Paper could help freelance career choice
Freelancers contribute £140 billion to the UK economy each year – but what if they didn’t exist?
That’sthepremiseofanewresearch whitepaper launched in Bognor Regis this week.
Authored by start up and small business experts Town Square Spaces Ltd, the paper assesses the current landscape for freelance workers, the support available to them and what can be done to promote the position as a positive career choice.
With 1.86 million freelancers in the UK, freelancers make up a larger part of the UK workforce than the NHS, the UK’S biggest employer, and exist as a sub-categoryoftheself-employedpopulation, distinct from people with theirownbusinessesorsidehustles, but they are nonetheless exposedtoservaluniquerisks,with no access to sick leave or paternity/maternity support.
To find out more about and readthepaper,visitnomorefreelancers.com
Claire Antill is a freelance social media consultant based at The_track, in Bognor Regis, who served as a case study for the paper.
“As a freelancer, I’m in charge of all parts. I’ve got the agility to work across different projects, building teams and putting things together quickly,” the mum-of-three said.
“Sometimes people think freelancers are some sort of disposable resource. We have insecure working conditions, and even getting paid on time can be a challenge.
"We need a shift in mindset – a respect for freelancers and the role that they play. We’re freelancers but we’re not free!
“I get the impression that moreandmorepeoplearechoosing to start their own businesses since the pandemic. From a female perspective in particular there are a lot of people for whom the traditional working model no longer works. It feels like the freelance sector is growing – thriving.”
Gareth Jones, CEO of Townsq, added that he hopes the research paper inspires greater discussionabouthowtosupport freelancers in the future.
He said: “We hope that, through this paper and the discussion it might raise, we can start a dialogue with the policymakers,educatorsandenterprises to see how we can collectively do more to support freelance entrepreneurshipandhelpitflourish as the viable and respected career choice that it is.”