The Self-Organising Self-Employed

The RSA and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have produced this report looking at successful examples of self-organising among the self-employed.

The report highlights various initiatives including cash-pooling schemes; micro finance initiatives; sick pay funds and time share agreements, and how these ‘bottom-up’ initiatives are being looked at by many as a means to improve the lives of the self-employed. One example being developed in the UK is the idea of a ‘Bread Fund’ which has come from an idea by a small group of Dutch freelancers who have created their own collective sick pay fund. This Broodfonds, or ‘Bread Fund’ as it is known in English, worked on the basis that members would contribute money into an account every month, which could then be drawn upon if they fell sick.

With little known about how these schemes operate in practice, the RSA and FSB set out earlier this year to explore their histories and understand how they came to be. This report highlights the findings of some of these initiatives work in practice.

Download the report here.