Events Calendar

FREELANCERS UNITE! THE POWER OF CO-OPS & JOINT WORKING

16 February 2023 — 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Venue: Online event

This webinar is for freelancers who may be looking to join forces to share costs, skills, knowledge and peer support – as well as gain new opportunities...

 

One of a series of webinars brought to you by The Hive, a programme of support for new and existing co‑ops delivered by Co‑operatives UK in partnership with The Co‑operative Bank.

About the webinar

According to the latest official figures, there are some 4 million self-employed people in the UK. While many enjoy the freedom and flexibility of freelancing, for others, being self-employed is a necessity due to unemployment, falling job quality and precarious working contracts.

Whatever their reasons, the self-employed have this in common: they’re more likely to have unstable incomes and to miss out on social protections such as pensions, insurance and sick pay.

But there is a way to enjoy a thriving, autonomous and secure career: co‑ops. Forming a co‑op makes good business sense. Freelancers who’ve joined forces to set up co-ops have benefitted in many ways – from sharing costs, skills, knowledge and risk, to gaining new opportunities and enjoying peer support.

Co‑ops enable members to have control over and access to fairer, more decent work, as well as a share of the profits. 

By coming together, freelancers can bid for larger scale tenders, gain access to new markets and innovate through sharing creative ideas. They can pool resources, build greater brand recognition and increase efficiency. And there’s more than one way to do it: 

  • Forming as a co‑op of freelancers where they have shared ownership but retain their autonomy
  • Forming a new co‑op, such as a worker co-op, where they become co-owners of the same business

Join this webinar to find out more about the benefits of joint working. You’ll hear from members of three co‑ops that were formed to empower freelancers: 

  • Steven Flower, a founder member of Open Data Services, a worker co‑op that was formed when freelance analysts and IT professionals joined forces to create open data standards and tools
  • John Gibson, a founder member of Felt Nowt Productions, a co‑op of stand-up comedians in the North East of England
  • Melissa McNab a director of Code‑Operative, a co‑op of freelance software developers based in the North East

Format

  • An online one‑hour webinar on Zoom
  • Presentations from Steven, Melissa and John with an opportunity to ask questions at the end

How much does it cost?

  • This webinar is FREE to everyone who wants to attend.

What attendees will learn:

  • What a co-operative is and the purpose of co-ops
  • The co-operative principles
  • The economic, social, personal and business benefits of forming a co-op business for freelancers
  • How to decide if a co-op is the right business model for you
  • What support is available from The Hive business support programme for those wishing to set up a co‑op

Who should attend?

  • Freelancers in any field or sector who are keen to learn more about co-operatives and joint working 
  • People and groups looking to start-up a business
  • Anyone wanting to learn more about co‑ops: business advisors, local authorities, community leaders, voluntary sector support agencies, etc

About the speakers

Steven Flower co‑founded Open Data Services Co-operative in 2015, alongside three other freelancers who wanted to combine working in open data with an equitable business model. Open Data Services provides consultancy, support and software covering all areas of open data. In his time at Open Data Services, Steven has led support for the 360 Giving Data Standard and the development of the International Aid Transparency Initiative Data Standard.

John Gibson is a director of Felt Nowt Productions – a co‑op of comedians that was set-up to grow the comedy circuit in the North East and create more work for stand‑ups from the region. He’s a comedian and writer. And, as a professional programme and project manager, John has over two decades of experience across a number of key sectors, including manufacturing, travel and government. 

Melissa McNab is an illustrator and designer with degrees from Sunderland and Northumbria Universities. Her award winning projects include UI/UX, 3D modelling and game design. She’s a member and director of Code‑Operative, a co‑op of North‑East based software developers with a range of skills. Code‑Operative is also a member of CoTech – a network of ethical co‑operatives providing technology, digital and creative services.

If you are interested in this event & would like to attend register your place here.

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