Freelance Business Month Programme

I. Future of Freelance

Learn and get inspired by where the freelancing is going in Europe and worldwide. Inspirational talks from the renowned leaders.

All times are in CET (Central European Time)

ABOUT PROGRAMME
Scroll below the programme which is divided by weeks. Only one registration is required.

Once you are registered, you will receive a link to the event platform (closer to the date of the event) where you will be able to select the session of your interest.

Disclaimer: Programme is subject to change.
Friday, 1 October
10:15 - 10:25 • Opening and Welcome - Elina Jutelyte, Founder Freelance Business

Main learnings:
- What to expect from FBM2021
- How to take the best advantage of the event
- Key trends in Freelance Economy

----------------------------------------------------------

10:30 - 11:15 • The Future of Independent Working – Key Trends - Fergal Lennon, Managing Director, MBO Partners UK & Ireland

Main learnings:
- Key findings from MBO Partners State of Independence Research 2021
- Strategies forward thinking enterprises are using to access independent talent
- How COVID has accelerated key workforce trends

----------------------------------------------------------

11:30 - 12:00 • Freelancing and Health: What Does the Future Hold? - Tom Meyers, an osteopath, body-centred stress coach, wellbeing futurist, space enthusiast, TEDx organiser and author of "Futurize Yourself - Design your life on purpose.''

Main learnings:
- Proactive Healthcare is key to flourish and thrive in a fast-changing world
- A healthy future doesn't just happen, it is created through your decisions, choices and actions, today
- The future is in your hands: Make it a GREAT one!

----------------------------------------------------------

12:00 - 13:00 • Lunch / Online meet-ups

----------------------------------------------------------

16:00 - 17:00 • Future of the Freelancing: what global study tell us - Jon Younger, Forbes journalist, HR thought leader

Learn about the results and insights from the Global Study on Freelancing.
Saturday- Sunday,
2-3 October
WEEKEND

II. Starting Freelancing

Set of presentations and masterclasses about how to kick off your independent career. Whether you are only starting or need to rethink your freelance business, you will find inspiration and skill trainings to boost your marketing, sales, improve your networking skills, enhance your branding or simply hear personal stories and learn what you should avoid.

All times are in CET (Central European Time)

Monday, 4 October
10:30 - 11:00 • From Burnout to Business Owner - Annelie Wambeek, Interculturalist, Trainer and Speaker

Key learnings:
- A burnout can be a cultural phenomena
- The journey to going freelance isn't always what you would expect and how to prepare for that
- Why intercultural awareness and effective communication is more essential today than ever before

----------------------------------------------------------

11:15 - 11:45 • Be the CEO of your freelance career - Alison Grade, Author of the Freelance Bible

Key learnings:
- Having an 'open for business' mindset
- How to work on rather than in your freelance business
- Understand where you can add value to your clients

----------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 5 October
10:30 - 11:00 • Session 1: Sales or prospecting as a freelancer to start your business - Jean-François Bodart, Business Development Expert

Key learnings:

- What's your pitch/story?
- Where to look for your potential new clients How to make the 1st contact and engage?
- When are you going to do it while running your business?

----------------------------------------------------------

11:15 - 12:15 • MASTERCLASS: Why every freelancer needs to have a brand voice - Michelle O'Connor, Freelance Copywriter and Tone of Voice Creator, Specky Scribbler

Key learnings:
- What is brand voice
- Why everyone should have a tone of voice
- How to start developing your tone of voice
- Things to consider when developing your tone of voice.
Wednesday, 6 October
10:30 - 11:00 • Behavioural science for freelancers: How to relate to your audience - Kamila Zahradnickova, Behavioural Design Consultant

Key learnings:
- How behavioural science can efficiently support your creative endeavours
- Leverage core findings to enhance sales, marketing, and customer experience

----------------------------------------------------------

11:15 - 12:15 - MASTERCLASS: Digital marketing for starting a freelance business - Fanny Marcoux, Freelance Digital Marketer

Key learnings:
- Who are your best clients
- Where, when and how you can contact them
- How to use social media, your website and newsletters when you're too busy for that

Thursday, 7 October
10:30 - 11:00 • How to discover your perfect client niche - Matt Saunders, Freelance Coach

Key learnings:
- Learn what it means to niche,
- The benefits of niching and crucially,
- How you can find a niche that fits you perfectly

----------------------------------------------------------

11:15 - 11:45 • Making your product or service responsible and sustainable - Katrien Rennemeier, CSR/ Sustainability freelance consultant

