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Skills and flexibility the key to recent freelance boom

Published on Nov 20, 2009 |

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A major survey suggests that, after a difficult 12 months, freelancers and contractors are well placed to take advantage when the economic recovery begins.

1,597 freelancers across the UK took part in a research study carried out by ComRes and commissioned by the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) on what freelancing means for them.

Boom in freelancing

With around 1.4m freelancers and contractors working in the UK, the freelance industry has exploded into new sectors beyond the traditional journalist, engineer and IT contractor roles. These sectors have been joined by an increasingly diverse range of professions such as the finance sector, social workers, human resources, change managers and even the legal professions. Despite this burgeoning demand for freelance roles, the freelance community has not had an easy 12 months of it with 64% of freelancers finding it harder to secure roles, according to the survey.

Skills and experience are key

The freelancers surveyed believe that it is their specialist knowledge (97%) and years of experience (98%) along with enthusiasm (93%) and objectivity (94%) that is of real and valuable benefit to clients and these aspects will be key to assisting the UK in returning to growth. This enthusiasm is perhaps not surprising when considering that one third of all freelancers have no plans to retire because they love what they do and 67% confirm that "going freelance" has given them a better work/life balance.

Freelancers can help in economic recovery

John Brazier, managing director of PCG said: "An increasing number of companies and company leaders are recognising the skills, strengths and expertise that freelancers can bring to their organisations. Freelancers have a powerful set of skills as well as flexibility - that's a powerful mechanism that can help our economy to grow and thrive again as we come out of the recession.

"Yet big organisations are not as agile as freelancers and cannot flex at speed so we need to work with businesses and Government to help design a new framework that will be more flexible to allow this way of working to grow for the benefit of everyone - companies, freelancers and the economy overall."