inspiration for independent professionals and the self-employedIssue 49 – £4.95

the X faCtorThe leaders audition – which party best represents independent professionals? You decide

Markel_IPSE_297x210_Mar15.indd 1 23/03/2015 10:42

The run up to the 2015 general election is well under way.

We now sit just a few weeks away from the UK’s most critical political period for the past five years, yet none of us can be entirely sure which party – or should I say, parties – might form a government come 8th May.

So tighten your seatbelts, clue yourself up and prepare for a period of political slanging matches, personality and popularity contests, media frenzy and downright scandal, because this general election in particular looks set to be a belter.

And for the 4.5 million or so people working for themselves in the UK, this election promises to be an important one. Heads removed resolutely from the sand, the party leaders now realise how impor-tant these young and experienced men and women are to economic prosperity and long-term growth.

Inside this issue – which, dare I say it, is proba-bly the most prestigious IPSE Magazine yet – we gave each political leader the opportunity to present themselves to you as the best party for the self-employed.

I’m sure you’ll find what they had to say just as interesting as I did.

Enjoy the magazine.

Benedict Smith

ISSUE 49 CONTENTS

A WORD FROM THE EDITORBENEDICT SMITH

3CONTENTS

General Election Spotlight: X Factor

General Election Spotlight: Analysis

General Election: The IPSE Policy Pillar

Tech City Oxford – Benedict Smith

What the election means for contractors

Computer Club – Caroline Baldwin

Reputation and Brand –Daniel Farey-Jones

The Freelancers Guide to Paris

Stu Heritage –Plainly Speaking

Hub Spy –Uber Office

The Network Effect Members’ Diary BEN.SMITH@IPSE.CO.UK @BENSMITHIPSE

Simon McVicker on the IPSE Members Poll

SNP success could be Labour’s Groundhog Day

Ben Wright looks at the EC’s latest plan

A Message from the CEO Chris Bryce

IPSE Futures –What you need to know

A Message from Mercer – Kim Honess

06 13 14

22 25 26

29 30 33

34 36 38

16 18 21

04 05 05

4A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO CHRIS BRYCE

inspiration for independent professionals and the self-employedIssue 49 – £4.95

the X faCtorThe leaders audition – which party best represents independent professionals? You decide

IPSE does not necessarily agree with, nor guarantee the accuracy of, statements made by contributors or accept any responsibility for any statements which are expressed in the publication. All rights reserved. This publication (and any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic form, or in any other format, without the prior written permission of IPSE.

IPSE, its directors and employees have no contractual liability to any reader in respect of goods or services provided by a third party supplier.

EDITORBenedict Smithben.smith@ipse.co.uk@BenSmithIPSE

MEDIA CONSULTANTJim Cassidy

CONTRIBUTORSJim Cassidy Stu Heritage Caroline Baldwin Ben Wright

FRONT COVER DESIGNOwen Thomas – IPSE

ADVERTISINGmarketing@ipse.co.uk

PUBLISHED BYIPSE, Heron House, 10 Dean Farrar Street,London SW1H 0DX

IPSE MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES020 8897 9970ipse.co.uk/join

TWITTER@IPSEmag

Issue 49 – £4.95

IPSE members now have the opportunity to take advantage of group rates for a variety of benefits. We’ll be adding to these throughout the year, but you are now able to join pension, life assur-ance and private medical insurance schemes at group rates, usually at a fraction of the cost you would pay as an individual. IPSE PENSIONSWe know just how important it is to save for your future. That’s why we’ve chosen to work with Aegon Retirement Choices to give members the opportunity to join a pension plan with a negotiated charge of just 0.42%. Offering greater flexibility and giving members more control over their savings than many other products on the market, IPSE Futures’ pension scheme has been designed with the self-employed in mind.

Bringing savings together online and in one place, those who use the plan can keep a closer eye on their savings, while making more informed decisions on how much they’d like to put away each month. With a wide range of other product wrappers such as an ISA and a general-purpose investment account, IPSE members who sign up for the scheme will have access to a variety of investments from one of the world’s most respected providers. IPSE LIFE ASSURANCEWe are also delighted to now offer our members voluntary life assurance, again at much lower rates compared with the retail market, through Legal & General, starting at just £2.80 a month for £50,000 of cover.

You can choose how much cover you’d like in £50,000 increments, up to the maximum benefit of £250,000. Voluntary life assurance cover will pay a lump sum if the person taking the cover were to die, and it’s a valuable benefit that can help families and dependants financially.

All IPSE Plus members will automatically receive £5,000 life assurance cover included as part of their Plus membership. IPSE FLEXIBLE BENEFITSOur private medical insurance with Mercer gives IPSE members prompt, efficient access to healthcare with no NHS waiting lists, at a substantially lower cost than other products out there. Registration and all payment collection are handled directly by independent consultants Mercer, who will advise those who sign up to the scheme on the best healthcare cover, and provide them with: • Access to discounted rates• Specialist help and advice• Access to coverage that may not

exclude previous medical conditions• Support available as and when it’s needed

We’re looking forward to informing you about a range of further flexible benefits in the coming months, and helping you to prepare for tomorrow. IPSE strongly recommends that appropriate expert independent advice should be obtained before making any investments or other invest-ment decisions.

IPSE FUTURES 5

Despite the size and, who could forget, the undeniable importance of the UK’s contracting and freelancing community, it’s surprising that nobody has been able to offer a range of flexible benefits to a group of solo workers before – flexible benefits and ‘group rates’ are usually the reserve of large companies and even the smallest customers usually have at least 50 employees.

In all my years in the industry it had never been viable to put together an offer like IPSE Futures. Then, over a glass of wine, Chris suggested that we should stop looking at IPSE Members as 21,000 individual businesses and start thinking about them in a different way – as 21,000 members all under IPSE’s virtual roof. I’m paraphrasing, but this was the point which turned out to be the eureka moment. Thinking that way might allow us to build a workable propo-sition for IPSE and that’s when I ‘got it’ – we could maybe, just maybe, work with IPSE to build something worthwhile and exciting for its members. We opened another bottle of wine and began chatting about how Mer-cer could work with IPSE to bring a range of flexible benefits to IPSE members at prices which weren’t going to break the bank. From that glass of wine, right through to the launch day, it’s taken over a year to get IPSE Futures up and running. But you know what they say – nothing worth having ever came easy!

For Mercer, the introduction of IPSE Futures marks the start of a really exciting journey. When I say IPSE Futures is a groundbreaking development, I’m not overstating it. Nobody has crossed this bridge before. It speaks volumes about IPSE’s commitment to making the UK a better place for those working for them-selves. We’re thrilled to be working with IPSE and looking forward to providing an increasing range of flexible benefits for IPSE members.

So, here’s to that glass of wine, Chris!

KIM HONESS Head of Flexible Benefits, Mercer Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement, and investments

IPSE FUTURESWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A MESSAGE FROM MERCER

With IPSE Futures now available to all members, Chris Bryce explains how one of IPSE’s biggest benefits came about.

Like many traditional contractors out there, I’ve sat in client offices alongside permanent employees and watched them select their benefits each year, often won-dering what these ‘benefits’ were actually made up of.

And during this yearly occurrence I’d sit back in my chair and ask myself why, as a one-person limited company, I wasn’t able to access pension plans, life assurance and many other flexible benefits at similar rates to those of permanent employees. In the past I’d punched my details into various online marketplaces for life assurance and other such things and had been taken aback at how expensive it was.

Luckily, I have a friend who is quite senior in what’s known as the ‘flexible benefits’ industry so, naturally, I began badgering her about it. She argued that one- person limited companies were too small to deal with, the processes weren’t in place and that it would cost a fortune for all parties involved.

Not one to take no for an answer, I went shopping. I began researching companies IPSE could work with to offer members the same flexible benefits that a large employer was able to extend to its employees. Two or three companies were keen to work with us but, to be honest, they were far too expensive. Several others just weren’t interested in dealing with what they saw as 21,000 individual people.

But we didn’t give up. I continued to speak to my contact at Mercer (global consultants in talent, health, retire-ment and investments.) We eventually partnered with them and with their help put together a package which includes a pension scheme, life assurance and private medical insurance, available to all IPSE members.

It must have taken around a year from the first pen to paper to make IPSE Futures happen. But we have now

reached a point where everything is in place to give our members access to heavily discounted rates for a range of flexible benefits, which we will be adding to in the coming months.

We’re pretty sure that IPSE is the first organisation to do something like this for nano-businesses, and because of that it has been a difficult journey. But it’s one that I strongly believe has been very worthwhile. As con-tractors we’re often left on our own when it comes to looking after ourselves and I was determined that IPSE should make that a little easier for us.

Working for yourself doesn’t guarantee a fixed income each month from which you can make a pension con-tribution or pay a life assurance premium. But with hugely discounted rates and offering reasonable flexibility to dip in and out of paying for these things, I think IPSE Futures is one of the most important benefits that we have put in place since we arrived on the scene in 1999.

It’s simple to join, which will no doubt be music to your ears. All we need from you is a few details, which will be passed on to the providers securely before your account is set up automatically.

IPSE collects the premiums and the pension contri-butions before we send them across in their entirety to the respective providers once a month. If you need further help, the IPSE Membership Team is fully briefed, on hand and happy to help.

I should stress, however, that this scheme and the var-ious benefits we offer might not suit everybody and that you should always take independent financial advice before making any investment or insurance decisions.

Visit the IPSE website for any further information and to join – ipse.co.uk/futures.

IPSE IS THE FIRST ORGANISATION TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR NANO-BUSINESSES

IT’S SIMPLE TO JOIN, WHICH WILL NO DOUBT BE MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY

It takes some people a lifetime to climb the Grand Staircase in Downing Street. From the custard yellow walls, history looks down on you with every step you take, as Prime Ministers from 1735 onwards glower at you as though asking why you’re there and what’s your business. Pause and you can almost hear them whisper: “Who goes there? Friend or foe?” Others bound up the stairs with speed and authority. David William Donald Cameron is one such speed merchant.

He has an election to fight; a hundred constitu-encies to visit; thousands of potential voters to meet; over a million hands to shake. When he first entered 10 Downing Street as PM on 11th May 2010, there were those ready to dismiss him and his inner circle as the 21st-century reincar-nation of Lord Snooty and his pals. Out of touch, out of their depth and out for themselves. That was the disparaging cry from some quarters.

Five years on, many realise how wrong they were. When he first raced up these stairs as PM he was just 43, the youngest Prime Minister in nearly 200 years. Perhaps it was that heady cocktail of youthful exuberance, conviction and a determination to turn the country’s economy around that has made him so driven. But five years on, this tall, confident communicator believes much has been achieved, but knows the job is only half done.

Throughout his term, his main focus has been the economy, the economy, the economy and the one sector that he has never stopped talking-up

is the growing army of independent professionals and the self-employed. So what better place to start with questions for the PM than to ask him why he has championed and put his full political weight behind supporting this sector. “I have huge respect for those who leave the com-fort of a salary, strike out on their own and try to build something from scratch. And there has never been a better time to do that. Technology is allowing more people to set up fast-growing businesses from their homes and new business models are allowing large firms to emerge with-out having to employ people directly.

