Empowering the Freelance Economy

Learn how to do CPR in 15 minutes

The solo self-employed may have less access to corporate health training than their salaried counterparts, but that shouldn't hold them back from seeking life-saving training, such as how to do CPR. In this Freelancer's Lunch Break, we

Is the freelance life right for you?

If you are on the fence about becoming or staying self-employed, then it’s time to explore your options. Gee Foottit of St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy shares a step-by-step Odyssey plan to help you decide GUIDE By Gee

How to avoid late payments as a freelancer

Feel like you are working for some clients for free? New research shows the common causes of why freelancers could be getting paid late and how to avoid them When a freelancer lands more than one client that pays them on time, it's

Freelancer news you can use right away

The Freelance Informer shares tips and news stories it has spotted this week. The great thing is, you can start to use some of the information right away to improve your freelance business. Be informed, be Freelancer Informed! |

Divorcing later in life: what are the risks?

SPECIAL REPORT The rise of divorce later in life takes a toll on finances, but being single again is not as bad as you may think. Here are things to consider as a divorcing freelancer. Be informed, be Freelancer Informed! | Freelance

Never enough time to exercise?

Want to get fit, but never seem to have the time to exercise? Starting to feel desk-bound with back-to-back video calls? Here are some great ways to stay fit even at your desk. Be informed, be Freelancer Informed! |

Hybrid working: how’s that going for you?

SPECIAL REPORT Hybrid work isn't hitting the mark for parents and workers over 50 says new research Millions of contractors and freelancers have been working remotely or in some hybrid fashion for years. But now that more people have

Why is IR35 so scary for contractors?

IR35 outstrips tax increases and cost of living as contractors’ biggest concern for 2023 Despite inflation reaching a 41-year high recently and the raft of tax freezes and tax hikes to be introduced in the 2023/24 tax year, the IR35

Want to avoid financial shocks in 2023?

Add these events to your calendar so you can better handle some financial shocks set for 2023, suggests Helen Morrissey, senior pensions and retirement analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Let's face it, 2022 was a "bruising year for our

Top 10 British films to watch this Christmas

“For me, a Christmas movie is something more than a story that directly addresses the more obvious trappings of the holiday season," says writer, director and sometimes actor (and fellow freelancer) Justin Trefgarne who shares his top ten

12 Days of Freelancer Tips

This time of year is often hectic for freelancers. Here are some tips to make the most of the holidays and get your business in order for the new year Come December, a freelancer's work schedule can become hectic. Clients are rushing to

This week’s freelancer news round-up

Stories impacting freelancers that caught our eye this week. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels To spec or not to spec: the question facing many freelancers when interviewing for a new client or project. Here are some tips to

Freelancer and contractor news round-up

Here are some of the news stories we have been monitoring over the past week Liquid Friday: the latest developments and contractor reactions Following Contractor Voice's report of umbrella company Orange Genie allegedly being

The best countries to be a Digital Nomad

Freelancers looking to work abroad for a change of pace or a better quality of life, may want to check out some of these digital nomad-friendly locations A new study has revealed the best countries for remote working that offer a

Two-thirds of contract workers look to go perm

Two-thirds (65%) of the UK’s temporary and contract workers are currently thinking about moving to a permanent role. Many are changing recruitment agencies, too, finds a new survey Survey shows building loyalty with talent requires more

Do freelancers see cannabis in their future?

APPG plan suggests UK has big future in hemp and cannabis, Biden overhauls cannabis policies The UK cannabis industry could create 594,000+ jobs, £5.5 billion in annual tax revenue, and environmental and agricultural benefits aimed at

Worker’s death was avoidable says HSE

The following case is a tragic lesson to all small business owners and those that work for them to carry out risk assessments. No one ever thinks the unthinkable will happen until it does. Two companies and two people have been

Commemorating the Queen

The Freelance Informer sends its most heartfelt sympathies to the Royal Family, their staff and long-life friends on news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. It is a time of great sadness and reflection shared by many nations and

What recruiters want Truss to do next

Liz Truss has won the Conservative leadership race and the top job as Prime Minister, so what do recruiters want from the new PM and is it in the interests of British freelancers? The Association of Professional Staffing Companies

New book helps you not make stupid mistakes

This new book could help you avoid silly mistakes when you talk and write You've penned a pitch to a prospective client. You've hit the send button. It's a week later and you are starting to think you've been ghosted. What if your

The rise of the silver freelancer

For those who have been freelancing or self-employed for a decade (or two), working any other way, even in retirement years, is almost unthinkable. Katherine Steiner-Dicks looks at how our longevity as a nation should be motivating

How to get paid in crypto and not get scammed

Vyacheslav Demchuk, Ukraine entrepreneur and CEO of anti-money laundering service AMLBot and the first crypto wallet with AML (anti-money laundering) module AMLSafe, reflects on the steady growth of the freelance workforce and how crypto

HMRC scrutiny over freelancers on the rise

TAX CLINIC/READER QUESTION What would trigger an HMRC investigation? Is it different for a limited company freelancer versus an umbrella company worker? And if your umbrella company or payroll service has been named by HMRC as a tax

