Closed petition Micro businesses and freelancers count

Closed on 24 October 2013

There’s a growing trend towards freelance business. But when the official employment figures or business start up figures are published, this isn’t picked up. Accounting for freelance and independent businesses is outdated. Terms like self-employed or part-time don’t reflect the diversity and momentum behind the ‘free-style’ or portfolio careers that many now choose. Without knowing the facts how does Govt create policies that enable growth and sustainability? How do larger businesses find them in order to trade with independents? How do local communities plan for the change in working patterns? How do we encourage employers towards a more fluid workforce for the future?
We’d like a new way to measure the size of the sector and contribution that we make to the UK economy. We’d like tax & other incentives to encourage growth, and we’d like the Govt to encourage local authorities to provide much needed facilities to bring homeworkers together for peer support and reciprocal exchange.