Press & PR

Being your own boss and working on a freelance basis has become easier thanks to technological improvements, it has been suggested.

Contract-based work has become a regular part of the business plan for companies both large and small as they attempt to retain a flexible workforce.

But without innovations such as VoIP or the spread of broadband, this would be impossible, according to John De Groot, chief executive of Startup Co.

"The entry to market is much easier now for people who want to work independently," he said.

"If you think about only four years ago the broadband coverage was tiny and within the space of a few years it has gone from zero to almost 99 per cent coverage, so the ease with which people can connect through broadband now is far greater."

Widespread broadband access means it's easier then ever for employees to work from home and use reliable high speed internet connections to talk over the web with companies such as Vonage, which offering specially tailored calling packages for businesses.