HR mistakes to blame for IR35 investigations

HMRC is actively investigating IR35 compliance across many sectors, but the oil and gas sector is particularly under the scope. A report reveals that many investigations gone wrong might be avoided if in-house HR training and processes

How to set up your parent pod this summer

Parent podding, once a saving grace for freelancers and working parents during COVID lockdowns, is making a comeback during the summer holidays. The NHS has even launched a Disney-inspired campaign of games and activities to get kids

Instagram launches new features

Freelancers that use Instagram as a part of their business will be interested to know that the social media tool is making it more fun and easy to collaborate with clients and audiences with new Template and Reel features Freelancers

Top ten worst late payers in the UK

New IPSE research finds that late payments have worsened despite recent government reforms, alluding that not enough is being done to crack down on companies that do not pay freelancers on time. Now more than ever freelancers must do

Steps freelancers can take to get paid on time

By Gary Prince, Chief Strategy Officer at SimplyPayMe Gary Prince pf SimplyPayMe Earlier in the year, a report by the Federation of Small Businesses found that 440,000 small firms in the UK suffered from the late payment ‘crisis’ and

Know Your Worth as a Creative Freelancer

The Freelance Informer (FI) hands over this week’s Freelancer Tales section to Alex Cooper, YunoJuno Creative Freelancer of the Year 2021. Alex reveals his personal journey into the freelance economy and provides tips he has learned along

Fashion startup embraces freelancers

A new marketplace and platform has been launched to help independent fashion and jewellery designers not become overshadowed by either fast, low-quality fashion or flagship fashion houses during the Cost of Living Crisis. It's introducing

Mortgage affordability checks to be scrapped

Is the Bank of England’s axing of mortgage affordability ‘utter madness’? Following a consultation, the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee FPC has decided to withdraw the affordability test Recommendation with effect

Report: colour impacts how people treat you

Colour has an impact on how people treat and react to you. Whether it be the colours of your car, clothes, the colour of your hair or the colours of makeup you choose - they all have an effect. That's according to research conducted by two

Impressive last-minute Jubilee Party dishes

Most freelancers are juggling projects and family demands as usual so when they are asked to bring something to a Jubilee Party dishes for all the neighbours to witness, they may start to fret. For those last-minute attempts to impress

Freelancers saved from big energy bills

Freelancers will be among those in Spain and Portugal who will see gas and power bills dropped significantly through a new law, as much as €90. But many freelancers in the UK are not holding their breath about a windfall tax on oil and gas

Bald jokes banned in the workplace

Calling someone bald is unlawful harassment, reports Osborne Clarke Courtesy of Osborne Clarke's Employment Law Coffee Break An employment tribunal has ruled that an electrician called a "bald ***t" during heated arguments

Want a better broadband deal?

If you’re coming to the end of your broadband contract, you might be able to move to a faster connection and still save money. Here are the latest broadband deals courtesy of Uswitch. Plus tips to speed up your internet connection for

What’s on this weekend across the UK?

Netflix saw one of its biggest exodus of subscriptions to date this week as people cut down on streaming costs. But if you are thinking, without Netflix, Now, or Sky Sports, what can we do? Check out what's going on this weekend across the

How freelancers can get more done in a day

Not feeling the work-life balance lately? Feeling constantly under pressure with not enough time in the day to finish assignments? Then these time management tips for freelancers just might help you get that balance again. Focus &

Contractors blindsided by MSC tax charges

HMRC has issued letters to thousands of contractors, demanding up to £50,000 from them. The tax office is arguing that contractors have breached the MSC legislation – this is despite HMRC not having established all of the facts, says Seb

Money-saving tips for freelancers

Freelancers do not have the luxury of always getting paid on time, this means that certain months they have to find ways to stretch their money. Here are some tips to help ease the cost of living, plus a proactive payment reminder template

New publisher on the hunt for writers

Nearly two years and 50 books later, a husband-and-wife duo is launching their publishing start-up, Noodle Fuel, at this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair. And it’s looking for writers. Writers looking for a new outlet for their

How to market yourself after a career break

By Shona Chambers, Marketing Consultant, Shona Chambers Marketing Career breaks that start out short term can end up lasting much longer, for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you’ve been busy raising a family, been made redundant or come

Who is Gordon Berger?

Gordon Berger, a digital artist and "NFT and Crypto Art Movement pioneer", is giving a 5-day intensive course through auction house Christie's to provide a complete overview of the NFT landscape. Berger minted three of the first 100 tokens

Have you tried deep working yet?

Multitasking is overrated. Well, any parent or entrepreneur could have told you that. But there's some science that backs that statement up. According to research and science presented in Cal Newport's book Deep Work, a singular focus on a

HMRC late payment interest rates to increase

HMRC interest rates for late payments will be going up following the Bank of England interest rate rise to 0.25%. The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee voted on 16 December 2021 to increase the Bank of England base rate to 0.25%

New app maps out your dream home in minutes

The rise in remote and hybrid working means many Britons are spending fewer days commuting to and from the office. Is it time hybrid contractors started searching for a new place to live? Because of this reduced travel time, many

set up a second-hand business

From second hand car parts, furniture, clothes, jewellery, home decor, laptops, mobile phones to white goods find out which second-hand products are in high demand from customers and insurers who see the green benefits. Waste not,