“These positive factors have driven a large rise in self-employment – part of the 1.85 million extra jobs created since 2010 – and are a key part of our long-term economic plan for the country. That’s why we have changed the tax system to

support the self-employed, clamped down on late payment, set up schemes like Start-up Loans and liberated sole traders from needless regu-lations like health and safety, which had been designed for larger businesses.” Some experts expect the number of those self- employed to overtake the number of those work-ing in the public sector in the next few years. What’s your message to the self-starters and go-getters thinking of starting this journey? “Go for it. There is an army of self-starters on the move across Britain’s economy, working in almost every sector, every region and all age groups. There has never been a better time to start a business, and I want that to remain the case after the election with a business-friendly government, led by me, that does everything it can to back enterprise.” More and more women are choosing to start their own micro businesses, sometimes for economic reasons and often for a better work/life balance; an extra 77,000 from the end of 2013 to the end of 2014. IPSE has called for maternity benefits to be introduced for women in this sector; while this has received a degree of encouragement from your party, is this something your government would pursue if they are returned to power? “We have taken steps to help the self-employed enjoy the benefits that would normally only have accrued to the permanently employed. For ex-ample, our plan for tax-free childcare will be accessible for the self-employed, which isn’t currently the case. I am very keen to look at oth-er ways that we can offer support and I know that maternity benefits is one area of concern.” Many within this sector believe that IR35, intro-duced by Labour in 1999, was not only cumber-some, but ill-thought-out and unworkable. If returned to power, would your government re-visit this legislation and ensure that fairer, more transparent tax guidelines are introduced for the self-employed? “I appreciate the concern over IR35 and that is why I asked HMRC to improve the way in which it is administered. They have now published new guidance to help provide contractors with great-er certainty about the likelihood of an HMRC investigation for IR35 reasons and we have set up the IR35 Forum to include HMRC, taxpayer representatives and professional advisers, includ-ing IPSE, with expert knowledge and experience of how the legislation operates in practice.” Among 85% of small businesses, one of the main gripes is the issue of late payments, from both the public and private sectors. Late payments

cause cash flow problems that put an added burden on this sector. Your government has made strides in this area, but would you like to see the Prompt Payment Code get more teeth? IPSE has suggested a small business conciliation service, again something Conservative Ministers seem to be attracted to.

“Tackling late payment has been at the forefront of our work and we are taking a number of steps to help small firms and the self-employed. We are rewriting the Prompt Payment Code so that 30-day payment terms are to be the norm of acceptable behaviour in the UK, with 60 days as the maximum in all but exceptional circum-stances. This revised Code will have teeth, with a new enforcement body that will be able to eject companies that fail to live up to the new stand-ards, and potentially with the power to levy fines.

“From the beginning, I have insisted that the Government pays promptly. I’m pleased to say that all Government Departments meet the tar-get of paying 80% of undisputed invoices within five days and all others within 30. Finally, I have made a commitment that if I win the election I will set up a version of Australia’s Small Business Conciliation Service, as suggested by IPSE.”

IPSE members come from the four corners of the UK, but members in the Isle of Dogs might have 10 times faster broadband than a contractor on the Isle of Wight or 100 times faster broadband speed than a freelancer on the Isle of Skye.

Is the superfast broadband programme being rolled out quickly enough to ensure that the self-employed are competing in the UK, EU and international marketplaces?

“Getting fast broadband is crucial for a modern economy such as ours, which is why we have invested over £1 billion in better broadband and mobile infrastructure. We are now the top of the five largest European economies for broadband and mobile coverage, take-up, use, choice and price.

“Superfast broadband, 24Mbps and higher, is now available to 75% of UK premises and the pro-gramme is on track to provide 95% of the popula-tion by 2017. Best of all, over 10,000 SMEs have taken advantage of broadband vouchers, worth up to £3,000 each, to get connected and the scheme will extend to provide up to 25,000 vouchers.

“What’s the outcome of all this? Dramatically higher speeds – with people able to use the in-ternet more than three times faster than in 2010.” At the end of last year you invited the winners of our search to discover Britain’s talented go-getters into No. 10. I know you were impressed by their energy, talent and determination to go out on their own. Do you think the winners of this con-test reflect the growing change in how we as a society and a nation view the self-employed? “Rebecca was a very worthy winner – her exhi-bition design business shows that you can be a successful freelancer in every field and in every part of the country. In fact, that is true of Sarah and Andrew too – a nurse and a cameraman. Many years ago people would have thought these were jobs only available in large corporations like hospitals and the BBC. But that’s no longer the case – and shows how freelancing has changed for the better.”

When the country goes to vote on 7th May David William Donald Cameron will have been PM for 1,823 days. He has indicated that, if re-elected, he will stand down at the next election.

Now that really is 20/20 vision for you!

The British public will determine whether it is a matter of a few weeks or a matter of five years before a new space will have to be found for a portrait of David Cameron on the custard yellow walls of No. 10.

You get the impression there will be no glower-ing from this Prime Minister, but perhaps the hint of a smile from a man who, even if he sees through another term, will only be 54.

Plenty of time to join the self-employed army!

PM’S VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN SELF-EMPLOYED REVOLUTIONPrime Minister David Cameron tells IPSE’s media adviser Jim Cassidy about his respect for the growing army of go-getters.

I WILL SET UP A VERSION OF AUSTRALIA’S SMALL BUSINESS CONCILIATION SERVICE, AS SUGGESTED BY IPSE

WHICH WAY WILL YOU BE VOTING ON 7TH MAY? LET US KNOW

@IPSEMAG

WILL DAVID CAMERON STILL BE AT NO 10. ON 8TH MAY?

KEYFACT

OVER 10,000 SMEs HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BROADBAND VOUCHERS

THE SELF-EMPLOYED ARE A KEY PART OF OUR LONG-TERM ECONOMIC

PLAN FOR THE COUNTRY

7

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE LABOUR PARTY

Despite repeated requests, Labour Leader Ed Miliband decided not to take up IPSE’s offer to outline his views

on the UK’s 4.5 million self-employed. In the Labour Party’s recent document A Better Plan for Britain’s Prosperity,

Ed Miliband restricted his party’s thoughts on this growing and influential community to 17 words:

“The rise of self-employment could in part be evidence of growing

insecurity in the labour market”

A Better Plan for Britain’s Prosperity

As an apolitical organisation, IPSE was keen to offer a platform to all the main political party leaders.

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

that is flexible, family-friendly and inclusive. We need to harness the talent and ingenuity of all our people, not just a few at the top.

If you want a glimpse of the sort of worker that will thrive in the new economy, you need look no further than the growing number of self-em-ployed professionals – the freelancers, contrac-tors and consultants that IPSE represents. Highly educated, innovative and flexible, and drawn from across society – almost as many women as men, highly motivated recent grad-uates as well as experienced older professionals, independent yet highly networked, operating from rural hamlets to the busiest urban centres.

If more people are to enjoy the rewards of work-ing as an independent professional – and more businesses and public sector organisations are to benefit from their input – the first and most important task for government is to ensure a constant flow of highly skilled workers. That’s why the Liberal Democrats have made educa-tion – and protecting the education budget – our first priority, investing in pre-school education, driving up school standards, closing the attain-ment gap between advantaged and disadvan-taged children, creating almost 2 million new apprenticeships for school leavers and getting more young people (and more disadvantaged young people) into university than ever before. The second task is to ensure that the labour market reflects the realities of modern Brit-

HARNESS TALENT AND INGENUITYA new tax system to boost the talented people that make-up IPSE.

Everything in the garden was rosy when the Ant and Dec of politics stepped on stage for their ‘live at Downing Street’ gig.

They brought the house down that sunny after-noon five years ago when Prime Minister David Cameron and Nick Clegg, now Deputy Prime Minister, outlined their vision for the first co-alition government for 65 years.

But how had the Liberal Democrats with only 8% of the Westminster MPs reached such pow-er around the Cabinet table; five Secretaries of State and their party represented at every level of government? In a word: necessity.

In reality, this marriage of convenience was a success, but will there be a five- year hitch when the UK votes on 7th May? Or will we witness a Nick and Dave Westminster encore? Only the voters can decide that one…

BY THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER NICK CLEGG.When I led my party into government five years ago, I did so for one reason above all others: to help rescue, repair and reform the British econ-omy, and to put it on the path to balanced and sustainable growth.

Five years on, that journey is now well advanced, though not yet complete.

The deficit has been halved, almost 2 million jobs have been created and living standards are once again on the way up – all testament to the fact that Britain is now the fastest growing ma-jor economy in the world.

If Britain is to earn its way in the world in the coming decades, we need to work differently – inventing, creating, innovating and producing. And to support these aims, we will need a world-beating education system, a tax system that promotes work, a regulatory framework that supports entrepreneurship, and a labour market

WE MUST CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE – THE PHYSICAL

AND DIGITAL CONNECTIONS THAT ARE THE ARTERIES OF OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM

ain in which more and more people work flexibly or remotely, while balancing their professional and family responsibilities. That is why we have invested heavily in childcare provision – with 2 million families eligible for our new Tax Free Childcare scheme and 1.6 million 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds now receiv-ing 15 hours of free childcare each week. And it’s why my party is committed to extending this free entitlement to all 2-year-olds and 1-year-olds too, so we have a seamless system that starts at the end of our new year of ‘Shared Parental Leave’.

The third task is to ensure that the regulatory and tax environment is as pro-business as pos-sible. That is why we cut vast swathes of red tape, delivered a £900 income tax cut to 26 million people, brought corporation tax down to the lowest level of all our main competitors, and provided billions of pounds of Business Rate Relief for small businesses.

And it is why, finally, we must continue to invest in our vital infrastructure – the phys-ical and digital connections that are the ar-teries of our economic system. My party will complete the roll out of high speed broad-band to 99% of the UK, connecting people to the world wherever and however they choose to work.

Liberal Democrats are forward looking and passionate about harnessing the talents of all. For many, work in the future won’t be about sitting at the same desk in the same company from 9 until 5. A stronger economy and a fair-er society demand modern workplaces and a culture that supports people in the choices they make. Self-employed and independent professionals must be at the heart of the next government’s agenda.

©James Gourley

98

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE SNP

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: UKIP

The thought of Alex Salmond and a band of Scottish political warriors storming down the A1 like a scene from Braveheart might have Dave spluttering into his muesli and Ed waking up in the dark of night in a cold sweat. But keep calm, relax boys; their leader is staying in Edinburgh.

Nicola Sturgeon is now the political Queen of Scots and it will be she who moves the pawns, the rookies and the king after the general elec-tion in what will be the most intriguing political chess game ever seen in the UK.

Underestimate this highly intelligent and articu-late 44-year-old former lawyer at your peril. Gone is the natural shyness, to be replaced by poise; gone are the commonplace clothes, to be replaced by stunning power outfits; gone is the confronta-tional style, to be replaced by a warmer, more engaging personality; gone is the habit of looking over her shoulder for party consensus, to be re-placed by a composure that says: “I’m in charge.”

