We opened our Walthamstow Indycube as of December 15th, and are offering the use of the space for free until the 22nd for small businesses and freelancers to try out in the run up to Christmas. It's located in the Old Cooperative Bank on Hoe St in Walthamstow, and you can just turn up to use the space.
Last week, Acorn's Managing Director, Matt Southall, released an article calling for more imaginative thinking around our current transport problems. This came not long after we'd printed our own piece on working locally rather than suffering the commute, which can be read here.
Rail users will be affected by the biggest fare increase in five years from 2018. The average ticket price across England, Scotland and Wales will go up by 3.4 per cent, meaning some passengers who purchase season tickets will be nearly £150 a year worse off.
The Christmas season is fast approaching. We hope you'll be spending as much time as possible relaxing as 2017 comes to a close but, just in case, here are our Opening Hours over the festive season.
Some predicted a bold Budget, to create the all-important political narrative and to show that the government were in control, while others thought Philip Hammond might play it safe to minimise opposition to the proposals. There were a few interesting aspects, but sadly not anything that will make daily life easier for indy workers.
With the Chancellor due to present his Autumn Budget to Parliament on 22nd November 2017, we have outlined what we expect (and hope) to see for the self-employed. In response to the current climate of uncertainty and instability, and despite the fact that the last Budget was only six months ago, Philip Hammond is reportedly planning a “bold” Budget. Following the publication of the Taylor Review earlier this year, we do expect to see changes focussing on independent workers. These are our predictions:
September - we’re going back to school and college, reverting to routine and reaching for our Autumnal jumpers. There’s a shift business-wise too - more Start-Ups than ever will launch this month.
Simply put, an indy (or indie) worker is an independent worker. This is quite a broad term, and can cover the self-employed, freelancers, contractors, gig workers and business owners. You could be a sole trader or in a partnership, or the director of a limited company - if you work for yourself, and are responsible for paying yourself, you are an indy worker.
Workplace wellbeing is currently, finally becoming a hot topic with businesses beginning to recognise the link between poor workplace mental health and a decline in profits.
James is a founding member at Indycube Community. Please watch the video below and help support James by voting for Hereford Make on the link provided. Each person has 10 votes and every one can make a difference. If we can get James over 3000 votes we can help to secure further funding for his makerspace in Hereford.
Help us help James, so he can help others. You can vote here: www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk
Ian has just launched SheetCNC, an affordable alternative to commercial CNC routers. SheetCNC.co.uk operates from a small machine shop in rural Pembrokeshire. They offer bespoke engineering solutions and consultancy as well as manufacturing SheetCNC kits.
Just to introduce myself, my name is Dai (David) Lloyd and I’ve been working with Indycube for a few years now in various guises. I started working as an associate from the first Indycube location at Culverhouse Cross some five years ago now where I plotted word domination of the pop charts with my record label and music publishing company “Rheidol Records.”
Welsh sustainable fashion brand MAYKHER® strides forward with the launch of their follow up accessories range and continue leading the charge on slow fashion.
Gareth Coles works for Voluntary Arts Wales and is based in indycube St Mary Street, our space in the heart of Cardiff City.
It’s Mental Health Awareness Day (10th October 2017) and we’re bringing you some concerning statistics about mental health in the workplace.
Working from home can come with multiple benefits, from taking calls in your pjs to listening to your favourite station on the radio, but there are also many hidden pitfalls to the quickly growing trend for freelancing and remote working. Although working from the comfort of your own home seems great on paper, the downsides will quickly become apparent in practice.
13th September 2017
indycube.community will provide access to Total Motor Assist, a multi-car, multi-driver membership package of accident management services that sits alongside your car insurance.
We know that seeking legal advice can be daunting, and for many small businesses or individuals, legal aid will often go unsought due to fear of not being heard, falling under the radar or receiving large unpredictable costs. That's why our membership benefits package includes Legal Support. Our legal support team can advise on a broad range of legal issues, including, but not limited to: Best Practice, Legal Advice and Personal Injury.
September 2017
When you work for yourself, you often find yourself performing several roles as well as your particular area of specialisation; during any given month you may find yourself doing your own PR, accounting, networking, admin and negotiating, to name a few!
