Hello there,

There is so much I want to say... Where to start?

1. Freelance Business is now a registered trademark!! I must admit, registering Freelance Business as a brand was not an easy task - a year-long journey with some ups and downs, unexpected obstacles, but it's now a reality! I am beyond thrilled about the opportunities it brings.
   
   
2. I'm excited to promote freelancing in Uzbekistan and will be delivering a presentation during ICT Week in Tashkent. Uzbekistan aims to become one of the top three countries to export freelance talent to the world, and I'm proud that the Freelance Business Community will play a role in achieving this goal.
   
   
3. FBC has forged a partnership with Fiverr to celebrate International Freelancer Day on October 19th and provide the Freelance Business Month platform as an educational resource (mega yay!).
   
   

The celebration of International Freelancer Day is truly massive, with events happening in 18 locations around the world. You are welcome to join the celebration if you are in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka, Jakarta, Lahore, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, San Diego, Sydney, or Cardiff. Would you like to plan a celebration in your city next year? Let me know.

4. Freelance Business Month is in full swing, and we are entering Freelance Business Ecosystem week, featuring what helps the freelance economy to prosper.

In addition to celebrating International Freelancer Day, this week also marks the European Freelancers Week, a dedicated week for political action and the protection of freelancer rights. You can see and download the Freelancers Manifesto here. Manifesto outlines six areas where we would like to see improvements for freelancers.


Please find the full program of the week below in this newsletter.

I would like to highlight some special sessions in the coming weeks available under the Full Access Ticket:


>> 18 Oct - 18:00 CET: Round table: Freelance economy around the world

• Nadina Iacob, Digital Economy Consultant, The World Bank
• Branka Anđelković, Co-founder and Programme Director of the Public Policy Research Center, Serbia
• Zukhriddin Shadmanov, Deputy Director of Digital economy research center, State Entity under the Ministry of Digital Technologies, Uzbekistan
• Hush Naidoo, Chair, The Southern African Freelancers' Association

>> 20 Oct - 18:00 CET: Q&A session on freelance pricing and business negotiations

• Robert Vlach, Business consultant, Author of The Freelance Way, Founder of Freelancing.eu

>> 23 Oct - 15:30 CET: The curse of being a freelance expert and how to overcome it

• Bekka Prideaux, Leadership development and change management coach

>> 23 Oct - 18:00 CET : Workshop: The ultimate guide to innovating freelance business

• Kamila Zahradnickova, CEO at Lakmoos | Skipping afternoon naps to make it to Forbes 30 under 30.

>> 24 Oct - 18:00 CET: Workshop: Master SEO and learn how to optimize your site for Google's new Search Generative Experience

• Chris Raulf, Founder and President of Boulder SEO Marketing | International SEO Expert | Lecturer in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Digital and Content Marketing, University of Strasbourg

>> 25 Oct - 18:00 CET: Smart investing for freelancers

• Sebastien Aguilar, Founder and Chairman of SimplyFI, Founder of #FIRE Belgium 8k+ investors community

>> 27 Oct - 18:00 CET: You have achieved the growth, what's next?

• Joy Batra, Author of ''The Freelance Mindset'', featured in Oprah Daily, Lawyer, Occasional Actor

>> 31 Oct - 18:00 CET: Closing: Where do freelancers find customers?

• Elina Jutelyte, Founder, Freelance Business Community

Full Access ticket unlocks the access to all session replays and the attendees list.


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Let your freelance business be awesome.

As always, hit reply and let me know what you think or suggest topics for the next newsletter.

Regards,
Elina

Freelance Business Month - Goodie Bag

One of many reasons why attendees love FBM - is the amount of free resources that can help them to organise their business.

The FBM goodie bag has so much in store:

• Discounts on services and products
• 5 Steps to reframe your self-talk
• 9 tips for effective content
• Check list to attract more leads on LinkedIn
• Free consultation on digital marketing, brand strategy and website
• Free LinkedIn profile consultancy
• Freelancer's boundary setting checklist
• How to find your ideal client

.....Just to name a few treasures.

Goodie Bag is accessible with a free ticket. Book yours today!

