It’s not hard to guess: skilled freelancers contributed more than £125 billion of that.

Embedded in industries across the country, the self-employed – particularly freelancers – are the UK’s discreet dynamo.

WHO MAKES UP THE FREELANCE WORKFORCE? The self-employed are working in so many different occupations, providing flexible, specialist skills to businesses across the country.

But where are they most focused?

The report shows that the largest proportions of highly skilled freelancers are working in artistic, literary and media occupations (16%).

This is followed by managers and proprietors in other services (12%), functional managers and directors (7%), teaching and education professionals (7%) and IT and telecommunications professionals (5%).

The study also shows that the average age of a freelancer is 47. The highest proportion of freelancers are aged 40-49 (508,000) and 5059 (513,000) – half (50%) of all freelancers fall into these age groups.

Younger freelancers, aged 16-29, are the smallest group of all freelancers proportionally.

This group, however, has experienced the most significant growth since 2008 – increasing by 41 per cent.

With a significant proportion of highly skilled freelancers approaching or soon to be approaching retirement age, it is encouraging to see the growth of the next generation of young people getting into business for themselves.

John Kitching, a professor at Kingston University, said: “The growth of self-employment has been one of the defining features of the UK economy for more than a decade, and independent professionals look set to extend their contribution to workforce numbers and business turnover.

“At a time when Brexit-driven uncertainty, rising inflation and concerns with tax compliance threaten the financial wellbeing of the UK’s smallest businesses, this report has shown just how important the country’s self-employed population are.”

modern work

LOCATION OF THE UK’S SOLO SELF-EMPLOYED AND FREELANCERS Proportion of all freelancers

Proportion of all solo self-employed

7% 8%

Scotland

2% 2%

3% 3%

North East England

North West England

Northern Ireland 8% 7%

Yorkshire and the Humber

8% 7%

7% 7%

6% 6%

East Midlands

Wales 10% 10%

4% 4%

East of England

West Midlands

5% 4%

South East England

Greater London

South West England

18% 20%

22% 24% *Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding

March 2018

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modern work

BBC evidence highlights dangers of shifting IR35 tax burden to client

By Chirs Piggott-McKellar

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hen veteran broadcaster and journalist Liz Kershaw received a letter in 2009 from the BBC, it contained a line that “the BBC will only engage on-air talent for long term commitments of engagements if their services are provided through a service company (or partnership).” The letter – contained within written evidence provided to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee enquiry into BBC pay in late March – was hardly a bolt from the blue.

The BBC’s engagement practices have been subject to intense media scrutiny since at least 2012, when the public broadcaster conducted a major review of its freelance model.

When asked by the committee chair, Damian Collins MP, whether she was “coerced into signing documents” by the BBC, Ms Kershaw replied, “Yes, I was initially”.

“What we saw in March was evidence of the chaos caused by the government’s ill-judged IR35 policy.”

For those who have been closely following the implementation of the changes made to IR35 in April last year, the evidence presented at the committee provided insight on multiple levels. Aside from the revelations that presenters were “coerced” by the BBC into forming companies, the evidence centrally legitimises major concerns raised by organisations, including IPSE, that the IR35 changes are having a detrimental effect on public services.

“What we saw before the committee in March was further evidence of the chaos caused March 2018

Liz Kershaw: gave evidence at the Culture Select Committee hearing into BBC pay in March by the government’s ill-judged policy to transfer the IR35 burden from the contractor to the public authority which hires them,” Andrew Chamberlain, IPSE’s deputy director of policy and external affairs said.

“This has resulted in highly skilled, professional contractors fleeing the public sector, robbing it of vital specialist skills, damaging public services and leading to delays in major projects.

“IPSE has been very concerned for some time now that the changes may be wreaking havoc in the NHS and other public-sector agencies.

“Following the changes to IR35 last year, there has been widespread concern that some public authorities are pushing all off payroll engagements into IR35 unfairly.”

The tool the government’s own website says that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs relies upon to determine IR35 status – the Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool – was also criticised at the committee enquiry.

“CEST is not fit for purpose. It absolutley

does not apply to the jobs we do... After using CEST, my result was indeterminate, and so the BBC took the decision that I should be employed for tax purposes,” another presenter Kirsty Lang told the committee.

Such observations are appropriate, according to Mr Chamberlain.

“The criticisms of the CEST tool made at the committee hearing are entirely accurate.

“The tool cannot be relied upon to make correct determinations which is why many organisations feel forced to take a blanket approach – unfairly deeming all off-payroll engagements inside IR35.”

Concerns about the tax liability of BBC presenters came to the fore this year, with a tribunal determining that former ‘Look North’ onair talent Christa Ackroyd fell inside IR35.

The BBC announced in March that individuals will now be able to ask for a review of their cases through the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.

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Making time for marketing

By Rachel Bridge

H

ow many followers do you have on Twitter? How often do you blog?

When was the last time you updated your website? If your answer to any of the above is to scowl furiously and give a big sigh, you are not alone.

It would be fair to say that we freelancers have an uneasy relationship with the idea of marketing.

Deep down, we know that promoting ourselves and our services makes a lot of sense. It is a crowded world out there and we know we can’t just sit back and hope that potential clients will somehow magically find us and get in touch.

But at the same time, the thought of going round shouting about how brilliant we are makes us feel really uncomfortable.

We also instinctively resent anything that takes us away from doing the work that actually makes us money.

It doesn’t help that we have no idea what kind of marketing we should be doing. Research by IPSE has found that many of us are unsure what market techniques will work for us.

Or how to target the right audience for our services. Or even what we should be telling potential clients about what we can offer them.

Even when we do take the plunge, we don’t make it easy for ourselves. IPSE found that the most common forms of marketing used by freelancers are those trusty old favourites – networking, referrals and testimonials.

These are perfectly fine places start, but they should not be the whole story. First, because as anyone who has ever spent an evening

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clutching a glass of warm wine and a pile of business cards at a networking event will tell you, these can be unpredictable ways of getting work.

And second, because the internet has given us a whole new set of shiny marketing tools that can be far more effective than hoping that someone you did some work for five years ago will remember you and recommend you.

The real problem is that we are not com-

mitting enough time and effort to finding out how to do this properly. Indeed, the IPSE survey revealed that many of us feel we don’t have time to invest in building and implementing a marketing strategy.

But we need to make time. And if we don’t know what to do, we need to learn. That’s because when marketing is done right, it works.

I have a freelance writer friend who sets aside 20 per cent of his time every week to spend on marketing himself and his business. He sends out newsletters, he writes blogs for his website, he emails potential clients with articles they might find interesting, he is constantly sharing ideas on LinkedIn and Twitter.

I know another freelance writer who never does any marketing at all. In fact, he doesn’t even have a website. He has a tiny handful of followers on social media and last tweeted in 2015.

And guess what – my friend makes considerably more money than the second freelancer. About three times as much.

Like it or not, we have to get better at this stuff. More than that, we have to wholeheartedly embrace it. Not least because otherwise, my friend is going to get all the work.

