Tea, toast & talent [#170]
Calling all freelancers: Insights, job opps, and an exercise to wrap up your year.
What’s the future of freelancing? Tea and Toast talks might be the answer.
I’ve been going to these Tea and Toast calls - an initiative to improve the experience for freelancers and hiring managers at Publicis Groupe.
Interactive sessions for open discussion, to build community and streamline the hiring process via Worksome. Good to hear they’re expanding!
It’s a more personalised way of freelancing. The open format of the calls—updates, market insights, guest speakers, Q&A—makes me feel more connected and it’s easier to pitch my services. Building loyalty through community really works.
Things might be winding down for Xmas, but I want my ducks in a row, so I'm ready to go next year. So I’m trying to go to things like this and updating my profiles.
Last month, they invited Matthew Knight (Leapers) to talk about mental health and his new project supporting freelancers, Freelance Forum. Every year, he runs a piece of research looking into mental health in freelancing.
2024 has been a brutal year for many of us.
Take 10 mins to reflect on your year with this survey—results out in Jan!
Today's guest was Ray Walker, workforce advisor on all things IR35, payroll assessments w/Worksome and what makes a booking fall inside and outside IR35… a grey area for freelancers and contractors.
It's a boring topic and difficult to understand, so good to simplify it. I appreciate the plumber analogy!
We understand how plumbers work. You tell them what you want and where to go.
But when it comes to actually fitting that bathroom - how they’re gonna do it, the tools they’re gonna use, the people they’ll use - you have very little say on that. You also have little say so on when they’re gonna do it. They tell you they’re coming on Monday but they might not turn up till Tuesday.
All sorts of ways of working. That’s the same way a freelancer should work if they’re self-employed.
Helpful to hear how to position yourself to be outside IR35 and when to push back if a client starts acting like an employer. I’ve popped a link to the replay and resources below.
Quick IR35 tips for freelancers
Since 2021, the liability for IR35 falls on the client, not the freelancer.
Working with multiple clients on as many different projects as you can makes you look more self-employed (own tools, schedule flexibility).
Inside IR35, you pay the same tax as an employee, but you have no rights e.g. pension or holiday pay. You're better off going through an umbrella company.
I see no benefit at all to work as inside IR35, you might as well go through an umbrella - or not do the job.
They wrapped up with live roles and opportunities - 26 agencies across media, creative, production and data so there’s plenty of work. A shoutout for copywriters and medical writers. “I have a feeling we’re gonna be busy in the new year.”
Worksome will be joining their monthly calls in Jan.
Great initiative. I hope to see more companies making this effort with freelancers - it positions them well.
Fascinating to see how HR is evolving too – like breakfast telly, chats with Chan, live Q&A, private talent pools. We're all creators these days ;)
I can vouch for Publicis btw. I've had some interesting, well-paid work with them and the onboarding via Worksome was smooth.
Agency land is a good way to work with bigger brands as a soloist, and it keeps the lights on while you're building side projects. It's how I balance love and money work - a mix of contracts, retainers and one-off gigs.
If the government wants Britain 'back-to-work' and productivity booming, they need to pay attention to the self-employed and entrepreneurs - and simplify the IR35 rules so it’s easier to hire.
One potential upside of the employer's NI rise in the Budget is more freelance opps.
Cheers,
Nika 🥂
PS Thanks to everyone who chipped in for my Royal Parks run. Much appreciated. I raised £201 for the Rory Peck Trust and 32 runners raised over £10,000 for freelance journalists globally. Bravo!
It was bloody knackering and cold, but I loved it. Great atmosphere and a joy to run past London landmarks with no traffic.
Read, Listen, Watch, Book
▶️Helping journalists get paid | Creator Spotlight & Lex Roman. Top of my podcast feed. I love the diversity of guests and exploration of the blurring of creator-journalist.
▶️The Growth in Reverse podcast is launching on Dec 8 - all things newsletters and audience growth. Chenell & Dylan are going to rock this!
▶️ “I analysed over 74,000 Substack newsletters.” Free insight report on the Substack ecosystem by Ciler at Newsletter Circle.
View the recording + summary - an overview of IR35 legislation and how it impacts freelancers. Ray is also a gun for hire - helping businesses free themselves from the shackles of IR35.
Join the Publicis talent pool and pitch yourself as a guest speaker
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