Freelance Business Ecosystem

Week III programme

MONDAY, 16 OCTOBER, 15:00 - 15:45 CET [FULL ACCESS TICKET]

Talent platforms and implementing new talent workforce models at scale

• Alp Sezginsoy, Expertera Founder, DOJO Co-Founder, TEDx Speaker
• Raquel Suarez, Global Head of Talent Home Care and Europe, Unilever

(Add to your calendar)

Join us for an exciting session where Alp and Raquel dive deep into the world of freelance talent platforms and how they can supercharge talent acquisition strategies for corporations.

During this chat, we'll explore what the future holds for freelancers and how they need to make their skills more accessible to clients. We'll also uncover some of the challenges and hidden pitfalls in the ever-evolving landscape of talent platforms at a large scale. Plus, we'll share insights on how these platforms can step up to the plate and help in hiring freelancers while ensuring the perfect match between their expertise and the growing needs of clients.

It's going to be an eye-opening discussion, so don't miss out! Join us and get ready to uncover the secrets of thriving in the talent platform economy.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 18:00 - 19:00 CET [FREE TICKET]

Protecting freelancers rights: the case of the Freelancers Union

• Rafael Espinal, President of Freelancers Union

(Add to your calendar)

We invited Rafael to share the groundbreaking achievements of the Freelancers Union, so that other communities can learn from them.

Freelance Isn't Free law - initiative of the Freelancers Union - protecting freelancers from non-payment was a victory for the association members in New York City and freelancers are now also protected in Seattle and Minneapolis.

Freelance Isn't Free serves as a blueprint for other cities and states and Freelancers Union is working every day to expand these protections across the country.

Prior to 2020, freelancers were unable to access unemployment benefits. Freelance Union changed that for thousands of freelancers. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program offers extended unemployment aid to individuals who have traditionally been ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits, including freelancers, self-employed workers, and independent contractors, making life for freelancers in the States much easier.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 15:00 - 15:30 CET [FREE TICKET]

Unveiling Potential: Leveraging Creative Freelancing to Reduce Unemployment

• Zola Brunner, CEO of BeyondMedia | Masters of Science student

(Add to your calendar)

In this bright discussion, Zola Brunner (current Master's student) looks into the powerful area of creative freelancing as a catalyst for reducing South Africa's high unemployment rates. Zola Brunner explores how this creative strategy might open up new channels of economic growth and empowerment by drawing inspiration from the United Kingdom's freelancing business strategies.

She will reveal the possibility of utilising creative freelancing to reduce unemployment in South Africa through a detailed review of lessons learned from the UK freelancing market. Join Zola Brunner on an exploration of practical findings, policy ideas, and real-life case studies that demonstrate the transforming influence of creative freelancing on individuals and the nation as a whole.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 18:00 - 19:00 CET [FREE TICKET]

Digitalisation and the labour market of tomorrow

• Glen Hodgson, Secretary General, Freelance Movement

(Add to your calendar)

In this session we speak about the findings of the Future of Work Study 2023: Digitalisation and the Labour Market of Tomorrow as well as the policy and regulatory environment in Europe. Here we will discuss the fact that decision-makers need to listen to the voice of freelancers and harness the power of the freelancer revolution rather than try and stop it.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 15:00 - 15:30 CET [FREE TICKET]

The ins and outs of freelancing in India

• Kritika Narula, Freelance journalist and content consultant | Consultant writer at UNICEF India

(Add to your calendar)

Freelancing in India looks very different, owing to several cultural and mindset factors. In a country obsessed with the idea of academic credentials and "job stability" choosing to be a freelancer or a solopreneur can be met with raised eyebrows, but this is thankfully changing. We have a booming freelancing ecosystem.

This presentation will provide an overview of the freelancing landscape in India including the current mindset and challenges (unorganised sector, pay exploitation, lack of contracts, lack of onboarding processes); solutions and resources available for freelancers in the country; tips to help them grow and expand to a global client base.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 18:00 - 19:00 CET [FULL ACCESS TICKET]

Round table: Freelance economy around the world

• Nadina Iacob, Digital Economy Consultant, The World Bank
• Branka Anđelković, Co-founder and Programme Director of the Public Policy Research Center, Serbia
• Zukhriddin Shadmanov, Deputy Director of Digital economy research center, State Entity under the Ministry of Digital Technologies, Uzbekistan
• Hush Naidoo, Chair, The Southern African Freelancers' Association

(Add to your calendar)