Her relationship with former leader and pro-spective MP for Gordon, Alex Salmond, is like a father–daughter bond born out of respect and affection. Cynics may question if it will survive the next five years; those who know them are convinced it will.

There was a time when an argument with Nico-la might have ended with the equivalent of a ‘Glasgow kiss’ and a withering look that would have made grown men go weak at the knees. As many IPSE members found when she spoke at

one of our meetings, it is now a warm smile and an even warmer goodbye.

BY NICOLA STURGEON, FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND.When I met with IPSE members late last year, I was struck by their enthusiasm and their appetite for success.

I recognise entrepreneurs, freelancers and the self-employed are key drivers of sustainable growth in Scotland, with freelancers working across a range of industries, including oil and gas, finance and IT. The success of Scotland’s business sector underpins the prosperity and wellbeing of every community in Scotland. It is vital for me and the Scottish Government to work closely with you to help you succeed – and I intend that we do so.

My government will be enthusiastic in our sup-port for jobs and business, and my door will always be open. Since 2007 we have used the powers that we have to support businesses in Scotland and have established the most competitive business tax-ation system in the UK. Our package of rates relief will be worth more than £600 million next year to companies across Scotland. The small business bonus will help almost 100,000 of our smallest enterprises – and we are committed to maintaining this relief throughout the next Scottish Parliament.

SELF-EMPLOYED KEY TO SCOTTISH PROSPERITYSNP pledge their support to independent professionals.

The evidence shows that we have made progress, despite the exceptionally tough economic climate of recent years. Scotland’s economic re-covery is now well established: our economy has grown continuously for two years, GDP is above pre-recession levels and the economic outlook is the strongest it has been for many years. Scotland is also continuing to outperform the rest of the UK on employment and inactivity rates, with female employment showing particular progress. I recently launched the Scottish Government’s refreshed Economic Strategy which sets out how we can create a stable and balanced econ-omy that is outward-looking, confident, inno-vative, based on the core strengths of our people and supported by investment. We have significantly reduced the gap in productivity between Scotland and the rest of the UK; I now want to see Scotland match the productivity levels of the strongest economies in Europe. I also want to see more women getting into lead-ership roles in business and break through that glass ceiling – our refreshed Economic Strat-egy will support this ambition. If as many businesses in Scotland were owned by women as are currently owned by men, it could boost our GDP by as much as 5%. I also believe that in each of the key areas of innovation, investment, growth and internation-alisation there are functions that remain at Westminster which could help us to achieve more and better jobs in Scotland if we exercised these powers here – and would boost competi-tiveness and tackle inequality.

But where the Westminster Government still holds key economic powers, it must take the right decisions to support Scotland’s economy. In particular, while we welcome the tax U-turn by George Osborne on the North Sea industry, where many freelancers and contractors work, it is essential that work is now focused on boost-ing investment and growth. Scotland’s growing self-employed community now stands at 273,000 and the Scottish Gov-ernment will encourage their ability, determi-nation, vitality and passion to succeed. My pledge is that the Scottish Government will always support Scottish businesses, and take actions to boost jobs and competitiveness and to tackle inequality.

WHEN I MET WITH IPSE MEMBERS LATE LAST YEAR, I WAS STRUCK BY THEIR ENTHUSIASM

AND THEIR APPETITE FOR SUCCESS

1110

There were few newspaper headlines when Nigel Farage walked out of the Conservative Party in 1992 when John Major’s government signed the Maastricht Treaty, but since then Nigel has been making headlines daily and there are many who believe he might still be making them on and after 8th May.

Nigel Farage was one of the founders of the UK Independence Party, UKIP to you and me, in 1993, becoming a Member of the European Parliament in 1999 and leader of the party from 2006 to 2009 and again since 2010. The 51-year-old, who famously enjoys a fag and a pint, is standing at the general election in South Thanet and has gone on the record as saying that he would have to stand down as UKIP leader if he were to lose.

His final school report said: “Dulwich College would be a poorer place without this boy’s personality. If elected, we’ll see what Westmin-ster thinks.

BY NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER OF UKIP:UKIP has been looking at the problems faced by the self-employed and at those things that hold you back.

I agree with IPSE that the scourge of late pay-ment is one of the greatest problems facing in-dependent professionals and the self-employed up and down the country. It often feels that late payment and delays in payment are not merely a question of laziness, but are acts of deliberate malice. Late payment, more than anything, shows that the banks are wary of financing independent enterprises.

UKIP believes that some obvious steps can be taken to correct the £20 billion that is locked up at any one time by large companies. First, we would introduce an evidence scheme for repeat-ed late payment offenders, as well as proof that timely requests for payment have been made. This information could then be passed on to HMRC if a large company is found to system-atically exceed its contractual terms of payment with small businesses, whereby a significant fine can be levied by HMRC. This would be propor-tionate to the extent of the abuse of terms.

Further, UKIP believes that another way to free up the self-employed and small business-es is by ending the exploitative lending prac-tices of the largest firms. This would include an end to the practice of large companies extending their payment terms to small firms, by arranging for their supplier to take out a bank loan to meet their demands. It is fair and right to introduce these changes and shows that UKIP will always be on the side of entre-preneurs and the self-employed.

The current system for business rates in the UK is wholly inadequate. It’s unfair to the self- employed, confusing for policy makers and unjust for taxpayers. Business rates can be pro-hibitively high, which is further worsened by arbitrary changes that come out of Brussels.

Like IPSE, I believe that the self-employed who want to expand and collaborate – in shared workspaces, for instance – deserve far less in-terference from government than is currently the case. Support for these aims can be intro-duced in the following ways.

UKIP would change the Small Business Rate Relief scheme to make it far more equitable. Rath-er than the current low cut-off points for relief, we would introduce 20% relief for one property that has a rateable value of less than £50,000.

THE UK’S 4.5MILLION SELF-EMPLOYED ARE OUR GREATEST INNOVATORS

WE WOULD BOOST THE SELF –EMPLOYEDEuropean exit and late payment legislation would help freelancers.

THE CURRENT SYSTEM FOR BUSINESS RATES IN THE UK IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE

Many of IPSE’s members have suffered from obvious barriers when seeking to access finance and enter into protracted procurements pro-cesses. Unlike the UK’s largest firms, which often have international footprints, the small-est firms and the self-employed do not benefit from the economies delivered from in-house legal, compliance and regulatory teams. In UKIP, we believe that the UK’s 4.5million self-employed are our greatest innovators who deserve the support of, not interference from, the state.

Changing access to government procurement projects is one place to start. With the growing trend to tender government services, there have been too many examples of over-generous PFI projects going to incompetent multina-tionals and conglomerates unable to tailor their service to taxpayers. UKIP would address the unfair advantage the largest firms have by removing the necessity for Britain’s smallest firms and independent professionals to demonstrate compliance in areas irrelevant to the job that is being tendered for. This would benefit the smallest companies and cut costs for the taxpayer.

In order to free up the tendering process for self-employed business people, we will intro-duce a scheme that builds on the Funding for Lending Scheme and the Finance Guarantee. This new trade credit insurance scheme would mean that the government backs a portion of the risk to enable cover to be provided more widely. This would have the effect of giving Britain’s smallest businesses the confidence to expand trade as well as to focus their energy on private and public procurement contracts.

Most significantly, the burden of employment regulation is the most punishing on those who generate wealth. A recent report said that 61% of small companies cite the regulatory burden as a significant factor when closing or down-sizing. Regulations must be clarified, aligned or removed. By extricating ourselves from the EU, UKIP believes that the 90% of British businesses which do not trade with it will ben-efit hugely from the removal of onerous and unnecessary limits on ambition.

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE GREEN PARTY

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: ANALYSIS

* Information about the Green Party of Scotland and Northern Ireland can be found at: www.scottishgreens.org.uk www.greenpartyni.org

GIVING SELF-EMPLOYMENT THE GREEN LIGHTMaternity payments, better internet and the right work/life balance.

ing to apply equal pay and anti-discrimination legislation to contracts between businesses; en-sure contracts provide compensation to be paid for by the organisation employing another, should contracts be revoked prior to work taking place; and make unemployment pay available to the self-employed on equal terms to employees.

Maternity and paternity leave are further matters on which we believe employees in the UK receive a raw deal. But it is completely unacceptable that even within that deficient provision, self-employed parents should be treated even less reasonably.

We will ensure self-employed people can claim absolutely equal rights with employees in other sectors, based on their average income and hours of work. For those with young children, we want to offer flexibility and freedom from crippling childcare costs, with free care covering school hours for children aged one to five.

We are committed to empowering local author-ities to set local business rates, and give them the power to set rent control for the premises of small enterprises. We will also be working with local authorities to encourage innovative measures such as cutting business rates for premises used by two or more organisations or enterprises.

Despite the promises of successive UK govern-ments, too many regions of the country suffer from insufficient internet access. We’re making a manifesto promise to oblige BT to provide affordable, high-speed broadband-capable in-frastructure for every small business, and to make it available to all rural areas at the same cost as in urban areas.

We are committed to innovation, as well as to an end to the politics of ‘business as usual’. This is most often applied to our commitment to change the way politics works, who it works for, and the outcomes of that work.

It is also excellent to be able to write this piece for IPSE members. The Green Party, like you, is committed to new ways of doing business. With your support on 7th May, we can help make it easier for you to do so.

WE WILL ENSURE SELF-EMPLOYED PEOPLE CAN CLAIM ABSOLUTELY

EQUAL RIGHTS WITH EMPLOYEES

England’s green and pleasant land could take on a whole new meaning if the dreams of Natalie Louise Bennett become reality on May 7th.

The Australian born leader of the Green Party of England and Wales believes this is their time. The feisty 49-year-old became leader of the party in 2012 after the party’s only MP, the high-profile Caroline Lucas, stood down voluntarily.

With around 60,000 members, the party hope that those disillusioned with mainstream parties will turn away from the economy, economy, economy mantra and instead shift their focus onto the environment.

Natalie survived a ‘car-crash’ of an interview with Nick Ferrari when she froze over the issue of housing costs, but as of yet no one has evalu-ated the damage done to her party.

NATALIE BENNETT, LEADER OF THE GREEN PARTY OF ENGLAND AND WALES*With more than 4.5m people, self-employment is vital to the UK economy. Whether innovators working to provide new services or products, freelancers combining work for many people with looking after children, or people taking advantage of technology to work in the way that suits them best, one thing all workers in this growing sector face is the fact that the law has been too slow to catch up with their needs.

This sector is an excellent fit for the Green Party: we stand for the rights of small busi-

nesses ahead of larger corporations, for strong local economies within which money can productively circulate, for those who want to work in innovative ways on new ideas, and of course for people utilising technology to avoid unnecessary travel.

Green MEP Molly Scott Cato has been at the forefront of the campaign to change new Euro-pean VAT rules on the sale of digital products, making the tax chargeable in the place of purchase rather than supply, forcing all businesses to collect VAT from up to 28 different states at different rates. Molly has called for an exemption for busi-nesses with a turnover of less than 100,000 euros.