See you on LinkedIn. *Rachel Bridge is a freelance writer and author.

Her seventh book, Already Brilliant: play to your strengths in work and life, is published by Piatkus on 22 March 2018.

modern work

Are you ready for GDPR? The new data protection rules will soon be live, here’s what you need to know

Username Password

By Neil Lewis

L

ike the eponymous French wine – we’ll soon be saying GDPR 2018 est arrivé. But what is it? GDPR I mean; I assume you know all about Beaujolais wine already.

GDPR, short for General Data Protection Regulation, comes into force on 25 May, 2018.

The regulation will create a single market of data for anyone with EU based customers, suppliers or staff (including the UK regardless of Brexit).

It supersedes all pre-existing data legislations, making it much easier for contractors, companies and organisations to share data across borders and know that it is secure and everyone is biding by the same set of rules.

The new legislation is designed to incentivise organisations to handle their clients or customers data responsibly. If not, they could be landed with a heavy fine – up to four per cent of their turnover or €20 million, whichever if higher. It is hoped the harsh fines will help stop cold callers and spammers.

As freelancers, we are responsible for implementing the GDPR rules in our work (and possibly with our clients too). But we are also private people, who will now be better informed about where our data is, who has access to it and most importantly, we will have more control over what information is stored.

Although GDPR is complex, do not fear.

In most cases, as a freelancer or contractor, if you stick my three key principles you will be fine:

March2018 2018 April

• Accountability • Transparency • Integrity ACCOUNTABILITY Ensure you have a legitimate reason to collect personal data, you have recorded the justifications for this reason, and you have a record of ‘consent’ if required.

Most probably, you will have a database of customers to whom you sell your services and possibly an email marketing list and/or newsletter. You will still be able to continue to build a list of potential business clients and contact them individually without first asking for consent.

However, you will need opt-in consent if you want to send them newsletters and marketing material. This essentially means making sure there are no pre-ticked boxes or implied consent used when you initially engage with your contact.

TRANSPARENCY People should be able to unsubscribe from your newsletters just as easily as it was to subscribe.

You should also be able to amend or remove their data from your contacts database if requested. Being transparent is also about ensuring your contacts know what you will be doing with their data and who it is shared with.

Do you remember the old technique of connecting with lots of people on LinkedIn and then adding them to your newsletter? That’s been a nono for a few years, but now if someone does it, they can be heavily fined.

INTEGRITY Keep the data safe – cyber-safe that is! Ensure you have strong passwords, up-to-date security software on your devices (laptops, tablets and smart phones) and perform regular checks and updates.

Also, actively retire and replace any devices that are no longer cyber-safe, such as 80 per cent of Android smart phones, iPhone 5c and older iPhones as well as many smarthome devices). Lastly, encrypt your data.

Oh, and don’t do anything stupid. Yeah, like click a bad link! About half of all data breaches are a result of human error such as link clicking or leaving USB sticks containing personal data in a bar – which has ended many careers!

Top tip: take time to review and record the way you collect and use data and your cyber-security. Make a list of areas to improve and start taking the first steps. Track all your actions in a document and keep it safe. This document will show good intention and probably keep you safe from fines or brand damage should a breach occur. And on that note, make sure you also have a documented protocol of the steps to take if a breach occurs. *Neil Lewis is the publisher at CyberSafe.com, dedicated to making online life safer for small and home businesses.

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A not-so tough gig, and how the

By Jordan Marshall Political correspondent

T

he media cannot resist talking about the gig economy. The eyes of journalists must have lit up when they saw that on the same day the government published its response to the Taylor Review, it also published a report into the experience of people working in the so-called ‘gig economy’.

But the evidence from this report, titled The characteristics of those in the Gig Economy, did not fit the usual media narrative of people suffering and being exploited by larger companies.

Instead the survey, conducted by the Department for Business and the Institute for Employment Studies, paints a much more positive picture. It highlights how people are enjoying the flexibility of self-employment and using it as a way of topping up their main income.

WHAT IS THE GIG ECONOMY AND WHO WORKS IN IT? According to this study, what defines the gig economy is the ‘exchange of labour for money… via digital platforms’. In particular, it is platforms which allow people to post jobs or find work on a short-term basis and usually on a payby-task basis.

App-based platforms like Uber and Deliveroo would fall within this sector, as would websites such as PeoplePerHour and Task-Rabbit.

Excluded from this definition are platforms that facilitate the provision of goods rather than services, such as eBay and Etsy.

Despite its prominence in the national media, the gig economy is still a relatively minor part of our labour market. Just 4.4 per cent of the UK population has worked in this way in the last twelve months. And the majority were using it to supplement their main source of income.

It is disproportionally popular among younger people, with over half of those involved

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(56%) aged 18-34. The study also found the levels of educational attainment were similar between the general population and those involved in the gig economy.

HOW MUCH TIME DO THEY SPEND AND WHAT DO THEY EARN? Individuals are generally working on a fairly regular basis in the gig economy, but not on a full-time basis. Over half (55%) worked at least once a month, while only nine per cent were working in the gig economy daily.

This is reflected by the fact that only eight per cent see the money they earn in the gig economy as their main source of income. Two thirds also earned less than five per cent of their total

income from the gig economy in the previous twelve months.

The earnings picture is incredibly mixed, and unsurprisingly depends on what type of gig work is being undertaken. The majority of those involved in food delivery services (55%) earn less than £8.44 an hour, while couriers earn significantly more – with 31 per cent earning between £8.45-£12.99 an hour and a fifth earning between £13-£20 an hour.

HOW HAPPY ARE THEY? The answer is “relatively”. More than half of those involved in the gig economy are either very or fairly satisfied with their experience of providing services through websites and apps.

modern work

government should approach it

Independence and flexibility are the key reasons cited for this satisfaction. Looking to the future, 41 per cent said they are going to continue in this type of work while 39 per cent said they will not.

WHAT APPROACH SHOULD GOVERNMENT TAKE? Policymakers are right to want to tackle exploitation wherever they find it. But the evidence shows that this is not actually a particularly big problem in the gig economy. People are generally happy with this way of working, particularly because it affords them independence and flexibility.

When they are considering the best legislation to deliver in response to the Taylor Review

March 2018

of Modern Working Practices, the government would be wise to take extreme caution. If nothing else, the report by the Department of Business and the Institute for Employment Studies showed just how complex and nuanced the gig economy is. Any government legislation on this area must reflect this complexity or risk doing serious damage to legitimately self-employed people. The government should be particularly careful about any measures that could push people out of self-employment and towards ‘worker’ employment status.

Of course, this doesn’t mean they should ignore the challenges people in vulnerable work in the gig economy face. But to get the balance right and give people in vulnerable work the

support and protection they need, the government should focus not on shifts in employment status, but opening up training options. As IPSE research has shown, improving access to training is one of the most effective and direct ways to improve conditions for people in vulnerable work, empowering them to improve their circumstances.