Key learnings:
- Defining Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability
- Why freelancers should get on board
- Some tools to get you started (or go further)
Friday, 8 October
10:30 - 11:00 AM • The Freelance Canvas - Dominic Rogers, Founder / CEO of Siso Solutions

Key learnings:
- Freelancing setup
- Service offerings
- Obligations

----------------------------------------------------------

11:15 - 11:45 AM • How your perception influences your negotiation skills - Frederik Daneels, helps entrepreneurs and freelancers to increase their personal freedom

Key learnings:
- How to prepare your next negotiation by clarifying your intentions
- How to pick the right strategy to talk about potential dealbreakers with your customer
- How to lift roadblocks and avoid dealbreakers with your customer

----------------------------------------------------------

12:00 - 13:00 • Lunch / Online meet-ups
Saturday - Sunday,
9-10 October
#FreelanceSightseeing

Show us your favourite places!
Publish a post or story on IG tagging @freelancebusinesseu and #FreelanceSightseeing and we will reshare!

III. Growing Freelancing

Your next level of awesomeness. Like an athlete, you constantly need to push boundaries to achieve new heights: sharpen your mindset, learn how to avoid mental booby traps, be the best in your sales and marketing, learn growth hacking techniques and more... oh yes, stories of successes and failures to show that you are not alone in your struggles.

All times are in CET (Central European Time)

Monday, 11 October
10:00 - 10:20 • Going from local to global markets and utilizing both - Stan Slavev, CEO at Pronet Interactive

Key learnings:
- Establishing the difference between local and global market needs
- Creating your international presentation to fit the new market
- The benefits of working with the global market locally

----------------------------------------------------------

10:30 - 11:30 • MASTERCLASS: If you hate selling, you are probably doing it the wrong way - Luk Smeyers, Founder, The Visible Authority, self-employed

Key learnings:
- Learn to understand that income growth in freelancing is not about selling but about sharing your unique expertise.
- Learn authentic marketing and sales. As a freelancer, you are always the sales rep of your unique expertise. Learn about the new freelancer archetype characteristics and how it will impact revenue growth.
- It's all in the mind.

----------------------------------------------------------

12:00 - 12:30 • Gaining customers on foreign markets with Linkedin - Mariann Makrai, Translator, Podcaster and Voiceover, Copywriter and social impact creator

Key learnings:
- Consistency is key
- Consider looking for your target audience outside of your geographical area
- be ready to invest into video as your promo tool

----------------------------------------------------------

3:30 - 4:30 • MASTERCLASS: Closing better deals by developing emotional intelligence - Anaí Solano, Mindset Coach

Key learnings:
- Learn how to connect with your mental voice
- 3 Steps technique to clear doubts and anxiety while dealing with clients
- How to carry own successful negotiations
Tuesday, 12 October
10:30 - 11:00 • Where to start if you want to outsource - Renske Ensing, Virtual Business Manager and Productivity Strategist

Key learnings:
- Understand what is needed for successful outsourcing
- Understand why structure and processes are important for outsourcing
- Practical tips on how to go about creating the structure and procedures

----------------------------------------------------------

16:00 - 16:30 • How to build a strong referral business - Katrina Cobb, Chief Coach, Nomawo

Key learnings:
- Why you don't have to wait until you complete a project to ask for a referral
- The simple formula to ask for a referral and increase the likelihood of receiving a quality introduction
- How to make it easy for your network to refer new business to you
Wednesday, 13 October
10:30 - 11:30 • MASTERCLASS: 5 Steps to create a powerful personal brand - Geraldine Huybrechts, Personal Branding Energizer and Visibility Coach

Key learnings:
- Why is personal branding so essential as solopreneur?
- 5 steps to self-reflect and shape your personal brand
- The eco-system of personal branding

----------------------------------------------------------

11:45 - 12:15 • How to build a personal brand that will grow your freelance business - Haykuhi Voskanyan, Freelance SMM Strategist and SEO specialist

Key learnings:
- The essential guide on branding for Freelancers:
- The Most Common Branding Challenges for Freelancers
- How do I brand myself to find customers or specific of freelance branding in Armenia

Thursday, 14 October
12:00 - 12:45 • Session 2: Sales or prospecting as a freelancer to grow your business - Jean-François Bodart, Business Development Expert

Key learnings:
- Raising prices or switch from an hourly rate to value-based pricing
- Remodelling services
- Outsource or delegate or maybe even hire

