Exporting Expertise

Britain’s freelancers are massively increasing their exports, new research shows, particularly to countries in the East that were once seen as centres of outsourcing.

Sales by freelancers to countries such as India and China have risen by as much as 234 per cent over the past 12 months, reveal figures from PeoplePerHour, the online jobs marketplace.

The company said sales to Saudi Arabian clients had registered the biggest increase of all over the past 12 months, with freelancers selling 703 per cent more business to the country. UK-based freelancers’ sales to Bulgaria were up by 602 per cent, sales to Japan rose 551 per cent, and sales to Indonesia were up by 402 per cent. Sales to countries including India, Russia, Israel and the Philippines were all up by more than 200 per cent.

The site necessarily caters to freelancers who can supply their services online, with demand for design registering the biggest increase from overseas clients over the past 12 months, up by 140 per cent. Sales of freelance business support such as financial forecasting were up by 135 per cent, while copywriting sales were up 100 per cent.

“The UK has something to offer the East - we can’t compete on labour costs, but where we do have a competitive advantage is in the specialist skills that our workforce has to offer,” said Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder and CEO of PeoplePerHour.

“This burgeoning freelance marketplace, which enables UK professionals with specialist skills to export their talents, could radically change the way businesses operate in the future.”

By David Prosser