Presentation by Oksana Zheleznova, Serebro Lab, at Coworking Europe 2014 conference, Lisbon.

1. INTELLECTUAL LABORATORY

2. Are freelancers
an economically sound market?
Yes, they are.
So let’s destroy myths and learn to cooperate.

3. 3
According to various estimates
there are more than 100 mln freelancers.
HUGE NUMBER, ISN'T IT?

4. = 10 mln
4
According to various estimates
there are more than 100 mln freelancers.
HUGE NUMBER, ISN'T IT?
Nearly 1/7 population of Europe.

5. 5
However, there are actually
MORE PREJUDICE AND MYTHS
than about the dinosaurs.
Let's look at the best known of them.

6. 6
MYTH 1.
FREELANCERS ARE
LESS RICH THAN
OFFICE WORKERS
REALITY:
Freelancers with more than 3 years of experience, well-done
portfolio and references get paid as much as their office
competitors and sometimes even more.
IN FACT IT IS FROM 40$ TO 80$ PER HOUR
Depends on the occupation, the most well-paid are software
developers, photographers and project managers.

7. 7
MYTH 2.
FREELANCERS
ARE NOT RELIABLE,
THEY DISAPPEAR WITH
THEIR ADVANCE
PAYMENT
REALITY:
There are fraudsters everywhere, for freelancers their reputation
is of primary importance.
Their best sales channel is word of mouth advertising
and is a good reason for them to improve skills and grow
professionally.

8. 8
MYTH 3.
FREELANCERS
ARE NOT QUALIFIED,
BAD PERFORMERS
REALITY:
Freelancers are much more responsible for what they do
than office employees because it effects on their reputation
that in its turn guarantees their welfare.

9. 9
MYTH 4.
TO HIRE A
FREELANCER IS MUCH
CHEAPER THAN
TO GO TO AN
AGENCY OR
DELEGATE WORK TO
OFFICE EMPLOYEES
REALITY:
Most freelancers are experienced and highly qualified specialists
graduating from universities with even Doctor's Degree.
Probably their prices are a little lower than on the traditional labor
market because they have little income tax.
Nevertheless, the price can't be three times lower than
the average one.

10. 10
THE IDEA OF FREELANCE IS THE CONCEPT OF FREEDOM.
WHAT IS FREEDOM IN TERMS OF THEM?
In industrial times of global economy the worker was seen as simple function,
in fact, fulfilling certain operation and not as personality.
And that is why a lot of qualified specialists choose not the office but freelance so
that they could say: I can be myself.

11. 11
WHAT DOES
THAT FREEDOM
BRING?

12. 12
WHAT DOES THAT FREEDOM BRING?
Advantages are the same for all freelancers regardless of their occupation:
1. Flexible working timetable, you control your life and schedule.

13. 13
WHAT DOES THAT FREEDOM BRING?
Advantages are the same for all freelancers regardless of their occupation:
1. Flexible working timetable, you control your life and schedule.
2. No fears to become suddenly redundant and no external control over
creativity, you carry out full responsibility for what you do.

14. 14
WHAT DOES THAT FREEDOM BRING?
Advantages are the same for all freelancers regardless of their occupation:
1. Flexible working timetable, you control your life and schedule.
2. No fears to become suddenly redundant and no external control over
creativity, you carry out full responsibility for what you do.
3. Mobility, you may choose any place which you find comfortable to work
for you: your home, coworking, cafe etc.

15. 15
WHAT DOES THAT FREEDOM BRING?
Advantages are the same for all freelancers regardless of their occupation:
1. Flexible working timetable, you control your life and schedule.
2. No fears to become suddenly redundant and no external control over
creativity, you carry out full responsibility for what you do.
3. Mobility, you may choose any place which you find comfortable to work
for you: your home, coworking, cafe etc.
4. A good chance to earn more money and gain qualifications in a shorter
period than at the office.

16. 16
WHAT DOES THAT FREEDOM BRING?
Advantages are the same for all freelancers regardless of their occupation:
1. Flexible working timetable, you control your life and schedule.
2. No fears to become suddenly redundant and no external control over
creativity, you carry out full responsibility for what you do.
3. Mobility, you may choose any place which you find comfortable to work
for you: your home, coworking, cafe etc.
4. A good chance to earn more money and gain qualifications in a shorter
period than at the office.
5. A good chance to create your business project in a well known
professional area, you may start your own company and manage other
specialists, for example, other freelancers.