13:00 - 15:00 • Doing Freelance Business in Italy

This roundtable discussion will consist of: Please note this event is run by FREELANCE NETWORK ITALIA.
- Creating a brand - Michela Bellomo, Brand Creator and Color Strategist; Marina Galbiati, Marketing Consultant
- From Hours to value - The best way to price your work - Dario Albini, Strategic Art Director:
- The importance of niches and micro niches to be found on the web - Giovanni Ronci, Freelance Internet Business Designer/Professor/Trainer and Author.
- 5+1 legal tips for starting a freelance business - Martina Lasagna, Lawyer
- Why goal setting is not enough and what will actually unblock your growth -Priel Korenfeld, Organizational Hacker/Freelance
- Mentor and coach: which is the difference and how can I choose what I really need? - Barbara Reverberi, Freelance/Mentor and business coach/Founder of Freelance Network Italy, Author
- Moderator: Fabio Benati, Certified Journalist - web content and chief editor
Friday, 15 October
10:30 - 11:00 • Interdependence: Why collaboration boosts business growth - Anastasiia Dehtiarova, Marketing Manager, Freelance Business Community

Key learnings:
- How she created synergies within and between her projects
- Why diverse collaborations help us grow
- Why dreaming big attracts great talent

----------------------------------------------------------

11:15 - 11:45 • How to grow your freelance business through collaborations - Elizaveta Glukhova, graphic designer, art curator and TEDx speaker

Key learnings:
- Learn how to turn competition into collaboration
- How to choose collaborators
- Being a freelancer is not equal to working alone

----------------------------------------------------------

12:00 - 12:30 PM • Freelance Collectives: The power of combined Freelance strength - Sanne Van Broeck, Freelance Digital Marketer

Key learnings:
- You don't have to know it all, do it all and think of it all, just by yourself.
- What to look for in partners (and what not).
- How to collaborate effectively.

12:30 - 13:00 • Lunch/ Online meet-ups
Saturday - Sunday,
16 October - 17 October

IV. European Freelance Week

Celebration of the European Freelance Week #EFWeek (18 - 24 October)

All times are in CET (Central European Time)

Monday, 18 October
10:30 - 11:30 • #EFWeek Opening
- Elina Jutelyte, Founder of Freelance Business Community
- Robert Vlach, Founder of Freelancing.eu
- Jeannine van der Linden, Director, European Coworking Assembly
Key learnings:
- Learn from #EFWeek stands for
- Goals for the movement
- Manifesto and political action to support independent professionals in Europe

----------------------------------------------------------
14:30 - 15:30 - Masterclass: How to grow your freelance business from inside out
- Luisa Ferrario, Rebel Transformative Leader
- Leksana Teguh Hartawan, CEO and C-level coach
- Anastasiia Dehtiarova, Marketing Manager at Freelance Business Community, Entrepreneur
Key learnings:
- Why inner growth will help you master your craft
- How to create strong motivation and know your why
- How to deal with setbacks and harsh times while freelancing

----------------------------------------------------------

4:00 - 4:30 - Failures, successes, and the role mental stamina plays in Entrepreneurship - Andrea Chase, Founder and Head of Marketing, ProCabby

Key learnings:
- What the windy path of Entrepreneurship and Freelancing really looks like. Hint: it's not all glitz and glamour.
- The crucial role that mental stamina plays in being a Business Owner, and some tangible ways to work on keeping yourself strong.
- Helpful business advice on stepping into Entrepreneurship; and starting, growing, and running a business.
Tuesday, 19 October
10:30 - 11:00 • Different dynamics of freelance markets in Europe - Quentin Debavelaere, COO, Malt

Key learnings:
- Growth of the economy and unemployment level is a strong driver for freelance economy growth
- Maturity of the freelance ecosystem varies widely from Spain to Germany
- Labor laws in Europe are often obstacles to freelance economy growth
Wednesday, 20 October
14:00 - 15:00 • Platforms Owners panel discussion
- Caroline Rollé, Product Owner, GIGHOUSE, Belgium
- Matt Mottola, Co-Founder & CEO, VentureL, USA
- Rich Wilson, CEO, Gigged.ai, Scotland
- Toyosi Obasanjo, Growth Lead, Collargig, Lagos
- Alan Rozental, Co-founder & CMO, Bait, LATAM
- Jasmine Haria, CoFounder, FluidTal, Singapore
Key learnings:
- Where the platform economy is heading
- The challenges and opportunities of the platforms in 2021
- How can platforms stimulate the visibility of freelancers around the globe
Thursday, 21 October
13:30 - 14:30 • European Freelance Communities
- Barbara Reverberi, Founder Freelance Network Italia
- Simona Mapelli, Freelance Network Italia
- Jean-François Bodart, Freelancers in Belgium
- Úna Herlihy, Co-Founder, The Indie List
- Peter Janssens and Jean-Paul Delmeire, Co-founders of Betoo.be
- Elina Jutelyte, Founder, Freelance Business
- Elina Räsänen, Chief Marketing Officer, XOLO
Key learnings:
- communities, challenges and opportunities
- what makes a community successful
- how we can support freelancers; why communities are an important driving factor for freelance success