Late payment is also a huge issue for small busi-nesses and the prompt payment code is failing too many people in the UK: late payments are the leading cause of business failure. At the end of 2014, SMEs in the UK were owed a combined £39.4bn. It is a key issue of ours to legislate to ensure the self-employed are paid on time.

We are also focused on securing affordable busi-ness and work spaces for small businesses. I’ve seen many such exciting spaces around Britain and we are committed to supporting them all.We are the UK’s only major political party pledg-

THE PROMPT PAYMENT CODE IS FAILING TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE UK

WHO WILL TRIUMPH IN WESTMINSTER’S GAME OF THRONES?

Game of Thrones is a dark, brutal tale of tribes fighting for supremacy in a medieval and far-away fantasy land, writes Editor, Benedict Smith.

With plotlines filled with lies, deceit, lust and violence, it is an epic with more twists and turns than your average corkscrew, as each episode enthrals millions of TV viewers around the world.

And we should prepare ourselves for more of the same back in the real world as we draw ever clos-er to the 2015 general election – Westminster’s very own Game of Thrones. Come 8th May, who will have won the war and inherited the most powerful role in the land? Cameron or Miliband?

And as the UK’s two great political armies don their armour before charging into battle, could the Queen of the North, Nicola Sturgeon, and her loyal foot soldiers cause a diversion?

Or could it be that the upstart from the East, the undisputed King of Controversy, Nigel Farage, might have a say in the final outcome?

For those who like tales of fantasy, this is the election to end all elections. Until the next one, that is…

But what about the facts, and more to the point what does all the political posturing mean for IPSE members?

Well, as we go to press, facts are thin on the ground with most party manifestos scheduled for mid to late April. Without the manifesto pledges, we can’t be certain what each party

plans to do if in a position of power, but we certainly get a good flavour from the myriad speeches, dozens of policy papers and the con-ferences in recent months.

IPSE’s policy team has been on a mission to make the case to all policymakers about the vital role that independent professionals play in Britain. These are the people who are vital to the economy, holding the key to future growth, and there has been no let-up from IPSE in emphasising this.

The result of this hard work saw the Conserv-atives take up IPSE’s proposal late last year to back a conciliation service to resolve pay-ment disputes. This has not gone unnoticed by other parties either. As you will see in the magazine, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and UKIP have pledged to tack-le late payment too.

The hotly debated issue of zero hours contracts is also high on the political agenda, with most parties looking to clamp down to various degrees.

And as we turn our gaze to taxation, the dif-ferences between the parties become clearer, although disappointingly no party has made a strong commitment on IR35. The Tories plan to keep corporation tax at 20%, while it’s widely expected that a Labour government would raise the level to 21%. Ed Miliband has also pledged to reintroduce the 50% rate of income tax should he win the keys to Number 10 next month.

Should the UK public vote Cameron in for his second term as Prime Minister, the Conservatives have made a promise to scrap Class 2 NICs, while also increasing the threshold at which point tax-payers fall into the 40% income tax bracket.

We are very proud of our apolitical status at IPSE, and our members are spread far and wide across the UK, experts in what they do and cru-cial to Britain’s long-term success. Whether they have deeply held political views or are political-ly agnostic matters not.

We are delighted that the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Scotland’s First Minis-ter and the leaders of the Greens and UKIP have taken the time to reach out directly to the UK’s independent professionals. It reflects the grow-ing importance of the self-employed and also the growing influence of IPSE. That the leader of the Labour Party has not done so is a disap-pointment, but we leave you, our readers, to make your own judgement.

If the volatility of the polls is anything to go by, everything hangs tentatively in the balance as we near the day on which the UK public will choose its next Prime Minister. And, much like Game of Thrones, audiences are guaranteed a show packed with drama, suspense and cliff-hangers as one of the most closely fought general elections in mem-ory reaches its eagerly awaited finale.

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TALES OF FANTASY, THIS IS THE ELECTION

TO END ALL ELECTIONS

EVERYTHING HANGS TENTATIVELY IN THE BALANCE

ARTICLE BY IPSE MAGAZINE EDITOR BENEDICT SMITH

@BENSMITHIPSE

1312

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE IPSE POLICY PILLAR

IPSE’s Policy team has been working hard behind the scenes to show you where each of the parties sits on our key manifesto points at the time of going to print (14th April). The text in italic indicates where IPSE has played a part in any of these pledges.Where the Parties stand…

• No commitment on IR35 (unlikely to abolish as opted against it in 2011).

• Committed to not raising VAT rate.

• Tough sanctions for tax evasion.

• Scrap Class 2 NICs (Budget 2015).

• Scrap annual returns (Budget 2015).

• Increase personal allowance to £11,000 by 2018 (Budget 2015) with eventual rise to £12,500.

• Consult on restrictions to travel and subsistence allowances for limited company contractors (Budget 2015).

• Raise the 40p threshold to £42,700 by 2017 and £43,000 by 2018.

• Have lowered corporation tax to 20% and committed to keeping it there.

• Possible commitment to introduce nil-rate band of £175,000 on inheritance tax.

• No commitment on IR35.

• NICs will not be raised. 50p rate of income tax reintroduced.

• VAT will not be raised.

• Will consult on the design of a simplified tax system for small businesses, including a fixed monthly tax payment.

• Labour’s Finance and Industry Group has backed the creation of a ‘Freelance Limited Company’ although this is not official party policy.

• Business rates cut and frozen for properties with a rateable value of less than £50,000.

• Possible rise in the higher rate of corporation tax to 21p.

• Continue supporting the Employment Allowance.

• Consider introducing a ‘corporate equity allowance’ for SMEs.

• New 10p rate of tax.

• Set up the National Infrastructure Commission.

• Get at least 200,000 homes built every year by 2020.

• Spend £75 million on increasing access to rural broadband.

• Review the costs of HS2 and potentially slow or delay implementation of the route north of Manchester.

• Rail fares increases will be more heavily regulated.

• Will launch a review of how to improve support for new entrepreneurs and SMEs.

• Create a Small Business Administration.

• Commitments on enterprise policy in schools, including enterprise governors.

• Improve collection of ‘earnings data’ for the self-employed in the Labour Force Survey to improve their visibility in statistics.

• Has published a national infrastructure plan every year since 2010.

• Review of business rates will include work-hubs.

• Increase access to broadband, introduce free Wi-Fi on trains, and improve mobile coverage via mast sharing.

• Support HS2, Thameslink, Crossrail and the Northern Hub.

• Commitment to build 200,000 new starter homes.

• Considering extension of maternity pay to the self-employed.

• Considering new pension scheme for the self-employed.

• Support young enterprise schemes.

• David Cameron has said: “[The self-employed] are a key part of our long-term economic plan […] we have changed the tax system to support the self-employed, clamped down on late payment, set up schemes like Start-up Loans and liberated sole traders from needless regulations.”

• Conservatives appointed David Morris MP as ‘Self-employed ambassador.’

• Stronger penalties on late payment and naming and shaming of late payers.

• The Small Business Administration would be tasked with reducing regulation.

• ‘Abolish loophole that allows firms to pay agency workers less than permanent staff’.

• Those on zero hours contracts will have a right to an employment contract after 12 weeks.

• A quarter of contracts will be reserved for small businesses.

• Considering a policy that any firm hiring an ICT worker on a government contract also engages an apprentice.

• Action on ‘blacklisting’ in the construction industry.

• Bear down on disguised employment.

• Set up business conciliation service.

• Name and shame late payers and strengthen Prompt Payment Code.

• Support for 25% of all government spend to flow to SMEs.

• Banned exclusivity clauses in zero hour contracts.

• Government welcomed OTS employment status report in Budget 2015.

• To tackle late payment, tougher reporting requirements and strengthening the Prompt Payment Code.

• Push for third of government contracts to go to SMEs.

• Clamp down on abusive practices in relation to zero hours contracts.

• Establish new Regulation Advisory Board to reduce regulatory uncertainty.

• No commitment on IR35.

• Review business rates in England – will cover option of moving to site value rating within five years and, in the longer term, land value taxation.

• No increase in income tax, VAT, NICs and corporation tax.

• Would raise income tax personal allowance threshold to £11,000 by 2016, £12,500 by 2020.

• Law around tax evasion tightened to ‘strict liability’.

• Lorely Burt MP appointed government’s ‘women in enterprise’ champion.

• Launching Entrepreneurs Network.

• Establish review to consider case for introducing single rate of tax relief for pensions.

• SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to support the ‘ability, determination, vitality and passion to succeed’ of the self-employed.

• Leader Natalie Bennett has said half of new jobs created since 2010 are self-employed, but claims 80% living in poverty.

• Expand apprenticeship places in Scotland.

• Introduce apprenticeship option (instead of non-core GCSEs).

• Conduct skills review to inform education system.

• Introduce ‘Citizens’ Pensions’ – set no lower than official poverty line.

• Will apply equal pay and anti-discrimination legislation to contracts between businesses.

• Expand high speed broadband across Scotland.

• Electrify rail network in Central Scotland.

• Simplify planning regulations for empty commercial properties.

• Scrap HS2 rail project.

• Tax foreign vehicles on entry to the UK.

• Scrap toll roads.

• Protect green belt and encourage building on brownfield sites.

• Build 500,000 social rented homes by 2020.

• Scrap HS2 rail project.

• Protect the Small Business Bonus. • Repeal Agency Workers Directive.

• HMRC fines for late payers.

• Simplifying procurement requirements.

• Registers of ‘genuinely self-employed workers’ to be set up in some industries (e.g. construction).

• Establish new Labour Courts responsible for interpreting legal definition of ‘employee’.

• Favour local procurement in their purchasing decisions.

• Plan to legislate to ensure that small businesses and self-employed people are paid on time.

• Continued commitment to low and competitive taxes for Scottish business community.

• Supports reintroduction of 50p top rate of tax.

• Has dropped commitment to introduce lower corporation and income taxes in Scotland.

• Support for the merging of income tax and national insurance.

• Scrap inheritance tax.

• Increase personal allowance to the level of full-time minimum wage earnings (£13,500).

• Increase minimum wage to £10/ hour by 2020.

• Replace council tax and business rates with ‘progressive land tax’.

THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY THE LABOUR PARTY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS SNP UKIP THE GREEN PARTY

RECOGNITION

SUPPORT AND STARTING OUT

INFRASTRUCTURE

REGULATION AND BARRIERS

TO BUSINESS

TAXATION

15

• Complete roll-out of high speed broadband to over 99% of the UK.

• Invest in infrastructure to create ‘Northern Economic Corridor’.

• Support HS2 rail project.

• Opposed to Heathrow airport expansion.

• Increase rate of house building to 300,000 a year.

IPSE MEMBERS DISILLUSIONED WITH LEADING POLITICAL PARTIESSimon McVicker, Director of Policy and External Affairs at IPSE, compares the IPSE membership’s 2015 political preferences with those of five years ago.

2009 32%

2009 6%

2009 53%

7%

36% 17%2015

CONSERVATIVES

2009 8%

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

2%6%2015

OTHERS

2015

DON’T KNOW

2009 1%

6%2015

LABOUR

7%

13%

6%2015 38%

ARTICLE BY IPSE’S DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SIMON MCVICKER

@SIMONMCVICKER

As we head towards the 2015 general election it seems that IPSE members’ support for the Con-servatives has dropped quite significantly since we last polled our members in 2009. However, this has not been matched by a surge of support for Labour or the Liberal Democrats.

