00:00What if there were no freelancers?
00:04Our economy relies on freelancers.
00:06There are more freelancers than all the people employed by the NHS,
00:10the UK's largest employer.
00:12But time and time again, we hear stories of freelancers
00:15being underappreciated and disrespected.
00:18Our last two What If papers focused on
00:21what if everyone could walk to work?
00:23How much people appreciated and valued
00:25such a simple change to their lives?
00:27And what if everyone was an entrepreneur?
00:29The importance of entrepreneurial skills in the modern economy.
00:33This time around, we're putting a focus on the glue
00:36and unsung heroes in our economic model.
00:39Freelancers and the self-employed.
00:41We look at what if those highly skilled individuals
00:45currently working as freelancers today would suddenly stop?
00:49What if they were all to become employed by one of their clients?
00:52What if they were to grow their businesses
00:55and employ their own teams?
00:57What would change? And would that change matter?
01:00Freelancers do what they do in many ways,
01:03but there are three key things they do that get overlooked.
01:07They have a human-centered approach.
01:09They and their businesses are one in the same.
01:13Their commercial relationships are underpinned
01:15by high levels of personal trust.
01:18They are agile.
01:20They shape-shift, making sure they're always
01:23the perfect fit for their clients.
01:25And they act fast, free from hierarchy
01:28or organizational politics.
01:30They cross-pollinate.
01:32They have a highly specialized expertise
01:34using their unique vantage point.
01:36They apply solutions developed in one place
01:39to challenges encountered in another.
01:41The reasons why they do it are also useful to understand.
01:45Freelancers appreciate scale, but in a less conventional way.
01:49They're often attracted to opportunities beyond their doorstep,
01:52being able to service national and international clients.
01:56They want stimulation from their work.
01:59They don't fit into a box, and they don't want to.
02:02Their services are constructed around
02:04their own unique skill set and selling points
02:07and find this deeply motivating.
02:09They crave or need flexibility.
02:12They desire a way or quality of life
02:15not readily available through traditional models of employment.
02:18They want work to complement life, not compromise it.
02:21They have a sense of purpose.
02:23It isn't just about the money.
02:25They want to and do make a positive difference to the world.
02:29We've captured stories in the report that show six perspectives,
02:33but this is the beauty of the freelance community.
02:36It is diverse and has diverse points of view and appreciation.
02:40We want to hear your stories,
02:43and we hope you enjoy reading the stories we've captured so far.
02:47From a political perspective,
02:49we want to put forward a manifesto for freelancers.
02:52If the true value of freelancing is to be realized within our economies,
02:57we need to recognize that.
02:59Freelancers need respect by the people who pay them,
03:02by policymakers and society at large.
03:06Young people need to grow up
03:08seeing freelancing as a positive career choice.
03:11Freelancers need security.
03:13Strong legal protections are required to enable them
03:17to secure, deliver and be paid for work without fear and undue risk.
03:22Freelancers are not disposable resources
03:25and need equal access to training opportunities and other benefits.
03:29Freelancers need parity,
03:31whether through the tax system, parental rights, sickness leave or otherwise.
03:36Freelancers should not be unfairly disadvantaged by their employment status.
03:41Freelancers need community.
03:43With strong networks for peer support and access to advice and guidance.
03:48Freelancers need bespoke support,
03:50not the single view that every entrepreneur needs to focus on growth.
03:55Freelancing is a growing movement.
03:57Freelancers should be the ones that benefit from that.
04:00We have asks for you, whether you're a legislator,
04:03educator, researcher, business or freelancer.
04:07We all need to recognize and value the essential role of freelancers,
04:12incentivize and enable their success for future generations of freelancers.
04:17We all have a role to play to celebrate and support
04:21the success of freelancers and the self-employed.
04:24You can read the report and share your freelancer story now
04:27on nomorefreelancers.com or on townsquare.co.uk.
04:32If you support entrepreneurship and freelancers, make it clear.
04:36Do you have ideas and thoughts to add to the debate?
04:39Share your views on social media with the report and the hashtag WITWNF.