----------------------------------------------------------

15:00 - 17:00 • Doing Freelance Business in Italy - How to gain customers in Europe - Panel discussion
- European Journalism: what we can do together, Assunta Corbo, Journalist, Founder of Constructive Network
- We are the web. Online community and real people, Simona Mapelli, Content strategist
- Extended reality can transform your business, Simonetta Pozzi, Freelance consultant and trainer in corporate storytelling/VR-AR marketing
- Freelancing in Italy, Barbara Reverberi, Freelance mentor and business coach, Founder of Freelance Network Italy:
- Why should you consider a podcast for your business, Gabriele Politi, freelance journalist, author, podcaster, media trainer
- The nomadic generation - working from everywhere, Jacopo Gomarasca, CEO, Nomads Embassy
Please note this event is run by FREELANCE NETWORK ITALIA.
Friday, 22 October
12:00 - 12:30 • Blockchain and freelancing (NFTs) - Stylianos Kampakis, Data scientist, Member of the Royal Statistical Society UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies

Key learnings:
- What is blockchain and NFT?
- How NFTs are opening new monetisation opportunities for creative freelancers.

----------------------------------------------------------

12:00 - 13:00 • Lunch / Online meet-ups
Saturday-Sunday,
23-24 October
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

V. The Future of Work

With this event we want to bringing about change. #Futureofwork and #freelancebusiness is on the same side of the medal. During this week we will host talks about how HR and talent acquisition strategies are changing to welcome more independent profs.

All times are in CET (Central European Time)

Monday, 25 October
10:00 - 10:30 • The Future of Work is Open Talent - Denise Brouder, Founder, SWAYworkplace

Key learnings:
- Understanding the Open Talent Economy
- The new rules of work for freelancers
- The skills every freelancer needs to succeed in Open Talent

----------------------------------------------------------

14:00 - 14:45 • How freelancing is the main driver for the future of work - Matt Mottola, Author of The Human Cloud, CoFounder of Venture L
Matt Coatney, C-Level Technology Executive, Award-Winning Author and TED/Keynote Speaker

Key learnings:
- What work will look like in 10 years?
- Why companies are increasingly turning to freelancers?
- Why top talent is increasingly becoming freelancers?
- What's in the way of you and a sustainable freelancing career?
Tuesday, 26 October
10:00 - 10:30 • Upending the Talent Economy - Jasmine Haria, CEO of Nuway CFR, and Co-Founder at FluidTal

Key learnings:
- What does decentralized workforce mean
- Insights to rebuild, re-invent and innovate moving forward
- The time of the human-centered innovation
Wednesday, 27 October
10:00 - 10:30 • Master your company inclusion and diversity with freelancers - Ashmita Krishna Sharma, Owner and Creative Strategist, Sparkling Gems.

Key learnings:
- What is cognitive diversity
- How to cultivate the power of creativity and innovation through inclusion and diversity
- How to embed cognitive diversity in your daily life

---------------------------------------------------------

10:45 - 11:15 • Total Talent Acquisition and how freelancers fit in that sourcing strategy - Ian de Swart, Co-founder, Charipickers

- How freelancers will benefit from the fact that the statute of a workforce in a company will become more and more irrelevant when hiring
- How detecting Talent Gaps in companies will boost the use of freelancers
- Why companies who calculate the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of employees and freelancers are breaking the myth that freelancers are way too expensive
Thursday, 28 October
09:30 - 10:00 CET • Freelancers in a blended corporate teams - Remi Maddens, Talent matchmaker, Founding partner, Crosscast

Key learnings:
- What are the blended teams and how freelancers can benefit from it
- To-dos and not to-dos in a blended team
- Client expectations from the freelancers in the blended teams
Friday, 29 October
10:00 - 11:00 • Closing of the FBM

Elina Jutelyte, Founder, Freelance Business
Saturday-Sunday,
30-31 October
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

#FreelanceHalloween 🎃

Organiser reserves the right to change and modify the programme at any moment.

FREELANCE BUSINESS MONTH1-31 OCTOBER

FREELANCE BUSINESS MONTH
1-31 OCTOBER