Across the gig economy, people generally do not want shifts and an employer telling them what to do. The government’s report shows that by and large, people in the gig economy actually want flexibility and freedom. We must defend their right to this, as well as the many other benefits our flexible economy delivers for worker and consumer alike.

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with...

Shilpa Gandhi The optician with a new vision…

By Tristan Grove

W

hen Shilpa Gandhi was working as an optician in central London, you would be forgiven for thinking that her career path was clearly laid out before her. Shilpa’s clients included bankers, lawyers and other timestrapped professionals. But when it came to having a family of her own, the previously clear line to success became somewhat blurry.

And now, after discovering the benefits of freelancing, she divides her time between her young family and an entirely new profession: bringing love to the same busy professionals across London and beyond, as one of the leading lights of the UK matchmaking industry with her business Amare Exclusive.

Why did you choose to become a self-employed matchmaker?

The flexibility of time and location is the biggest thing. I have young children, and running my own business allows me to be there for them when they need me, which is so important. My days are mostly made up of intertwined mothering and work commitments. And the thing is, although it may look like I’m working all the time, having those two interwoven one after the other throughout the day actually gives me respite from both. They both re-energise me.

I love what I do – and of course I love my children – so for me, it’s brilliant. I can do everything I want to in a day. It’s not always easy, but I do my best to keep a good work-life balance.

So how do you maintain a good work-life balance?

Probably the most important thing is a regimented routine. Every day, I’m out of the house 18

early – either doing the school run or at meetings in the City. And from then on, I make sure everything is timed right. When you know how much time you have, you know how quickly you need to get through things.

Why matchmaking?

I suppose I’ve always been matchmaking – whether I got paid for it or not! I’m very sociable by nature, and I was always setting my friends up. I’m a great believer that it just takes one introduction to change someone’s life. So why wouldn’t I do it?

Then, after I got married, I started working in central London – in the City. I found that many of my clients were bankers, lawyers and other

successful professionals. And what I heard from so many of them was that because they worked long hours they were finding it very hard to meet suitable partners. And time and again they’d say online dating was giving them quantity but not quality, so I saw a gap in the market for a more personal approach.

Although maybe my previous career may not seem like the most obvious path to becoming a matchmaker, being an optician actually helped me understand the importance of balancing a professional approach to everything with that all-important personal touch.

As an optician, one of the key things you have to do is quickly get to know and understand modern work

I was trying to get Amare Exclusive ready to launch by the end of January 2017 – in time for Valentine’s Day. But unfortunately, I had to get new website designers at the last minute, and that was a major struggle.

In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t rushed to get it ready for a particular date, because those weeks in the run-up to Valentine’s day were absolute madness. And in the end, it really didn’t make that much difference.

Another major thing was generally just absorbing so much new information. I mean, I love business, but suddenly I was managing my own business and that was something else. I was aware of some aspects of it already, but there were so many new things I had to learn in a short amount of time. I think when you’re starting a business, you need to understand that it’s okay not to know everything: there are lots of resources to help you learn. What’s not okay is not learning!

lots of different people, and that translates really well to matchmaking.

When I was an optician, I was bound by a code of ethics to do the best by my patients.

When I was doing my research to change careers I came across an international institute of matchmaking and signed up to a course. The reason I signed up was because you could become a certified matchmaker and with that you’re bound by a code of ethics. And I wanted my clients to know that and know they will be protected by it.

What challenges did you face getting the business off the ground?

Time was probably the biggest challenge: March 2018

Was it your experience of love that made you want to set up the agency?

Yeah, definitely. People undervalue love. And quite often nowadays, to achieve success in their careers, people let their personal lives go. So you have a great life, but no-one to share it with. And that’s so sad: I’ve met far too many people like that, and all they need is the right introduction.

Do you have any advice for people trying to set up a matchmaking agency like yours?

To start with, you definitely have to be a people person, because sometimes it can be really intense – you’re meeting client after client at networking events and you have to be on the go constantly. So you need to be bubbly, you need to be outgoing and you need to really love people.

If you don’t, you’re really going to hate the job!

And the fact is, you have to believe in love. I know that may seem a bit of a strange thing to

say, but a lot of people don’t believe in love.

Before I met my husband, I was very career focused. I was working hard and loved my life. But when he came along, he enhanced it. I started to think: I really love my life. And now I suppose I see the world through – and my friends laugh at me for this – rose-tinted glasses.

It’s true though: love makes such a difference. And I started this business because I saw so many brilliant people who were struggling to find the right partner. Well, I really wanted to make that difference for them – to be the person who gave them that one introduction that changed everything.

What are your plans for the future of Amare Exclusive?

Umm… worldwide love domination! [Laughs] I’d love it! Have you seen all the unhappy people on the London underground in the morning? All they need is a sprinkle of love in their hearts and they’d be fine. It’s truly medicinal – the one thing that can make anyone happy.

First of all we’re looking at branching out into some exclusive events – not speed dating, but curated events with a touch of luxury. And then of course, just expanding our client base.

Amare offers a uniquely personalised and personal service based on trust, privacy, safety and time saving, so the next step is to get that offering out to as many people as we can. We’re bringing love to London – then the world!

From Optician to solo-businesswoman, Shilpa Gandhi decided to become self-employed after having a family

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modern work

Your monthly briefing SMALL BUSINESSES NOT PREPARED FOR NEW EU DATA LAWS Less than one in ten small business owners in the UK are ready for the new data protection regulations (GDPR), which come into effect in May. And a staggering one in five are unaware of the new regulations, according to research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

FSB’s findings echo concerns raised by the European Commission on small businesses around the EU and their “surprise” about GDPR coming into effect.

In a bid to “safe harbour” small businesses, the FSB is calling on the UK’s information watchdog to introduce a scheme, offering businesses who voluntarily report themselves as breaching the rules, advice on meeting GDPR requirements rather than imposing heavy fines on them.

welfare. But a new report by the Centre for Research on Self-Employment (CRSE) and Hudson Contract has debunked this myth.

According to the report, freelancers – more than employees – play a crucial role in boosting economic efficiency and productivity in the construction sector.

Utilising flexible and highly skilled freelance sub-contractors on a project-by-project basis – instead of employees – allows firms to avoid idle, unused labour downtime, saving them anywhere between 27 and 86 per cent of their labour costs per project.

OVER 55s TAKING JOBS IN THE GIG ECONOMY IS GROWING, NEW STUDY FINDS More and more people 55-years and over are taking up jobs in the gig economy as a way to ease themselves into retirement, according to a new study.

A survey by Zurich UK has found that more than a third of people working in the so-called gig economy are over the age of 55.

The insurance firm surveyed 4,200 people and found that many value the flexibility the gig economy offers. In fact, just over 10 per cent said they would not expect to stop working until at least they were 75-years-old.

NEARLY HALF OF TOP CONSULTING WORK UNDERTAKEN BY SELF-EMPLOYED WOMEN

FREELANCE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ARE VITAL TO THE HOUSING SECTOR Freelance construction workers are not only crucial to the self-employed sector, but now more than ever they are essential to relieving the intensifying housing crisis.

