About Us

Membership

Self-employed & microbusinesses providing both clients facing and B2B contract services in the outdoor sector are welcome to join the group. Membership would be not limited by activity but defined by method of service provision to ensure it encompasses the huge variety of professional freelancers operating in the sector

"A simple definition is, a freelancer is one that is available for hire."

www.freelancer.com

Membership of the freelance professionals co-operative is open to all who work in one or more of these ways:

• Direct with clients - working with their own booking systems, insurance, safety systems, emergency procedures, etc.
• Contracted - providing outdoor learning services, advice or consultancy on a short-term or fixed-duration basis to another business.
• Employed - leading occasional or ad-hoc outdoor learning sessions or programmes on an employed basis for a number of organisations.

Members might work in any area of outdoor learning, including adventure sports, environmental education, field studies, health and wellbeing, youth work, adventure tourism and expeditions.

Activities

Members will lead, shape and direct the activity of the freelance cooperative. Our starting aims are for:

Advocacy: Provide a unified sector voice on issues that affect freelancers within the sector.

Specialist Advice: Seek partnerships with existing IOL partners and other providers for delivery of business support specific advice and services. E.g. Insurance Liability Cover

Education & Development: Provide signposting and support for freelancers in running their business safely, effectively and incompliance with UK law. This may include:

• Company Structures
• Corporation / Income Taxes, IR35 compliance, National Insurance
• Cash Flow and Seasonality, Tax planning Insurance
• Legal obligations - GDPR / Safeguarding Rights & Responsibilities
• Contracts – terms and conditions Working Conditions
• Employing others
• Dissemination of good practice
• Marketing, promotions and business development
• Arbitration
• Rates of Pay
• Debt Recovery
• Funding and Grants
• Personal Learning and Development​​​​​

Mentoring: Provide business mentoring for members who are looking to set up their own businesses and services from established IOL coaches and business leaders.