Support for other parties has nearly doubled while the Don’t Knows or Won’t Says are now nearly two in every five of our members.

The caveat for these figures is that when we polled our members in June 2009 there was a lot of noise at that time about the Conservatives abolishing IR35 if they won power at the 2010 general election. The fact that they did not and are subsequently down 17% since then may not really be a surprise.

Their lead of 29% over Labour suggests that, of the major parties, they are still seen as the par-ty for freelancers and the self-employed. How-

ever, for a party that would be expecting to be doing extremely well among this group to be only gaining just over a third of them must be concerning. Conservative hopes might be down to pulling in some of the 38% Don’t Knows.

An interesting footnote to the 2015 poll is that in the Others category the Greens get just under half with 6% while UKIP only gets a disappointing 4%. The SNP is polling 1.7%. It should be taken into account that this is a UK membership vote.

In summary, the Conservatives do seem to have disappointed many members, but despite all of that they are still seen as having the best policies for those working for themselves.

The Labour Party has not made the impact that it would have hoped for, not even breaking into double figures. There are many members who are disillusioned, unsure of who to vote for, or plainly and simply, just not planning to vote at all!

AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTION, IT SEEMS THAT IPSE MEMBERS’

SUPPORT FOR THE CONSERVATIVES HAS DROPPED QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THE IPSE MEMBERS POLL

16

SNP SUCCESS COULD BE LABOUR’S GROUNDHOG DAYPolitical commentator Hamish Macdonell weighs up the Scottish National Party’s general election chances as they prepare for battle on 7th May.

GENERAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: HAMISH MACDONELL

Remember that recurring scene from Groundhog Day? The clock clicks over to 6am, Sonny and Cher’s ‘I’ve Got You Babe’ rattles out from the radio and Bill Murray is stuck once again in a day from which he can never escape.

Well, if Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond get their way, that will be Ed Miliband in No. 10, trapped in a recurring political nightmare – put there and kept there by Mr Salmond and the SNP.

This used to be the stuff of wild SNP dreams. Indeed, it was a subject that was generally only ever discussed by nationalists, late into the night after several good malts, and only among very good friends. But something crucial has happened because the prospect not just of helping keep Labour in power, but of the SNP pulling the strings, is now a core part of nationalist policy. Indeed, if the SNP had only one ambition for next month’s election it would be this – hold the bal-ance of power. Partly, this is because of what seems to be the incontrovertible evidence from poll after poll after poll but partly it is because of a little known part of a recent piece of legislation.

The polling is crucial but it is worth pausing just to consider the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 because this is the piece of legislation that The SNP believe will be their secret weap-on. The key part of this Act is the bit that says that an election can only be called if it has the support of two-thirds of the Commons. Now, imagine, as the polls suggest, that neither the Conservative Party nor the Labour Party has a majority and the SNP allies itself with Mr Mili-band, at least to get him into No. 10 and keep David Cameron out.

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP would then harry and chivvy, demanding changes to every piece of legislation put forward by Labour, and what could Mr Miliband do about it? He couldn’t call anoth-er election – as the Prime Minister used to be able to do – because he will not be able to command a two-thirds majority in the Commons.

So he will be stuck, trapped and forced to dance to the nationalists’ tune, until or unless Nicola Sturgeon or the Conservatives decide to put him out of his misery and allow him to call another election. This is the Groundhog Day scenario so beloved of SNP activists and they really do believe it is within their grasp.

If the polls are to be believed, the SNP is poised to increase its representation in the Commons from the six MPs elected in 2010 to anything up to 50 of Scotland’s 59 seats, destroying the Scot-tish Labour Party in the process. Is this going to happen? One senior SNP member of the Scottish Parliament recently suggested to me privately that he “would bite the hand off” anybody who could guarantee the SNP 30 seats or more so there is clearly caution and more than a little scepticism in senior SNP ranks about the poll findings.

Then there are also local factors to consider, factors which the polls don’t take into account. For instance, there are incumbents – Labour, Liberal Democrat and even Tory – who enjoy personal support in their areas and this is not reflected in the polls. And there is the issue of tactical voting. There will undoubtedly be union-ist voters who will drop their traditional loyalties to back the candidate most likely to beat the nationalists. However, even taking those issues into account, it is difficult to see how the SNP is going to fail to get at least 30 seats – a majority of the constituencies in Scotland.

Professor John Curtice, an elections expert at Strathclyde University, explained how getting 45% of the vote could prove to be so influential this year. He said: “The SNP got 45% of the vote in the Scottish elections in May 2011 and, under

IF THE SNP ONLY HAD ONE AMBITION FOR NEXT MONTH’S ELECTION IT WOULD BE

THIS – HOLD THE BALANCE OF POWER

the proportional system used there, this was just enough for a majority. The SNP got 45% of the vote in the referendum, and it lost but if you get 45% of the vote in a general election then you can really go places.”

By going places, Professor Curtice meant a vast majority of the seats, possibly as many as 50. Professor Curtice also pointed out that the polls haven’t really shifted in the last few months: they all show the SNP on about the same level of support it received in the 2011 Scottish elections and the same level of support the Yes camp got in last year’s referendum.

So the message is this: there is no reason to doubt the veracity of the polls. The SNP appears to be holding steady on 45% – as it has done for the last four years – and, if it secures this share of the vote in May, it will win a lot of seats. Why has this happened? Because a section of the population which used to vote Labour in general elections and SNP in Scottish elections has just stayed with the SNP. The Labour Party used to be able to rely on this group to get dozens of MPs elected at general elections. Well, not any more.

The Conservative vote in Scotland has remained fairly static but the Liberal Democrat vote has collapsed and much of this, too, has gone to the SNP. As a result, the general election campaign in Scotland is very different to the one in England. Indeed, it is almost as if we are fighting the ref-erendum campaign all over again with the SNP on one side and the unionist parties on the other.

But, of more pressing concern for Labour and the Tories is this simple, unavoidable reality – which-ever way the election goes, the SNP will win. If Mr Cameron secures a majority, the SNP will claim that the Scots’ wishes are being ignored by a government they didn’t vote for, prompting demands for a fresh referendum on independence.

If the Tories emerge as the largest party but with-out a majority, the SNP will use its numbers – with Labour – to force Mr Cameron out of office, demonstrating its power and influence to the whole of Scotland. And, if Mr Miliband is forced to embrace the SNP in a loose vote-by-vote deal, the nationalists will keep him in place whether he likes it or not, changing and amending every piece of legislation they can get their hands on. No wonder Alex has been seen drinking pink cham-pagne and living it up in London recently. He knows he really can’t lose in May. Perhaps it is time his opponents started to realise this too.

ARTICLE BY HAMISH MACDONELL @HAMISHMACDONELL

KEYFACT

45% THE PERCENTAGE OF THE VOTE THE SNP GOT IN THE REFERENDUM

19

While the EU has been largely successful in cre-ating a single market for goods, the same does not apply so much to capital. But in an attempt to remedy this, the European Commission is looking into integrating capital markets across Europe.

The plan, announced last November by Commis-sion President Jean-Claude Juncker, is to create a Capital Market Union (CMU) in Europe. Put simply, a CMU would involve a European single market for capital, enhancing and integrating the role of financial markets in Europe, easing access to funding for SMEs and allowing new forms of capital and finance to flow freely across borders.

It’s still in its infancy, but efforts towards build-ing this CMU have made significant progress in recent weeks with the publication of a green paper in February, which set out its three main aims: to unlock more investment for SMEs and infrastructure projects, to attract more invest-ment into the EU from around the world, and to make the financial system more stable by opening up a wider range of funding sources.

WHY DO SMEs NEED A CAPITAL MARKETS UNION?Building a CMU has been a central aspect of President Juncker’s so-called ‘investment plan’ for jobs and growth in Europe. The CMU also represents the desire of the Commission to move Europe away from a heavy focus on a bank-dominated financial system.

Currently, European SMEs often face difficulty in accessing finance, relying on banks for 80% of external financing.

Now, that’s not to say there isn’t a shortage of cap-ital existing inside Europe. The problem is one of access, whereby currently SMEs in Europe are unable to access capital markets directly. The CMU hopes to unlock this ‘frozen’ money, giving SMEs greater and fairer investment choices, with capital travelling freely across borders.

The Commission calculated that deeper capital markets – similar to those in America – would have provided European SMEs with an addition-al €90 billion of funds between 2008 and 2013.

Giving business more options for funding would help achieve the second goal of the CMU – to lessen the dependence on the European banking

system. This is part of an emerging trend of alternative methods to bank financing, as ‘challenger banks’ begin to become more pop-ular – especially with independent professionals and SMEs.

Jonathan Hill, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, has stated that an enhanced role for financial markets in Europe is not intended to displace the role of banks, but to complement them. If the two systems can complement each other, then SMEs stand to benefit two-fold, as alternative funding channels increase while competition might encourage banks to lend more.

WHY DON’T SMEs NEED A CAPITAL MARKETS UNION?With banks apparently unable to adequately finance Europe’s SMEs – which make up 99% of businesses on the continent – a CMU appears attractive. That said, restructuring Europe’s financial system does contain risks.

While it’s clear that the current system is not en-tirely suited to financing small businesses, banks have knowledge and experience in lending to SMEs, which provides a level of stability and accurate risk assessment in their lending decisions.

It remains unclear to what extent the union would benefit SMEs and their access to finance. Particularly among smaller businesses, access to new sources of funding could remain limited. Medium-sized firms could also struggle without deregulation of national rules that could other-wise prevent efficient cross-border funding.

Promoting alternative forms of financing also comes with new issues and responsibilities. Take the increasingly popular practice of crowd-fund-ing as an example – analysts have expressed concern that cheap lending and bad practice from inexperienced lenders could result in issues further down the line. Crowd-funding must there-fore be regulated; loose enough for capital to flow as intended but tight enough to minimise risk.

A smooth-functioning CMU must provide both secure investment for investors and protect against an administrative burden for SMEs. This will also require a review of the Prospec-tus Directive (which is currently undergoing

consultation), which in its current state could present red tape for small businesses trying to raise capital across the EU.

WHAT NEXT? The establishment of the CMU is of course a long way off and the European Commission must learn to walk before it runs.

While the green paper outlines a number of steps to be taken and touches on bigger issues that will need to be addressed in the future, it offers little in the way of concrete measures to address them.

A consultation for the CMU runs until 13th May. As is typical with European law, much of the difficulty will lie in harmonising the variation across Member States’ tax rules and business law and how their own financial markets are run.

However some analysts view full harmonisa-tion of these issues negatively, arguing they are key tools for competition in Europe, which suggests the key building blocks of the CMU should be deregulation of existing barriers rather than the introduction of a host of burdensome new regulation.

BEN WRIGHT 21

@BENIPSE

A CMU WOULD INVOLVE A EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET FOR CAPITAL, ENHANCING AND INTEGRATING THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL

MARKETS IN EUROPE

BUILDING A CAPITAL MARKETS UNIONBen Wright looks at the European Commission’s latest plan and what it means for Europe’s smallest businesses.