Freelance economy is growing around the world. Some countries are already very much advanced in freelancers policies and protection, some only discover the benefits of supporting freelancers. Join this session to hear cases from Uzbekistan, Serbia and South Africa of the development and support of freelancers in the regions and how this affects the development of the local economy.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 - INTERNATIONAL FREELANCER DAY

Celebration in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka, Jakarta, Lahore, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, San Diego, Sydney, Cardiff. Register here to attend an in-person event in your city.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 15:00 - 15:30 CET [FREE TICKET]

Freelancing as a neurodivergent person: what I wish I'd known sooner

• Ivana Recmanová, Freelance proofreader and Content Writer at Sloneek

(Add to your calendar)

Freelancing isn't always easy, especially if you have to overcome barriers as a neurodivergent person. In this talk, I want to focus on freelancing from the perspective of someone autistic as well as with OCD, especially on the misconceptions I had and the mistakes I made. Specifically, I aim to address issues such as impostor syndrome, dealing with sensory issues and burn-outs, seeking relevant information for disabled freelancers, and promoting oneself as a neurodivergent professional.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 15:00 - 15:20 CET [FREE TICKET]

Build your own AI assistant

• Le-an Lai Lacaba, CoFounder Of 2xYou | 100 Most Influential Filipino Women 2022 & 2023 | Stevie Awardee 2021 & 2023

(Add to your calendar)

With the rising age of AI, there's always the fear of getting replaced, especially as a freelancer. But the ultimate solution to this fear is to replace yourself first. How? By creating your own AI Assistant.

In this talk, Le-an Lai will walk you through the basics of using AI for your day to day as a freelancer, and ultimately building your own assistant to streamline your work.

We will talk about:

1. Main tasks you can automate with AI

2. How to streamline your tasks with AI

3. How to use AI to replace yourself

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 18:00 - 19:00 CET [FULL ACCESS TICKET]

Q&A session on freelance pricing and business negotiations

• Robert Vlach, Business consultant, Author of The Freelance Way, Founder of Freelancing.eu

(Add to your calendar)

Pricing and business negotiations are two essential skills for independent professionals. In this deep-dive Q&A session, Robert Vlach will take your questions and give comprehensive answers that will broaden your understanding of freelance pricing and negotiation strategies. This is crucial because pricing isn't just a one-off matter. There are no universal rules applicable to all the hundreds of industries and thousands of professions where freelancers offer their services. In essence, freelance pricing is a process of gradual improvement, and this is also why debates like these are super-useful.

Robert Vlach is a leading expert on freelance entrepreneurship, business consultant, and the author of The Freelance Way — an international business bestseller published by HarperCollins in 2022, and translated into five languages. He also founded Freelancing.eu, a project dedicated to supporting collaboration of European freelancers, as well as the Czech national freelance community Navolnenoze.cz, which currently supports over 250,000 freelancers in their business.

Share your voice!

Protect the rights and livelihoods of freelancers in the EU

As we know, freelance work through digital platforms in the EU gives millions of us the ability to build fulfilling livelihoods on our own terms. We get to choose when, where and how we work, and be our own bosses outside the traditional 9 to 5.

Sadly, this freedom is now under threat in the shape of the European Parliament's current approach to the Platform Work Directive. If the EU Parliament gets its way, we as freelancers will lose our flexibility, source of income, and be forced into employment structures we do not want.

Thankfully, it is not too late. We can act to make our voice heard.

In order to preserve the freedom and flexibility to #BeYourOwnBoss and ensure a fair and inclusive
future for all platform workers, please sign this petition today and share it with your friends and colleagues, as well as give your support over social media.

Context

The European Commission published a proposal for legislation COM (2021) 762 to this end back in December 2021. This proposal included a list of five criteria covering level of remuneration; rules on appearance and conduct; performance of work and quality standards; choice of working hours; and possibility to work for third parties. If two of these criteria were met, then an individual would be
deemed to be an employee under the terms of the proposal.

Subsequently, the Employment & Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament proposed amendments to the text of the proposed legislation and made it worse by removing the criteria and imposing a presumption of employment on all platform workers: thus robbing them of the right to be a freelancer or self-employed. Furthermore, the European Parliament voted to impose tighter restrictions on the use of algorithms by platforms. Their position was agreed in February 2023.

(information is provided by Free Trade Europe.)

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