Dear readers,

Welcome to the second month of our fresh new year. We hope that you have had a good break and feel refreshed?

In our first article, we are fortunate to hear ‘words of wisdom’ from Jim of Jim’s Mowing and use his advice to consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing compared to franchising.

Our second article considers the advantages of freelancing as a way to go into business for the first time.

Then, we look at a report from Deloitte and consider how AI Agents are set to shake up the way we all interact with our computers and may potentially make Microsoft Word and Excel a thing of the past?

Financial security in old age is a particular challenge for freelancers. The OECD study ‘Pensions at a Glance’ shows the significant differences between the pension systems of different countries and their impact on freelancers. Find out how pension systems differ around the world and which countries are particularly freelancer friendly compared to Hong Kong.

Finally, our freelancer joke is quick, but speaks to the value of repeat business.

I hope you enjoy reading this and have a successful reminder of 2025!

Yours, Michael Barr