The construction sector has for a long time been freelance-heavy. And in recent years, there has been a growing myth that somehow the self-employed in this industry are harming its

March 2018

Independent professional women are now accounting for nearly half of those in the consulting sector, according to Odgers Connect.

Often, women make up as little as 20 per cent of senior roles in professional services firms. However, this gender split is far more equal in the self-employed sector. The consulting firm claims this is largely due to the rapid growth in the demand for independent consultants. And this has created new opportunities for women to progress into high-level professional careers while offering flexible working hours.

UBER STOPS TESTING DRIVERLESS CARS AFTER WOMAN DIES Uber has suspended testing of all self-driving cars after a woman was killed in what is the first fatal collision between a pedestrian and such a vehicle.

The self-driving vehicle allegedly failed to stop as a woman in Tempe, Arizona, was crossing the road. The incident has reawakened the debate of the safety of driverless car and is another setback for the taxi-hailing giant.

SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE With Thursday 5 April marking the anniversary of the Shared Parental Leave campaign, parliament has agreed to the preparation of a bill extending the policy to the self-employed.

Read in the House of Commons by Tracy Brabin MP, the bill calls for “maternity allowance to be shared in blocks between freelance parents, replicating the way shared parental leave works for those in more conventional employment.” The second reading of the bill will be on 11 May.

21

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modern work

A few rays of sunshine but dark clouds on the horizon

T

By Simon McVicker Director of Policy and Public Affiars, IPSE

he Spring Statement was not meant to be a big event and in that way it lived up to expectations. That it included a few rays of sunshine for the self-employed was welcomed. But you cannot get away from the fact that Brexit dark clouds loomed over this statement and the uncertainty it brings. Additionally, the government’s seeming determination to push on with its consultation on extending the changes to IR35 from the public sector to the private sector has also left a deep foreboding.

But the good news first, Eeyore turned self-proclaimed Tigger of the treasury Philip Hammond said he would be consulting on taxfree training for the self-employed. If this consultation turns into something concrete, it will be a big victory for IPSE and the self-employed.

IPSE is the only organisation campaigning for this tax relief. And as our report on vulnerable work shows, opening up training options is one of the best ways to help people in financially insecure work. So we’re going to hold our newly Tiggerish chancellor to this.

The other big nugget for the self-employed in the chancellor’s gag-laden speech was his pledge to clamp down on late payments. This is no laughing matter as our research has shown that the average self-employed person spends 20 days a year of their valuable time chasing clients who have failed to fork out for their work. The

March 2018

Tigger Hammond: A ‘call for evidence’ on the VAT threshold was announced in the Spring Statement

government has already taken up IPSE’s calls for a small business commissioner to hold clients to account, but more still needs to be done.

But beyond these two glittering nuggets, the Spring Statement was far from golden for the self-employed. First, behind the jibes and ‘little red book’ jabs of the chancellor’s speech, there was something that could turn out to be a major jab at the self-employed: the announcement that in the coming months the government will publish a consultation on improving IR35 com-

pliance in the private sector.

As every self-employed person has heard by now, the changes to IR35 in the public sector have been nothing short of a disaster, so it was surely a relief that the rumours about the chancellor using the statement to extend them turned out to be untrue. Nevertheless, the compliance consultation and the threat of extending the changes in future loomed large.

Then there is the no less concerning ‘call for evidence’ on potential changes to the current VAT regime. Although it’s not a consultation, this is a real dark cloud hanging over the Spring Statement and something that could hit the less well-off self-employed really badly if the VAT threshold is lowered, as some have suggested.

Many self-employed would find themselves choosing between raising their prices – causing them to lose customers – or absorbing the VAT cost themselves, doing significant damage to their businesses. It would also strangle many self-employed people in a sea of red tape they can ill afford to deal with. IPSE will be very clear with the chancellor that lowering the threshold would have disastrous consequences for the UK’s self-employed population.

And what of the Brexit dark clouds? While the chancellor’s growth figures seemed superficially good, they are still the worst amongst leading economies. We also still do not know what sort of deal Britain will get and the treasury has not retracted its earlier view that the departure is going to badly hurt the UK economy. No wonder IPSE’s own freelancer condfidence index is at its lowest ebb. Nothing in the statement gave any reassurance that Brexit was going to be good for Britain.

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Fractures, fissures and the future o

W

By Tristan Grove Chief correspondent

ith an EU transition deal finally agreed and pretty much all politicians (with the vocal exception of comrade Corbyn) united in their condemnation of Russia, you could be forgiven for thinking that today Britain is more unified than at any time since Brexit. Darkest Hour has just rolled off our screens, Theresa May is standing up against ‘corrupt elites’ in ‘our country’, and Churchill-wannabe-in-chief Boris Johnson is giving interviews in front of Spitfires. You can almost smell the warm English crumpets wafting out over the white cliffs of Dover!

If overall this kingdom is starting to look a little more united, its main political parties seem to have missed the memo. The Conservative response to the transition agreement seems to be, if anything more, enthusiasm for the long-term project of tearing themselves apart over Brexit. The biggest bone of contention?

The government’s transitional deal on fishing, which Leave has described as an “abject, disgusting betrayal”, and Douglas Ross MP said “it would be easier to get someone to drink a pint of sick than try to sell this as a success.” Colourful imagery all round. And leading the charge, of course, was the Honourable Member for the 18th Century, Jacob Rees-Mogg, saying the government had “rolled over” when it “hasn’t had its tummy tickled”.

While ‘Moggmentum’ is raising a stink in the Conservative Party, its all-red progenitor Momentum is causing trouble in Labour. With Labour’s ruling council, the National Executive Committee, now dominated by Momentum, to some moderates it’s starting to look like their worst Stalinist nightmares could come true. After all, it has deselected their first moderate: Sir Robin Wales, who has been the Labour mayor of Newham for the last 23 years.

It’s not just overt Corbyn-sceptics Momentum have been causing a stir with: for a while the race for party general secretary set Momentum founder Jon Lansman head to head against Jennie Formby, an organiser for Unite.

So, looking across the country, it’s less a nation united 24

Result: Government accepted 52 out of the 53 recommendations from the Taylor review.

The only thing they did not accept was equalising self-employed national insurance contributions.

modern work

of the self-employed Freelance mums get

£140.98 per week of statutory maternity pay

Uptake of shared parental leave could be as low as

2%

March 2018

than politics fractured. But what about the self-employed: how does this rocky political landscape affect them?

THE SELF-EMPLOYED STAR While Labour’s activists have been embroiled in infighting this month, one of the party’s MPs has been reshaping the law from the backbenches to help the self-employed. The former actress and Corrie star Tracy Brabin, now Labour MP for Batley and Spen, has led a campaign to help self-employed parents.

Winning support from everyone from Maria Miller to Coldplay’s Chris Martin, she brought her campaign to a head with a bill to extend shared parental leave to the self-employed. If it’s passed, it will not only allow self-employed dads to take time off to see their children; it will also help self-employed mums maintain their businesses.