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23TECH CITY OXFORD

But more recently, Oxford finds itself being revered for reasons other than its long list of successful alumni. The city’s digital industry is flying, and the organisation propelling it, Digital Oxford, has a plan to make it Britain’s top digital hub.

“We want Oxford, and Oxfordshire as a county, to be recognised by Tech City UK as the number one tech hub in the country on its own merits,” Karen David of Digital Oxford told me.

And you certainly can’t knock their ambition. This independent organisation is little over a year old, but already has grand plans to make Oxford a world-class digital destination to attract jobs, funding, talent and investment to the digital industry in Oxfordshire.

But given its mere 150,000 population, around 40,000 of whom are full-time university stu-dents, can Oxford really compete with some of the world’s digital elite?

“In short, yes it’s possible. Our location on the map, the skills we have at our disposal and our

established digital infrastructure make us very appealing to digital businesses.

“Oxford as a place and Digital Oxford as an organisation offer a close-knit and supportive community to help companies flourish. We have close links to Oxford’s world-class universities and the dozens of science and tech hubs all over the county,” Karen explained.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t taken aback by the size and importance of Oxfordshire’s digital industry. At the last count there were over 21,000 digital minds in Oxfordshire, powering an industry worth an estimated £500 million to the county. Oxfordshire also boasts the second highest concentration of creative and technical jobs in the UK – again, not bad for a place typi-cally associated with professors and punting.

Considering the word ‘digital’ itself is such a commonly used – bordering on overused – term, and one that encompasses a broad range of skills, I wanted to find out what these digital minds actually get up to.

“Digital really does stretch across a variety of roles, industries and professions, which is what makes it so exciting. We get involved with agencies developing digital products or offering creative services, individuals running their own business-es, technology start-ups and even an engineering company which deploys digital technology.”

And as one would expect of a digital organisation, the website is the place for the growing number of freelancers and small business owners to meet, regardless of whether their interest in Oxford-shire’s digital industry is firm or fleeting.

“We provide support and promotion for any digital or relevant event in Oxfordshire, cover regional success stories and specialise in making

introductions. We have a strong online presence, and on DigitalOxford.com, company members and upcoming events are listed, projects are posted and Oxford’s digital community can meet each other,” Karen explained.

With the lion’s share of the county’s digital com-munity aged between 20 and 40, it is a young-ish, energetic and ambitious project to be a part of. That said, Digital Oxford is keen to tap even fur-ther into the deep pool of digital talent at large in the city’s universities and schools.

“The universities – both of which are world-class – along with the great research institu-tions make Oxford one of the best places to grow a digital business. We’ve got big plans to extend our reach to benefit school leavers, even more university students and career starters seeking apprenticeships.”

Governed and run entirely by an elected commit-tee of volunteers, the team are clearly passionate about what they do, and it’s refreshing to see an organisation – albeit young and relatively small in size – harbouring the ambition to take on some of the UK’s top digital cities.

“With 30 monthly meet-ups, nine major business parks, an international gaming hub and regular international tech conferences, Oxford is rapidly developing into one of the UK’s most attractive digital destinations,” Karen emphasised.

While it’s still very much early days for Digital Oxford – and indeed the county’s digital indus-try – exciting times lie ahead for both. And as Karen so aptly put it to me: “We’re just starting out here and we have shed-loads of ambition. So make sure you watch this space…”

OXFORD – THE HISTORICAL CITY ENTERING THE DIGITAL AGE

AT THE LAST COUNT THERE WERE OVER 21,000 DIGITAL MINDS IN OXFORDSHIRE,

POWERING AN INDUSTRY WORTH AN ESTIMATED £500 MILLION TO THE COUNTY

GOVERNED AND RUN ENTIRELY BY AN ELECTED COMMITTEE OF VOLUNTEERS,

THE TEAM ARE CLEARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO

ARTICLE BY IPSE MAGAZINE EDITOR BENEDICT SMITH

@BENSMITHIPSE

INFOTIP

DIGITAL OXFORD WEEK RUNS FROM THE 9 TO 17TH MAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT DIGITALOXFORD.COM OR FOLLOW @DIGITALOXFORD

Having nurtured some of the greatest political, scientific and literary minds in times gone by, it’s no wonder the city of dreaming spires has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading academic centres, writes Editor Benedict Smith.

LET BATTLE COMMENCEOn 7th May, UK voters will head to the polls to decide the political future of the second half of the decade.

Political commentators are calling the 2015 general election one of the most unpredictable elections in recent times, but with plans from all the major parties for a significant boost to new housing development, affordable housing and greater competition in the mortgage market, this year could shape up to be a very interesting one for contractors.

HOUSING POLICY IS THE FRONT LINE The current Coalition Government’s Help to Buy equity loan, which offers buyers an interest- free loan of 20% of the purchase price for new-ly built properties, has helped kick-start a flat housing market and has given many the oppor-tunity to get on the property ladder far earlier than they could have hoped for.

Housing and mortgages are high on everyone’s agenda and one of the most crucial battlegrounds for gaining votes is the shortage of new housing, with high demand pent up after many years of stagnant new build. In common with the wider community, the lack of affordable housing, especially in England, is one of the key concerns for contractors.

THE BATTLEGROUND: AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE CRUSADE FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERSThe Conservatives have concentrated on first-time buyers, promising 200,000 new starter homes for people under the age of 40 by 2020, doubling the 100,000 already proposed by the Coalition Government. These would-be home-owners will be able to buy a house at 20% below the market rate.

By contrast, the Liberal Democrats have rec-ognised that many people can’t afford to pur-chase their own home at all and in response have promised more affordable properties. Working alongside providers to create new-model housing to pave the way for lower income working families to get on the proper-ty ladder, the Lib Dems seem set on a radical return to quasi-social housing.

Labour has also got on the housing bandwagon and has pledged to build 200,000 houses a year by 2020, including new towns and garden cities. That said, it remains to be seen what new taxes and reduced reliefs will need to be introduced to help fund such a bold initiative.

LANDLORDS TAKE TO THE BUNKERSRecently, Buy-to-Let has seen a boom, and my thinking is that this will continue. With new freedoms in pensions, Buy-to-Let has been seen by many contractors as an ideal top-up invest-ment strategy for their retirement. However, it has not escaped the notice of the manifesto writers, with Labour in particular promising to take a long hard look at the scheme if they were to come into power.

Concentrating on the private rental sector, potential policies include standardising three-year tenancies, capping rent rises and banning letting agent fees. The many thousands of contractors with investment properties will want to keep a close eye on developments as we draw nearer to the polls.

CONTRACTORS CONQUERParty manifestos are notorious for their flexi-bility in the run up to the election. The reality is that the outcome of the election is unlikely to have any real effect on the mortgage market or housing initially and the run up to voting day is likely to be a great time for the members of the freelancer community to secure their first or new home.

While many are biding their time to see what the outcome of the election will be, contractors seem to have taken advantage of low rates and recent government initiatives and with estate agents reporting a 30% increase in the number of properties selling below the asking price this year, there are plenty of bargains to be found. For existing homeowners, if it has been a while since you secured your last mortgage then you might be surprised by how far interest rates have come down – it’s worthwhile revisiting what is many people’s largest outgoing.

The majority of lenders will cover your solicitor’s fees and valuation costs if you are remortgaging, so you could save more than you think and secure a good long-term rate in the run up to what is certain to be an unsettling election year.

HOW WILL THE GENERAL ELECTION AFFECT YOUR MORTGAGE?Tony Harris of Contractor Financials explains how the general election might impact on the housing market.

THE REALITY IS THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY REAL EFFECT ON THE

MORTGAGE MARKETTONY HARRIS IS FROM CONTRACTOR FINANCIALS, SPECIALIST INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS TO THE UK’S FREELANCE AND CONTRACTOR COMMUNITY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CONTRACTORFINANCIALS.COM

CONTRACTOR FINANCIALS 25

This morning, Tim viewed the latest digital issue of Talk Business Magazine, on his tablet

- Discover the best way to market my business ✓

W W W . T A L K B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . C O . U K

Compatable with

Untitled-1 1 11/06/2013 10:59

CAROLINE BALDWIN 27

FOR SCREEN QUALITY ACER ASPIRE V NITRO BLACK EDITION

Acer’s Black Edition of its V Nitro range is the machine for graphics geeks. Available with either a 15- or 17-inch screen, the V Nitro series is built for visual multimedia tools such as photo and video editing and other graphics-intensive applications, including gaming.

The full-HD display is backed up by a fourth-generation Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, while the screen’s in-plane switching technology provides a wide viewing angle for comfortable high-qual-ity multimedia use, and the Acer ComfyView non-glare technology claims to make long hours of intense video editing that little bit kinder on your retinas.

The laptop can come with a hard disk of up to 3TB, and the option to upgrade to 256GB of SSD storage to speed up the device. It’s also a mere 2.5cm thick, with a slick metal finish clamshell design.

FROM £699.99Available from the Acer store online

FOR TRAVELLERS MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 3

Not many tablet or hybrid devices can match up to a laptop, but if you’re on the go for the major-ity of your working day, Microsoft’s latest Surface device can provide you with a lightweight PC that doesn’t cut corners on power.

Its latest professional tablet has a fourth gener-ation Intel Core processor, a multitude of con-nection ports and a 12-inch screen. Throw in a 9-hour battery life even when web browsing and a click-in keyboard, and this hybrid device re-mains one of the best contenders when it comes to working on the go.

FROM £639Available from various retailers

FOR THE OFFICE WORKER FUJITSU LIFEBOOK U745

Due to their slim size, ultrabooks jam-packed with connectivity portals are not the easiest devices to come by, but the Lifebook U745 combines mobility with many of the ports familiar with an enterprise desktop device, including a VGA output.

Other connections include a display port. You can charge a USB device even when the LifeBook is turned off. The U745 also has the option of additional security using Fujitsu’s PalmVein Sensor technology.

This 14-inch ultrabook is compatible with Life-book docking stations, meaning you can hook up the device in your office, connecting it easily to power and a monitor of your choice, while at 1.55kg it is easy to pack up and take on the road.

FROM £749 (ex VAT)Available from various UK distributors

FOR THE POWER HUNGRY HP ELITEBOOK FOLIO 1020

At 1.2kg and 15.7mm thick, HP’s EliteBook Folio 1020 boasts of being one of the lightest business-class notebooks on the market.

But combining 9-hour battery life with 250GB of memory and a 1.2GHz Intel Core M-5Y71 processor, this laptop is a great ally for those who crave power from their devices. Plus its fanless design and SSD storage claim to deliver speed in near silence.

With enterprise-grade security features, this laptop is also designed to withstand military-grade drops and shocks as well as extreme temperature and humidity.

FROM £1,395 (ex VAT)Available from the HP store

FOR A BUDGET TOSHIBA CHROMEBOOK 2

If your laptop requirements are fairly basic and you only use a few applications such as word processing and email, save some pennies and pick up a Chromebook.

