The sixth annual IAN conference, run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs and hosted, took place this June at Sheffield Hallam University. This flagship annual event convened incubator managers from across the UK for best-practice sharing, networking and collaboration. The Founder of Freelancer Club, Matt Dowling, was invited to provide insights into the freelance journey and share some data on the challenges faced by students and universities. 

Among the distinguished presenters was James Ker-Reid, co-founder of Revenue Academy. Following the presentations, Matt and James struck up a conversation over a cup of coffee, wherein they discovered a shared vision for nurturing the upcoming generation of entrepreneurs as well as a sense of frustration regarding the challenges faced by founders and freelancers in their pursuit of success.

Recognising the potential significance of their chat, they made a decision to convene, unpack these issues, and record their conversation in order to offer their insights to universities, students, and stakeholders alike.

Topics 

1. The critical differences between starting a business and freelancing
2. Can entrepreneurialism really be taught? 
3. The S Word - the role of sales in the startup/freelance sector
4. Why are more students keen to be their own boss? 
5. What’s the new reality of starting a business or becoming a freelancer? 

 

Links

Freelancer Club

Revenue Academy