Issue #16, September 2017
Hi, I’m Richard Williams. I work and Anchor from Indycube Trade Street, and am Founder of Veritii - a home buying app for builders, buyers and creators.
Most indie workers have been there. You don’t want to work from home, because there are too many distractions, or your wifi is on the blink, or you can’t stand those same four walls any longer.
The gig economy is sometimes referred to as the ‘sharing’, ‘collaborative’ or ‘platform’ economy, and means that a worker will be paid for each ‘gig’, rather than by the hour. Gig workers are self-employed, freelancers and contractors, and therefore are not entitled to a guaranteed minimum wage, sick pay, annual leave, maternity/paternity leave, pensions or any of the other benefits and protections that employees might take for granted. Couriers and drivers are the most often cited type of gig worker, and there has been a rise in gig workers in recent years, accelerated by the development of apps and platforms, but musicians, producers and construction workers can fall into the category too.
This summer, we launched our UK wide membership offer, inclusive of Legal Support, Invoice Management & Cash-flow control, Total Motor Assist and Lifestyle Benefits with more still to come.
Working independently brings freedom, ownership, and autonomy, but it can also bring isolation and loneliness. Long hours working alone, dealing with problem clients or cashflow issues by yourself and struggling to maintain that tricky work/life balance can all contribute to loneliness. Here we explore a few ways to avoid and manage loneliness and keep you happy and healthy, though it’s worth mentioning that if you are worried about the way you are feeling, you should see your GP.
We all have good days and bad days, but often we can’t afford to waste valuable time in a rut or going around in circles. How do we stay upbeat, motivated and productive, especially when we have more responsibility on our shoulders than company around us? Here are a few tips that we find effective...
For me, it all started in Swansea back in 2012. I'd been banging the drum locally about shared workspace and had played with the idea of a multi-use work studio for years. The truth is, I couldn’t see a way forward. Rent and rates were prohibitive, there seemed to be space everywhere, but no way to access it. I'd been working with a business mentor called Jules Mallory Skinner, as well as Huw Williams who had started Swansea Creative Hub and was now freelancing for Coastal Housing.
11th August 2017
Freelancing can take you up and down the country on various expeditions. While some independent workers travel for business, others may choose to spend a day of their holiday time wrapping up some pressing last-minute tasks. Others still may seek out exciting and interesting places to work, and where better when rambling than the Celtic landscape of Wales?
It’s a huge part of what Indycube is about, and something that has become increasingly popular over the past few years, but what exactly is coworking?
Some of our members and coworkers are already very familiar with Jelly coworking events but, for those of you that haven't had the pleasure, we thought we’d put together some info.
On August 2nd we launched in Walthamstow - our first coworking space down in the big smoke!
5th August 2017
A catalogue of handy tools, sites and apps is essential for any indie worker or small business - and if they’re free, even better! We’ve summarised some of the best free tools for you here, from invoicing to time management and design (including some lesser known gems).
2011 was an interesting time. It was my first attempt at freelancing, following an interesting year in London. I worked closely with another developer on a few projects, though remotely. Neither of our homes were suitable for a group workspace due to modern definitions of double rooms and the other requirements of such a space.
There are many perks that come with being a freelancer. You have the freedom to choose when and where you work. You can focus on what really matters to you. And you have levels of job satisfaction most 9-5ers can’t even dream of.
The first few months in my Connector role have been a revelation. As a (former) freelancer I thought I knew the make-up of the freelance community. However, travelling far and wide and meeting indycubers in a variety of locations has shown me that there’s much more to independent working than meets the eye...
Yes, I know indycube is a proper noun not a verb. But indycube is much more than that. It really is more of a verb than a static noun! It starts with two nouns – the network of physical co-working spaces and membership of Indycube CBS Ltd.
But it certainly doesn’t stop there.
Did you know the word 'freelancer' originated from medieval knights who would kill evildoers for the King and then not get paid for eight months!? When we set up Indycube Community, we stopped and asked ourselves, what's changed for freelancers since then?
Indycube is a Community Benefit Society that offers a membership package to address the precarious nature of self-employment, freelance working and the gig economy. We started in Wales in 2010 and now operate across the UK connecting people and places, having developed a network of coworking spaces that supports freelancers and micro businesses. Coworking helps our users to stay within their local communities, preserving their money, talent, and enthusiasm for use in the local economy.