Using Google’s Chrome operating system, Chromebooks are cloud-based laptops, meaning you have to have a decent internet connection to use most of its functions.

Toshiba recently released its latest Chrome-book, which provides extraordinary value for money. At under £250 you can get your hands on a full HD 13.3-inch display laptop which weighs only 1.35kg. It comes with 100GB free Google Drive storage for two years so your work can be saved online, as well as two USB ports and a memory card slot which helps juggle the 16GB of internal storage.

With up to 9 hours battery for the full HD ver-sion, this sleek silver clamshell device is giving its heavyweight ultrabook competitors a run for its money.

FROM £249 (FULL HD), £199 (HD)Available from various retailers

FOR VERSATILITY LENOVO YOGA 3

Is it a tablet? Is it a laptop? Sometimes the two blur the lines. But what this device is, is extreme-ly adaptable. Its flexibility comes in handy if you depend on your keyboard throughout the day, as the Yoga features four different positions – laptop, stand, tent or tablet – while its 10-point touch screen display allows the screen to flip around 350 degrees.

The Yoga 3 is available from 1.2kg and only 15.8mm thick and this multimedia device is powered by the efficient Intel Core M processor, and runs Windows 8.1.

FROM £549.99Available widely

AND NOT FORGETTING APPLE’S NEW MACBOOK

Apple’s devices hardly need an introduction, but the tech giant’s latest laptop offering is simply named the new MacBook. Revealed at the beginning of March, the new MacBook is 13.1mm thin, 0.9kg with a 12-inch retina display.

COMING SOONEven available in gold

COMPUTER CLUBWhen it comes to computers, the word on everyone’s lips is still ‘tablet’, but gadget lovers shouldn’t be turning their backs on the humble laptop just yet. Caroline Baldwin is back to review the best laptops on the market.

Thanks to advances in screen quality, battery power and lightweight materials, laptops still remain a contender to be our faithful work devices. While laptop purchases in the past were strongly affected by software and whether the device ran Microsoft Office, thanks to cloud tools and Office 365, a new wave of devices has appeared, opening up the market. Here’s our round-up of some of the best laptops on the market which tick all the boxes.

REPUTATION AND BRAND 29

It’s pretty much a given that big successful com-panies have rock-solid brands – recognisable and perceived positively by their key people. But how important, if at all, is this kind of thing for the one-man-band? Let me try and tell you.

But firstly, why me? Well, I’m a journalist who has just gone freelance after working for two marketing industry publications called Brand Republic and PRWeek for the past decade. Perhaps you’ll be disappointed to know that at no stage in my grand plan to sell myself have I pulled up a flipboard and plotted my brand values, my tone of voice and my mission statement.

I have thanked my ancestors for lump-ing me with an unusual name, but unlike Andy Murray I haven’t felt the need to get my own logo. Also unlike Andy Murray, I have spent a bit of time on LinkedIn, which has helped popu-larise the term ‘personal brand’ as part of its mission to make people think of themselves as being permanently in the careers shop window.

LinkedIn is an essential tool whether you’re self-employed or not, and my few years on it combined with the contacts I’ve made in the course of my job have given me a head start with going freelance. But to be honest, the early work has come from the likeliest route – former colleagues who know you can do a job because they’ve worked with you.

When I commissioned freelancers, my main concerns were how easy they were to find, wheth-er they could do the job, whether they were available and what they cost.

My first preference was for former colleagues I rated and next best was to ask them or other colleagues if they could recommend anyone. One freelancer I used got plenty of work by making an effort to talk to people around the

building – not to tell them about his brand but simply to find out what they did and if they used freelancers like him.

There’s no substitute for relationships and face-to-face conversations. I got the chance to write this very article because I met an old contact, who happened to be a colleague of the editor, at

an event. I had no control over what happened between leaving my contact with my business card and the editor getting in touch with me.

This is the part where if people could really be like brands, the marketing industry would claim that the editor’s preference for my personal brand won me the job. (By the way, I’m afraid that you’re going to be hearing more about personal branding because at March’s Adver-tising Week Europe I counted no less than four sessions on it, including one featuring Katie Price.) But I suspect that what really guided the editor to me was his need and his colleague’s judgement of me.

Your brand is what you say about yourself, but your reputation is what other people say about you. The corporate world is full of disconnects between reputations and brands – think banks and energy companies.

When I built my website it was – like it or not – brand territory. People who have never heard of me are going to get their first impression of me from it. It’s succinct and it’s not flashy. As I’m a written word journalist, people are going to be more interested in my track record than anything else, so it offers a one-page summary of my pre-vious work and experience. And there’s no point

putting them off with, say, a bright orange background. EasyFreelance anyone?

Freelancers should be using marketing to diversify their client base, but imagining yourself as a brand is the other end of the marketing wedge from making and taking a sales opportunity. Some of you might be thinking, why not make more of an effort to stand out? After all, the reason compa-nies spend millions on making consumers like their brand is so they can charge a premium over competitor products. Air-bnb used to have a fairly plain brand, then it hired a marketer from Coca-Cola and had a makeover that positioned it as of-fering the feeling of belonging, wherever you are in the world.

If you’re selling something to a mass audience – possibly you’re an author or musician – it might be worth getting into that territory, but bear in mind you have to repeatedly expose people to your

messages to lodge in their heads.

If you have a small pool of customers and potential customers, your reputation is going to outrank your brand. That’s the way it should be, however big you are. What helped Airbnb get big? Not branding, but word of mouth and reputation for delivering a better experience than hotels.

If you want my advice, ignore the siren call of the personal brand consultants. Stick to the basics. Testimonials are the ideal middle-ground between reputation and brand – you get to present a selec-tive view of what your customers say about you.

REPUTATION AND BRANDDaniel Farey-Jones asks whether building a personal brand as a freelancer is really that important after all.

ARTICLE BY DANIEL FAREY-JONES @DANFAREYJONES

SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, WHY NOT MAKE MORE OF AN

EFFORT TO STAND OUT?

The smart way to manage your spending abroad.

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31THE FREELANCERS GUIDE TO PARIS

A BIT ABOUT THE PLACEChic appeal, cafés on every corner, world-famous cuisine, iconic monuments, a history back-dating almost 2,300 years, not to mention cultural idiosyn-crasies that we’ve come to know so well – the City of Love truly is an enchanting city.

Paris regularly features on the list of places to visit before you die, and deservedly so. But fashion and aesthetics aside, how does it rank when it comes to running your own business – or more specifically, freelancing?

BUSINESS FRIENDLY? When you think of Paris in a business sense, ‘freelance haven’ isn’t exactly a phrase which springs to mind. However, after a pit-stop tour of the city, I quickly came round to the idea of freelancing in the French capital. Perhaps it just might be that Paris is the perfect city in which to live and work.

If you happen to be like me and enjoy mixing up your working days with trips to local coffee shops and stints in co-working spaces, then what better than a city with over 10,000 cafés and an influx of work-hubs that rival some of the best designed corporate offices in London and New York?

WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DOYou don’t have to spend long on Google to find a whole host of coworking spaces and work-hubs, perfect for freelancers working across a range of industries. From the Remix co-working spaces located to the north of the Seine, just a 10-minute walk from the Louvre and open 24/7, to the Work In’ Paris Vaugirard, more to the west and south of the river, there’s a space for every type of freelancer, entrepreneur and small team.

But if the more casual coffee-shop-meets-internet-café-and-workspace environment is the one for you, then AntiCafé will be more up your street. What’s more, you only pay for the time you stay and you’re provided with a delightful selection of unlimited coffee, tea and snacks. Parfait! For a full list of co-working spaces in Paris, be sure to visit sharedesk.net where you will find a wide selection of work-hubs.

VERDICTThe number of freelancers around the world is grow-ing rapidly. The need for co-working spaces is higher than ever and the realisation that working in a shared office space can be mutually beneficial for all involved is rising – and for good reason too!

With more than 50 listed co-working spaces (and counting) in the centre of Paris alone, it’s a city with a growing community of independent professionals, all with a hunger for sharing office space and collaborat-ing in a creative and forward-thinking environment.

Getting through the laborious task of your morning emails with a pain au raisin and espresso in hand, tak-ing a late-lunch stroll across the Pont du Carrousel, glancing towards Île de la Cité, make ‘work’ seem just that bit more bearable.

So whether you’re thinking of relocating to Paris or considering it for a work-week stop-off like me, there’s a number of solutions for you to take advantage of as a freelancer. Combine this with the history and sightseeing delights, and you’re sure to fall for this marvellous city.

THE FREELANCER’S GUIDE TO

PARIS

Jamie McDermott crosses the Channel and heads to Paris, where he explores all the French capital has on offer for freelancers.

85%Percentage growth in independent

professionals in France from 2004 to 2013Source: Patricia Leighton, Future Working:

The Rise of Europe’s Independent Professionals

10.6%Percentage of France’s workforce

who are self-employedSource: Izzy Hatfield, Self-Employment in Europe

2.77mThe number of self-employed people in France in Q3 of 2014

Remix AntiCafé Work In’ Paris

THE FREELANCERS GUIDE

STU HERITAGE 33

The opening sequence to the film Up makes every-one cry. Some people cry because it paints such a delicate picture of love through the ages. Some cry because of the unflinchingly brutal way we learn that Carl and Ellie will never have children. Some just cry because the music’s sad. But not me.

I cry because of the jar.

That bloody savings jar. Little by little through-out their married life, Carl and Ellie drop what-ever spare change they have into the jar, in the hope that one day they’ll be able to afford the adventure of a lifetime. But stuff gets in the way, and they’re forced to dip into their savings. A tyre bursts. A leg breaks. There’s a storm. Before they know it, they’re old and their jar is empty. They’ll never go on that adventure.

The jar gets me every time because it perfectly sums up how I am with money, except my jar is a savings account and my adventure basically involves not starving to death three days after I retire. I do my best. I save what I can. But stuff keeps getting in the way, and I keep dipping. My computer will break. A client won’t pay. A tax bill will get miscalculated. Currently, adjusting for inflation, I’ve probably got enough stashed away for one nice dinner and a box of Cup a Soups after my retirement.

The sensible solution would be for me to get a pension. But, like most of the other freelancers I know, I’ve never got around to sorting one out. Because I’m freelance, aren’t I? I’m a risk-taker. My entire business model is centred on the insane assumption that I’ll never get ill or want a holiday. Who’s to say that I even need a pension, anyway? I might get lucky and keel over with a heart attack in my mid-50s. At the very least, I’d certainly save a lot of paperwork that way.

Also, pensions are for old people. I’m not old. I mean, sure, I’m married. And I’m a dad now. But

that doesn’t mean that I’m old. And, yes, I’m going bald at an astonishing rate, and I just bought a pair of trousers purely on the basis that they looked quite comfy. But… oh, look, fine, I might be getting a little bit old. I’m old and I don’t have a pension. And now I’m having a panic attack.

Other people – other people with cushy staff jobs, who don’t have to spend the first month of every year frantically digging through boxes of invoices and receipts because they’ve got no idea how much tax they’re supposed to owe – don’t understand. They’ve got corporate pension plans and employer contributions and life assurances, and the day they hit retirement age they’ll be rolling around in all the Cup a Soups they can eat, the lucky swines.