There was another boom for self-employed parents this month – this time from HMRC (and yes, you read that right). The taxmen have decided to take a softer approach to working self-employed parents. It announced that all working parents – including the self-employed – can now receive a tax-free childcare allowance of £2,000.

IT’S TAYLOR TIME (FINALLY) The sector as a whole could be on course for several significant wins. That’s because, seven months after its initial publication, the government has finally responded to the Taylor Review.

There seems a lot to be optimistic about as it has recognised the need to address major, long-standing issues like the uncertainty about employment status and the need for more support for the self-employed.

The only recommendation the government didn’t take forward was the one that could have been a significant threat to the self-employed sector: taking steps to equalise employee and self-employed taxes. Accepting 52 out of 53 recommendations: that’s not bad. Of course, that didn’t stop Taylor himself rating the response just four out of 10…

The main outcome of the Review will be four major government consultations, on: employment status, increasing transparency in the labour market, agency workers and enforcement of employment rights. Although you might raise questions about a review leading to essentially more reviews… the government does seem to be moving in the right direction on this. For Taylor, if the consultations are “productive”, his score “may move up to seven or eight”.

Chris Bryce

Chief executive at IPSE

The BBC: IR35 strikes again In the self-employed community we’re used to hearing about IR35. What we’re not used to is seeing major BBC presenters dragged into the debate. But since the government took the disastrous decision to shift the burden of proof from contractors to clients in the public sector, presenters like Christa Ackroyd are finding themselves caught by IR35, catapulting this pernicious tax law slap bang into the public eye.

Now over 170 presenters are escalating a dispute with the BBC about its handling of the changes to IR35 in the public sector, and a dunderheaded tax decision is turning into a fully-fledged fiasco.

This is only the latest manifestation of the chaos caused by the changes to IR35 in the public sector. With contractors fleeing the sector left right and centre, we’ve already seen delays to major TfL projects and – worse – dangerous, unacceptable staff shortages in the NHS. How many more of our public institutions will have to be dragged through the mud before the government sees sense and reverses these disastrous changes? And where is the government’s response to all this?

Back in November last year, it announced it would be publishing research into the effects of the changes on the public sector. Months later, we’ve heard neither hide nor hair of it and the government is now apparently preparing to publish a consultation on tackling IR35 non-compliance in the private sector.

Surely they can’t be considering consulting on extending the changes to IR35 without absorbing and publishing the results of their own research? And if the research is accurate, it can only show one thing: the changes have been a catastrophe for the public sector and its contractors; and extending them would do serious damage to the self-employed sector. It would do nothing less than scupper one of the UK economy’s greatest assets at a time when we need it most. Whatever the result of the research and consultation, you can be sure IPSE will be working hard to promote the self-employed agenda.

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Putting the class in co-working

By Tom Hayward

I

f you imagined a co-working space, you would be forgiven for picturing openplan areas of red brick, exposed chrome ducting and upcycled furniture, inhabited by plaid-clad millennials hunched over MacBooks and drawing boards.

But in The Bloomsbury Club, in the heart of central London, is The Coral Room – an eye-catching cocktail bar that is aiming to exploit a niche in the market and bring a touch of

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class to the traditional notion of shared office space.

In what is a burgeoning and fiercely competitive self-employed market, getting a lead on your competitors can make all the difference. So, what better way to impress a client or win a pitch than taking them to one of the capital’s most exclusive co-working-friendly venues?

“The Coral Room is unique because of the

sense of luxury we provide. Our high levels of service would certainly be one of our unique selling points compared with the traditional co-working space model,” sales and marketing manager Joshua Craddock tells Modern Work in the art deco-inspired bar.

“The Coral Room is already frequently used by freelance workers, entrepreneurs and local businesses for small meetings already. It’s a market we’re actively targeting and currently modern work

Co-working spaces in the area While The Coral Room is a great go-to for co-working on an ad-hoc basis or impressing clients, if you want somewhere a bit more permanent, but close by, here are some other co-working hubs in the area.

RENTADESK we have about 100 visitors every day who use our venue for various work-related purposes.

“During the day, the space is largely used by local businesspeople; then in the evening, with a slick cocktail bar, the world’s most extensive English sparkling wine offering and occasional live music sets, The Coral Room comes into its own.

“The interior design is world-class, the environment is impressive, and the location is easily accessible, which makes it a great place to impress or win clients.

“We’re trying to do something different and the venue is perfectly conducive to a work/ play daytime/night-time dynamic. You don’t have to be a member; you can just come in, and we find that openness brings us a lot of success.

“This is definitely an audience we are keen to continue to attract and, whilst the bar isn’t anti-suits like some other venues, everyone is welcome to enjoy our luxury setting and five-star service.”

Designed by the Martin Brudnizki Design Studio – the inspiration behind The Beekman Hotel in New York and Scarfes Bar in London – the venue is striking, with sleek furniture and impressive chandeliers dominating a room of coral walls and polished parquet flooring.

Despite its grandeur, The Coral Room places emphasis on supporting local entrepreneurs and last year commissioned local artist Luke Edward Hall to produce a series of works that add a homely feel.

“The space is unique and exclusive, yet sociable. There is an abundance of power sockets, complimentary Wi-fi, attentive service and plenty of luxury desk space,” Craddock continues.

The venue has only been operating since November and due to its unique model, is operating a trial and error approach which has, thus far, seen its audience and reach increase at a rapid rate.

March 2018

At present, this space is used solely for work, but as The Coral Room identifies its users and their needs, they are keen to host events and become involved in the wider self-employed community.

“Having opened in November 2017 we’re new, so it’s hard to identify challenges at this stage, but we will officially launch into the London scene in April, which is really exciting.”

It was recently described by The Telegraph (Luxury) as “an impressive, genuinely beautiful room, that is simultaneously reminiscent of 1920s decadence and Miami art deco”.

But as has been The Coral Room’s mantra since its inception: “Come and see for yourself.”

Nestled in a quiet side street just five minutes away from the excitement of Holborn and Tottenham Court Road is Rentadesk – an intimate and community focused co-working space. Oh and dogs. This pet-friendly hub offers a warm, personal working environment for freelancers and small businesses.

Details: rentadesk.co.uk WEWORK Just a short walk away in what was once a music publishing house is WeWork Soho.

The space has maintained much of the building’s original charm, including the large bay windows, exposed brick walls and even has a grand piano in the entrance.

Details: wework.com CLUB WORKSPACE Located just off Chancery Lane in Quality Court is one of Club Workspace’s several co-working spaces in the area. It boasts a modern design and is home to many small businesses.

Details: workspace.co.uk REGUS Just around the corner from The Coral Room in what is described as a “Flemish renaissance-style building” is Regus. The space offers a flexible range of private and shared workspaces for freelancers, which are equipped with everything your business needs to thrive.

Details: regus.co.uk BLOOM.SPACE For start-ups and freelancers who want more than just somewhere to sit and work, visit Bloom.Space. This co-working hub offers the opportunity for freelancers to learn from experts in their field in order to boost their service.

Details: bloom.space/coworking

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Do freelancers need to code?

