Every freelancer will have their story. The lucky ones who have always been able to provide their service remotely will be okay, however, at the extreme end of the scale, some freelancers have lost their entire client list, had to move out of their home and are in a lot of debt. i News spoke to Freelancer Club about the impact COVID has had on the freelance community.
I DON'T QUALIFY FOR ANY GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SCHEMES
There has been so much confusion (an exclusion) regarding the Government support for freelancers. Are you eligible for SEISS? Is there any point in applying for Universal Income? Can you get a bounce back loan? Bustle asked us for our insights and advice.
BBC NEWS - CORONAVIRUS; SHOULD FURLOUGHED WORKERS OFFER THEIR SKILLS FOR FREE
Free work in the freelance sector has been a curse for years. Now, many furloughed workers, with free time on their hands, are offering up their skills for free, but some freelancers are taking issue with the trend. Freelancer Club spoke with the BBC about the impact this could have on the freelance sector and why furloughed workers should think twice before giving up their time for free. Read the full article here.
ASK ME ANYTHING - BROADCASTER & PRESENTER, LAURA WINTER
Laura Winter, freelance Broadcaster, Presenter, Commentator and Event Host sits down with the Founder of Freelancer Club, Matt Dowling, for a very candid and honest discussion about life as a working freelancer.
ASK ME ANYTHING - PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, IVAN WEISS (PART 2)
Back by popular demand, professional Portrait Photographer, Ivan Weiss, answers more of your questions. He discusses everything from his studio set up to the essence of a portrait photograph.
THE FINANCIAL TIMES - THE FREELANCER CLUB INCOME SUPPORT SCHEME GETS RUSHED ON DAY 1
Today, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme opened its doors and freelancers rushed in. £340 million in claims were made within hours. The Financial Times spoke with the Freelancer Club's founder, Matt Dowling, to get his thoughts on the situation. [reamore] Read the full article by Delphine Strauss here.
SELF-EMPLOYED CLAIM £340 MILLION IN FIRST FOUR HOURS OF NEW SCHEME
The day the SEISS opened, £340 million was claimed in the first 4 hours. It was a bitter sweet moment for us at Freelancer Club. We had campaigned tirelessly for support and when it was announced, we were elated. However, as the details of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme emerged, we realised that an estimated 2 million self-employed individuals would be be eligible for financial support.
THE GUARDIAN - SELF EMPLOYED INCOME SUPPORT SCHEME DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH
When the pandemic first hit, we were flooded with worried messages from freelancers who feared they would lose their clients and be forced to pause or close their business. Our first instinct was to support our members on a local level by offering one to one support, the option to freeze membership fees and opening up a lot of the premium benefits to all members. On a broader level, we felt the Government was ignoring the self-employed community and added our voice to demand financial support for freelancers.