But us? We’re out here on our own, and it’s absolutely terrifying. We don’t have a guaranteed income, and many of us lack the security to pay a fixed amount of money into a pension scheme each month. Combine that with the deliberately oblique language of the financial adviser, with their stakeholder plans and their com-pulsory purchase annuities, and you’ve got enough to freeze us all into total inaction.

However, all the time we’re hiding from the problem, we’re actively cutting off the amount of money that Future Us has to buy food with. It’s the most vicious of vicious circles, and we’re not going to break out of it unless we make a concerted effort.

So that’s what I’m doing. Just writing this piece, and realising how utterly out on a limb I am financially, has spooked me into getting some-thing done. I’m going to bite the bullet and find a financial adviser. I’m going to explain my situ-ation to them. Whenever I get blinded by jargon, which will be often, I’ll stop and ask them to use smaller words, as if to an idiot. And, by hook or by crook, I’m finally going to come away from there with something approximating a pension.

Alternatively, I’m just going to buy a load of Cup a Soups. They keep for 35 years, right?

PLAINLY SPEAKINGStu Heritage faces up to the difficulties of saving for his future.

@STUHERITAGE

MY JAR IS A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND MY ADVENTURE BASICALLY INVOLVES

NOT STARVING TO DEATH THREE DAYS AFTER I RETIRE

ALL THE TIME WE’RE HIDING FROM THE PROBLEM, WE’RE ACTIVELY CUTTING OFF

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT FUTURE US HAS TO BUY FOOD WITH

Fortunately for Stu, IPSE is now helping members prepare for their futures.

Through IPSE Futures, our members can join pension, life assurance and private healthcare schemes at group rates – usually at a fraction of the cost you would pay as an individual.

IPSE.CO.UK/FUTURES

Contract-review.indd 1 10/11/2014 16:35

In my 18 months at IPSE, I’ve visited a fair few co-working spaces around the UK. And to be fair, the vast majority of them have been great places to work from – I can’t complain really.

From cosy beanbag filled basements in winter, to urban rooftops soaked in summertime sun-shine, I’ve spent countless days sat with my laptop putting together this very magazine in work-hubs up and down the country. And just like the many thousands of people choosing to escape their soul-sucking offices and the dis-tractions of their own homes, I too like pitching up and working from different places whenever I get the chance. As a writer, I’m far more pro-ductive working independently.

I suppose this makes me sound like a miserable sod, unappreciative of my colleagues here at IPSE, longing to work alone – but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The guys I work with are an inspir-ing bunch, but like many people, working in new places next to new and interesting people does me the world of good from time to time.

So, needless to say, when I came across Uber Office in Victoria, I didn’t need much convincing to take the short stroll from IPSE Towers to work from what is quite possibly one of London’s most elaborate work-hubs.

And I say elaborate in the most complimentary of terms. In the dozens of offices I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, more than most lack that little bit of flamboyance – the perfect ingredient to get you through a tough Friday morning.

With décor which includes artificial grass carpets in meeting rooms, pink neon lights, a London phone box and armchairs that wouldn’t be out of place in the Big Brother Diary Room, Uber Office is a bit of fun.

Now that’s not to say that founder and property mogul Kieran James Brown and his team aren’t serious about work. The place is kitted out head to toe. With high-speed internet, private break-out rooms and a kitchen to boot, the facilities are particularly accommodating for the 60-odd freelance residents.

The place benefits from a great mix of people working across a real variety of fields. With an author, designers, freelance recruiters and even a model agent in Uber Office’s ranks, it paints a pleasant picture of self-employment in the UK today – diverse, creative and in-demand. Working on your own can be a lonely old business, but with a strong bond among the freelance residents at Uber Office, there’s a nice atmosphere about the place – and I can’t stress how important this is. Having a solid network of like-minded people to share ideas with and lean on in difficult periods can do wonders in preventing that dreaded feeling of isolation.

Granted, with prices upwards of £400 per month – on the face of it, it seems expensive. That said, you’ll do well to find somewhere with such a prestigious postcode, networking opportunities and high standards for anything less.

After a coffee and a quick chat with Kieran in the kitchen, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Uber Office is a company with a conscience. As firm believers in the value of entrepreneur-ialism, Kieran and his team offer free desks to young self-employed people with the drive and determination to make it on their own – some-thing one or two of the other work-hubs I’ve visited could learn from.

As my day came to a close, I spent a moment reflecting on it. By a Friday’s standards it had been a particularly productive, not to mention enjoyable, day. It’s luxurious and the people are friendly – instantly washing away any stereo-types I might have previously had about the glamour of its Belgravia postcode. Bearing in mind it’s just a stone’s throw from the IPSE office, they might be seeing a lot more of me some time soon. That’s if they’ll have me back…

34HUB SPY

UBER OFFICE IS THIS LONDON’S BEST WORK-HUB?

Editor Benedict Smith spends a day at one of the capital’s up-and-coming co-working spaces.

ADDRESS15–17 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1

NEAREST TUBEVictoria

TWITTER@uberoffice

QUITE POSSIBLY ONE OF LONDON’S MOST ELABORATE WORK-HUBS

WE’RE ON A QUEST TO FIND THE UK’S BEST WORK-HUB.LET US KNOW YOUR FAVOURITE @IPSEMAG

UP NEXTENGINE SHED, BRISTOL @ENGINESHED_BB

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Tel 0207 651 1400 (24 hours)Email taxinvestigations@moorestephens.comWeb www.moorestephens.co.uk/contractorloan

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Moore Stephens LLP is registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

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citizenM says:the most unbusiness-like business hotel you’re likely to do business in.

London, New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Glasgow & Rotterdam

www.citizenM.com

#citizenM

to all freelancers of the world, citizenM welcomes you all

ADDRESSBroadway MarketLondon E8 4QJ

NEAREST STATIONLondon Fields

THE NETWORK EFFECT 36

BERLIN’S BEST CO-WORKING CAFÉ SANKT OBERHOLZ

EAST LONDON’S FINEST SAIGON STREET CAFÉ

Located on the busy intersection of Rosenthaler Platz and Torstraße in Berlin’s central ‘Mitte’ district is Sankt Oberholz, a café cum restaurant cum co-working space.

Something of a local legend in Berlin, Sankt Oberholz is a hub for Mitte’s freelancers and many involved in Berlin’s thriving start-up scene.

The atmosphere is relaxed yet bustling – a vibe creat-ed almost entirely by Berliners working away on Macs rather than by chitter-chatter.

And it’s precisely in its identity as a creative work-place rather than a café that Sankt Oberholz’s appeal lies. As a work space it really is the real deal, with

multiple floors, plenty of tables and power sockets littered everywhere, which is just as well – taking a step inside, it would appear that bringing along a Mac is almost mandatory.

And as if that wasn’t enough, there are dedicated 24-hour co-working spaces available to rent upstairs, along with regular events on all things tech and start-up held in the evening.

Good coffee, great food and, of course, super-fast Wi-Fi seal the deal. Just make sure to bring your Mac!

@BENIPSE

Sat on the edge of Hackney’s Broadway Market and just a leisurely stroll from the green grass of London Fields, the outdoor Saigon Street Café serves tasty Vietnamese coffee, which is quickly becoming the talk of the town.

A mish-mash of umbrellas, pin-striped deck chairs and wobbly coffee-tables erected on the side of the road, the unassuming Saigon Street Café arrives each Sat-urday morning and disappears shortly after the market dwellers, leaving no trace.

So catch it if you can, because it’s without doubt worth a visit for just for a black coffee alone. Nutty and unlike any other coffee blend I’ve tasted, I’m a sucker for it and often find myself watching the world go by with a large filter, longing for summer days and longer nights.

And without wanting to lead you down a blind alley – this isn’t somewhere to work from – more of a source of inspiration as you watch East London go about its business each Saturday, come rain or shine.

Recently voted one of London’s best coffee spots, need-less to say, the coffee is delicious. Perfect taste. Perfect temperature. Perfect environment. If only the weath-er was just as consistently good!

@BENSMITHIPSE

ADDRESSRosenthaler Straße 72a10119 Berlin

NEAREST U-BAHNRosenthaler Platz

TWITTER@oberholz

RECENTLY VOTED ONE OF LONDON’S BEST COFFEE SPOTS, NEEDLESS TO SAY,

THE COFFEE IS DELICIOUS

Guide to Freelancing 1

Guide to Freelancing

IPSE’s Guide to Freelancing is an interactive resource, jam-packed full of business advice and tips, from tax planning to marketing & PR.

If you’re just starting out or already an established freelancer, this 80 page guide is specifically designed for you.

Visit www.ipse.co.uk/guide to download it today.

38MEMBERS’ DIARY

The election process for IPSE’s Consultative Council (CC) is now open. We want to make sure you understand why it’s important to consider putting yourself forward to join this crucial elected body within the organisation.

IPSE’s CC has two main functions:

1. An electoral college for the appointment of directors elected from the membership.

2. A mechanism for consultation on major issues for the Board of Directors and management with representatives of IPSE’s members.

Crucially, the CC by simple majority can call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time. As IPSE grows and evolves, it is vital that all sectors of the membership are represented on the CC.

CC members take part in consultations, work-ing parties and the Nominations Committee. They even represent IPSE on outside forums. Council members are extremely important to whatever IPSE as an organisation does.

IPSE needs representatives from all walks of freelance life to come forward and help shape the future of the organisation. You can have a real influence over the direction of IPSE by joining the CC.

Whether it is experience or the next generation you want for IPSE, you can only get what you want if you put yourself forward.

Election to the CC is open to any member of IPSE who feels that they have something to contribute. It is an essential part of IPSE’s governance structure.

The nomination process is open until 16th April, before voting officially opens on 28th April until 14th May.

If you have any questions, or would like to register your interest, please get in touch with election2015@ipse.co.uk

MEMBERS’ AREA ELECTION TIME – BUT IT’S NOT FOR WESTMINSTER!

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY If you’re new to freelancing, desperate to network or simply looking to brush up on your business skills, what better time to book onto an upcoming IPSE event or visit one of the UK’s many business shows in the next two months?

Visit www.IPSE.co.uk/events for more information and to register.

THE SECURITY CLEARED EXPO –THE UK’S LARGEST JOB BOARD, ADVERTISING JOBS THAT REQUIRE A LEVEL OF SECURITY CLEARANCE

16TH APRIL10:00–16:00 – BRISTOL

HOW TO WIN WORK WITH YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

22ND APRIL19:00–20:00 – WEBINAR

HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR TAKE HOME PAY THIS YEAR

22ND APRIL18:30–20:30 – LONDON

TAX AND FINANCIAL PLANNING

30TH APRIL18:30–20:30 – GUILDFORD

THE BUSINESS SHOW – THE UK’S BIGGEST EXHIBITION FOR ANYONE STARTING OR GROWING A BUSINESS

13TH–14TH MAYLONDON

ACCOUNTANCY & INSOLVENCY – MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR EARNINGS

20TH MAY18:30–20:30 – LONDON

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