By Gemma Church

I now.

’m lucky. I learnt to code at the tender age of six, sitting at my sister’s BBC computer – and I loved it. But technology wasn’t as prevalent or as popularised then as it is

Fast-forward to the current day, and a new wave of coding initiatives are encouraging everyone to learn to code.

So, do freelancers need to learn to code?

You may think that technology is irrelevant in your industry. Or you may think that learning to code is just too difficult.

But code isn’t scary. Once you get your head around some of the basic concepts behind it, it’s easy to learn.

And learning to code could help your freelance career in many different ways: BE A PROBLEM-SOLVING NINJA The best coders don’t just dive into a problem headfirst – they research, plan and then code.

That’s an analytical skill set that most freelancers need and it’s the basis of the theory behind coding – computer science.

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Coding takes the theories and processes from computer science and applies them in a concrete way. It’s the daddy of transferable skill sets, and a highly relevant one in our increasingly digital world.

SAVE TIME AND MONEY Every website and app you use has a block of code sitting behind it to make it work. A little coding knowledge can go a long way to help you set up and maintain your own online presence.

For example, when it comes to running your website, there are plenty of out-of-the-box solutions with a simple drag-and-drop interface.

However, these sites often allow you to customise your website by tinkering with a bit of code.

You could, for example, tweak the layout and wording, change the colour scheme or (if you’re feeling particularly brave) add an exciting new feature.

The ability to tailor your online presence in this way can help you to stand out from the saturated online world of cookie cutter designs and meet the needs of your specific target audience.

And that’s without the time and expense of bringing in an external developer every time you need to make a change to your site.

UNDERSTAND NEW TECHNOLOGIES Technology is awash with ridiculous acronyms and jargon. It’s a pet hate of mine because such inflated terms put barriers between nontech audiences and impactful new technologies.

However, a little coding knowledge can help you to cut through the proverbial and understand the bearing that technology could have on your business.

Not only will this help you to keep ahead of the competition, it will also enable you to communicate more effectively and ask more informed questions when working with or for technical teams. If, for example, you’re a graphic designer then understanding code will help you to work more cohesively with a development team when designing a website.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW As a freelancer, you have to constantly upmodern work

skill to keep pace with your industry – but why should this learning process be restricted to your own discipline?

Experimenting with a new skill often sparks creativity and new ideas for your business. It can open your eyes to a new world of possibilities – and networking opportunities too, as the coding community is incredibly active both online and offline.

You may even find an entirely new passion if you start tinkering with code. It’s an addictive hobby, where writing a few lines of code will allow you to see a real-world application spring into life.

WHERE TO START? There are plenty of initiatives available to help you learn to code. Code.org is one of the most established, with a wealth of online tutorials and resources to point you in the right direction. There are also a range of free online platforms to help you learn to code, including: Codeacademy, Free Code Camp, Codewars, the Odin Project, HackerRank, edX and Upskill.

March 2018

The #techmums initiative is another fantastic portal with the aim to empower women through technology. Its founder, Dr Sue Black OBE, said: “We don’t all need to become software developers, but it’s good for all of us to understand the basics of coding, so we can have an appreciation of how computers work.

“Learning coding, even at a really beginner level, can be extremely empowering because once you understand what’s going on you realise that it’s not magic and not too difficult to grasp.

“I love teaching our #techmums to code because they go from very apprehensive and feeling a bit dim to feeling excited and empowered in just a couple of hours. It’s incredible when it is taught the right way.”

You could also invest in a Raspberry Pi, which is a small and low-cost computer that helps people to learn to program. The Raspberry Pi Foundation, which is responsible for the Pi microcomputer, develops free resources and fun projects to help learners.

Clare Sutcliffe, who is co-founder of Code Club and the executive director of marketing

and outreach for the Raspberry Pi Foundation, said: “Learning to code is a useful skill for lots of different careers. From creative industries like design and music production to engineering, medicine and architecture, learning to program can open doors for you to progress in your career or even make a move into an entirely new one.

“As a freelancer, knowing even the basics of programming means you could offer new services to your clients. For example, if you learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript, you could offer web design. Other programming languages could mean you can learn and offer data collection and analysis.”

Learning to code isn’t going to happen overnight. Much like freelancing, it’s a constant learning curve and changes occur at a rapid pace.

Yes, time is money as a freelancer. But, if you’re willing to dedicate some time and effort to code, it offers you a tangible way to grow your business, your skill set and your mind.

And (take it from the six and 36-year-old me), it’s great fun too.

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New research paints a worrying picture of retirement saving in the UK

T

he UK faces a looming pensions crisis due to many people making inadequate plans to save for their retirement, according to new research by Close Brothers Asset Management.

Over 2,000 British adults were surveyed for the Pensions in Perspective report. Worryingly, the research found that almost a third (32%) of respondents have no pension or any other investment that is intended to help support their retirement.

It seems that widespread confusion around the UK pension system is a major reason why many people are not saving enough. More than a quarter of respondents (27%) revealed that they do not understand the UK pension system, with women more likely to say this than men.

This confusion is understandable in light of 30

the frequent changes that successive governments have made to pension rules, especially with regard to tax relief. At the same time, the move away from defined benefit pension schemes towards defined contribution and self-invested personal pension schemes has given individuals greater responsibility when it comes to making investment decisions and taking investment risk.

The research suggests that this responsibility is not something that they necessarily welcome, or feel prepared for, since 29 per cent of respondents admitted that they feel confused by the range of pension products on offer. What’s more, two in five people (40%) do not know how many pension pots they currently invest in while almost three quarters (73%) are in the dark about the total value of the assets that they are holding in their pension pots.

The pension freedoms introduced in 2015 have also put greater onus on individuals to determine the best way to fund their life after work. Yet while the freedoms have given people a lot more choice on how to use their pension pot, they have also introduced more opportunity for getting it wrong.

The research found that more than a third (35%) of adults fear they will not have enough money in their pension pot to retire and lead the kind of lifestyle they desire. More than a quarter (27%) worry that they might not have enough cash to cover emergencies, such as an accident or illness.

Meanwhile, one in five (21%) are afraid of living longer than they have saved for. And around 27 per cent of respondents are wary of the government increasing taxation on pension savings. modern work

Andy Cumming, head of advice at Close Brothers Asset Management, believes these findings indicate that the UK could be heading for a savings crisis in the long term.

He said: “Widespread confusion brings with it a real threat that people are not saving enough for retirement – or using the products and allowances that will best support their pension saving,” he says.

BOTHERED BY BREXIT On top of their general bewilderment when it comes to pensions, many people are also anxious about the impact that Brexit will have on their investments. Fifteen per cent of respondents said that they planned to take fewer risks with their investments as a result of Brexit, with this figure rising to 22 per cent for people aged 34 or youngMarch2018 2018 April

er. More than a third (34%) of people believe economic uncertainty could affect their ability to save for retirement.

Despite the ambiguous economic and political outlook, which makes it extremely important to put sound, long-term investment plans in place, nearly three quarters (72%) of the adults that we surveyed admitted that they had never taken professional advice on how to best fund their retirement.