17. 41,5%
10,1%
6,8%
4,5%
20,8%
16,3%
Finding clients
The feast-or-feaming cycle of work
Maintaining work-life balance
Managing time/staying productive
Getting better fees
Other challenges
17
HOWEVER WHAT IS VALUE OF FREEDOM?
Freelancer challenges
Source: Freelance Industry Report

18. 18
HOWEVER WHAT IS VALUE OF FREEDOM?
Freelance is a recipe for disaster in the world where
conventional mechanisms of how the society exists
do not function well any more (failure of many states
and businesses to pay enough pensions, welfare,
benefits, dismissal pay etc).

19. 19
HOWEVER WHAT IS VALUE OF FREEDOM?
Freelance is a recipe for disaster in the world where
conventional mechanisms of how the society exists
do not function well any more (failure of many states
and businesses to pay enough pensions, welfare,
benefits, dismissal pay etc).
Despite popular myths freelancers
are not in a shaky position.
The survey says that
MORE THAN 50% FREELANCERS
feel all right and quite secure about their current jobs.

20. 20
HOWEVER WHAT IS VALUE OF FREEDOM?
Do you feel safe being
No
46%
Yes
54%
freelancer?
Are you happier since
you started freelancing?
No
7%
Yes
93%
Source: Freelance Industry Report

21. 21
WHAT ARE FREELANCERS' FUTURE ENDEAVORS?
30%
8,1%
37,5%
24,4
Always solo freelance
Open a small business
Return to full-time employment
Generate income from other solo work
Source: Global Freelancers Survey

22. 22
It's obvious that the number of freelancers will grow
in the nearest future. Digital technologies, quick mobile
Internet, cloud services have opened new opportunities
for employees and employers.
DISTANT WORKERS BRING PROFIT
FOR COMPANIES FOR MANY REASONS.

23. 23
It's obvious that the number of freelancers will grow
in the nearest future. Digital technologies, quick mobile
Internet, cloud services have opened new opportunities
for employees and employers.
DISTANT WORKERS BRING PROFIT
FOR COMPANIES FOR MANY REASONS.
Experts of the biggest freelance stock Elance consider that
direct access to gifted performers, efficient communication,
cost cutting policies under the global economic crisis —
ALL THESE FACTORS WILL BECOME TRIGGERS
of online hiring by global and national companies.

24. 24
HOW MAY COWORKINGS HELP FREELANCERS?
Legalization and protection.
Lawyers' support is necessary when making up agreements with
clients to avoid situations when the job is not paid or there is no
clear understanding of the parties' liabilities.
It's a paradox that freelancers are undoubtedly profit bringing for the state but they
have no legal protection. In many countries there are still not clear legal definitions
of what the word 'freelancer' means, what 'distant work' implies, how business
relations should be legalized.

25. 25
HOW MAY COWORKINGS HELP FREELANCERS?
Creating environment
to make it possible for freelancers to awaken their
entrepreneurship 'spirit'.
Small businesses and fresh brains are in high demand in any
country. Workshops, lectures, acceleration programs,
partnerships with investment funds.

26. 26
HOW MAY COWORKINGS HELP FREELANCERS?
Building the community.
Experience exchange, problem and solution sharing,
friendly atmosphere with people who can understand you —
is a big motivation to move ahead.

27. 27
HOW MAY COWORKINGS HELP FREELANCERS?
Legalization
and protection
Creating
environment
Building
the community

28. 28
Close attention of coworking owners
towards freelancers' needs and problems,
due help to meet
and solve them +
=
shape loyalty of coworkers and make the launching pad
both for coworkings' and freelancers' growth.

29. 29
Close attention of coworking owners
towards freelancers' needs and problems,
due help to meet
and solve them +
=
shape loyalty of coworkers and make the launching pad
both for coworkings' and freelancers' growth.
ARITHMETIC IS SIMPLE.

30. 30
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

31. INTELLECTUAL LABORATORY
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