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June 17, 2016

Have you been asked to work for free?

Have you been asked to work for free?Over half of all micro-business owners are asked to work for free at least once a year according to new research.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of UK micro-business owners have been forced to work for free at some stage in their career just to get a foot in the door, according to new research conducted by OnePoll for the micro-business organisation Chorus.

A further fifth of entrepreneurs are approached to work for free every month and over half (53%) are asked to work for nothing at least once a year.

A quarter of those surveyed (27%) said that working for free was a "necessary step" when starting a business. However, 25% said they would never work for free, while one in five (20%) said they had worked on free projects but thought it was unfair.

Micro-business owners said that large corporations and charities were most likely to ask them to work for free.

Jason Kitcat, micro-business ambassador for Chorus, said: "Micro-businesses are a key driver of the UK economy, keeping the wheels of innovation and entrepreneurism turning - yet this research shows their skills are being undervalued and exploited.

"Micro-businesses employ 8.4 million people and account for 96% of all British businesses, yet too often they are being taken advantage of, on the promise of future publicity and business. Working for free shouldn't be necessary, the time and effort of micro-businesses should be valued like any other."

The number of people starting their own business continues to rise, according to new data from freelance body IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed). According to IPSE, the number of independent professionals in the EU rose by 24% (from 7.7 million to 9.6 million) between 2008 and 2015.

Chris Bryce, IPSE ceo, said: "Right across the EU, huge numbers of people are seeing the benefits of being their own boss and they're finding the confidence to launch new businesses. The trend towards working this way looks set to continue well into the future."

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