Yet the research also revealed that many savers do understand the benefits that come with paying for advice. Half would consider paying for a professional adviser to help them to better understand their finances while almost a third (30%) would do so with a view to increasing the value of their pension pots.

Significantly, 11 per cent said that the UK

leaving the EU meant that they were likely to take more frequent financial advice. This is a sensible approach since simply deciding to take fewer risks is not necessarily the right investment strategy for the long term, especially for younger people “As pension products become more complex, and economic uncertainty grows, it’s incredibly important that people make informed decisions about their pension pot to ensure their particular requirements of retirement funding can be sufficiently met,” explained Mr Newman.

“It’s easy to take the path of least resistance when it comes to pension products, but this often proves to be a false economy. A good financial adviser will prove their worth in the long term, cut through the confusion, and provide much-needed peace of mind for consumers and their families.”

Overall, the report suggests that there is a major gap between the retirement funding that is needed and that which exists. Due to a lack of confidence in the system and an unwillingness to invest in professional advice, people are not using the financial products and tax allowances that will best support their pension saving and, in many cases, they are not saving at all.

There is a Chinese proverb that goes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The second best time is now.” The same goes for pensions. The earlier someone starts saving, the more they will accumulate, but late is also better than never. If they take action today, they can still secure a comfortable retirement for tomorrow.

If you think any family members or friends could benefit from the approach we have at Close Brothers Asset Management, please call 0800 028 0208.

Please be aware, the value of investments can fall as well as rise and you could get back less than you invested.

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The freelancer’s guide to the...

Gold Coast

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Riding

By Chris Piggott-McKellar

S

tanding on the sun-kissed shores of Surfers Paradise main beach, dwarfed by the towering residential apartments which hug the shore, it is hard imagine that in 1930 – as the first Commonwealth Games were taking place in Canada – this sprawling stretch of Queensland’s south coast was a string of tiny, idyllic seaside villages connected by dirt tracks.

Indeed, it would be a few decades before the term ‘Gold Coast’ would come into existence.

When the Queen’s Baton arrives on the Gold Coast in April, ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games (4 to 15 April), it will signal a remarkable transformation for Australia’s sixth largest city, which has built its reputation – and large parts of its economy – on sun, surf and sand.

While entrepreneurship has always been key to the Gold Coast’s meteoric rise, the Baton’s arrival also heralds a subtler transformation which has been under way on the Gold Coast in recent years. As it unshackles itself from its lively party image, the Gold Coast is emerging as an outward-looking hub for innovation, particularly in education, the creative industries and health sciences, with a flourishing freelance culture.

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the wave of change LIFE AS A FREELANCER People are naturally drawn to the Gold Coast from all around the world for its stunning beaches, so a daily early morning walk and swim is a popular way to start your day. If you are tempted into the impossibly blue Pacific Ocean, be sure to swim only between the red and yellow flags, which are patrolled by Australia’s iconic surf lifesavers.

Of course, the Gold Coast is home to some of the most famous surf breaks on earth. Plan a lesson or two with one of the many surf schools focused around the safer beaches. Bringing your own board? The transport planners have your interests at heart – the new Gold Coast Light Rail, which connects many of the popular surf beaches, has purpose-built surfboard racks!

Once you have refreshed, tap into the thriving and mature coffee culture by heading to one of the many oceanside cafés to catch up on emails.

There are plenty to choose from around Burleigh Heads, which it is said juts out into the ocean south of Surfers Paradise like a comma – the perfect place to pause.

Burleigh Heads is also home to Burleigh Space, one of the many co-working spaces that

pepper the city’s coastal suburbs, focusing on professionals in the creative and technical sectors.

Heading slightly inland, more co-working spaces have been set up near the telecommunications and education hub of Varsity Lakes.

The Gold Coast is spread out along 53 kilometres of coastline, and the city encompasses several quaint inland towns and communities interspersed among breathtaking subtropical rainforest and hinterland landscapes, so there is plenty to see on the weekends. Edgy Byron Bay is an hour’s journey south along the main highway.

Before you start working as a freelancer, you must obtain a valid work visa. You will also need to apply for an ABN (Australian Business Number), which is both a fairly simple process and free. Head to abr.gov.au for more information.

HOW TO GET THERE AND WHERE TO STAY Getting to the Gold Coast has become increasingly easy, as you would expect for a city soon to host the Commonwealth Games. There are direct flights into the Gold Coast from many cities in Asia and almost all large Australian cities, particularly Melbourne and Sydney.

You can also catch a bus or train south from

the Queensland capital, Brisbane. The journey from Brisbane Airport takes just over an hour and a half, and you can connect at Helensvale to the Light Rail, which takes you directly into Southport.

From Southport, the Light Rail runs parallel to the coast, connecting Main Beach and Surfers Paradise with Broadbeach. Plans are under way to extend the Light Rail south to Burleigh Heads and eventually to the Gold Coast Airport near Coolangatta. In the meantime, public buses run reliably to the southern and inland regions.

One thing the Gold Coast has is plenty of accommodation. From backpacker hostels to world-leading five-star hotels, there is something for everyone’s budget, and the onset of the Commonwealth Games has provided the impetus for the construction of a number of new accommodation offerings.

There is also a lively share accommodation scene, especially around the more picturesque coastal suburbs. A useful website is flatmates.com. au, while Gumtree is also popular in Australia.

With over 300 days of sunshine annually, there really is no bad time of year to move to the Gold Coast.

The Commonwealth Games will take place on the Gold Coast in April March 2018

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Around

50% of people spend half the week working in places out of the office

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modern work

The remote working revolution

By Benedict Smith

I

t’s official: the remote working revolution is here. Remote working has boomed to the point where as many as 50 per cent of us spend half our week working in places other than the office, according new research by co-working firm Regus.

The days of being chained to your desk are long gone, and the soul-destroying daily commute could soon be a thing of the past.

Freelance or not, we’re quickly evolving into a nation of home-workers, coffee-shop creatives and hot-desking nomads.

To emphasise my point, I’m writing this very article from a lovely brunch spot on my road. The Wi-fi is great and I can’t imagine any office I’ve ever worked in serving up poached eggs and avocado like these guys do.

Of course, we have technology to thank for this. The digital revolution has been a blessing, allowing millions of us to reclaim our work/life balance, as we choose to work from where we want and, to some extent, when we want.

We workers aren’t the only beneficiaries of this huge change in the way we work though – far from it, in fact. Our clients reap the rewards of higher morale, which according to the study, amounts to an extra 16 per cent of productivity offered by remote workers, not to mention the vast sums they save on office costs.

Given that remote working is fast becoming the new way of working, we need to be smart enough to take advantage of all that it offers. Put simply, the better we are as remote workers, the more successful and happier we should be as freelancers.

So, here’s how you and I should both be able to get the most from working remotely.

SUCCESS THROUGH STRUCTURE

March 2018

As freelancers, we’re naturally very comfortable with the idea of flexible working. Supposing we aren’t needed on-site; many of us already have the privilege of being able to dictate our working days however we please.

