Marco Torregrossa

Unlike entrepreneurs who reply on a big idea, perhaps one that will change the world, freelancers’ primary value rests on their skills. Clients hire them for their skill-set, and it is their task to deliver an assignment based on their talent.

The life of freelancers is characterised by many positive factors, such as freedom and flexibility, including the ability to determine when and where they work and what type of work they do. These factors are leading more Europeans to choose independent work, most of the times without the need of any upfront financial support, often needed for start-ups. Moreover, freelancers allow the enterprises which contract them to get flexible expertise that would otherwise not be economically feasible.

The nature of work and the ways it gets done is evolving rapidly. Public policies and the business sector need to be ahead of change, and provide more targeted support to workers transitioning from employment to freelancing and back.

Without physical infrastructures such as coworking space and digital infrastructures such as effective broadband and mobile coverage, the freelance community will not be able to advance and prosper as business. These infrastructures matter to Europe. They help self-employed professionals to create work and perhaps most importantly are a source of sustainability, productivity, growth and innovation.