Saying that, a strict schedule helps, especially if you work remotely. Whether you’re working from home or anywhere else for that matter, structure your day to suit your workload and lifestyle, and you’ll achieve much more.

MIX IT UP Working from the comfort of your own home can be a joy as much as it can be a hindrance to productivity and a symbol of how isolating freelancing can be – trust me on this one. Remote working might be liberating, but being cooped up all day at home with only the dog for company is not.

Try dividing your time between home, coffee-shops, co-working spaces or even membership clubs. The quite phenomenal rise of freelancers means there are now places to work from on almost every corner.

I find working from the same place day in, day out, monotonous. Remote working offers endless possibilities, and in my opinion, you’d be foolish not to embrace them.

HIT THE ROAD I’m sometimes asked: “Being self-employed means you can take as much time off as you like, right?” Right. The problem being, there never seems to be a so-called ‘right time’, does there? In building a business, you often find yourself sacrificing work-free holidays.

But I’m not overly bitter. After all, I can work on trains, planes and on-the-go. Sure, travel mixed with work might not be a holi-

day in the traditional sense, but I intend to dust off the passport and make the most of it nonetheless. Perhaps you should do the same.

PHONE A FRIEND A few times a month, I spend the day working with a friend, who also freelances.

We take it in turns to pick somewhere new, grab a bite to eat and bounce ideas off each other. I always find that another pair of eyes to look over my work offers a fresh and useful perspective.

DON’T BE A STRANGER A client might not always need you onsite, but that isn’t to say they won’t want you to touch base every so often. As much as I like to work remotely (something I’ll outline to a client at the very beginning of a project), face-to-face meetings are important too, and if anything, allow you more freedom overall. I tend to visit clients monthly, but it all depends on the relationship you have with yours.

COLLABORATE CONSTANTLY If your client isn’t chasing you, perhaps it’s time you got proactive. Suggest chatting and collaborating on a team messaging app like Slack, for example, or set up sharing documents for instant and ongoing feedback.

Because you aren’t present physically 100 per cent of the time, regular online meetings, or ‘stand-ups’ as they’re known, will also build trust and give your clients peace of mind.

Whether you work remotely or not, in recent years, one thing has become crystal clear: the rapid rise of self-employment will create new opportunities for us all to take full control of the way we work.

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Ask the expert A clause in a contract appears to grant the agency or client the right to charge any costs or expenses it chooses without limit, whether reasonable or not.

How should a self-employed person deal with this?

I

Rachel Brown LHS Solicitors

can see why any business, self-employed or otherwise, would baulk at such a clause; however, it is difficult to believe a client or agency could claim costs and expenses without limit or reason.

This type of clause is called an indemnity clause. In English law, the purpose of an award of damages for breach of contract is to compensate the injured party for loss, rather than to punish the wrongdoer.

The general rule is that damages should (so far as a monetary award can do it) place the claimant in the same position as if the contract had been performed. Contract damages are, therefore, essentially compensatory, measuring the loss caused by the breach and putting the claimant in the same position they would have been in but for the breach.

The concept underlying an indemnity is to protect the receiving party from a loss. Therefore, a promise to “indemnify” could be interpreted as a promise to pay all the receiving party’s loss (with the receiving party having no obligation to mitigate such loss).

However, not every indemnity gives 100 per cent recovery of all loss caused by a trigger event as it does depend on the contract wording and context. The word “indemnify” does not necessarily mean “pay every item of loss associated with the breach, no matter how it was caused or whether it was foreseeable or avoidable” so this is worth keeping in mind.

That said, it is always best to try and protect yourself and a self-employed contractor faced with an indemnity clause they don’t like, should speak to their insurance company/broker to see if any potential breaches, acts or omissions are covered by their insurance policy.

Also, as a negotiating tactic, particularly if the other party will not delete the clause in its entirety, the contractor should see if it can be capped at a level they are comfortable with and definitely at a level below the level of their insurance cover.

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How can you finance the training needed to develop your career as a freelancer, while staying on top of your workload and earning money?

Lydia Wakefield IPSE’s training manager

T

raditional in-classroom training doesn’t necessarily fit the work patterns of the self-employed. But there are many flexible training options now available that give you the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge in your own time and at your own pace.

Online, distance learning and blended learning are some flexible options that you may want to consider. These more flexible learning options typically allow you to take the training at your own pace, so you can fit your studies around your work.

Some training providers now also offer their classroom-based training with a live-online streaming option, so that if you are unable to physically attend you can still access the same learning, ask questions and participate. This removes the cost and time of travelling to attend in person, but still provides a very similar learning experience.

Developing your skill sets and knowledge is of continuous importance. It is worthwhile setting money aside and budgeting for training and professional development. If you are unable to pay for training in full upfront, several training providers provide monthly repayment plans, allowing you to spread the cost of your training.

To financially help towards your own development, you may want to consider a Professional Career and Development Loan to help you.

These £300 to £10,000 loans are available for training that is specifically for your career development. If you are looking to take an academic degree, separate student finance is available. It is always worth checking your eligibility for different training finance options.

We recognise that the cost of training can be a burden for the self-employed. To help reduce the cost of training for freelancers, IPSE works with training providers to offer our members discounted training opportunities.

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To find out more about the events visit: ipse.co.uk/events

A CONTRACTOR’S GUIDE FOR SUCCESS – THE 10 CRUCIAL STEPS YOU MUST TAKE TO SUCCEED IN THE CONTRACT MARKET WEBINAR Join The CV & Interview Advisors, international speakers and thought-leaders on all things related to winning work in the contract market. This brand new and exclusive webinar will walk you through the 10 most critical components of winning work and setting yourself up as a Contractor.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND GDPR WEBINAR In this session, chartered marketer and independent consultant Luan Wise will review the latest advice from the Information Commissioner’s Office and legal profession on the new data protection laws and the impact they will have on the use of social media for business.

Date: Tuesday, 10 April, 12.30 -13.30

Date: Monday, 9 April, 19.15 – 20.15

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT SEMINAR WITH CLOSE BROTHERS – IPSE MEMBERS ONLY EVENT This two-hour seminar is for members who are considering their options in the run-up to retirement. It is designed to help you understand some of the important decisions you are likely to face, enabling you to plan for this important transition and enjoy a future that you have worked hard to achieve.

Date: Monday, 14 May, 17.30 – 19.30 Location: Close Brothers, Crown Place, London EC2A 4FT WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL PLANNING WEBINAR WITH CLOSE BROTHERS – IPSE MEMBERS ONLY EVENT This webinar, hosted by IPSE partner Close Brothers, is designed for those members who are looking to make the most of their existing pensions, savings and investment portfolios.

Date: Tuesday, 10 April, 13.00 – 14.00

Consultative Council te Vo

We are delighted to announce that our time frame for next CC elections has been set. We invite members with uninterrupted membership of over one year to stand. Nominations open on 27 April 2018.

More information will follow soon.

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modern work

March 2018

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